Review Mosaik and Baan Dok Mai pattaya.

[Alaan]

Although on my recent visit to Thailand i travelled around... i did set up a base in Pattaya for 19 days.

I arrived from Bkk with no reserved accommodation for the first time ever... because i was not certain of staying at my friends home in Khon Kaen and Petchabun and for how long and it is low season and so i didn't expect to have a problem if i required a hotel or guesthouse stay.

I called Baan Dok Mai on my way from Bkk and they had a large room available. I stayed there for 2 days at first while i looked around... i usually stay at Flamingo.. which i really like.. but there were going to be some days i would not be staying in the accommodation and wanted to keep a room with my belongings while i went away for a night or two elsewhere........ so i looked for an apartment which was a combination of nice and large but reasonable price.. which i found in Mosaik Apartments day/night 2 across from Flamingo.

Bann Dok Mai is a very nice and reasonably priced place to stay. I extended my first two days with another two while i waited for my Mosiak room to become vacant. The owners were very accommodating.. nothing was too much trouble.. the room itself was nice and large with two balconies one overlooking the main soi and one the side soi. The bathroom was fine.. all the fittings in the room were new.. tv had also dvd player which was good. tea/coffee available in the room.. a room safe.... nice tiled floor and all for only Bt850 per night.

Mosaik was ideal for me. At flamingo i usually have a suite..which is two rooms.. one for sleeping and a lounge area. Mosaik apartment was more luxurious with very large bedroom with nice bathroom off..and very large living area with very comfortable sofas ...kitchen area [i never cook.. but it is somewhere to lay out any bought-in food]...table and chairs for dining.. room safe.. nice balcony overlooking soi 2 DayNight..

I like the convenience of coming and going without having to go to a reception every time.. i had two keys so my friend and i could come and go at any time.. the front door key also fits the room door and is small so no problem for carrying around.

I only had to buy a small kettle for a couple of hundred baht and a table fan as there was only aircon[two units] and the fan can be used on the balcony as there are electric points there which is great as it was very warm/humid..the fan was only Bt399 and my friend will use it in his home when i go home.

I really couldn't find any negatives about mosaik.. the warnings i had seen about the sky-high electricity and water charges seemed unfounded in my opinion.
I checked the meter readings at the start and end of my stay with the receptionist.. for 15 nights with aircon running alot it was Bt1400 and the water Bt127.
The cost for the 2 room Luxury apartment with front facing balcony was Bt12,000 for 15 nights [+Bt5000 deposit from which i got Bt2400 returned].

I had the apartment cleaned by Mosaik only 3 -4 times as it was easily kept with the lovely tiled floors... even when i'm in the flamingo i dont have the room cleaned every day... sometimes i just like a laze about if it has been a late night previous and if i have company it is great just to ly about in underwear and tshirt sometimes, watch a movie, listen to music, karaoke vcd and get to know your friend better.

Both Baan Dok Mai and Mosaik do not have reception to keep id cards... no problem for me as i know most of my visitors from previous visits and i dont take boys in the 'questionable age bracket'... but if you take younger looking boys there is no double check for ids so you would have to be careful.

And to anyone who reads this and likes younger boys and thinks because you have your own key it is easy to come and go with any age of boy.. i would urge anyone not to try it at Mosaik.. there are security going about all the time as well as many other guests and it is a busy area with Tukcom on the doorstep so there will always be someone who would see you come and go as well as straight guests who seem to be even more nosy than gay guests.

If you are into that kind of thing stick to sunee...at least everyone knows the score there... and it saves those of us who do not like to be tarred with the same brush worrying about association because we stay in the same accommodation... that is why i prefer to stay outside the sunee area.

I would definitely recommend both Mosaik and Baan Dok Mai.

