How bad are the mosquitos in Chiang Mai during the rainy season?
Thanks!
I worried about this, as mosquitos eat me alive. Brought a bottle of OFF Active (25% deet) and was left alone day %26amp; night.
Yes, it%26#39;s more mosquitoes in rainy season. Should prepare some spray !!
Has anyone had a similar experience and manage to resolve?
Did all the right things to claim tax refund at Bangkok airport and still have relevant paperwork.
Asked for it to be charged back to my credit card and the lady did, to be fair, say it would take longer than cash, but due to being in a rush for connecting flight, asked for it to go back on my card...that was Nov 07 and still no refund!
Anything else I can do / anywhere else to go with this?
Any advise greatly welcomed!
Did you submit the documents to customs at Bangkok Airport before you left?
had them stamped prior to check in on level 4 and then proceeeded to the desk to be refunded in departures, so assuming the %26#39;stamp%26#39; was customs?!?!?!
If thats what you mean by submit, or do you mean physically handed over / left with a department?
Suggest you contact both the Customs department and the store you bought from, plus your credit card company.
Write or call:
Revenue Department,
90 Soi Phaholyothin 7, Phaholyothin Road, Bangkok 10400 THAILAND
Tel : +66-2272-9384-5, +66-22728198
Many Thanks to you both - I shall give it a go!
Fingers crossed
hey everyone,
so my partner and i are going to phuket in june... staying at merlin beach resort... really keen to get some hair extensions done... does anyone know of any places close by or whatever that are good and reasonably cheap?
also any recommendations on places to go things to do would be awesome!
cant wait! so excited!!!! hehehehe
thanks!
Hey,
I cant help you with hair extensions in phuket, but if your stopping in bangkok i can! i will be there in may and getting a full head of human hair extensions for a great price. Let me know if your going to bangkok and i will give you the details.
excellent! yeah im gonna be in bagnkok for 3 nights... would be excellent to know the details.....
thanks heaps! =]
I am also going to bangkok (only for a night stopover from phuket) but am very keen to get hair extensions there. Can i please have the details :)
have sent you both the details :)
thanks so much :)
Hi Trinii22
Could you please post the details re: the hair extensions as I my daughter and I will be in Bangkok in April and my daughter would like to get extensions.
thanks
Jan
Found this hotel on a site but can%26#39;t find any reviews.Anybody stayed there?
Hi we have just returned from a stay at Koh Kho Khoa and sure a brief glimse of the hotel and from the road its looks pretty nice and quite large and quite possibly mosquito heaven as there was a large still lake on the drive in.
The area is very quite probably only 3/4 resturants at the pier, so depending on how long you stay for after a week you may start to feel a little isolated.
We have just stayed 5 nights at the Amandara Island Resort about another 10mins past Tacola and would fully recommend it, it is the perfect replace to relax. There beach front villa%26#39;s worked out about 拢50 per night including breakfast and work every penny!
I will post a full review shortly.
Hi,
I thought I would post a quick report on our first time in Phuket.
We stayed at Patong Beach Hotel. When we first arrived we were told by a nasty receptionist that our travel agent hadn%26#39;t booked a superior sunrise room and that our rooms were right by the Banana Disco. We were pretty annoyed as we know this wasn%26#39;t true but had no proof as it wasn%26#39;t mentioned on our travel vouchers. She told us she would put us in our rightful room if we paid 850 baht to see a lady boy caberet. We said yes and thought we would just cancel the booking for the caberet but when we went to she wouldn%26#39;t let us! Apart from the awful reception service, the hotel was really nice but that lady was such a dragon, I would never stay there again as we were really tired when we arrived and she was not a nice person.
The rooms were nice and the pool was lovely and the breakfast was amazing, but everyone kept to themselves there. We were hoping to make some friend but it was really quiet, and there was no action at night at all.
We spent pretty much everyday at the pool or the beach sunbaking and every night we went for a massage and dinner.
We got a lot of massages at a place right outside Patong Beach Hotel called Planet Massage and Beauty. The girls were fantastic, and for 250 baht for an oil massage, we just kept going back!
I ended up getting a pedicure at another place one night as Planet was really busy. It was around the other side but outside the hotel again, right next door to an internet place and it was 150 baht and the best pedicure I have ever had!
We ate at Coyote Mexican twice, it was awesome! We ate at Ali Baba%26#39;s right outside Holiday Inn and I was really disappointed. We had currys with 6 tiny pieces of chicken in it. Patong Seafood Restaurant on the beach was really nice too.
Our best meals were random places, with noodles etc. So cheap and so nice!
We did one trip out to Phi Phi Island. It was amazing! I loved the snorkelling. The only thing was how rough the water was going out, my sister was seasick for 2 days after. We also Jet skiied and that was great fun.
I didn%26#39;t really rate the shopping complexes, but I wasnt there to spend my time indoors. Now the markets were another thing! I loved buying cute dresses to put on over my bathers so I didnt have to wash!
Bangla Road was fun but a little too crazy for us. We preferred to spend our time drinking dacquiris on Beach Road at the outdoor pubs right by Starbucks. Their cocktails were fabulous!
I was worried Patong Beach would be a little too crazy for us but it isnt that bad. It is clean and tidy, I thought the beach was lovely and it only smelt really bad in the mornings when you usually arent around anyway.
We had an absolute ball, We also went to Bali after but after Thailand, it was really hard to go there. I must say since it is so hard to get to Bali now as there are no direct flights from Adelaide, I would definately go back to Phuket over Bali as I much preferred it. The weather was great and we had a ball.
I now have to start saving for my next trip...
Hi Tray27
Thanks for the great JBR. Once you%26#39;ve been to Phuket it really gets to you, and as soon as most people get home they start saving to go back.
Murf
thanks for your JBR sorry hear about the hotel. Glad you had a good time anyway . What were the prices like at the coyote??? We want to try it next month . I like to try new mexican food as i work in a mexican reataurant on the Gold coast. How were the margies???
teresa =)
Great report and glad you enjoyed Patong, it cops a hiding on here at times and good to see a positive report on it.
Also sorry that you got a dragon at reception when you arrived, you would think that the job they are in wouldent allow for rudeness to the paying guest%26#39;s but doesent alway%26#39;s work that way.
Thank%26#39;s Ronnie.
Hi Tray, Glad you had such a good time, just a shame about the dragon lady.
Have to admit though we also prefer Phuket over Bali.
Is it just me or has the posting format changed, everything is centred.
Cathy
Hi Tray ,
Enjoyed your JBR. I also had a bad experience with the rude reception staff at this hotel when I stayed there in Dec 2006, and witnessed other guests being spoken rudley too as well. Would also never stay at the Patong beach hotel again . Glad to hear the rest of your holiday was great though.
cheers
Cindy
Hi guys,
Coyote cost about 350 to 400 baht each I am pretty sure but that included an entree to share and a strawberry frozen margerita - and they were really really good!
Hi Tray,
Enjoyed reading your trip report, sorry to hear about the girl at reception.
That can spoil your stay at a hotel but there are plenty of other hotels to stay at next time.
What shopping bargains did you pick up and where?
Cheers,
Stewie.
Hi Stewie,
We didn%26#39;t really do too much shopping. I bought dresses at the markets to save washing. We paid about 200 baht for them.
We bought lots of sunglasses, they are pretty good and not bad quality either.
I wish I had bought the fake Tiffany necklaces they sell everywhere though, I hoped to buy them in Bali but they had none anywhere.
We bought a few dvds, so far they are working too!
The handbags at the markets are great but quite expensive, I couldnt really justify paying so much for a knock off bag that looks real when realistically I couldnt afford it! So I didnt buy any. To be honest I would rather have spent that on a really nice bag without the fake label.
That was really it, I did my shopping at KL on the way over!
We did our shopping on the road opposite the beach.
Oh and I forgot! At Bangla Road I bought a friend a silver metallic Mankini! It cost $15 but I wish I had have bought more, so many friends who have seen the pics have wanted them for presents!
Just returned from my first trip to Phuket. I loved it. I have always prefered Bali,as it is only 3 1/2 hr flight from Perth, but Phuket has topped Bali! Stayed at the Patong Merlin, they too need to employ happier people, cause we encountered many dragons there! Hotel has a perfect location. Not sure though whether i would stay there again due the unfriendly staff.
