First Time Visitor

I am 49 and will be making my first trip to Pattaya later this year from the US. I was just wandering if it is more convenient to stay at either the Ambience or the Le Cafe Royal and if they are as nice as the pictures show. I am open to any friendly advice anyone would have to offer. Also, is there a good place to go and meet up with some local farangs and get some good advice and conversation. Thanks for any help you can give to make this an enjoyable trip. :colors:

[Doug]

Always nice to see new people on this board.

The two hotels are opposite each other on the same road right in the heart of boys town. Most here agree either is a very good choise for the first time visitor.

I hope you're ready for the time of your life. Leave all your inhibitions at home and bring an open mind. Chock dee na khap. (Good luck)

Hi

Whilst regular visitors may have their favourite, you'll find the Ambience and La Cafe, which are opposite each other, just about identical. Their rooms are fine, but the "standard" rooms are somewhat small. Their windows are small and view-less, giving the rooms an enclosed feeling

Conversation (sometimes good) may be had at the gay section of Jomtien beach e.g. "Lit's" orange chairs, although you'll find the guys there older than you. And you'll have to drop your "shyguy" tag to strike up contact.

[TrongpaiExpat]

and will be making my first trip to Pattaya

Only Pattaya? There's more to Thailand than Pattaya. This board is sort of a carry over from Pattayagay and there is more info about Pattaya than any other place from several nose to the ground farang expats, but consider a stay in Bangkok, Phuket, and/or Chaing Mai for more of an exposure to all that Thailand has to offer.

I can only take Pattaya in small doses. I have several farang friends that live in Pattaya and do not even consider that there is anyplace outside of Pattaya worth seeing. One has lived there over 10 years and can speak about 10 Thai words, eats only farang food, and the other is almost fluent in Thai, eats only Thai food, so there is no generalizations I can make on these Pattya centric people.

[bing]

Doug put it well, be ready for the best vacation of your life. I have stayed at both and you will enjoy either. For the first time guys it is best to stay at one or the other and then you can branch out when you know the city. Even if you don't stay at Cafe Royale, be sure to go for breakfast, not for the food, but take a look at the shorts the guys are wearing. They are made to fit each guy, white and pink will be a memory you can take home with you and enjoy long after your trip is over. Hope your trip is all you hope it will be.

Thanks for the info. This first trip is only for about 10 days to get my feet wet. I plan on returning next year for at least a month and visitng other cities and places. I for sure plan on dropping the "shy" while I am there. I plan on trying to be a regular here now, I have enjoyed reading the post and gathered lots of info.

[Jetsam]

was just wandering if it is more convenient to stay at either the Ambience or the Le Cafe Royal :colors:

I gues if you are a first time visitor you can't go wrong with both of them location wise, but don't stick to boyztown , there is a whole (gay) world outside of boyztown and it's called sunee, and not the forget the jomtien gay places.

"Even if you don't stay at Cafe Royale, be sure to go for breakfast, not for the food, but take a look at the shorts the guys are wearing"


Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!!!!!!!! Not when we eating breakfast !

I have only stayed at the ambiance in Boyztown and only in the standard 1100 baht rooms. All three rooms had small windows which face stone walls, but each had cable tv, fridge, good bathrooms and a nice, but only double size, bed. There is also internet available, wireless, but works intermitently.

I tried to stay at Cafe Royale last time but, as usual, I try and book too late, and it was full. The good things about Cafe Royale include the breakfast, which if you go for the large full breakfast is actually one of the biggest I have ever had and even I could not finish it. The evening meals, if you get fed up with Thai food (who could) are pretty good standard English fare and there is a different special each night. Oh and if you like the gym, sauna and jacuzzi then Cafe Royale allows you free access to the gym in the same building whereas you would have to pay entry if you stay anywhere else.

If you don't like offing gogo boys, then one of the massuers may be a good option at the Gym (mentioned above). They often work out in the gym whilst awaiting a client and you can chat and find some real nice guys.

Oh, and as mentioned, take a trip outside Boyztown, Sunee Plaza and the Jomtien Complex (although less bars in Jomtien). I am staying in Jomtien next time I go and just paying minimum baht a night at a central place in the complex. I'll let you know where, how much and if its a good place when I stay. I also think its nicer to go into Pattaya itself rather than stay there.