[jolyjacktar]

Hi Alaan, that was a very good report you posted. I stayed at Mosaic appts about 2 years ago now and found the rooms very good. I first had a front room simalar too your room, and was very happy with it. I went to Chaing Mai for about 10 days after that and returned to Pattaya and tried to get the same type of room but as i had not booked they were all taken however they had a back room which thou being just a single room was also nice and was only about 430bt a night. I always said i would stay again.
I tried via their website to get a booking last year but never got a reply from them after sending in the form. So i gave up and went to another hotel instead. But i would still go back again.

[1PR4BKK]

I, too, have stayed at Mosaik for the past couple of years for a few months at a time. Several of my friends have also stayed there and the experiences have always been pleasant. I like having a home away from home and Mosaik is a great home base for me. The security guys are fun in the evenings and they do watch whoтАЩs coming in and out everytimeтАжeven when you think they are not watching. Several of my friends are planning to return later this year and, once again, Mosaik will be our home base.

The only problems I have with Mosaik is the lack of a fitness center and swimming pool. When I was there earlier this year they were doing some construction to add even more apartments and villas. I cannot wait to get back to Pattaya see their improvements.

[Dodger]

My maniac BF and I stayed at Baan Dal Mai for a while last April and enjoyed it. As stated, the rooms are spacious, well appointed, and maintained to the highest standards. The owner and staff at BDM are great.

I checked out Mosaic but didn't like the ambiance. Too many rooms and long hallways for me. I felt like I was back at home checking into a Radisson.

Ban Dak Mai gets my vote. Their rooms are 30% larger than Flamingo's - at 30% lower costs. Their breakfasts are just as good as Renoir's, except they don't have those little brass bells on the table. I guess those are for the older folks who may suffer a heart attack or something while munching on their toast.

[lonelywombat]

Your report is very timely

I have an older friend who wants a condo with a lift, in preference to being on the ground floor, he has been trying to find the website.

He was looking for mosaic, so your post is very helpful. Wrong spelling.

He is under the impression the security have cctv available of all entrances, even though they are not seen patrolling .

Here is the url for those who might be interested as well.

http://www.mosaikpattaya.com/

[Alaan]

To Jolyjacktar. I agree that some of the reservation forms attached to hotel websites for some reason seem to take ages to get a reply. A few years ago i used the Karnmanee Hotel form and it was a total hassle.. so ever since then i never use the forms.. if i am contacting Tarntawan, Flamingo etc i always look up their email address from their websites or use the previous correspondence email address.. for Mosaik i use info@mosaikpattaya.com and had a reply after one day.

To Dodger. I'm not sure about the ambiance of Mosaik.. for me there is no ambiance to like or dislike.. it is ambiance neutral.. it is not like a hotel like Flamingo, tarntawan etc where there is a reception and therefore you have interaction with staff and other guests (whether you want to or not) as all use the reception to hand in keys or wait for keys etc.. but Mosaik has no reception (except when you move in and depart).. to me it didn't feel like a hotel of any kind. It is divided into three units.. A,B and C each having their own entrance... so for me it didn't seem vast.. maybe it was because my room was the first on the 2nd floor and i didn't have to go along long corridors.

As for Baan Dok Mai if you do go through the reception area i agree that the owners are great guys to chat with.. plenty of advice if required and so polite.. and the food is fine at their restaurant...... but as with Mosaik.. after about 6pm there is no reception and you have to use the side door with your own key... and in the 4 days i stayed there i never passed or saw another person coming or going after 8pm... so it seemed quite private also.

To Lonleywombat.. You can tell your friend that the lifts are very good and spacious (if you have alot of luggage).. and the security do patrol.. i bumped into the guys when i was coming to and from my room on many occasions. It does seem like all they do is sit outside and smoke.. but there are a few of them.. and i noticed they are always wondering around.

And with regards to visitors..if someone comes to the outside door and rings your room... you have a monitor in your room beside the telephone so you can see and speak to your visitor..then you have to go down to the front door to let them in.. you cannot press a button which opens the front door from your room.. you have to go down. This has plus and minus.. minus is the hassle of going down to the front door esp if you are not ready dressed but it does give a greater feeling of security that no one can just randomly wonder in.