I will be in Bangkok + surrounding area for a month. I need some major pampering. Any recommendations on where I should go?
bkk has tons of spas. i recommend Healthland for Thai massage, they have several branches and reeasonable price compared to their decoration (big white house) and service. you can have thai massage there everyday, still in your budget. only one thing that i don%26#39;t like is all branches are far from the skytrain. there%26#39;s another place called Indara spa, it%26#39;s near skytrain bts chitlom, also reasonable price and good service. but the spa is in commercial building. there%26#39;s another one,this is the best %26#39;Sareerarom%26#39; in Thonglor, this is the best. the price is also high, once in a life time is ok.
I recommend FACE - here is the link - http://www.facebars.com/bg/spa.asp . There are also two restaurants Thai and Indian. We went 2x to the Thai one and the food was really amazing. The whole place was so tranquil, you sort of forget you are in Bangkok!
Enjoy.
Katerina
I second the recommendation for Face. Great spa services, private huts and excellent service. I%26#39;ve dined at the Thai Restaurant there 3 times. My husband, the spa novice, said it was his favorite place in Bangkok.
Spa at hyatt is a mazing i would highly recommand this spa and hotel to stay at with a different cuisins also..I was there back 4 days and i am going tomorrow check in again at the same hotel. :))))))
Hi
Advice please. We are a 40s couple looking to go to Thailand for first time. We want a beach holiday and a hotel which is close enough to walk into town for a little nightlife but we are not 24 party animals.
We have read about Pattay and Pukhet any suggestions
Thanks
hi sanddancer i like to party and been to both.With what you wrote i would say phuket its smaller than pattaya but the beaches are alot better and night life not as large as pattaya.When are you going rainy season seems to start roughly from june onwards.I think the best time is nov to april.Also phuket is for couples i would say, but pattaya is still great place to visit.Hope this helps
I have been Thailand many times and when asked best place to go, I usually reply Phuket for firt time. Phuket has got better beaches and more tropical resort than Pattaya. Plenty nightlife if you want it and also more variety of trips than Pattaya.
Hi sanddancer, I have lived here in Pattaya for over six years and would only reccomend to couples like yourself GO TO PHUKET! , the beaches here in pattaya are the biggest let down for holidaymakers, they are crowded with deckchairs making it resemble clacton with the sun , the water qulity is poor, I have never been swimming in the sea here and never intend to, and the nightlife apart from Jomtien is in your face, for single men and increasingly some single women it is a great place to meet the opposite s*x and enjoy two weeks of getting pissed and partying.
I have been to Phuket three times and would reccomend staying at Kata beach it is a long wide sandy beach with sun loungers the water here is great for swimming and there is enough choice of restuarants and bars suited to couples like yourself, also you can take day trips out to the islands like Koh Phe phe and go sea canoeing or scuba diving, you can go to a great show one evening at Phuket Fantasea and if you want it a little more lively can take a trip into Patong and also do some shopping, you want your first trip to Thailand to be one that you don%26#39;t want to forget for the right reasons, Pattaya is the Blackpool of Thailand.
Pattaya is more oriented for shopping and nightlife and Phuket is more beach oriented, Pattaya is cheaper than Phuket. Patong beach in Phuket is about 15 Km to Phuket town and from april to october it raining more in Phuket than Pattaya.
Sanddancer,
Phuket, Phuket, Phuket! Not to villify Pattaya, but Phuket is oriented much more to the 40+ age group. My wife, who is Thai, and I have been to both many times, and can only say that Pattaya is for partying, and Phuket is for relaxing. Don%26#39;t get me wrong, there are places in Phuket that party just as hard as Pattaya, but it is more the exception than the rule.
On a side note, be advised that things in Phuket tend to be a little more expensive than other areas in Thailand. Also, there is far less bartering over prices, to include Tuk-Tuks. One last thing, the best time would be Dec, Jan, Feb, its cooler then than other times of the year.
I would say that your equirements would be much better met a Phuket.
Pattaya is very urban and the beaches are not up to much.
NB - all Thai beaches suffer from pollution to some degree.
I am going to shovel some (beach) sand against the tide here!
Pattaya is only around 2 hours from Bangkok by bus for a price of around 117 baht (that%26#39;s what I paid last week.) Phuket you have to fly to or take a long bus ride!
Hotels are cheaper in Pattaya. Most hotels, even those who have prices beginning around 800 baht often have pools.
Yes, the beach is practically useless for actual swimming. Okay for sun bathing, shopping, walking, etc. Lousy for swimming! However, you can do ';beach type'; swimming at nearby Jomtien.
Transportation within Pattaya City is only 10 baht per passenger when you use baht buses on their set routes. Wave one down, hop on, get to where you want to be, ring buzzer hop off pay 10 baht! Thai%26#39;s pay 5 baht!
Yes, lots of bars. But you can ignore the bars or go in and have a drink. Decent restaurants, several malls to shop at, lots of street vendors and now three movie theaters showing current movie releases - cheaper than back home! Easy walking if you want to stretch your legs a bit!
Travel agents have lists of tours you can take to fill your time.
Phuket has the better beach but if all you want to do is relax in a beach holiday - Pattaya will do! Best thing is if you don%26#39;t like Pattaya it%26#39;s only a tiny bit of money to head back to Bangkok and fly to Phuket - the money you save on hotels alone will pay for the ride back to Bangkok!
Good luck.
';. We want a beach holiday and a hotel which is close enough to walk into town for a little nightlife but we are not 24 party animals.';
So it looks like they want a BEACH holiday.....
I agree with the above a factual except for one point....Jomtien beach on the last figures I saw was actually MORE polluted than Pattaya. Wind and tides coupled with the positioning of sewage outlets can shift pollution all over the place a couple of years ago raw sewage was leaked into Jomtien beach for several weeks.
Wong Amat near Pattaya also has a sewage outlet.
And don%26#39;t be fooled by ';clear'; water...many pollutants are clear too. Clear water also means no plankton (based of the food chain) and no plankton usually means pollution.
This of course also applies to the beaches around Phuket. - Over development and lack of infrastructure means that all Thai beaches are increasingly under threat from pollution.
Hi
Thanks to everyone for your advice and opinions.It looks like we will settle on Pukhet.
Cheers
yes just to lie on the beach it is phuket - but evrything will be vastly more expensive than pattaya. Whilst not actuwlly in the question - isn%26#39;t hua hin a viable alternative. Went at new year and thought the beaches had been cleaned up a lot from when i went before, and now has agood choice for nightlife. food etc
looking forward to my first trip to koh chang .has anyone stayed at baan rim nam,klong prao beach It looks a really nice place, any info on this or any other small hotels around klong prao beach %26amp; some info about the area would be great thks
Hi there,
My wife and I stayed at Baan Rim Nam in December 2007. If you are looking for a quiet unobtrusive place this may well suit. Ian and Nam are great hosts and were extremely helpful. We did cheat and hired a car from BKK and found this to be very handy for all the exploring around the Island.
Good Luck
I like Baan Rim Nam, but there again, being the owner, I%26#39;m biased. :-)
Not a lot in the way of small places to stay around Klong Prao beach, mainly resorts and a couple of large backpacker hut places. Just along the river from our place is an upmarket %26#39;boutique%26#39; guesthouse - Keereeta Lagoon. At the southern end of the beach is Blue Lagoon bungalows - nothing luxurious but a new AC bungalow is 1000 - 1200 baht/night and fan is 600 baht. About 150 metres from the beach on a small river estuary.
Hi, we will be staying at the JW Marriot for 3 nights. we need your opinion on our last 4 days in Phuket- which hotel offers more to do (location, markets, beach etc)- Duangjitt resort or Pacific Club Spa and resort?
thanks for your help!!
we plan on traveling end of may-beg of June.
thanks!!
Duangitt is in Patong and Pacific Club is in Karon. Patong is more full on (I love Patong) than Karon. Patong has loads of shopping options, restaurants, bars, discos etc. Karon is very nice but more laid back but still has some shopping options and plenty of restaurants. The beach at Patong is not that nice. Karon beach is lovely. Both beaches at that time of year can be pretty rough. If you haven%26#39;t already done so, take a look at the reviews for both hotels on this site. Good luck with your decision. Jen.
Thanks Jen, we booked at the Duangjitt Resort!! :)i cant wait. now i need to plan my days out during my stay. i plan on going through all the past posts on suggestions. Do you think Phi Phi island will be ok during that time?
you wouldnt happen to be from Cambria would you? i have a co-worker currently hear on a rotation who said i should of just booked an Aussie trip.
