Drop Inn Club

Hi there,

We were planning to stay at the Drop Inn Club Resort for 9 nights during our Thailand Holiday. But I%26#39;ve been reading really, really mixed reviews online about the condition of the resort. It has a four star rating, but some reviews I have been reading mention things like the pool being brown, exposed cables, dirty rooms and unhelpful staff. Other reviews say it%26#39;s great.

I%26#39;m confused, has anyone actually been there recently who can clear this up for me? Or should I just ring my travel agent and try to rebook at Sunset Cove, which seems to have all good reviews?

It will be our honeymoon and the idea of having to stay at some pre-paid nightmare hotel makes me really freaked out!

Thanks for your advice!

Drop Inn Club

His,

This resort is not on the beach. The concentration of rooms is important and also, there are the works at side.

For your honeymoon, make a reservation to the Panviman resort. This is the best on this island. You can Trust me !

Moreover, It will come to take you on Koh Samui, with their own speedboat, on request.

Drop Inn Club

Dont go there..awfull overpriced horrid place !!! get to Had Drin go up the hill to your right when you arrive, great new place called Sea breeze. modern all the stuff BUT with cool people and clean rooms and everything that Drop Inn does not have!

Also before you go to Had Drin make sure you want Had Drin for your honeymoon, it is a party place but with loads of young full on kids on bikes, much nicer place son teh island...........Panivan is cool but no real vibe.up market sort of place. The Sanctuary at Had Tien is cool and they have unusual houses that are really romantic.......I have stayed there twice and loved the ';different'; style of houses/bungalows they offer..but you have to like quirky!

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Salathai and Kata Palm

Hi ..Phuket on a budget this time.

Have narrowed the choice down to Kata Palm Hotel...I liked the look of Kata as we drove around last November.

The Salathai Patong ..this little place looks lovely has anyone on this forum stayed there as I have emailed reviewers and no response.

My question about the Salathai is it suitable for 2 ladies.We like to be close to everthing and whats the beach like at the northern end as that is also important.

Thx so much Janice

Salathai and Kata Palm

Hi Janice

Are you staying at both? I can only recommend Kata Palm as we spent 5 nights there last year (pool access room), which was great. It%26#39;s in quite a good position, walking distance to both ends of Kata beach (although closer to southern end). Many shops and restaurants very close by once you exit the hotel. Lee

Honeymoon Help- 5/28-6/10- Hilton Arcadia

Hi fellow travelers,

what are your thoughts about the Hilton? we are planning our honeymoon and noticed this hotel as being the best option.

thanks,

Dave

Honeymoon Help- 5/28-6/10- Hilton Arcadia

Great reviews. We were going to stay here but opted for Alpina as it is smaller and we were%26#39;t fussed about beach access.

Honeymoon Help- 5/28-6/10- Hilton Arcadia

I will be there April 2nd...can hardly wait. You can PM me after the 17th and I%26#39;ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

thank you all. I didnt see any deals on expedia for Alpina.

I will PM you after the 4/17.

Honeymoon

HELP!!

Honeymoon in first week/10 dyas in June 2009, I%26#39;ve narrowed the destination to Koh Samui (I think), Where is the best spot? I%26#39;m after full on luxury, beautiful beaches, seclusion and privacy when we want it, bustling food stalls and bars when the mood takes us, money isn%26#39;t really a problem. Where can I assure my beautiful bride to be gets an incredible unforgettable experience? Any advice gratefully received! Also any other places worthwhile?

Honeymoon

If it is Samui you want....Chaweng beach is the hot spot. Here%26#39;s website full of places to stay:

http://samui.sawadee.com/

Personally, I think there are many more better places in Thailand to honeymoon if you want beautiful scenery, quiet and privacy.

Honeymoon

Thanks,

Any ideas where else would be good? I%26#39;ve been told its the start of the monsoon season so the east side of Thailand is the best place to be as its in qa different weather system?

What is the best way to go to Safari World?

6 of us plan to go to Safari World, is there a bus or we should split in 2 taxis? and how much is the ticket?

Thanks.

What is the best way to go to Safari World?

As you don%26#39;t say where you are stayig, its difficult to tewll you if any bus would be suitable. Public buses are a bit of a problem if you are not familiar with them and the city - bus crews don%26#39;t speak English.

Two taxis would get you there, and you can get detsils on their website at:

http://safariworld.com/

What is the best way to go to Safari World?

Its really not that far from anywhere in BKK - we hired a minivan taxi for the 10 of us. Cheap and comfortable. You can get these outside any large hotel.

We%26#39;re going in April to Safari World and I%26#39;ve booked through this website:

www.sightseeingbangkok.com

Cost for adult $900baht

Cost for child $785baht

This includes van which seats up to 7 people.

Has an english speaking guide.

Includes pickup from hotel and drop off at end of day.

Includes lunch.

What I liked about it is that it%26#39;s booked from home and I don%26#39;t pay them until they pick us up from hotel lobby.

Booking this through the hotel was going to be double the price. Plus with young toddlers I need to be organised, which is why I%26#39;ve booked tours before I leave home.

Their email address is sales@asiansmile.co.th

They normally reply to emails within 24-48 hours.

acne

Shopping-Export Stuffs

Hi all,

I accidentally found a really cool shop at the ';big C'; opposite to Zen Central. This shop sells ';export'; brands, such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Levi etc. The merchandise is all very nice and the price is very nice too. Just my kind of thing.

Therefore, I am wondering where else I can find such similar shop(s) in BKK. Many thanks in advance.

