Pattaya Hotels

[Christian G]

This thread could be used to warn about building sites. There's a big noisy one on Beach Road next to soi 2 (see map). Be careful when booking near here.

I agree, building constructions can be a big problem if there are near your hotel / Condo.

[XXL]

This thread could be used to warn about building sites. There's a big noisy one on Beach Road next to soi 2 (see map). Be careful when booking near here.

My two cents about Booking.com. Their prices for Thailand are typically 10 to 20% above Agoda's, at least for non refundable bookings. This is crazy considering that Booking and Agoda belong to the same company. Of course with Agoda you rarely get the option of paying at the property. In assessing Agoda prices account should be taken of Agoda bonuses ("Agoda Cash"). I wanted to get rid of cash this month in Thailand. The best hotels could quote me sometimes for cash payment was the Booking.com rate, but it was always above what I get on Agoda. Of course the question is whether I don't later get cheated on things like exchange rates. My credit card is one with no surcharge for oversea usage.

Regarding booking day by day, not sure this can be done in December/January. Certainly not on popular islands.

[Paolo99]

I agree, Booking dot com is bad for this. You never know what you will end up paying, firstly your countries exchange rate may get worse (esp UK at the moment) then the hotel takes the money through their bank to your bank, both taking commissions and your bank applying a b. S exchange rate. One hotel I booked ended up being 20% or so more expensive in when I delved into my bank statement.

I always pay directly the hotel in cash when I use booking dot com and have always been asked to pay the exact same price than on my reservation.

I book only on day by day when in countrys such Thailand so there is no fluctuation in prices.

I almost never pay directly on the site (and never use my country's card for payment in Thailand) as I'm charged a lot of commissions by my bank.

In Thailand cash is the King.

[Rob Jones]

Well you guys are down under Curveballs go the other way and so does the swirl down the porcelin throne.

But If folks are going to pontificate endlessly, they should be right at least.

Its like the "bar girls are going to knock you out and steal your moneys and Rolex and kidney and passport". With the million of folks who come here, what are the chances of that? How often does that happen? Ill tell ya what does happen, some nerd without any street smarts gets totally blottoed and then into trouble.

Here is a pontification for you, tell me if its right: Most folks who are crime victims in Thailand are drinking, drunk, totally smashed, or don't know how to avoid ladyboys. If you don't know how to act in a sewer of degenerates (including huge numbers of your countrymen) then no safe is going to protect you.

Now excuse me, I have to go, I went out last night and got blackout drunk, and now I have stitches down my flank and they hurt. Got to call that girl I met last night, that said she was a surgical nurse at Bumingout Hospital.

Good luck at the ER.

[RandoGuy]

No, things in the US are about the same as the rest of the world. I travel quite a bit across different states for work (and use a lot of ATMs), and right now about 80% + of the ATMs in the US make you take your card first before you get your cash. A decade ago that was not the case, and some of the older ATMs are still around for sure, but the banks have been pushing out the newer ATMs. Making you take the card first removes a headache for the banks when you forget your card; it's in their best interest to swap out those ATMs. I think Nyez is just being obstinate.

I have not been in USA for a few years. I walked away and forgot card only in Thailand, and probably at least 3 times over the years. Does not happen in Europe. Yes the loud beeping tells you to take the card before it will give the cash. Thailand machine can divert to questions about printing a receipt and even advertising something before returning the card. This is a total bullshit thing to be doing!

Also I never make up things. All my stories really happened. There are plenty of opinions to post without stooping to fake news or making up bullshit things that just did not happen. It should be noted that some guys like me lack the imagination to invent a good story. However if guys want to be sceptical about stories on here from smart asses, that is also wise. I don't think anyone will find me deliberately posting false info. Its pointless to play such games. Anyone can suffer a slightly distorted perspective of course.

I believe only half of what I see, and very little of what I read do I believe 100%. Just healthy scepticism, but we also allow for things to be possibly right or close to the mark.

[Syzygies]

The only place I have walked away from an ATM and forgotten to take my card was in Thailand. I am sure it was because I had gotten what I really needed, the cash, and was used to getting my card back first in the USA. That was almost 7 years ago. Maybe it is different for some USA ATMs now.

I have not been in USA for a few years. I walked away and forgot card only in Thailand, and probably at least 3 times over the years. Does not happen in Europe. Yes the loud beeping tells you to take the card before it will give the cash. Thailand machine can divert to questions about printing a receipt and even advertising something before returning the card. This is a total bullshit thing to be doing!

Also I never make up things. All my stories really happened. There are plenty of opinions to post without stooping to fake news or making up bullshit things that just did not happen. It should be noted that some guys like me lack the imagination to invent a good story. However if guys want to be sceptical about stories on here from smart asses, that is also wise. I don't think anyone will find me deliberately posting false info. Its pointless to play such games. Anyone can suffer a slightly distorted perspective of course.

I believe only half of what I see, and very little of what I read do I believe 100%. Just healthy scepticism, but we also allow for things to be possibly right or close to the mark.

[EihTooms]

Why do you make stuff up? Many ATMs all over the world give you your card last, especially in the USA. The ATMs in Thailand will remind you to take your card besides.
...

The only place I have walked away from an ATM and forgotten to take my card was in Thailand. I am sure it was because I had gotten what I really needed, the cash, and was used to getting my card back first in the USA. That was almost 7 years ago. Maybe it is different for some USA ATMs now.

The light blinking and bell sound or whatever it was to let me know the card had been returned went unnoticed because I happened to be using the ATM at the entrance to Nana Plaza and there were already so many lights and so much noise in the area it just didn't stand out. Plus there is the problem that the ATMs in Thailand only push out the very edge of the card. If my thumb and forefinger were any thicker, I'd have to carry a pair of tweezers in my pocket just to pull the card out.