Hi Santoralin, the Duangjitt would have been my choice also between the 2....it looks great from the pics (both the hotel%26#39;s website and TA members%26#39; pics on this site). A trip to Phi Phi would be good. Simba Seatrips do a speedboat trip to Phi Phi. I haven%26#39;t actually gone with this company but they get great reviews on this site. If you type in ';Simba'; in the search function you%26#39;ll get all sorts of info. Another favourite with members from this forum is Phuket Sail Tours (Captain Mark), you could do a search on that too...also lots of info. Happy planning. Jen. PS. I%26#39;m on the west coast, about an hour north of the capital, Perth.
Just returned from phuket and am amazed at the pushy taylors that are EVERYWHERE! For those of you who havent been yet if someone offers to say hi and shake your hand, it will be a taylor nine times out of ten. The first day we arrived my hasband nearly had a heart attack as the taylor who grabbed his hand wouldn';t let go. He started trying to drag him into his store.
We must admit that by the end of the week we were giggling at the mock ausie accents that they put on and had some real fun watching them. They seem to know when you are new in town too and boy do they pick up on that. Some of the sayings we got to hear were- gday mate- you aussie mate- Come in and have a gander.- Hey you from melbourne- live near the big pineapple?- You bloody ausie mate. All of cause in the mock ausie accent!
If you get a chance watch them, its so interesting(but of cause from far away or you will get suckered in..)which of cause we eventually did and got something made at probably a highly inflated price!!!! It was well worth the experience.
The hawkers used to be great fun and very polite 10 years ago but now they are a real pain but that I%26#39;m afraid is because most of the hawkers and certainly all the taylors are indian and they employ an aggresive hard sell which you never used to get from the Thai sellers. I must admit that they make me angry and I%26#39;m married to a Thai and can handle them but I feel they have made the fun of casual shopping a thing of the past and I%26#39;m surprised the authorities don%26#39;t clamp down on them more.
They are irritating. The best way to deal with any tout is to pretend they don%26#39;t exist. Ignore them, don%26#39;t talk to them, don%26#39;t look at them. They will get the message.
The tailors are harmless, just dont let them get under your skin. Smile and keep walking if you have no interest in their services.
The aussie accent and comments can give a good laugh as you say,classic.
Did you see the guy on Beach rd in Patong with the cowboy hat...Wanna steak? He has been there for years and Ive never seen him talk anyone into the resaurant yet tho sure he does. Nice guy.
Dont fear the tailors, just part of the experience..
thanks for the advice re tailors do u know anything about the holiday inn in phuket we are staying there in may 2008 are we better to save our money and shop in hongkong which is our next port of call after phuket thanks
Hi Kat13bris
This is my personal opinion but I would save my shopping for Hong Kong having been there many times I think it is more superior for shopping than Thailand. Though I think there are many Trip Advisor members who would perhaps disagree.
Stanley market on Hong Kong island is a must visit and don鈥檛 be afraid to to sample the food in the some what bedraggled shacks there, we have had some of the best Chinese food ever. The Jade market is well worth a visit but if buying as always be careful of fake goods. The Bird market is also very entertaining, watching the Chinese parade and show off their birds. There are other markets at night which as always worth a visit.
Hong Kong has also some very upmarket shopping malls and of course that reflects in the price of the goods.
Please don鈥檛 think I am being negative about Thailand we love it and the pace of life and have holidayed there many times in the last 10 years.
Shelleycat
Hi,
I allways use a taylor who does not have to use this method as i beleive a good taylor has no need to do this his reputation should go before him.
Julie
thanks for yr reply great info do u know anything about the holiday inn in phuket we are staying there and i am reading very mixed reviews
The Holiday Inn Phuket is fantasic. Very clean. We stayed in the Busakorn wing which was excellent. Friends of ours stayed in the main wing %26amp; that was equally as good (ie: clean). We could not fault the place.
Cheers
Of course the trick is never shake their hand.
Easily said, but almost impossible to do if you%26#39;re an Australian male 15 or older.
These guys prey on the fact that most aussies cannot refuse a handshake, this cultural etiquette was drummed into most of us from an early age.
What about other nationalities? Do you have any difficulty refusing an unsolicited handshake, without first making a strong conscious effort to?
we are off to Phuket again and i have to say that last time we were there they nealy ruined the holiday thay are a pain in the rear.
They are mainly Asian indian and not Thai and as such do not have the non confrontational style of the Thais.
they are much worse in Phuket than in other places in Thailand.
They are a scourge and i for one would never buy from them.
I also find that when people have they are not the bargin they thought and the styles of dresses etc are old fashioned and dated.
Sorry don%26#39;t have one good word to say about them. We are british and they follow us down the road mimicking a cockney accent we live in the NORTH of England.
Sorry for the rant but it is my pet hate.
A random request....
I live in Vietnam and I am trying to hand stich a teddy bear as a present for someone. I%26#39;ve managed to get some fake fur maerial in black here. However I still need some brown and yellow fake fur, also I need teddy bear toy eyes and a nose.
I am on holiday in thailand as of Saturday and was hoping that I could pick up the material i need in Bangkok.
Does anyone know where could buy fake fur fabric and possibly toy extras too? I know it%26#39;s random but I relaly need them and can%26#39;t them in Vietnam
If you go into any Central Department Store, they have a ';Make Your Own Teddy Bear'; corner.
Apart from that you can try MBK (National Stadium skytrain station) or the weekend market at Chatuchak (Morchit skytrain station.)
Wow - are you kidding? A make your own teddy bear corner?! Excellent, that%26#39;s better than I had even hoped for. Thanks so much
Hi there,
Hope someone can help us, one of our group is allergic to peanuts, so will not touch anything that has any sort of nut in it... can anyone tell me if the Thai people have nuts in ';everything'; or if we ask, will they not add it in, is everything cooked in Paenut oil (someone told us that). Or if anyone knows of any resturants aroun the Karon Bay area that are Nut free..... any help/advice much appreciated... thanks
One of the problems is that everyone prepares Thai food differently. Southern food can have a lot of peanuts; Satay of course has peanut sauce, Musaman has peanuts in it, as do a few fish dishes. Food is not cooked in peanut oil as a matter of course, but may be cooked in other natural oils. You need to order carefully, ';Mai sai too-a'; = ';No peanuts';.
The Thais tend to cook with soy bean oil more than peanut oil - from what I%26#39;ve seen when I%26#39;ve been in restaurant or friends%26#39; kitchens learning how to cook. The nuts you will most encounter will be cashews which are used stir-fried as an appetiser, in cashew dishes (another obvious one) and you will find cashews in some salads and Massaman curries.
It would be best to find out how to say you cannot have peanut oil or any nuts for when ordering food. Better still, get a Thai to write it down for you so you can show it when ordering food.
oh dear! I don%26#39;t mean to put you off but be very careful. I spent 2 wonderful years in Phuket, but I must warn you - if you have a high allergy, even the slightest contamination will be difficult to avoid.
The same oils can be used between dishes as well as using the same spatcular. A language barrier or misunderstanding could result in '; no problem madam ';
Hope someone with first hand experience with this allergy has more advice for you. Good luck
Snoopy, Here is another thread re peanut allergies, also do a search as theres lots more info on here as well from people who have been to Phuket with peanut allergies..
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k147鈥?/a>
Cathy
I have seen examples of thai language signs that you can print off and take with you, but cannot locate - sorry.
Did find this..Food and Travel Translation cards.
http://www.selectwisely.com
hello
i hear you loud and clear... we have been to phuket over 10 times in the last 10 years and many other places around the world.. my husband has an extreme allgery to all nuts %26amp; peanuts...';deadly'; we always carry an epipen with us, but have never had an problems at all in thailand.. yet austrlia heaps... nuts %26amp; peanuts are deadly to my husband and we always eat at sweets %26amp; sabai sabai and every order we place we remind them of the allgery... thais dont cook in peanut oil... i have never come accross this... when ordering sring rolls just note that it comes with plum %26amp; also chilli sauce, the plum sauce has nuts in it.. sweets resturant always make my husband an plum dipping sauce with no nuts.. my husband is also carefull and tastes a very small amount of food and waits 2 mins for any reaction.. but never have had any prob%26#39;s, we have travelled to china, vietnam, hong kong, singapore, mayalsia, thailand %26amp; indonesia and not one problem, my husband even had chicken %26amp; cashew stir fry, without the cashew%26#39;s... yet we went on a australian cruise and he had an attack on a tuna sandwich, thank god they had an hostial on board,.... please dont stress and make your holiday unejoyable... just be carefull and maybe stick to resturants that are well known, sweets and sabai sabai are very well known with westerners for many years.. if you need and further info, please just ask
enjoy your holiday
boogs
you do need to be very aware especially if your heading to the less visited tourist places,
Perhasp some of our thai speakers on here can tell you how so no nuts etc
It depends on the allergy reaction you have, I know a couple of people who have a severe reaction to peanuts and even a trace of it in a wok is enough to casue angiodema.
