adman5000
March 16th, 2008, 18:25
On arrival at BKK, I checked into the Pinnacle Hotel as usual. While Jimmy is not good at confirming or answering e-mails, he always has my room reserved. I think it is an excellent price even though it has gone up slightly.. The lobby and dining area have been renovated. I liked the dining area a lot more but I thought the front desks versus a counter were ineffective. I hope the next round they refurb the rooms and A/C. I donтАЩt know if they use air filters but it always seems the air inside is very dirty. The breakfast is consistent and was a bit better this time as they had someone at the egg station continuously so they never ran out of fried eggs or omelets. The staff does a great job and I never had any problem with joiners. I book a double room.
I took the bus to Pattaya and but unfortunately did not make sure it was the VIP and it seemed to make a stop every mile so the trip took a lot longer than planned. But for 100 baht or so it is a cheap way to Pattaya if you have the time and arenтАЩt tired from just landing. If you are just coming in from the airport I would take a taxi. For my return to BKK from Pattaya for a flight within Thailand I used Mr. ToomтАЩs Taxi Service that others have commented on and found it reasonably priced (1200 baht including tolls) and the driver was very punctual and drove safely at a reasonable speed. MR.TOOM BKK. Call 081-4827148 or 083-0178066
In Pattaya I got a place without an advance reservation. I recommend advance reservations but because of my schedule, I gave it a try. If the Ambiance was full, I stayed at the Le Caf├й Royale and vice-versa. They are fairly similar in my opinion but I preferred the Ambiance for three reasons. 1)I like the American breakfast there better as I think it is a bit tastier, 2)they were a bit more security conscious in terms of consistently collecting ID cards and calling me as the boy was leaving to ensure all was ok, 3) during two visits they upgraded me to make my lower floor room available to other reservations (I had been a walk-in) - I can walk the stairs ok so this is fine. In fact during one visit I had one of the penthouses on the very top for a few days which was exceptionally nice with a balcony patio with chair, fan, and table and a gigantic room. I like the central location of these hotels.
For my trip to Issan I flew into Udon Thani on Thai Airways, While in Udon Thani I stayed at the Charhoen hotel which is convenient, central, clean, but I thought a bit expensive at 950 baht not including breakfast although the rate did include free airport transportation. I also enjoyed the live music at the Yellow Bird Disco next door. It is also within walking distance to the shopping complex and a short ride to the park.
Going into Nong Khai I took a taxi the first time which was arranged by the hotel and was 800 baht. Expensive but helpful to find out the layout of Nong Khai. Once I knew where things were and the town layout, I took the bus between Udon and Nong Khai which was cheap and took under one hour. I used the bus to travel between all the cities and found it cheap and comfortable with A/C. I think Thailand has a very good bus system.
In Nong Khai I stayed at the Panatwee Hotel. It was very reasonable at 600 Baht a night including a basic breakfast, within walking distance to the Mekong and restaurants, had a computer with unlimited free internet within the room, and had a very comfortable bed. The rooms are a bit basic but fine for me. I was surprised how quiet things were, but that was also a nice change. The markets were great for some good silk, Laos was close if you wanted to go (I have been), and I had some very good food at cheap prices. My favorite place was near the Mekong and was simply called Good Food. Most Thai dished were like 50-60 baht and very fresh and well prepared and you could sit and watch the river and the promenade. I did not find any boy bars but then in Issan I had not expected any. I think if I did this again I would bring a boy along. But I thought many of the waiters at the Vietnamese restaurant (Daengs I think) along the river were amazingly handsome.
I also took the bus to Khon Kaen and stayed at the Hotel Khon Kaen. It was about 650 baht including breakfast. It was also central and I took the baht bus everywhere for 8 baht. Laundry was also amazing cheap here at about 5 baht per item! I really liked the park by the lake and there were a lot of people walking, jogging, doing aerobics, and TaiтАЩChi in the evening so it was very entertaining. I also took the baht bus out to the university which had a gigantic campus. The bus takes you right inside and you can get off near the student union and look around. I walked to the Sofitel Hotel area as I read there were some clubs or massage places nearby. I looked for the Dragon but did not find it. Someone on another forum said they met some guys at the club under the Times Square sign but I found things quite quiet.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Issan trip. The people were fantastically friendly, the weather was surprisingly cool (many Thai were wearing jackets), good food, everything was reasonably cheap, and nice parks. It was a great way to sample the culture of Thailand without the emphasis on sex and booze. But my nightly dream of finding a young handsome rice farmer with a body of steel did not materialize.
When I returned to Bangkok, I booked into the Rose Hotel via phone. The rate was 1950 baht for a double room including breakfast. They did not have the deluxe room available. Although I was concerned about finding the hotel, their sign is very visible on Surawong so it was no problem. Some have commented about the dark Soi, but I think it is a pretty active Soi so no problem. Check-in was efficient and the rooms appear to have been recently renovated. The room was small but fine for me. Unfortunately after checking in, they slipped a note under my door saying that the power would be off the next day from 8am until 1:30 am. After talking to them I was told this would also affect the water as they used pumps and the electronic safe. I planned my next day accordingly and it was not a problem.
The main advantage of this hotel is location. The food was ok - very basic breakfast with OJ, eggs, toast, and meat and with 24 hour room service. The rooms could have been cleaned a little better as parts of the floor were dusty. Room had an inside safe but it was locked upon arrival. There were no problems with joiners and the friendliness was above average. It was a bit noisier than others because the center of the building is open and outside noise seems to echo. For me the biggest negative was sewer gas coming from the bathroom drains which actually woke me up during the night once or twice until I covered the drains. Laundry was expensive in my opinion at around 50 baht for a T-Shirt but was also same day service even though I got mine in at 11 am. It was a lot quicker to get to the bars and nice to avoid having to taxi back to the Pinnacle. I think the location trumps everything else for me so I will give them another try.
