Thread: Bangkok Hotels
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11-22-19 02:14 #7365
Posts: 45Thanks BTE. You're a prince! As an infrequent visitor to BKK I'm always trying to remember upon landing the best way into the city. Let me see, do I go downstairs for the train to Phaya Thai? Where do I get my SIM? Etc. You've made my life easy. Now I'll just have your report on my phone and I won't have to depend on my failing memory. Cheers, mate!
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11-20-19 18:44 #7364
Posts: 26From airport to hotel
So BTE has landed. Here is a first report on my trip, about getting from the Suvarnabhumi airport to your hotel. I've developed a rather efficient process IMHO. The times mentioned are mine for today, at about midday. Of course, time of day will highly impact anything here. Sorry it is rather detailed (just my style), but you can always skip the part when I'm going to the toilet.
Landing +0 minutes: waiting at the gate. After our plane arrived exactly on time and docked at the gate, we had to wait 25 minutes before the doors were opened. This is the first time I experience this in Bangkok (I think normally the airport is quite efficient), and it may well be the case that for you this problem does not come up. But anyway good to factor in the possibility that this may happen. Total time spent: 25 minutes.
Landing +25 minutes: walking to immigration. This time we were parked quite far from immigration, so we had to take a walk. I don't go to the toilet here, but I try to hurry a little bit more than the other passengers. That way, I get to the front of the line at immigration. Well at least for this airplane. Plus I like to stretch the legs a little after a long haul. Total time spent: 10 minutes.
Landing +35 minutes: immigration. At immigration foreigners need to go left, Thai can go right. Thai have almost no line at immigration, but the line for foreigners can be huge. And if you did not fill out the white / blue visa form correctly, then you may get sent back to do it again (and stand in line again). This time I had the disadvantage of a slow officer, so it took some time for me. Nowadays they are taking fingerprints and a photo, but typically they don't ask any questions. Total time spent: 15 minutes.
Landing +50 minutes: toilet and luggage. Directly after immigration, I go to a toilet first before waiting for my bag. One of the things for me to do there, is to take off any sweater or extra shirt, so that I'm dressed for Thai temperatures. Having too much clothes in Thailand can be very annoying (so I keep telling the girls as well). After toilet I go to the baggage belt and pick up my luggage. This time all luggage was already on the belt, as we had spent so much time waiting in the airplane. Normally, the wait is not long either. Indeed an efficient airport! Total time spent: 5 minutes.
Landing +55 minutes: customs, money and sim. After getting your luggage, it is straightforward to go through the green lane at customs ('nothing to declare' I've never had anyone checking my luggage, fingers crossed for the annoyance it would cause. After customs you get in the arrival hall, which can be overwhelming for first time visitors. At times it is very busy with many people selling limousine services, sim cards, etc. Just walk through and head straight for the lowest floor (I believe it is called floor be for basement). Following the directions for the airport hotel, you come across various booths for money exchange and sim cards. I always go here, for the better rates, instead of going for the first booths that you see in the arrival hall or even at the baggage belts. The rates are different, just compare for yourself. Here I always look around for the best exchange rate available, though often many rates are similar here in the basement. Some people claim that https://www.superrichthailand.com/#en has always the best rates, but I did not find proof of that.
After the money exchange, I get a sim. This time from AIS, but I actually don't care about the network if the trip is only short. I never had any problem with sim cards anyway. Pick your plan and give the phone + passport. They will put in the sim for you and change sim settings to English (otherwise you get text messages in Thai, with statements on the amount of value left on the sim). Make sure you get any sim back that was in your phone before. I made a mistake once (my fault entirely) and lost my own sim card from home. Not very handy!
Had a nice flirt with one of the ladies at the AIS booth, she was lovely. Smile and be kind in the LOS, and the people will return the favor tenfold! I did not ask for her number, with too many of her colleagues around and also other plans. But hey, I guess she has my number! LOL Total time spent: 10 minutes.
Landing +65 minutes: airport link. Also in the airport basement, close to the money and sim booths, there are the vending machines for the airport link. Max cost is 45 baht to the other end of the line (Phaya Thai), which I think is very cheap. You get a plastic coin from the vending machine, which is your ticket. Use it to pass the gates and go one level down for the train. At midday the train was not too crowded, could sit easily though some people were standing.
Why go with the airport link and not with a taxi? Because it is clean, airconditioned, faster, cheaper, and there's more to see LOL Disadvantage is obviously that you're not being brought to the doorstep of your hotel. I don't buy the argument that the airport link is very full at rush hour, after all at this exact same time taxis are very likely to be in a traffic jam. And then I would rather be in a cool train with a predictable schedule than in a hot taxi in a traffic jam that will never end.