There is no real answer, as our friends have been to Asia and been fine,whilst eating at Auge here in Adelaide became really sick. I guess you just have to be really careful and due to the language barrier even more so.
Not really my field so I don%26#39;t want to comment
Hi Snoopy.
I am allergic to ALL nuts and seafood products so you can imagine I was extremely concerned about being in Thailand (and I was going to be in hospitals etc too).
I found a person at work who had a Thai friend and they wrote up some script that detailed my allergies. At each restuarant and hospital I showed the script and in almost all cases they actually took it to the kitchen to show the chef - who then personally came out and directed me to the safest items on the menu.
I had two 3 week trips there last year for surgery and had utterly no problems thanks to that little piece of script. It specified foods, oils, sauces etc.
For my second trip I also had someone write up a thing about my stair and escalator phobia which results in panic attacks. That was a very helpful piece of paper too !
There are lots of helpful folk on this forum who are either Thai or married to a Thai - so I am sure someone can write something up and scan it or post it to you in time for your trip.
My wife and I are going to Nepal in October and were able to squeeze in an extra day in Bangkok between flights. Our plane lands at 11 pm one night and we fly out 2 days later in the morning. So we have one full day of sightseeing in Bangkok.
Any Hotel recommendations? It needs to be one we can get to and check into in the middle of the night and be closest to all the things you would see if you only had one day in Bangkok.
Everyone loves the Peninsula but none of the major websites show availability during our 2 nights there.
I have enough Hilton points to do a free stay at the Hilton or the Conrad but since its only one day if neither of those are going to be great for a day of sightseeing we%26#39;ll go elsewhere. Also in that line of thinking buffet breakfast in the hotel can be a big time saver as well.
Thanks in advance for your help! 200 USD or less a night would be preferred.
The Conrad is in a good loacation close to skytrain and many shopping areas. They have 24 hour reception and good food.
Make sure you see the Grand Palace - take the skytrain to Saphan Taksin, go down to the pier underneath the station (Tha Sathorn) and catch the public Chao Phrya Express Boat to Tha Chang pier, the Grand Palace is right there. Also, take the skytrain to National Stadium and follow the signs to the Jim Thompson House, a beautiful museum in a traditional Thai house next to a canal.
Having just 5 of the most relaxing days at this resort, i feel it is to good a secret to keep to myself.
Its is a 3 star hotel in a 6 star setting, and i mean this is the best possible way.
It may not have the flashnish of other hotels but what it has is bags of charm and character. The bungalows fit so well in there enviroment amgost the gardens and the trees.
We stayed in the Beach front Villa and cost us around 拢50 per night including breakfast, which is an absoulte steal as i would have happly paid that for the views from the balcony especially watching the sun set in to the see through the palm trees.
The villa%26#39;s itself i would say are modestly furnished but have everything that you would need to make your stay a very relaxing one.With the beach just feet from your balcony. Even the villa%26#39;s towards the back of the resort were no more than minute to the beach.
The pool area is very nice with a pool that over looks down to beach and the sea with plenty of sunbeds. Again the views were to die for!
The beach its self was very nice and very clean and untouched! yep paradise springs to mind with the beaching spreading probably for miles either way.
The staff although not having the greatest command of the english language were very friendly and would do anything to make you stay as special as possible. people complain about the lack of english speaking but to me again adds to the charm of the place we dont complain when visting greece that they dont speak english!
The resturant was nicely priced as were the drinks, considering that it is isolated and could probably get away with charging a lot more. A beer was 50bhats water 20bhats
As mentioned it is isolated but they have a taxi service that will run you to the pierr and pick you up after visting one of the few resturants.
Overall this is a perfect place to unwind and relax for 5-7 days.
I will post some pics when i have them off the camera.
Great report on a great little resort, one of only 5 on this charming little island.
While waiting for your pics, there are some good ones here:
www.khaolaklovers.com/Amandara_Resort.htm
How expensive is electronic in Thailand (in perspective to AUS)
ok, how expensive are laptops in Bankgok? I might wanna buy a brand laptop and hovering between purchasing it in Sydney (AUS) and Bankgok. I know prices vary by quality and atributes. Im looking at 2GHz, 1-2G memory, 250 HDD.
One more question. Can i claim international warranty on products purchased in Thailand, specificaly on electronics.
Some friends in Singapore advised, one cannot do (unless you upgrade to that for extra charge) - that is why prices are lower there. How is that in Thailand. Has anybody bought electronic in Thailand?
cheers
I found cameras and laptops in Bangkok to be dearer than Aus. Plus the warranties are not guaranteed always.
In addition - you will need to pay the GST upon your return to Aus so any bargain you thought you got - doesnt turn out to be that when you get home.
Just as easy to buy the lap top in Aus and claim the Tourist Refund Scheme at the airport as you leave Aus. You just need to have the item, the reciept and your bank details or your credit card ready. They deposit the refund straight into your card for you. The whole process took about 5 minutes.
Cannot tell you how it compares to Aussie but some electronics are a similar price to Singapore, but in Thailand some goods have a global warranty and some only a local one, so you need to check that. Selection and latest goods are better in HK than Thailand.
hi
i am going to pattaya on april 1st for 2 weeks.
we already have our accomodation sorted out.
we dont want girls so really just food drink(beer and spirits) and daytrips waterparks etc.
i just dont have a clue.
i dont have a lot of money so probably will be budgeting.
we chose thailand cause we went to goa last year and we where told it was nearly as cheap, but looking on here prices dont look much differant to the uk.
i was hoping to spend 25.00 or under a day but judging by peoples comments it doesnt look likely.
please help, i only have a week to go and i am taking cash in sterling as i dont have any cards, i am so worried i wont have enough money.
the worry is putting me off going, so please tell me ime being silly.
thanks
Dont worry mate cheap as chips,many happy hours through out the day beer can cost only 60 /70 pence,even on walking street cost around £1 in the open air bars.Food costs next to nothing.I suppose day trip will be most that you wil pay for but again cheap.Go out and enjoy yourself pattaya can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.If you are stopping at expensive hotel dont buy food or drinks as these can be expensive eat and drink out you will be ok
Tony,
Thailand is way cheaper than the UK, if you look around you can eat for a couple of hundred baht including a couple of beers and softies for the kids.
Generally you will find that the restraunts near the beach and bigger hotels are more expensive as they think that the europeans have bottomless pockets.
Have a look away from the beach areas, and you can save a bit, of course thai food is the cheapest, european food can be expensive. Try the thai food it is great, and if you don%26#39;t like spicy ask the cook to leave out the chillies.
If you really desperate there is MacDonalds, Burger King and KFC.
Spirts are about the same price as here in Australia as the Thai Government taxes it pretty highly, the cheapest spirts is the Thai Wiskey, but if you drink it beware as some is a bit rough.
Buy your beer at the local 7 eleven, or supermarket or some of the little thai shops around the place, you can pick up Chang Beer for around 30 - 40baht.
If you like wine forget buying in Thailand as the government has about a 200% tax on it, for example I can buy a bottle of good Cab Sav here in Australia for about $15 Aust in Thailand the same bottle is $70 Aust.
I don%26#39;t know where your staying but, the best way to find out things is ask the locals, just be polite and friendly and they will point you in the right direction.
In regards to tours, get the booking agent to fully explain to you what is included in the price,I usually check the tour desk at the hotel and compare with one of the many agents around the area, (hotels get paid higher commisons by the tour operator- which is added to the price) I have saved as much as 2000baht ($58.aust, about $20 pounds) in the past by checking.
Hope this helps
Enjoy your holiday
thanks guys
i feel a bit better now.
we have no kids so no worries there.
we are staying at the dusit and do realise it will be expensive to eat and drink there so we will be going out.
once again thanks i just hope the sun is shining for us but i am sure it will.
tony
25 quid a day is plenty - unless you are a real glutton. As you say buy nothing in the Dusit - great hotel but nothing cheap. You can fill up your fridge at Best supermarket opposite the entrance to the hotel - can of coke maybe B12 a tin - if you want to eat cheaply the more inland you go the cheaper it gets - so for example if you go up soi diana inn, next to the diana inn on second road, and walk to the end of this soi, stroll around and you will get for example a full english breakfast with juice and tea/cofee for about a pound. I don%26#39;t like to spend over 3 pounds on a meal in pattaya and drink comes in at around a pound for a bottle of beer - though I am told in the new Avenue shopping mall on second road opposite soi post office you can get a pint of draught lager for maybe a quid and a half.