With regard to one aspect of Mosaik versus hotels.. one thing i did like was the freedom for my guests not to have to go to or register and id at reception. I have many friends who do not work in the bar trade and for who i feel awkward for being asked for an id card at reception.... true at the Flamingo it was never a problem because i stayed there for many years and the responsibility was accepted by me not have have id cards kept at reception except when it suited me. But i did enjoy the greater feeling of freedom at Mosaik.

[lonelywombat]

Alaan

My 81yo friend rang and asked me to say thank you He reads this forum but never posts

Two additional questions to your excellent post

He does like to cook in his room . Can he hire utensils or must he buy

He went to an italian coffee shop next door last visit. Almost died from cigarette smoke. The owner and his cronies were to blame. Has it changed since the new rules?

Is it possible to hire a taximeter by the hour. He can walk to Sunee but cannot travel by baht bus or motor bike anywhere else

Please keep these excellent reviews coming . It is what this forum is all about

[Alaan]

lonleywombat.

To be truthfull i can't actually remember exactly what was in the kitchen cupboards.... as i don't bother cooking myself i only looked as far as the first cupboard which contained plates, cutlery, cups and glasses i think for 6 people. Even these i ditched after the first 2-3 days in favour of disposable glasses and paper plates from friendship which cost only a few baht. Pure laziness on my behalf as i couldn't be bothered washing dishes while on holiday.
So i never checked availability of cookware. Also i'm not sure if all appartments have the same utensils or not. Virtually all our food came from Wat Chai market stalls.

Also not sure about the Italian coffee shop as i was never in it. When i did crave some farang food i always went to Googies(maybe every 4-5 days).

With regards to meter taxi..anytime i have needed a taxi.. i usually just use the same transport the boys class as a taxi which is a songtaew on private hire.
If there were 4-5 of us going to Hollywood or Dudes or Cumpun we just flagged down an empty songtaew and negotiated a price..usually Bt100 to Hollywood and BigC area..if raining the price was usually Bt150. But I have used a songtaew before as a taxi to jomtien and you can just jump in beside the driver.. which should be ok for your friend.. again you have to negotiate but if you are on your own maybe about Bt50.. as the driver can pick up fares on way back.

[lonelywombat]

lonleywombat.



With regards to meter taxi..anytime i have needed a taxi.. i usually just use the same transport the boys class as a taxi which is a songtaew on private hire.
If there were 4-5 of us going to Hollywood or Dudes or Cumpun we just flagged down an empty songtaew and negotiated a price..usually Bt100 to Hollywood and BigC area..if raining the price was usually Bt150. But I have used a songtaew before as a taxi to jomtien and you can just jump in beside the driver.. which should be ok for your friend.. again you have to negotiate but if you are on your own maybe about Bt50.. as the driver can pick up fares on way back.

He has a knee problem and cannot get on a bike or climb into a songtaew. He can walk to Sunee but any further he has to wait for a baht bus with no one in the passenger seat beside the driver. Many of them have their wife as passenger collecting the fare, so it is not easy.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

the studios at Mosaik can be a bit grim if you get one at the back like I had to in a hurry once-and look down on an empty space between buildings where a very large dead rat lay for the whole week.

But the advantage of a private entrance is great-even if like me you only do entirely legal things but have a permanent guilt complex !

And the price is pretty good.

You know the whole complex is owned by the very handsome Thai man who runs the office-a gift from his German lover-all in his name. Something you can point out to your Thai boyfriend what can happen if thry are very well behaved. :cheers:

(although the downside as a farang friend of mine has discovered upon marrying his b/f in London and returning to Pattaya-the lad has gotten extremely fat over the past 4 years)

[1PR4BKK]

Two additional questions to your excellent post

He does like to cook in his room . Can he hire utensils or must he buy

He went to an italian coffee shop next door last visit. Almost died from cigarette smoke. The owner and his cronies were to blame. Has it changed since the new rules?