If you want to read my review of Pattaya Go-Go Bars: http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 14260.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/pattaya-go-go-bars-review-from-my-recent-trip-t14260.html)
I took the bus to Pattaya and but unfortunately did not make sure it was the VIP and it seemed to make a stop every mile so the trip took a lot longer than planned. But for 100 baht or so it is a cheap way to Pattaya if you have the time and arenтАЩt tired from just landing. If you are just coming in from the airport I would take a taxi. For my return to BKK from Pattaya for a flight within Thailand I used Mr. ToomтАЩs Taxi Service that others have commented on and found it reasonably priced (1200 baht including tolls) and the driver was very punctual and drove safely at a reasonable speed. MR.TOOM BKK. Call 081-4827148 or 083-0178066
In Pattaya I got a place without an advance reservation. I recommend advance reservations but because of my schedule, I gave it a try. If the Ambiance was full, I stayed at the Le Caf├й Royale and vice-versa. They are fairly similar in my opinion but I preferred the Ambiance for three reasons. 1)I like the American breakfast there better as I think it is a bit tastier, 2)they were a bit more security conscious in terms of consistently collecting ID cards and calling me as the boy was leaving to ensure all was ok, 3) during two visits they upgraded me to make my lower floor room available to other reservations (I had been a walk-in) - I can walk the stairs ok so this is fine. In fact during one visit I had one of the penthouses on the very top for a few days which was exceptionally nice with a balcony patio with chair, fan, and table and a gigantic room. I like the central location of these hotels.
For my trip to Issan I flew into Udon Thani on Thai Airways, While in Udon Thani I stayed at the Charhoen hotel which is convenient, central, clean, but I thought a bit expensive at 950 baht not including breakfast although the rate did include free airport transportation. I also enjoyed the live music at the Yellow Bird Disco next door. It is also within walking distance to the shopping complex and a short ride to the park.
Going into Nong Khai I took a taxi the first time which was arranged by the hotel and was 800 baht. Expensive but helpful to find out the layout of Nong Khai. Once I knew where things were and the town layout, I took the bus between Udon and Nong Khai which was cheap and took under one hour. I used the bus to travel between all the cities and found it cheap and comfortable with A/C. I think Thailand has a very good bus system.
In Nong Khai I stayed at the Panatwee Hotel. It was very reasonable at 600 Baht a night including a basic breakfast, within walking distance to the Mekong and restaurants, had a computer with unlimited free internet within the room, and had a very comfortable bed. The rooms are a bit basic but fine for me. I was surprised how quiet things were, but that was also a nice change. The markets were great for some good silk, Laos was close if you wanted to go (I have been), and I had some very good food at cheap prices. My favorite place was near the Mekong and was simply called Good Food. Most Thai dished were like 50-60 baht and very fresh and well prepared and you could sit and watch the river and the promenade. I did not find any boy bars but then in Issan I had not expected any. I think if I did this again I would bring a boy along. But I thought many of the waiters at the Vietnamese restaurant (Daengs I think) along the river were amazingly handsome.
I also took the bus to Khon Kaen and stayed at the Hotel Khon Kaen. It was about 650 baht including breakfast. It was also central and I took the baht bus everywhere for 8 baht. Laundry was also amazing cheap here at about 5 baht per item! I really liked the park by the lake and there were a lot of people walking, jogging, doing aerobics, and TaiтАЩChi in the evening so it was very entertaining. I also took the baht bus out to the university which had a gigantic campus. The bus takes you right inside and you can get off near the student union and look around. I walked to the Sofitel Hotel area as I read there were some clubs or massage places nearby. I looked for the Dragon but did not find it. Someone on another forum said they met some guys at the club under the Times Square sign but I found things quite quiet.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Issan trip. The people were fantastically friendly, the weather was surprisingly cool (many Thai were wearing jackets), good food, everything was reasonably cheap, and nice parks. It was a great way to sample the culture of Thailand without the emphasis on sex and booze. But my nightly dream of finding a young handsome rice farmer with a body of steel did not materialize.
When I returned to Bangkok, I booked into the Rose Hotel via phone. The rate was 1950 baht for a double room including breakfast. They did not have the deluxe room available. Although I was concerned about finding the hotel, their sign is very visible on Surawong so it was no problem. Some have commented about the dark Soi, but I think it is a pretty active Soi so no problem. Check-in was efficient and the rooms appear to have been recently renovated. The room was small but fine for me. Unfortunately after checking in, they slipped a note under my door saying that the power would be off the next day from 8am until 1:30 am. After talking to them I was told this would also affect the water as they used pumps and the electronic safe. I planned my next day accordingly and it was not a problem.
The main advantage of this hotel is location. The food was ok - very basic breakfast with OJ, eggs, toast, and meat and with 24 hour room service. The rooms could have been cleaned a little better as parts of the floor were dusty. Room had an inside safe but it was locked upon arrival. There were no problems with joiners and the friendliness was above average. It was a bit noisier than others because the center of the building is open and outside noise seems to echo. For me the biggest negative was sewer gas coming from the bathroom drains which actually woke me up during the night once or twice until I covered the drains. Laundry was expensive in my opinion at around 50 baht for a T-Shirt but was also same day service even though I got mine in at 11 am. It was a lot quicker to get to the bars and nice to avoid having to taxi back to the Pinnacle. I think the location trumps everything else for me so I will give them another try.
If you want to read my review of Pattaya Go-Go Bars: http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 14260.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/pattaya-go-go-bars-review-from-my-recent-trip-t14260.html)