1500 baht a day for 2 people......or each??.....lets assume it%26#39;s for 2.
your hotel is payed for so you don%26#39;t have to worry...is breakfast included?
If you insist on eating western food you will find the prices are higher, but still less than UK.
English Breakfasts are from 60 baht (1 pound to 180 baht)
Most western meals can be bought for under 200 baht anywhere. Watch out for the buffets - get food poisoning
If you want to splash out, go to Symphonies (2nd Road) for about 400 baht main course each.....really good.
If you eat Thai food (highly recommended), you can eat off the street stalls (highly recommended) and cafes for as little as 20 baht per dish (noodles).
Almost any Thai place will give you a good meal for 200 baht per head......or sea food for 300 baht. Crab/lobster will up the price.
Transport is cheap...the about town buses are 10 baht per trip.
taxi from the airport 1300 baht negotiate before setting off......
bus from the airport 150/200 about??
Alcohol is in general cheaper than UK but relatively expensive by Thai standards......in some bars all drinks alcoholic or not can be 70 to 140 baht each....especially if you tipple is Johnny Walker etc.
MONEY - don%26#39;t change in UK...you%26#39;ll get a much better rate in Thailand even at the airport - there are simply LOADS of places to buy Baht there.
I%26#39;m surprised you don%26#39;t even have an ATM card - if you let your bank know you are going abroad, it will work at the many ATMs all over Thailand. there is a fee usually but it is SOOOOO convenient.
If you are thinking of bringing CASH only....I would strongly recommend you think again and at least buy some travellers cheques before you come...as they are at least a good back-up......if your cash is stolen what will you do?
AlSO - I believe now that some banks will give you a ';pre-topped-up'; visa type card that you can use at ATMs
Remember - the minimum daily wage in that region is about 180 baht per day (3 quid) and people live off that .... you%26#39;re trying to live off 1500....got to be possible..
You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want.
Eat Thai food, stay in an hour or two longer in the evening and have a drink in your hotel (buy beer from the 7-11, not the mini bar), don%26#39;t fall in love...
If you drink at the big name ex-pat bars, eat English food every day, etc, you%26#39;ll obviously spend more. Me, I spend the daylight hours reading on the beach and being brought bottles of cold beer and thai nibbles, all at rock-bottom prices.
One other thing - if you go out for the day, to Ko larn, the tropical gardens, etc. Make your own way there. It%26#39;s not hard. The public erry to Ko larn is a fraction of the rip-off speedboat price.
Personally I budget for about 3000 baht a day. If I%26#39;m alone (I have a Thai girlfriend in rayong) I can easily get buy on half this.
I don%26#39;t know why you would want to go to Pattaya. I have just gotten back to the states from Thialand. I went to Pattaya for look see, nothing but booze and loose women. Granted there is the beach but it sonds like you are going at the wrong time of the year. The rainy season is slowly getting started. The prices in Thailand are fairly cheap. Check your local money conversation rates. This will be a great help to you. I would visit the interrior of Thailand and stay away from the tourist trips. I think you may enjoy Thailand more. Hope this helps.
You could move to a hotel that is half the price of the Dusit and almost triple your spending money!
It is easy to find a hotel room with air, hot water, private toilet, cable TV, etc. for around 400-900 baht pretty easy. This way you have more money left for shopping and tours. A hotel in the 1200 baht to 1800 baht is pretty good! Cheaper hotels often offer free breakfast buffets too!
A hotel like the Areca is pretty good at less than half the price of the Dusit. http://www.arecalodge.com/
Unless you are totally stuck with the same hotel for your entire stay in Pattaya check out some of the other hotels in the Pattaya 2nd Road area and see if you can get a cheaper hotel but still end up in a nice place and giving you more available cash. Check some other places out anyway for your next trip to Pattaya!
Lots of supermarkets in Pattaya, you can save some money by doing some food shopping and making baloney and cheese sandwiches and bringing cheap beer back to your expensive hotel.
Good luck.
agree with last post i stay at the areca lodge ,great hotel ,2 swimming pools ,staff are brill and very central what more can you ask for.Also for a deluxe room around 1300 bahts bargain if you ask me
%26lt;%26lt; I don%26#39;t know why you would want to go to Pattaya. I went to Pattaya for look see, nothing but booze and loose women%26gt;%26gt;
And your point is?? :-))
I just arrived back to Egypt after 10 days trip to Thailand. Before traveling I didn鈥檛 make any reservations at hotels or tours or even domestic flights. I collected lot of information from the forums of Trip Advisor. I was planning to spend 3 nights at Chaing Mai, 4 nights at Pattays then 3 nights at Bangkok.
I landed to Suvarnabhumi- the new Bangkok International Airport 鈥?at 11:30 AM as per Thailand time, I filled the immigration card on the airplane before landing, on the hotel name field I wrote the name of Royal Princess 鈥?Chiang Mai, I was preparing the hotel name and address although I didn鈥檛 do any reservation, it was just to complete the card. The immigration officer checked the card and didn鈥檛 have any comment, it didn鈥檛 take more than 10 minutes from the moment I left the airplane till crossing the immigration.
I was not having any luggage to claim, my trailer bag was with me on the cabin so I went directly for the Money Exchange which was just out side after customs who didn鈥檛 check my bag and I changed 200 Euros to cover my initial expenses, then I purchased SIM card for my mobile (185 BAHT), after which I went to 4th level to Airasia airlines from which I purchased one way ticket to Chiang Mai (1900 BAHT), time was 12:15 hr and departure time was 13:00 hr, I succeeded to get the ticket because I didn鈥檛 have luggage and also there was no fluids at my bag otherwise I have to take the next flight which was at 16:00 hr.
Chiang Mai:
After landing to Chinag Mai airport I went directly to Airasia office and purchased my return ticket to Bangkok (2140 BAHT) then took a taxi to area near Night Bazaar (120 BAHT) and searched for suitable accommodation, I selected Rux-Thai Guest House (600BAHT/night), free Wi-Fi is available for 24 hours at the room, also save was available at the reception.
I spent balance of the day at a free tour at Night Bazaar, took dinner at a Chinese restaurant which have a very good Buffet for 115 BAHT, I used to take my dinner every day at that restaurant as there was a band and lady singer every night.
I checked with the local tour agents for the available tours and selected one day tour to the mountains (1000 BAHT including lunch which was very good, also hotel transfers).
The next day I went on a 陆 day tour with the same tour agent to Elephant show (450 BAHT), it is a must to see but if you need also elephant ride you may look at 1 day tour.
My flight to Bangkok was at 8:20 AM, so I took a taxi (60 BAHT) to Chiang Mai airport at 6:30 AM which was early, but I wanted to spend some time to see the airport and take breakfast there.
Pattaya:
Reached Suvarnabhumi at 9:30 AM, I took the Express shuttle bus (free) from level 5 to the public transport bus terminal from which I took air-conditioned bus to Pattaya (109 BAHT). From bus terminal at Pattaya I took sharing bus (20 BAHT) to walking street.
I searched for a suitable accommodation and found a room at Dianna Inn hotel (990 BAHT/night including breakfast) at the 2nd road near soi 12, again Wi-Fi service was available at the room for free, save also was available at the reception for free.
I booked a full day tour to the Coral Island from the tour agent of the hotel (1200 BAHT including lunch and hotel transfers). It was a nice day.
The 2nd day I booked ticket at Tiffany Show (600 BAHT), VIP seats are available at 800 BAHT but are not necessary, from the ordinary seat the show was very clear, but it can鈥檛 be compared at all with Foliberger show of Paris.
Bangkok:
From Pattaya I made reservation by telephone with Bell service for transportation to Bangkok (300 BAHT to Bangkok city) 鈥?also transport to Bangkok Airport is available at 150 BAHT. Bell service travel collected me from Diana Inn and dropped me at NaNa area as per my request.
NaNa is the name of a SKY station at Sukhumvit. I searched for a suitable accommodation, I found a room at New Rose Inn hotel (700 BAHT/night) which was not good at all, I don鈥檛 recommend it for any one even if it is free, but I stayed at it because it has free Wi-Fi free at the room and also save at the reception, but again I don鈥檛 recommend it at all, room was very small, you can touch the ceiling while standing by your hand, easy to hear noise from other rooms even the noise of TV played at the reception during night.