Please keep these excellent reviews coming . It is what this forum is all about

As far as cooking opportunities at Mosaik, they provide eating and drinking items only, i.e.: water glasses, coffee cups & saucers, plates, cereal bowls, forks, knives, teaspoons and tablespoons. I also believe they provide butter dish and sugar bowl.

I walked around to a little shop and purchased a sauce pan at a reasonable price for my morning oatmeal and late afternoon soup. I was also able to find cheap frying pan and other cooking utensils at the discount store on one of the small streets near the apartment building.

Bottom line, if you plan on a long-term stay Mosaik and doing a bit of cooking, you will need to buy cookware as well as the cooking utensils to suit your needs. I do plan on bringing my favorite lightweight non-stick spatula and a few other utensils that I could not find in Pattaya. Also, donтАЩt forget you will need a corkscrew if you plan on having wine with your meals.

Hello everybody, we are two Spanish guys who will go to Mossaik Apartment (Penthouse) for two weeks in December. Has someone been staying at the Penthouse? Does somebody know if there is breakfasts service at Mosaik Apartment? And finally, is it far from Jomtien gay beach and the area of gay bars and clubs? Thanks a lot for your help.

[Dani69]

I agree with every word, Mosaik has it all excellent location , clean , spacious and good value for what you get.
To the Spanish lads above I never stayed in The Penthouse but did take a look its really nice even got its own lift. But sadly they wont stretch to serving you breakfast in bed , whole place is solely self catering , but Im sure you could arrange for a couple of nice Thai lads to serve you the full monty every morning .
Have fun Im sure you will and its close to BoysTown and Sunee Plaza where most gay bars etc are.
Plenty of baht buses to take you to Jomtien Beach as well.

[Beachlover]

LMTU?

[cdnmatt]

I agree with every word, Mosaik has it all excellent location , clean , spacious and good value for what you get.

I used to think that, but after staying in so many different rooms throughout Pattaya, no longer do. Now I view Mosaik as expensive compared to market value, and too sterile to feel comfortable.

For example, just wander around Soi Buckhao, and there's tons of (in my opinion) better rooms for half, if not a third of what Mosaik charges. It's such a hit-and-miss with those rooms though. Sometimes you pay say 1000 baht/night, and it's just a small, typical Holiday Inn style hotel room. Other times you pay 600 baht/night, and you get this huge suite all to yourself. Nice king sized bed, TV + DVD, separate seating area with a couple leather couches, nice working desk, wi-fi, big bathroom (sometimes with a tub, great for bubble baths with the BF :-)), nice kitchen area with everything you need including hotplate, etc.

That's one of the strange things about Thailand. The term "market value" doesn't seem to mean a whole lot here.

Thanks a lot for your opinions. What does means LMTU? :-)

Thanks a lot for your opinions. What does means LMTU? :-)

[cdnmatt]

What does means LMTU? :-)

It's like when you get dog shit stuck on the bottom of your shoe, and no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get rid of the smell.

charles_hr: LMTU has been banned a number of times at this forum, but he keeps changing his name and returning. Many readers have almost died of boredom and frustration when exposed to his posts, and most people suspect that he is an inmate of a drug rehabilitation facility.

Yes, BL, definitely LMTU.

He's like an infestation of crickets when there's no insect spray available. Never can get rid of them and can never predict from which location the noise will next come from. Other comparisons come to mind, but I am trying to be civil.

[Dani69]

"For example, just wander around Soi Buckhao, and there's tons of (in my opinion) better rooms for half, if not a third of what Mosaik charges".

Thanks for that do you happen to have any names of these place as I certainly am open to suggestions other then Mosaik.

[Shuee]

yes i too can confirm many rooms in soi boikhaow also at good prices

alaan, thats a steep deposit 5000bt, is that usual for just 2wk stay, also i see you only got 2400bt back from it, why was this?

[Beachlover]

sometimes with a tub, great for bubble baths with the BF :-)),

Every room/suite should have one of these :-) ... even better on the balcony.