[XXL]

Why do you make stuff up? Many ATMs all over the world give you your card last, especially in the USA......

Nope, in many places in Europe, notably Germany, you don't get any cash until you've retrieved your card. A damned good thing that is too if I may say so.

[Nyezhov]

Here in Australia you get your card before your cash with a very loud beeping noise until you remove it.

Well you guys are down under Curveballs go the other way and so does the swirl down the porcelin throne.

But If folks are going to pontificate endlessly, they should be right at least.

Its like the "bar girls are going to knock you out and steal your moneys and Rolex and kidney and passport". With the million of folks who come here, what are the chances of that? How often does that happen? Ill tell ya what does happen, some nerd without any street smarts gets totally blottoed and then into trouble.

Here is a pontification for you, tell me if its right: Most folks who are crime victims in Thailand are drinking, drunk, totally smashed, or don't know how to avoid ladyboys. If you don't know how to act in a sewer of degenerates (including huge numbers of your countrymen) then no safe is going to protect you.

Now excuse me, I have to go, I went out last night and got blackout drunk, and now I have stitches down my flank and they hurt. Got to call that girl I met last night, that said she was a surgical nurse at Bumingout Hospital.

[Steve99]

I try to avoid pay at hotel when booking online.

I agree, Booking dot com is bad for this. You never know what you will end up paying, firstly your countries exchange rate may get worse (esp UK at the moment) then the hotel takes the money through their bank to your bank, both taking commissions and your bank applying a b. S exchange rate. One hotel I booked ended up being 20% or so more expensive in ££ when I delved into my bank statement. I sometimes take a lot of cash, exchange it in Pattaya for a superior exchange rate and use it to pay hotel if not for too long.

[Rob Jones]

Why do you make stuff up? Many ATMs all over the world give you your card last, especially in the USA. The ATMs in Thailand will remind you to take your card besides.

I'm not even going to comment on the rest of the "horror stories" about girls stealing, etc. And how do you get a laptop in a safe anyway? If your condo doesn't have a safe, so what?

The best bet for occasional visitors is the Transferwise debit card, which saves you some money on ATM transfers. Leave the Rollie home, the girls don't care if its real. I'm surely not going to wear a Rolex President in Pattaya regardless.

Planting of drugs. Right.

Here in Australia you get your card before your cash with a very loud beeping noise until you remove it.

[Steve99]

Why do you make stuff up? Many ATMs all over the world give you your card last, especially in the USA. The ATMs in Thailand will remind you to take your card besides.

I'm not even going to comment on the rest of the "horror stories" about girls stealing, etc. And how do you get a laptop in a safe anyway? If your condo doesn't have a safe, so what?

The best bet for occasional visitors is the Transferwise debit card, which saves you some money on ATM transfers. Leave the Rollie home, the girls don't care if its real. I'm surely not going to wear a Rolex President in Pattaya regardless.

Planting of drugs. Right.

I lost a card of mine in BKK airport just after arriving. UK and Australia, my two countries give you your card back first. After 24 hours of no sleep and the misery of a long wait at immigration the mind is on auto pilot. I got my money and walked just like every other time for 25+ years of using an ATM, only difference was, for the first time the money came first and the card I forgot (this was my first exposure to money first, card second machines). Just as well I had another. As for the other stuff, I now take a tablet or phone instead of laptop and mostly take a lot of cash for the far superior exchange rate in Thailand. Mind you, I'm only usually there for only 5 or so days at a time, the wife would disapove if she caught on. Hide most in the safe and some under the lining in a suit case full of clothes in the wardrobe and locked.

[Nyezhov]

Big risk in Thailand is to forget your card at an ATM, because can be a long delay before the card gets returned to you, long after the cash, where every other country gives you the cash last (harder to forget anything).

Why do you make stuff up? Many ATMs all over the world give you your card last, especially in the USA. The ATMs in Thailand will remind you to take your card besides.

I'm not even going to comment on the rest of the "horror stories" about girls stealing, etc. And how do you get a laptop in a safe anyway? If your condo doesn't have a safe, so what?

The best bet for occasional visitors is the Transferwise debit card, which saves you some money on ATM transfers. Leave the Rollie home, the girls don't care if its real. I'm surely not going to wear a Rolex President in Pattaya regardless.

Planting of drugs. Right.

[Syzygies]

I guess you have a Thai bank account? Most of us don't, so we either bring a lot of cash or withdraw big amounts from the ATMs.
And apart from that we use the safe for laptop, credit card, passport, cell phone and other valuable stuff.

I never carry really huge cash, but withdrawing 20 K would not be too unusual.

Once lost a wallet in Thailand (my own fault when getting out of a taxi managed to drop it) but got the credit cards back, lost whatever cash was in the wallet. That was quite lucky.

I still maintain Hotel rooms are very safe in general except for cash, and vastly more safe than carrying things around with you on the street. I therefore do not like to carry passport around too much. I have not been bag snatched by motorcycle thieves but could happen one day.

Big risk in Thailand is to forget your card at an ATM, because can be a long delay before the card gets returned to you, long after the cash, where every other country gives you the cash last (harder to forget anything).

[Mogwai]

Do guys travel with a lot of valuables or a lot of cash? Puzzles me, since when my Hotel has a safe in the room, I almost never bother to use it.

I guess you have a Thai bank account? Most of us don't, so we either bring a lot of cash or withdraw big amounts from the ATMs.
And apart from that we use the safe for laptop, credit card, passport, cell phone and other valuable stuff.