I called Tong at her mobile to ask for a tour with her to the Fishing Village but I didn鈥檛 get chance because she was fully booked during my 2 days of stay at Bangkok, so I could make another program for my self.
The first day I went on a river tour, I purchased tourist ticket for the bus river (120 BAHT) which is valid for a full day with unlimited number of stops. I went to visit the Grand Palace but it was closed that day for a ceremony by the Royal family, so I visited the temples surrounding it then went to China Town.
The second day I booked 1 day trip to Safari World from a local tour agent (850 BAHT including lunch, tickets and hotel transfers). It was a very nice day including tour in the car at an open zoo, Monkey show who were playing music and Thai Boxing, Lion Sea show, Dolphin show, elephant show, spy war show %26amp; Cow boy show.
Back to Egypt:
My flight was at 7:50 AM, so I took a Taxi Meter at 5:00 AM to the airport, it took 280 BAHT.
Summary advises:
1- No need at all for any prior hotel reservations even for the 1st night if you shall travel at low season. This shall give you the freedom to select hotel of your choice.
2- If you shall have any domestic flights, Airasia are good but you have to make reservation via Internet to get good prices.
3- You have to make prior reservation with Tong because she is always fully booked, as per previous reviews, this also was advised but I didn鈥檛 follow.
4- Be careful if you shall do shopping, most of the times you shall get any thing with only 25% claimed.
My personal conclusion:
I shall never think to go to Thailand again, it didn鈥檛 impress me, Thailand is suitable only for those who are looking for 6, shopping.
If you are interested in Nature and Sight seeing go to Malaysia, it is much better than Thailand.
For any enquiries any one is welcome to e-mail me at eldabi@hotmail.com with a Subject: Trip to Thailand
Regards,
Nabil Mohamed, Egypt-Cairo
Thanks for this JBR of your holiday. Even if you did not really like Thailand, it was nice of you to take the time to let everyone know how you went and the experiences you had. This should help a lot of people on a budget...
Cheers
Karin
My Fiance and I were hoping to have a wedding ceremony on the beach around feb-mar 09. She has her heart set on Thailand as the beaches look great and it%26#39;s a nice week-long holiday for us and all our family and friends together. We aren%26#39;t looking for a big spend (on the actual ceremony), just something short, simple and undisturbed, with an area to move onto for food, drinks and speeches.
Anyone know of any hotels, resorts, companies which offer a service like this? Any help would be much appreciated
Try contact Lotta at La Moet excursions. She does wedding planning and snorkel cruises. Her email address is lotta@lamoet.com
Good luck with the wedding.
Chantal
anybody stayed here before have any comments? there%26#39;s very limited reviews on TA and i can%26#39;t find much elsewhere through google. i%26#39;m going to bangkok for 5 weeks and have booked a place there already, but i%26#39;m a little concerned it might be dirty or unsatistactory in some way.
i haven%26#39;t pre-paid yet, although i did negotiate the best deal i can and committed to a booking. i%26#39;m getting the super deluxe room at 600 baht a night, with 2 hours complimentary free wireless internet everyday.
come on, SOMEONE%26#39;s gotta know something
come on guys. i only have 1 night before i%26#39;m going. somebody%26#39;s gotta know something, and they%26#39;re not talking. this is against the spirit of sharing in public forums like this.
I dont think that it is that noone is sharing, but being a budget place there will not honestly be alot of people on this forum that have experienced it. While I have used this forum extensively for my plans, I am a budget traveler and used other websites for reviews etc of the budget places.
I have personally never heard of the place, but for 600 baht I am sure whatever you get will be fine. Have a look on www.travelfish.org or ask over at the Thorn Tree Forum at www.lonelyplanet.com
finally a response! thanks emjayreet. i%26#39;ve tried searching for info on thorntree and fodors but no luck. thing is, this is not one of those traditional budget places actually. if you book it through websites or direct, per night is actually anywhere from 1300-2400 baht for the super deluxe room. but they%26#39;re offering me long term stay rate at 600 baht per night for the same room.
i didn%26#39;t think this was one of those hidden super budget hotels so i thought someone must%26#39;ve experienced this hotel. after all, there has been 7 reviews on tripadvisor, so i would think some of those people would be on here as well.
ah well I am sure that if it is normally that price and you are getting it so cheap that you have yourself a bargain.. just pay for one night and check it out first! Good luck! x
that%26#39;s the thing: i can%26#39;t do that. if i am to qualify for the special rate, i am expected to pay everything upfront on the first day. which explains why i%26#39;m trying to find some last minute information before i dive into it less than 24 hours from now.
This might not be %26#39;%26#39;in the spirit of this forum%26#39;%26#39; but as you seem to be insisting on info then here it is; it is a complete + utter %26#39;%26#39;dive%26#39;%26#39; ENJOY !!!
Is it really a dive?!?! LOL
i think he was just performing his perfect rendition of being a childish prick..
alright, so i%26#39;ve finally arrived in bangkok and have just checked in to diamond house. first thoughts: classy little place in the middle of a run down and busy street. the lobby is very homely and comfortable.
room: it%26#39;s actually like what one of the reviews on TA has said - what you see in the photos is exactly what you get, no more no less. the room is terribly small, even though i got myself a super deluxe room which is their second best room. there%26#39;s pretty much just a queen sized bed, with a wardobe, and very small sofa in a tight corner, an arguably strategically placed LCD TV on the wall. the bed is just a thick mattress on the floor, which is set on an elevated platform. it%26#39;s not that comfortable cause it%26#39;s a little hard, but it%26#39;s not terribly uncomfortable either. i guess for 600 baht a night i can%26#39;t complain. if i were to pay their 1600 baht rate on asiarooms though, i would have a lot more to complain about.
room service: in 2 words - not cheap. for a place like this, i would think they would have cheaper food. it%26#39;s not expensive though, it%26#39;s probably comparable to room service in a nicer hotel, which is exactly my point. but overall the food isn%26#39;t too bad. i ordered their fried beef with chilli and it was quite tasty, but strangely it did not come with chilli at all. it was not spicy in the least.
bathroom: quite well designed, but circulation would be a problem. it had no self-circulating system, so if you had some huge business to do in there, you would be wise to do it right before you leave the room. the %26#39;throne%26#39; is pretty cramped, those with long legs like me will probably be a little uncomfortable.
overall conclusion from initial impression: if you%26#39;re a long term stayer like me and you%26#39;re able to negotiate a good rate, it%26#39;s a reasonably good stay. however, if you%26#39;re staying for a short trip and looking for some comfort, i would advise you to look elsewhere. and by that,i mean out of khaosan area because as far as i can see, the khaosan accommodations are pretty much crap in terms of comfort. you won%26#39;t find much luxury in this area.
liked koh samui, loved phiphi. where else is pretty? koh phagan or somewhere?
Phangnga Bay
loved Racha (Yai) island so much. The sea is unforgettable.
Nangyuan island is soooooo pictureque as well.
underwater world in koh tao.
Mountains
Loved Kao Kor
(';Kao'; means mountain)
it is called Switzerland of Thailand
Travelling with teenager, so looking at apartment for end September - AC in bedrooms but only fan lounge. Have stayed in Patong at other times of year %26amp; aware of the heat %26amp; humidity, but in late September do I need AC in all rooms?
Thakns for your help
Jules
We have been in hotel with air con in bedroom and ceiling fan in lounge and it was fine, depending on where you are you can also leave bedroom doors open and air con running if you get a bit warm, though we never had to do this.
Cathy
Once again - thanks Cathy.
Hi there,
Does everyone know what the weather will be in Hua Hin in September?
Many thanks
Hi,
I was in Hua Hin in September 05 and the weather was great. Above 30 C every day, with a period of rain each afternoon for about 1 hour. Once the rain stopped it was lovely again. Does get dark around 6pm though. Enjoy, it is a fab place!!!
Cha-am and Hua-Hin towns are always okay
no full day rain, unless soooo unlucky
Yes September is getting abit more rain than average.
But the heaviest in the area should be October.
hi all,
im a budget traveler and i want to book a cheap hotel on patagon beach , can you recommend me one? please i have to book soon...recomemend me one well comunicated in the center of the action and near of the beach.
and...one important question , can you tell me how can i get patagon beach from the airport?
thank you so much
rodrigo
Hi Rodrigo,
A metred taxi will cost about 450THB to PATONG beach.
A fairly inexpensive hotel opposite the beach and next to Bangla Road is the Safari Beach Hotel, but if you want really cheap, try the hotels on Rat-U-Tit Road - google some websites
eg. sawadee.com, hoteltravel.com.