Now I prefer to get off the train at the end station, Phaya Thai, but this may depend on the location of your hotel. At Phaya Thai you can switch trains to the BTS, which is easy enough also with luggage. The BTS is bringing you to stations like Siam, Nana, Asok, Phrom Phong, and further along Sukhumvit. The alternative to getting off at Phaya Thai, is an Airport Link station called Makkasan. Here you can change to the MRT, though the walking is more difficult between those lines. The MRT will bring you to Asok (close to Soi Cowboy and Terminal 21), but doesn't go to other top mongering places.
This time I'm staying close to Siam, so I got off at Phaya Thai and took the BTS. Total time spent: 30 minutes.
Landing +95 minutes: walk to the hotel. So from Siam BTS station I took quite a detour, my fault. So the walking took longer than necessary. When I make hotel reservations, I look closely at the location of the hotel compared to any BTS. If it is just easy to get around, then it saves a lot of hassle and tired feet. Even more so important if you plan to walk with your luggage, because the sidewalks in BKK are terrible. What I like about Siam is that there are several shopping malls connected to each other. So you can walk in airconditioning to your hotel, if you prefer. Total time spent: 15 minutes.
So all in all about 1 hour and 50 minutes from landing to hotel lobby. Not bad, I think, if you consider that there were some unnecessary delays as well. Minimum with these steps would be about 1 hour and 10 minutes if everything goes very very smooth.
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11-20-19 03:15 #7363
Posts: 26Hotel rates and availability
Time of year, local events and holidays can also have a huge impact on the availability of rooms, and their price. My last visit I tried to get into the JW Marriott, but something was going down, and the few available rooms were 6 x the usual price. I ended up at the Marriott Mayfair Executive Apartment, which was great. With my points they put me on the upper levels and gave me a 2 bed / 2 bath apartment, which was of no real use - 555. The Mayfair was great, but not particularly convenient, and taxi drivers had a tough time, and needed assistance finding it.
As long as you aren't too far off the beaten path, you'll be OK. But definitely shoot to be close to a BTS sky train.
Originally Posted by Syzygies [View Original Post]
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11-18-19 02:20 #7362
Posts: 12856Originally Posted by FishermanBert [View Original Post]
Even X-IT has a price range of 2000 Baht to 5000 Baht per night. We don't know if you considered a Jacuzzi to be essential. Most Hotels won't have it.
I would suggest a Hotel close to Sukumvit road, and not far from both BTS line (skytrain) and MRT (underground). Some possibles: On8, Dream Hotel, Silq, Grand Mercure Asoke Residence, Arize, Sakura Sky (if low budget), Lotus, S31, Mermaid, Dynasty Grand, Majestic Suites, Pullman Grand, Fx Asoke. Lots of others.
More Expensive: Column, Radison Blu, Sheraton, Marriott.
Choice depends on requirements and how much you want to spend. Book online a small number of nights, in case you want to move elsewhere, before long, or go to Pattaya.
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11-17-19 19:14 #7361
Posts: 17Originally Posted by Steve9696 [View Original Post]
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11-17-19 15:42 #7360
Posts: 3040Hey, if you want to be in the suburbs then give X-it Resort a try by all means. The location has its perks. It is sort of close to Fruity Spa Kapoo Club & Spa and Maiake G-Club, for example, plus there are a number of really good Thai restaurants up that way. You will definitely get a different view of BKK by staying there.
But I too prefer to stay closer in. It is more convenient. I might hit Nana 150 x over the number of times I visit Fruity or Maiake per trip or trips. But I have given up on staying on Soi 11 and lower down due to the changing demographics. Is that politically incorrect? Too bad, it's the truth. I don't like a vast majority of those people and they don't like me. But I still like the hotels from the Sofitel (Soi 13) upward. I even enjoy going as far up as the Marriott Soi 57 Exec Apartment Hotel. Thoglor / Ekkamai has a good mix of restaurants, bar bars and clubs plus it is only 2 stops away on the BTS from Cowboy. Unfortunately, Marriott has raised the price on this hotel and I refuse to go along with the $15/ night increase, cheap bastard that I am, so for the last 2 trips I have booked the Marriott Park Exec Apartment Hotel on Soi 24 instead. I like Soi 24. It is quiet, but not too quiet and fairly convenient if you don't mind motorcycle taxis plus you got all the oilies at your disposal plus the small bars on Soi 22 for late, late night shenanigans.
I also like to stay over in the Chit Lom area for a few nights early in a trip when I am into going to Patpong. It is very quiet around Chit Lom after midnight except for the 5-star hotel FL bars like Mixx, Spasso & the corner 24 hour McDonalds, ha ha, but it is only a 7 to 10 minute taxi ride from there to Patpong after the trains have stopped running so I like it, but again, only for a few nights per trip.
Other Locations:
Chao Phraya River is a great location for 1st time BKK'ers interested in cultural shit or if you are bringing your own girl to BKK and maybe you don't want her to see what is going on in the red-light district. Ha Ha. There are some outstanding hotels along the river and priced accordingly. There are also a couple of discos or clubs nearby so it is possible to pick up some FL girls if you want and of course Patpong is only 10 or 15 minutes away. It is, however, a very different trip if you stay over here.