Shopping-Export Stuffs

If you mean brand-name stuff that is ';made in Thailand for export'; or perhaps ';fell off the back of a truck'; ;-), look in MBK, 3rd floor at the far end if you come in from the BTS station entrance. There%26#39;s an area with all kinds of silly tourist t-shirts and souvenirs, and behind that an area of numbered aisles and sois called ';Image.'; It looks like a typical big covered market place or a trade fare, with individual stands.

Shopping-Export Stuffs

A lot of real brand name products are manufactured in Thailand (not everything is a fake), so some well know names can be much cheaper here. A classic example is Pierre Cardin, even in department stores its cheaper than in Europe.

it fell off the back of an indonesian sweatshop. most fake clothing here is from indonesia nad china.

bkk3

If you%26#39;re exporting for %26#39;own use%26#39; you%26#39;ll probably be OK. But if you%26#39;re exporting more than one of each item, you may well be srutinized by customs %26amp; excise in your own country.

These are not genuine products and as such, should you be seen to be exporting to sell for profit you could find yourself in trouble.

Hi;

The USA customs are allowed 1,000 usd. tourist import merchandises without tax. But, they are usually don%26#39;t check the stuff closely such as clothes and gifts . So, the Thailand shopping stuff , I can bring even above 1,000 usd . worth and that is not that much since the Usd. starts to slide.

My only concern is the airline luggages weight .

Platinum Mall, Pratunam Center and the whole Pratunam Market is full of ';fake'; brand name clothes - you can shop till u drop there !

Hi;

I ONLY like to shop at the MBK mall. The reasons are many , mainly easy to access via BTS stadium station, many eating places on the 4th. floor . And the merchandises are at the On Sales prices comparing with USA. malls . Also, You don%26#39;t have to pay the sales tax @ 8% on the average in California .

There you have it , Win Win deals in MBK. Bangkok is the Mecca for shoppers in the SE.Asia

Have you been to Platinum/Pratunam Malls? They will do you prices at wholesale if you buy in numbers. MBK is quite pricey in comparison

Hi;

The MBK has more quality merchandises and also you can shop electronic items . I don%26#39;t mind to pay extra for shopping at this MBK. as I already save 50% when compare to USA. The shop owners must make some money to pay the rent at this MBK mall. I go there everyday for eating when travel to Bangkok .

Thanks all for the responses. I am not looking to buy ';export'; stuffs for profit. It is for my own use.

I have been to Pratunam but did not see much. I have no idea where platinum mall is.

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Making a reservation at Nong Nooch.

Hi, I%26#39;d like to make a reservation to stay at Nong Nooch. Their website has the various room rates listed, but does not have a way to make a reservation.

Is it possible to make a reservation directly with Nong Nooch without having to use an outside tour agency?

Thanks,

Elvis Cruz

Making a reservation at Nong Nooch.

Use the email address in the Contact Us section.

Or call the Bangkok or Pattaya Office .

Making a reservation at Nong Nooch.

Thanks for the reply.

We tried emailing them several times, with no response.

Guess we%26#39;ll have to call.

How is their English?

I have telephoned the Bangkok Office on your behalf, and English is not too good.

If you want to call say ';Can i speak English?%26#39;%26#39; and they will get the main English speaker for you. Explaining what you want may be time consuming and costly (for your telephne bill).

They did give me another email address that you can try. Alternatively you can PM me and i will assist with your booking myself. They like to confirm via fax but did not seem keen to confirm to overseas numbers (offices often do not have isd phone capabilities).

nongnooch_bkk.rsn@hotmail.com

I think they usually take group tour bookings, and are not so familiar with people doing their own! Good Luck!

Coming from Florida perhaps nice beach accomodation is not a priority for you, but right opposite Nong Nooch is a lovely resort on the water front. Sea Sand Club, I think is the name they go by now.

Caters mainly for Europeans, so english is good,and visits to Nong Nooch are as easy as crossing the road!

Actually the driveway of both Nong Nooch and Sea Sand are very long, so you would need transport because of the heat, but it would take literally 5 minutes in a car.

Just curious, why do you want to stay at Nong Nooch? I ask this because it is rather remote from where most of the tourists go to.

Map of Nong Nooch area:

nongnoochtropicalgarden.com/en/aboutUs03_map…

Perhaps (just a suggestion) a hotel closer to the beach area would be more convenient for WALKING to local shops, stores and malls, etc.

Tours to Nong Nooch from Pattaya City are pretty common and leave every day. www.thailandhighlight.com/index.php…

If your were staying at Nong Nooch you would be relying on ';slightly more expensive'; transportation than what you would find in Jomtien or around Pattaya Beach/Pattaya 2nd Road. (Transportation in the Pattaya area by baht bus is only 10 baht for tourists.)

Map of Pattaya area:

guidetothailand.com/pattaya-thailand/map-pat…

guidetothailand.com/pattaya-thailand/map-pat…

Most of the Pattaya and Jomtien nightlife is close to the beach. If your intention is to avoid that area then staying at the Nong Nooch is a good idea!

Good luck.

I forgot to mention that most any travel agent in Jomtien or Pattaya can set you up with a Nong Nooch tour (other tours too!) You stop in a travel agent, choose a tour and the tour company picks you up at your hotel, brings you to the tour destination and brings you back to your hotel at the conclusion - very easy!

Cheaper to buy your tour after you get to the Pattaya/Jomtien area. First, get settled in to your hotel. Later at your convenience find the nearest travel agent or two (lots of them, especially along Beach Road) and check out their list of tours. Real easy!

Good luck.