Your price range might help, and requirements.
Cheers,
Sandy
look at this hotel rodrigo, it offers a taxi pick-up service too--
atsiam.com/hotels/phuket/jintana_patong_hote鈥?/a>
thank you so much...
if you can find any other for me it will be fantastic please
thank you so much
rodrigo
You might want to have alook at this site. Plenty of options. http://phuketdir.com/location.htm
Hi All,
My family and i will be in Chiang Mai for one week in April.
Rather than try and drive around myself I would like to hire a car with a driver who could also act as a guide.
Does anyone know of a good car service and how much I should expect to pay?
Thanks in advance
Luke
Hi Luke,
We%26#39;re going in July and loooking at Sergeant Kai%26#39;s services (you%26#39;ll find him on the net under his name or Chiang Mai tours or something as such). He offers a private driver for the whole day, pick up from hotel and drop back for 1800 Baht which I consider reasonable. We%26#39;ll be doing a day trip with him. Cars are air-conditioned of course.
hi luke. I was looking on the forum a couple of weeks ago. one of the members , answered, the same question. and I wrote it down as we may be going to chiangmai in august, i am sorry I didn';t write the members name down because then you could have contacted her, /him, and way , this guys email address in chiangmai, is tootaatootaa@yahoo.com
. driver and van , the member was very happy with the service. I hope this helps, kindest wishes whoopi
Me again luke I just went back a few pages on trip adviser the member is lannafocus , has given me good info before, ttry sending him a message
hi LukeMac,
I am going to CM in May. I am booking my car+driver with http://www.journeycnx.com/
It has the best rate so far.
Also check www.northwheels.com
Luke,
I will be returning to Chiang Mai a third time in Oct. Mr. Thee, Taxi No. 75, owns his own new, clean, a/c vehicle, speaks adequate English and is the BEST guide in Chiang Mai, I%26#39;m sure. And his full-day rate is VERY reasonable. He will spoil you rotten, and there%26#39;s not a corner of the area he doesn%26#39;t know. He%26#39;s driven me many miles, patiently waiting while I tour, shop, etc. He really tries to meet your every need, and I believe he%26#39;d be a great family guide. He can provide excellent choices and is intimately familiar with history, museums, sightseeing (elephants, etc.), temples, restaurants, spas, every kind of store--you name it. His contact info is:
Mobile: 081 884 5649
Phone: 66 53 492572
email: thee40@hotmail.com
Barb in Texas
Hi Barb,
Have you got some good tips for me with regards to shopping, eating and sightseeing.
We will be in Chiang Mai for 5 nights in April.
Cheers,
Stewie.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for your advice,
I have arranged for Mr.Three to pick us up at the airport.
I will letyou know how it goes.
Luke
Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has any experience of booking and paying for the accommodation on the Similan Islands.
Me and my girlfriend are due to arrive in Khao Lak at the end of this month. I have tried to use the national park website to pre book a bungalow which it fine but it will only let me pay by cash as the credit card facility does not appear to be working. It then only gives you two days to do so before you lose your reservation.
Being that we do not arrive from the UK for 3 weeks I am unable to do this and am worried we will miss out as it may be fully booked by the time we arrive.
Can anyone please advise if they know of any way around this problem?
Many thanks
Dave
Even local tour operators have this problem. When we were there a few weeks ago, Khao Lak Land Discovery for instance, if you wanted to stay over booked you on their day trip, then booked a bungalow for the nights you wanted then you returned on their day trip after your last night.
I%26#39;ll PM you with the Email address of one of the staff there who may be able to advise you better.
Fantastic,
Thank you very much for your help
Dave
Wanted: Budget Hotel next to a BTS station
Thai lady from upcountry needs a room for a single person a single night near any BTS station.
If possible under 1000 baht/night
Try Samran place on Petchburi road,850baht a night on Sawadee.com,close to Ratchathewi bts station.
Hope this helps
Kevin
Ty.
Unfortunately they have raised the prices -%26gt; single room 1300 baht and double over 2000 baht.
Atleat these were the prices given by the hotel via telephone for tomorrow night.
Sorry Internet rates may be different to walk in rates,if you are able to book by internet try checking price on www.sawadee.com or one of the many other booking sites,maybe www.latestays.com
Cheers
Kevin
Try Om Yim Lodge, very nice, comfortable place, 800 - 1100 baht, right next to Chong Nonsi BTS station.
Consider the Evergreen Place 318 Phayathai Rd Rajchatawee Bangkok
http://www.evergreenapartment.com/
Right next to the Rajchatawee Bangkok BTS station and excellent rooms and service.
Read reviews here:
tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293916-d636812鈥?/a>
Too expensive DBXINC! OP wants 1000 baht. The Evergreen Apartments go for twice or three times that.
Grand Watergate
http://grandwatergatehotel.com/index.html
near ratchatewee bts
1000baht for superior room
Honey Hotel in Sukhumvit 19.
They have standard rooms around that price, and if you want cheaper, ask for the price of the rooms around the car park area.
It%26#39;s a good respectable hotel.
Bangkok Inn and the President Inn are not expensive and are close to the Nana Skytrain stop.
The Bangkok Inn and the President are on a side soi Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 not far from the Swiss Hotel.
The Bangkok Inn can be seen from the Sukhumvit Road (near the Business Inn Hotel) and the President Inn is further down closer to the Swiss Park Hotel.
http://www.bangkok-inn.com/e/Location.htm
http://www.bangkok-inn.com/e/index.htm
Here is an email address that may or may not still work for the President Inn. A couple years ago you could book a room with only an email request. This hotel does have a massage parlor in the front lobby but the rooms have the normal hot water, A/C, TV, private toilet/shower and even a safe in the room! Internet shop in the lobby too!
Email address: presidentinn@cv100.com
Suk 11 Hostel is not far from this place too on Sukhumvit Soi 11. http://www.suk11.com/index.htm
Good luck.
Chippy47 gave good recommendation. I have stayed at Samran place and it was fine. Right now Sawasdee.com has it listed for 850 for a single and 900 for double, standard rooms.
www.sawadee.com/hotel/bangkok/samranplace/
Good luck
Martian
Nanu-Nanu
Tesco Lotus have the following kind of stores:
Hypermarket
Express
Lotus Market
Value
What does all this mean?
All I want to find is kids/ladies clothes and shoes. I looked at 1 brochure on website and it said that items were only available at Hypermarket stores.
Rama 4 would be closest to where we%26#39;re staying (Baiyoke Sky Hotel)and it is a hypermarket and express. Can there be 2 types of stores in the one place.
Thanks for any replies
Express is like a 7-11; for clothes try the hypermarket ';Tesco Lotus Superstore';, but don%26#39;t expect to find Uk products, most stuff is locally made. Sometimrs Express stores are close to the hypermarket.
lulufluff
the big Tescos are the equivalent to Target or Big W but they also have a major focus on being a supermarket as well. the clothing they stock are geared mainly towards Thais and as such, in my opinion, the range and quality is less than seen in Big W or target. but have alook anyway.
directly opposite tescos on rama 4 is Carrefourres. a french supermarket/clothing equivalent to tescos.
check them both out.
bkk3
Big C rajadamri is the closest HYPERMARKET to Baiyoke Sky.
From MBK, turn left out of Tokyu store and there is a Tesco superstore just over five minutes walk away on the other side of the road, past the end of the Skytrain.
Another Tesco superstore next to the On Nut Skytrain station.
If you want clothing, try the Platinum Mall on Petchburi. From Baiyoke Sky hotel, walk past Baiyoke Suite hotel, through market, and Platinum Mall is across the road.
Note. In market, walk down one of turnings to left and hundreds of clothing stalls there.
I%26#39;m a big fan of the Tesco Superstore on Rama IV and Carrefour Superstore across the road, which are close to an apartment building I used to stay in. Definitely worth a visit. On the Skytrain go to Phrom Pong and take a taxi down soi 26. About 40 baht.
Or wait for the FREE minivans for either carrefour or Tesco Lotus outside 7/11 on soi 24 (cheapskate Gas...cheapskate!!!)%26gt;
Wish I%26#39;d known about those vans when I was living there...
Hi Lulufluff,
I never notice the Rama 4 branch has also the Express, but that branch is truly big. Can%26#39;t confirm it%26#39;s the closest, though. It seems very far from Baiyoke to me.
If it does not have to be Tesco, I believe so much that the area you stay will fulfill whatever you need in terms of clothings and stuff.
Any recommendations on cheap but nice bunlgows on the beach in Ko lanta? Do we have to pre-book for the second week of April or should we juts do it there?