Khao San Road is where backpackers and other frugal and cultural visitors like to stay. I have never been there at night, but I hear there are SW's out and about, duh, after all this is BKK. I would love to hear some reports on this, but I am not going to hold my breath waiting.
Ratchadaphisek Road: I only mention this area as an alternative to the X-it Resort location. The area of Ratchadaphisek that I am thinking of is close to Huai Khwang. When the Lord was still open for business, I seriously thought of staying here for a few nights at the Swissotel across the street. I mean how bad could it be? And it is location location for many of the Soapies. Mini has an apartment nearby in back of the Cultural Center so that would be another incentive, but since the Lord is no more, I doubt I will ever book the Swissotel. It is just easier and more convenient to stay on or near Sukhumvit and to take a taxi or the MRT to Maria Hotel and Spa when I get the urge or when I want to visit Mini at her apartment.
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11-17-19 14:52 #7359
Posts: 12856Originally Posted by BestTimeEver [View Original Post]
Drive in ST Hotels with curtains to hide the guests getting out of the car, often feature in Thai Soapy TV series mostly concerning very wealthy Thai men. Usually in the Soapy story, the girl gets a shock to find she is being driven to a ST Hotel. She had not yet decided she wanted to fuck the guy, most likely. This is regarding non-hooker girls being taken there. Perhaps she was hoping the guy was going to propose (or quit his wife if married) but then finds out that perhaps no, he just wants to fuck her only, so her path to his riches is not looking the best. Some soapies portray it like a rape or forced liaison with the ST Hotel not trying to stop it in the slightest. So even Thai kids watching soapy TV, will know all about ST Hotels, and what it means when the car parking area has curtains. LOL
Years ago I used to watch a lot of Thai soapies only to improve my Thai language skills for listening to normal Thai conversation, since they are pretty childish and boring for the most part. Some of the comedy ones can be better if we get a laugh. Others can be really quite nasty. I gave up Thai soapies long ago. Takes to much time. Scandinavian soapies are much higher quality.
Getting back to ST Hotels, the PB (Playboy) Hotel would be the most well known one in the Sukhumvit area. The Strand is one at Pat Pong. There are lots of little ones near the gogo bar areas. Ruamchit for the Thermae.
Beware that many ST Hotels that are very cheap can also have very poor standard rooms, possibly with very stinky plumbing (one experience of mine).
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11-17-19 14:38 #7358
Posts: 12856Originally Posted by Steve9696 [View Original Post]
Suitable location matters a lot and should be somewhere easy for taxis for when you need to go to the airport too. I generally stay beyond Soi 21 but not too far past. Others prefer close to Nana, but I really don't go to Nana bars much. Can't say there are any bars I really like at Nana a lot. So I am like closer to others things including the best MP areas, the BTS and the MRT, Villa Markt, my favourite Sports Pub, etc. At night I could get a taxi to Pat Pong in just 15 minutes. Coming in from Lat Prao though is pretty much a nightmare, perhaps tolerable on the MRT, if queues to get on are not long (could be in the peak).
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11-17-19 14:12 #7357
Posts: 2672Google Maps
Originally Posted by FishermanBert [View Original Post]
And of course u can pay a lot less if u just want somewhere moderate to do the deed. Point is — location first, hotel second.
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11-16-19 15:16 #7356
Posts: 17Originally Posted by BestTimeEver [View Original Post]
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11-10-19 18:24 #7355
Posts: 19Originally Posted by BestTimeEver [View Original Post]
I just did a ST at Ruamchit hotel above Thermae, it is legitly a nice hotel that is clean and modern for $800 baht which is for room and comes with condoms apparently.
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11-10-19 16:17 #7354
Posts: 178Worthy suggestions but
Originally Posted by DanCee [View Original Post]
Both your suggestions have merit, but I would suggest "a carvery of LBs" in view of the amount of spit-roasting going on.
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11-09-19 12:44 #7353
Posts: 26Here is an overview of ST hotels, posted by The Pimp. Did not check the locations, they may be closer to The Pimp than to the Nana / Cowboy area of Sukhumvit. But to me they do look good!
http://www.pimppost.com/best-love-hotel-in-bangkok/
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11-09-19 01:11 #7352
Posts: 28More
Originally Posted by DanCee [View Original Post]
A "Todger of Ladyboys".
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11-08-19 20:20 #7351
Posts: 28Collective noun
Originally Posted by GettingFedUp [View Original Post]
Avoid Building 2 and 3 for sure then. I stayed in Building 1 where accessing to the elevators you are more likely to encounter staff but not actually passing reception either so YMMV.
Perhaps a 'bitchiness of LBs' as a collective noun.