What does means LMTU? :-)

It's like when you get dog shit stuck on the bottom of your shoe, and no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get rid of the smell.

LOL...

If you want a nice place to stay I can tell you this is perfect for you.

http://www.lkpattaya.com/index1.php?p=location.php

Mosaik Apartment is better and cheaper... :-)

[paperboy]

has it got a pool??

[cdnmatt]

Thanks for that do you happen to have any names of these place as I certainly am open to suggestions other then Mosaik.

Just wander around Soi Buckhao, and there's probably 8 different places to rent rooms every couple hundred feet. They're all over the place. Marin Place is a shithole, and don't go there. 650 baht/night, and it's what you'd expect from a short-time room in Soi Sunnee.

Green House is decent, but nothing special. 650 baht/night, and just a typical, Holiday Inn style room. They do have one room (#302) at 850/night, which I actually really like. Nice wooden decor, bedroom is behind sliding doors, up one stair. It's kinda cool.

OS House, just across the street from Marin Place is actually good value. Not great, but good value. 600 baht/night, large room, TV, wi-fi, separate living room area with a table and a couple leather chairs, big bathroom, bath tub, etc. Looks like a sleazy shit hole from the outside, but once you get inside the room, it's pretty nice. No staff at night though, and keycard entry only.

Balita House is another half-decent one. 850 baht/night, and good if you like everything to be brand new & sterile. There's no scratches on the tables, and things like that. Smallish rooms though, but nicely done, and you have a balcony.

Then like I said, there's loads and loads of rooms there. Just wander around, and only ever pay one night at a new place. If everything checks out good (nice room, you have hot water & internet, etc.), then pay for more nights the next day. Sometimes they're just shit holes, but other times you end up pleasantly surprised. :-)

[Dani69]

Thanks for great list have noted and will check them out :lam:

With Mosaik you have to be careful because they have lots of different room types, some in an annex with very steep stairs and no lift.

When a friend checked in they had given away the type of room he booked and put him in an inferior room.

Also no pool at this joint.

Think it's popular cause someone who's used to paying high daily rates gets a reasonable monthly rate. But IMO it's overpriced.

Better is 12K baht units at My View, VCC, or Yensabai Condo on the low end.

Since I'm not a high end guy, can't recommend those types of places. But a high end place should have a pool.

In the budget category, as mentioned above, Soi buakow has lots of places at the 7500 price point.

[Alaan]

Just to update on Mosaik. Firstly, my original review was actually from July 2008, just incase some did not notice, and it was my first stay there, and as I have just returned from a visit to Thailand, i can update on Mosaik as I stayed there for 1 week.

I only visit Pattaya for 1 week nowadays, this is long enough to catch up with Thai friends and have some sanook. Mosaik charges by the week or month and I stayed in a 1 bed deluxe with front facing balcony as i did back in 2008, I have stayed at Mosaik a few times now and actually prefer the Prestige Studio if i can get it, which is very large, for some reason I actually prefer the sleeping area in the same room now, not a separate room. I will say that in other hotels/apartments I find that over time (as was with the Flamingo) things get tired quite quickly, with the Mosaik I have found the apartments to be pristine everytime i visit. The high season(Nov-March) cost for 1 bed deluxe is Bt7500 per week, with a Bt2000 deposit.Low season(rest of the year) it is bt5800 and about bt600 for elect/water for the week so that is about Bt6400 total or bt900 per day.
(To Shuee I'm not sure why i paid bt5000 deposit originally, it was the 'policy' at the time and also my first visit, now i only pay bt2000 deposit. The reason i got back bt2400, the difference being bt2600 was down to Elect/water bt1500, and also as it was my first visit I used their services for cleaning at Bt200 per clean and bt110 for the towel/ sheet cleaning about 4 times over the 15 days..bt1100. Since that first visit, I have been able to find a laundry just round the corner i use for all my stuff,it is dirt cheap, and have also realised that the Mosaik units are very easy to keep clean by myself/partner, and so no need for their cleaning services now)