I%26#39;d be interested in this information too but thinking of next January.
You shouldn%26#39;t have to book in April except for possibly Songkran, April 13 to 15, but even then you probably won%26#39;t have to worry. The ones you can pre-book tend to be higher-end. I stayed at some very basic bungalows at the next cove after Long Beach for 150 baht a night - Andaman Bay. Right next door is a guy called Bao who has a few bungalows at a somewhat higher standard for 400 baht a night - lovely people, and they run a nightly beach restaurant frequented by many staying at the next-door deluxe place, Relax Bay. Here%26#39;s a booking site for the more posh establishments, with much posher prices of course:
http://www.lantalanta.com/
January tends to be busier on Lanta. You can still get a place without booking for sure, but you may not get your choice of beach or a particular bungalow.
In any case, the guys on the ferry or in the vans heading toward Lanta will be after you to book with them if you don%26#39;t have a place pre-arranged. And a whole scrum of touts - usually members of the families running the bungalow outfits - meet the ferries to fill up their free beds. Transport - back of a pickup truck - is included.
Hi,
Ill be there in June and was also wondering about prebooking. I know I wont have a problem with availability as its off season but will it be difficult to find somewhere if I just leave it until arrival as will be coming off the car ferry and also dont want to be mobbed ???
Thanks!!
I presume you mean taking a van onto the car ferry? And not driving your own car? If you don%26#39;t have anything booked, the van driver will be quite insistent about booking you something, and will drive you there. You won%26#39;t be mobbed coming in on the van. And the passenger ferry ';mobbing'; isn%26#39;t so bad either. Bottom line: it%26#39;s easy to find somewhere to stay. June is off-season though. Could be very quiet with some places closed.
Yes will be getting a van there alright .
I know it will be very quiet but not sure where else to go that time of year. been to Phi-Phi , Samui and Koh Pha Ngan already so wanted to try somewhere different.
Some mid range options at the south end of Klong Dao beach, are Holiday Villa and Ancient Realm (AR has outside bathrooms). There are many fishing boats and a bit rocky beach by Holiday Villa, but just a few steps away, there are more sandy areas. Two very cheap places just north of them are Lanta Bee Garden and Ocean View (both have rooms and bungalows).
Lanta Villa, Southern Lanta Resort and DR Lanta are popular mid range bungalows at the center of the beach. A bit crowded area sometimes, but compared to e.g. Kata beach, Phuket, I will call it deserted... Btw, I noticed that there were some new built bungalows at Lanta Villa this high season. They look very nice from outside! Another popular, but more pricey hotel in the same area, is Royal Lanta.
For January I would certainly have pre-booked, but April and June should not be neccessary. Usually the hotels also have very good prices in low season, But if you know where you would like to stay, you can e-mail them beforehand, and even get a better prebooked deal. It is not much fun using the precious holiday time driving from hotel to hotel, negotiating with drivers and front desks...
Great beaches south of Klong Dao where the sea also is clearer, are Long Beach, Phra Ae, Relax Bay, Klong Nin and Kan Tiang. However, Klong Dao is shallow and safe for kids and not so strong swimmers, closer to many restaurants and Saladan town etc. Very convenient beach if you don`t drive.
Thats great thanks for your help!!
Has anyone been or stayed here, or know anything about this place?
Thanks Lee
is it on phuket? i can,t find any info on it--
Hi Lee,we are due to visit Koh Yao from the 9th sept till the 16th.We are staying at Paradise Koh Yao which is on the smaller Yai island,but are planning on exploring both islands.If we visit this resort,will be sure to post a reply on our return.
Sorry,Paradise resort on Koh Yao Noi..(too many beers)
Hi Guys,
Thanks for replys.
Andy, it%26#39;s on the larger of the two, (although less developed) Yao Islands, off the east coast of Phuket. I think they fall into the Phang Na Bay area.
Yao Noi has more accommodation, but I can%26#39;t seem to find any info on Yao Yai Resort other than their web site, (which of course, makes it sound beautiful).
We are looking for an alternative to staying at Phi Phi.
Tiffin, would you mind doing a post/review on Paradise resort upon your return?
Thanks again
Lee
Hi again Sunset...of course,no problem.
I am going to this place in Jan so will post a report. Only other infor I have found is at travelfish......
travelfish.org/accommodation_profile/鈥?/a>
Hi Bjornerud
Thanks very much for the info.
I haven%26#39;t found any other info myself, so I will be really keen on hearing how your stay was.
We are considering the beachfront bungalows if we stay there, it looks so relaxed and serene.
Lee
Hi Sunset
We are off to Thailand in June %26amp; perhaps staying there, have just spoken to travel agent friend who also suggested it %26amp; is looking into it for me. Will let you know info i receive.
Cheers
try this post for more info:
http://www.theparadise.biz/pool_beachbar.html
Hi Sunsets4us,
Yes, it is the bigger on the 2 Yao islands and to the south (Yai meaning big in Thai) and least developed.The Yai islands are between Phuket and Krabi in Phang Nga Bay.We cruise past it most days.
It is mostly a Muslim fishing island at the moment, I%26#39;m not sure if there are many beaches there but Geoff and I plan to explore it in the low season. So there won%26#39;t be many shops,restaurant and maybe not so many bars (being Muslim). But it will be quite.
I believe Island Hopper has a base there and stops for lunch there on their way back from Phi Phi - maybe someone who has been out with them could give you better feedback.
Jenny
Where is the best place to buy Thai silk? Bangkok or Chiang Mai? When I mean best, most choice and no risk of imitation polyester made. Which market or shops?
Georgie, I would suggest Chiang Mai where you%26#39;re a lot closer to the source. You know the trick with silk is to burn a small corner of it, the smell is very distinctive (not that you%26#39;d want to, but your seller might).
I note your interest in Chiang Mai, you might find something of interest here;
thailandguidebook.com/provinces/chiang_mai.h鈥?/a>
We intend to book a beach pool villa this summer at Le Méridien Khao Lak but are wondering if it is really worth the money ?
Bellifontaine,
The villas are superb but they are an awful lot of money unless you can get a good deal, particularly if you are going in the Wet (Green) Season.
Greg,
That link didn%26#39;t work. Is this it? thailandholidayhomes.co.uk/thailand-villas.h…
If so, I can%26#39;t see any villas in Khao Lak.
They appedar to be in Pattaya.
Bellifontaine,
My husband and I stayed in an ocean front villa 2 years ago. It was stunning and we enjoyed every minute. We rarely return anywhere, however as it is our 25th anniversary next week we decided to return to our most memborable place/Hotel in Thailand - le Meridien and go for a villa. We went for a pool villa this time and yes they are expensive but we got a very good deal, including flying with Emirates from our preferred airport by loads of haggling with online and local travel agents. I would say it is worth a bit extra money but not the standard rate advertised.
Whatever you choose have a great holiday. We are counting the hours now!!!
Hi,
We leave Bangkok on Sunday 13th (first day of Songkran) and our plane leaves from Suvarnabhumi at 8am so we really need to be at the airport by 6am. How long should i leave for transport in a taxi to the airport if we are staying at the Millennium Hilton (on the other side of Chao Phraya)? I was thinking an hour might be enough at this time of morning but i thought it might take longer since its a public holiday? any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
It won%26#39;t take an hour, so that will be plenty.
I concur with Fourb2. But it is wise to allow for an hour.
Martian
Nanu-Nanu
Sounds like the same flight we got last July. We were at the Shangri La and got a cab (not pre-ordered) from outside the hotel at 5.00 a.m. and the journey took less than 30 minutes, so even from the Millenium you should have plenty of time.
Thanks very much for the info :)
If you%26#39;re taking an international flight departing at 08:00, you should be at the airport at 05:00 (3 hours). It can take up to an hour to check in, and another hour to get through passport control these days. As for the taxi, 30 to 40 minutes at that time of the morning (04:30). Once you get across the bridge, it%26#39;s expressway all the way.
I concur with Bill
Airlines are asking international passengers to check in 3 hours before flight time.
It is a long hike to some of the gates and can take a really good walk.
Thanks for the time details. I assumed it was only the USA flights that you needed 3 hours for. Id hate to be late so 3 hours it is.
Is this the same for domestic? Or will 2 hours be enough when we fly Phuket to BKK?
Thanks!
Domestic state 2 hours.
Check in desks close 40 minutes before flight time and there is a no refund clause on most all LCC these days
And don%26#39;t forget read the small pring
Baggage = 15Kg on LCC
