hotel booking - different dates?

Hello all.
This is my first time here and i excuse myself for eventual mistakes on my english writing, as english is not my first language.
I am planning (well, there's still a long time to come) my holidays in Thailand and one of the things i am not sure about is if we have to book hotels for the exact dates. For example, i intend to stay in Bangkok for 4 days and another 7/8 days in Phuket or in Pattaya. But what about if i ilke Bangkok too much and i want to extend my stay there (and, of course, make the other stay shorter)? Is it easy to change bookins from the hotels? And the other hotel, in Pattaya/Phuket, will accept that? With some charge, or not?
As it will be my first visit, i am not sure about how long should i stay in Bangkok and in the beach and i don't know if i will change my mind, when i am there.

Another thing: a friend of mine, coming from Pattaya some time ago, told me there is a police wich members are westerns. Is that true? Is it a special police?

Thank you

This is my first time here and i excuse myself for eventual mistakes on my english writing, as english is not my first language.
I am planning (well, there's still a long time to come) my holidays in Thailand and one of the things i am not sure about is if we have to book hotels for the exact dates. For example, i intend to stay in Bangkok for 4 days and another 7/8 days in Phuket or in Pattaya. But what about if i ilke Bangkok too much and i want to extend my stay there (and, of course, make the other stay shorter)? Is it easy to change bookins from the hotels? And the other hotel, in Pattaya/Phuket, will accept that? With some charge, or not?
As it will be my first visit, i am not sure about how long should i stay in Bangkok and in the beach and i don't know if i will change my mind, when i am there.

Another thing: a friend of mine, coming from Pattaya some time ago, told me there is a police wich members are westerns. Is that true? Is it a special police?

Thank you
I am also unsure about how long in one place and the need to book a hotel. I have found it is often wise to book the first night hotel and then decide once I am there, unless it is around a holiday.

[pong]

1.it wil depend on WHEN you go-as anywhere in this world here are high and low seasons. But in Thailand you will always find some place even if totally unreserved.
2.as you post on a specific gay site-you did not mention the name of a hotel-but you must be aware that there are a few thousand other hotels in both BKK, PTY and PHKt that aim at the general public. 99% of them will also let you receive your temporary Thai friend-it does not matter if thats he/she/or shehe. But the specific gay hotels-you will find them linked on this site or often mentioned-may appeal to you-and for them its wise to book ahead. Its of course also nice to fone them and tell your plans have changed if so-to change that booking.

I highly recommend doing what you seem to have planned to do. Except during the New Year's holidays, when I travel to Thailand, I only book a hotel for the first two or three nights of my stay, and those first two or three nights are always in Bangkok. If I want to extend my stay, which I usually do, then I just ask, and it has never been a problem. If I want to go to Phuket, Ko Samui, or Pattaya, I just go -- and find a hotel when I arrive.

There is one problem with this. It will probably cost you more to book a hotel this way. There are a lot of bargains to be had at online booking sites, but you have to pay a few weeks in advance to take advantage of most of these.

But the benefits of not booking ahead far out-weigh this drawback. You remain in control of your vacation and can go wherever you want whenever you want.

So bring a good travel guide and pack light, which will allow you to walk from hotel to hotel looking for a decent room in places like Patong Beach in Phuket, Chaweng Beach in Ko Samui and also in the gay ghettos of Pattaya. Taking this option also allows you to look at a room before deciding if you want to take it.

Or if that doesn't sound like your thing, use http://www.latestays.com.

Have fun! And please come back to let us now how your trip went.

[krobbie]

My advice, would be to book your first 3 nights (better price often for 3 nights) online. Once you have decided what you want to do or if you want to stay longer. Some hotels only take bookings through the internet so no actual money is handed over the counter. This seems a bit of a bother but there is an internet shop within minutes of anywhere.

Someone suggested that you need to book ahead to get good prices but there are other options for accommodation within a day or two, such as www.latestays.com/thailand-bangkok/ (already mentioned in another post and www.wotif.com/ also www.asiarooms.com/thailand/bangkok.html has some very reasonable prices as does www.sawadee.com/.

Continue with booking the rest of your holiday as and when you have decided when to move on.

Have a ball.

Cheers
krobbie