I'm afraid I am not in the same frame of mind as cdnmatt, i certainly couldn't be arsed scouring around Soi Bochaw or anywhere else in Pattaya on arrival for a one or two week holiday not knowing what the accomodation is going to be like in advance, on the chance of saving a few baht, is just not worth the hassle nor the time wasted doing it. When on holiday the difference of staying in a lovely immaculate, very comfortable Studio Prestige for Bt5000+bt600 utilities=bt800 per day or looking around for somewhere else at bt600 per night,is really not worth the hassle. bt200 per day is the equiv of a drink or a couple of tips at the bars. Also by the time you find your room, check in, get your stuff out the case and settle in, for a 1-2 week holiday is just not worth it....

Also I think you have distorted the comparison between Mosaik and the rooms available in Soi Bochaw...you say rooms can be had for half if not a third of Mosaik price..against my comparison then a room in soi bochaw would have to come in at about Bt260-Bt400 per night...there is absolutely no way a room costing that in Soi Bochaw would come anything near to the size, condition or quality of a Prestige/deluxe Mosaik room at Bt800. You then go on to quote rooms at Bt1000 which is more expensive than a Mosaik room. I class Mosaik as reasonable, not 'cheap' but not 'expensive' for what you get.
Also, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by sterile, the Mosaik interiors are very nice but once my stuff is lying around in it, it becomes my home from home wherever i stay. The interior atmosphere is what you make it. I find Mosaik very comfortable, sterile i dont., but that's my view. I get enough of the rustic very 'non-sterile' accom when visiting Issan.

To Astrro. All the main mosaik buildings have a lift. The 'annexe' is just simply another of the Mosaik buildings in Day/night a sellf-contained apartment block building which houses all the Mosaik Standard Rooms as advertised on the website which also makes clear that the Standard unit building as no lift.

Mosaik has no pool, but as for my own personal requirements..a pool is not something I have the least interest in when visiting Pattaya, and I would consider that those looking for a pool would not have Mosaik on their list of possibles in the first place.

Mosaik is popular because the apartments in the main building are spacious, well furnished,have comfortable beds and are immaculate and for 8 months of the year (non peak time) for example, a huge 50squ m Prestige Studio will cost Bt5,000 plus factor in about bt600 for elect/water for the week and you have Bt5,600 which is Bt800 per day as mentioned above, hardly "high-end" but still a very comfortable stay for week or two holiday. If I was considering a stay of a month or more in Pattaya, yes i would negotiate hard or might think about shopping around a bit more. You consider Mosaik overpriced...but against what?

I must however agree that your friend was not treated very well if the room he booked was given away, as the Standard Rooms although well enough furnished etc.. are not comparible to the Deluxe and Prestige rooms in the main building.In my own experience of booking/staying there I haven't had any problems, and in fact have found them very helpful if needing an extension of stay or a short notice stay.

Always will be my first port of call for a stay in Pattaya. Everything I require from a stay in Pattaya, near plenty of good restaurants/eateries, Wat Chai market, TukCom,JJ Karoake on the doorstep , 5 mins either way to Boyztown or Sune and easy Baht bus route to NAB club/Dave Man or BigC/hollywood area.But I suppose it is just down to your own personal requirements in accomodation when visiting Pattaya, Mosaik suits mine.

charles_hr: LMTU has been banned a number of times at this forum, but he keeps changing his name and returning. Many readers have almost died of boredom and frustration when exposed to his posts, and most people suspect that he is an inmate of a drug rehabilitation facility.I rather enjoy him but I especially enjoy the sense of outrage he produces among the more anal of our posters too.

[atri1666]

Thanks Alaan for the report. I soon will stay 2 weeks in the prestige studio. I find the price very good for the quality of the rooms. Around 900 baht/night. I never would pay 1500 baht for the VIP room in Howards when i can get the prestige studio.