The cafe royale has always been the one for me for short stays,the owners are helpful and will always advise on where to go and what to see. I go to Lits chairs on the beach and I am quite a bit younger than 49. The boys on the beach are ok for a laugh or massage you will hear the tails of woe,take it with apinch of salt. The cafe has cheaper rooms about bht1100 but also some that are de-lux. Minus points are no pool but the gym is worth a vist and sauna. The food at night is aimed at the western tourist but the quality is always good,but do go and have a look around sunee has some good bars and Caberet is always worth seeing at Topman. If you intend staying more than a couple of weeks try a condo if you do not mind looking after yourself an ideal alternative.
You can also meet people from the U.S and they will always share with you advise they have picked up. Most people are always up for a chat play safe and enjoy..

[bucknaway]

Another thing I like about the Cafe Royale is that when you are in their gogo section to see the show, you can charge the drinks to your room and pay for them at check-out. :bounce:

bucknaway said
'Another thing I like about the Cafe Royale is that when you are in their gogo section to see the show, you can charge the drinks to your room and pay for them at check-out. '

Do you mean Ambiance. Cannot remember a gogo section in Cafe Royal.

rogered

Hello Justashyguy!

My first trip was almost eight yeard ago, in a group of nine people, and it was my fortieth birthday present from good friend. It was the holiday of a lifetime for me, and I have never looked back. Please relax and have a wonderful time!

Ambience and Cafe Royale are probably the best choices for your first trip. They are in the heart of Boyztown. But do please find your way to Memories Bar in Sunee Plaza and talk to Mt Oud, Ralph and Jack. Ralph and Jack are American and lovely men, who will help you all they can.

I am so envious of you facing your first trip to the land of Smiles, a wonderful world full of handsome young men................ ENJOY!!!

You guys have been most helpfull. The more I read the more I am looking forward to my trip. I think I am leaning more towards the Cafe Royal in one of the Standard Deluxe Rooms. I hope I get a chance to meet up with some of you while I am there. Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get from Bangkok to Pattaya. It looks like the Royale offers a car to pick you up and that sounds good, but I am open to any suggestions. Also, weather wise, and party wise, what is the best time of the year to visit?

Thanks again! :bounce:

[Up2U]

"...Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get from Bangkok to Pattaya. It looks like the Royale offers a car to pick you up and that sounds good, but I am open to any suggestions. Also, weather wise, and party wise, what is the best time of the year to visit?"....I can recommend Gems & Phon Taxi Service (gemsphon@loxinfo.co.th), 1500 baht including tolls. You'll pay a premium using Cafe Royal service but the convenience may be worth it to you. The new airport is scheduled to open in June/July so the travel time and cost may be slightly reduced.

November thru February is both the high and the cool season (little rain, less humid and a little cooler). There are additional peaks of tourists over the Xmas/NY Holidays. Accommodations then are slightly higher in Pattaya and much higher in Phuket. If want to party with a lot of farangs (why??) then come during the high season. June-October is the wet season. I would avoid Phuket then but you might only lose an occasional beach day in Pattaya. A first timer can't go wrong with any of the Boyz Town venues but don't forget to explore the other areas (Sunee, Day-Night and Jom Tien), each is a little different.

[TrongpaiExpat]

The new airport is scheduled to open in June/July so the travel time and cost may be slightly reduced.


Logical but not likely. The present airport adds a surcharge of 50B to all taxi/limo pick ups at the airport. It's common to add these surcharges and some Asian airports add a lot more. Thailand tends to copy.

I hope I am wrong, but I would not be surprised to see a huge surcharge to pay for the new airport. Nothing announced yet, and it could be phased in slowly and/or hidden but in the end, I just have a feeling that I will be paying for this new expensive airport.

As I recall, getting a taxi from the aiport (taxi touts as you leave arrivals/baggage area) cost me 2000 baht plus tolls going straight to Pattaya, although going out to the taxi rank you may find something cheaper. I have also done the trip from Silom to Pattaya and got a charge of 1500 baht for a prepaid taxi (including tolls) through A & F Tours on Silom Road (near soi 4 I think).

Also, I think some of the taxi's from the taxi rank at the airport going into bangkok have a metre which adds on a baht charge for using the expressway/freeway (whatever it's called) whilst some taxi's do not, and the taxi driver will ask you for change as you approach the couple of tolls.

It can all get a little confusing so you may need to ask whoever you order a taxi with exactly what you will end up paying. Whatever you do though, don't get a taxi from the taxi touts in the airport as they charge much more than anywhere else.

Whatever you do though, don't get a taxi from the taxi touts in the airport as they charge much more than anywhere else.

And, at that, may try to pack in three falang, all going to different hotels in three different directions.