General Reports

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300379]These are some things I learned:
...

Food is expensive. I checked a pizza place yesterday, and a large pepperoni pizza costs 750 baht (almost $25), and a single slice was 150 baht. I usually don't eat red meat, but I checked hamburger prices. The cheapest I have found at a sit-down restaurant is 310 baht, just for a hamburger, no sides.

...[/QUOTE]Sounds like the pizza you're talking about is at Soho Pizza near the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11 before you round the corner to Insanity. It is delicious pizza, BTW. One of the best pepperoni pizzas I've had in Bangkok. That is where a slice is 150 baht and a whole pizza is 750 baht. But it is a HUGE pizza, almost twice the size of a whole pizza costing 300-350 baht elsewhere. The slices are fairly large, too. Two slices at 300 baht are probably about the size of a larger type individual pizza or medium size pizza you might pay 250 baht for elsewhere. But I'm betting these slices taste better.

The 310 baht hamburger with no sides also sounds like one of those mile high stacked burgers you get at, oh, maybe Firehouse, right across Soi 11 from Insanity. Personally, I'm not a fan of those burgers but they've got quite a following.

IMO, one of the best cheeseburgers you can get in the area is, believe it or not, right in Nana Plaza, at any one of the Stumble Inn group of bars; Stumble Inn, Big Hog Bar, Lucky Luke's, Nana Beer Garden, a couple of other places. Not to be confused with the burger at the Hillary bars, which, imo, is not as good. Anyway, if anyone reading this has not had one of those Stumble Inn/Big Hog Bar cheeseburgers in over a year or so and your memory of them is they weren't very good, you're right. They weren't very good up until about a year or so ago. They have improved greatly since then. Check them out. It is a large burger, good quality meat, very tasty, noticeably good cheddar cheese, soft fresh baked bun, includes a handful of pretty good french fries and misidentified "cole slaw" (it is actually just shredded lettuce, maybe a trace of cabbage in there somewhere, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on the top. I don't bother eating it). 220 baht. Worth it.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]With Google Maps, you would know the Smart Suites are very close to Makkasan, and you should show address to taxi driver. Hopefully can find one can read enough English. I agree some taxi drivers do not know how to read a map. So if he does not know your hotel could be a problem. More likely he decided to rip you off. He did not want to take someone so close for maybe 50 Baht.[/QUOTE]I had a printed copy of a Google map showing the train station and the Smart Suites hotel. He couldn't read a printed copy which is a much larger map. You think he could read a very small map on a cell phone! When there were hardly any taxis available, I didn't have the option of pick and choose.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]Food is not expensive in Thailand. Many things will be 5 times cheaper than a western country, but that applies to Thai Food. However no one would pay $25 for a Pizza, here normally.[/QUOTE]As the title of my post says, those were observations I made. I saw people paying 750 baht for a pizza. There are eight slices in a pizza, and if someone buys only a slice, it cost 150.

I have been in or looked at the menu of most of the restaurants on Soi 11 north of the BTS train and on two floors of restaurants in the Terminal 21 building. I know what I am talking about. As with most places, if you go outside the tourist areas, things are probably cheaper.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]So you are choosing overly posh places to eat it seems, then complaining about the price. Try some Sports pubs, ...[/QUOTE]The restaurants on Soi 11 are not posh by my standards. Maybe they are by Thai standards. They are nice, clean restaurants, but not posh. Mullis Sports bar is the place I had the scrambled eggs and hash browns and water for 195 baht. I also ate at the Australian Pub and Restaurant. Six chicken wings were 215 and a beer was 140. That was not a bad price for the wings because they included both sections of the wings. Almost $5 for a bottle of beer is comparable to prices in the tourist areas of the United States.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300530]Sounds like the pizza you're talking about is at Soho Pizza near the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11 before you round the corner to Insanity. It is delicious pizza, BTW. One of the best pepperoni pizzas I've had in Bangkok. That is where a slice is 150 baht and a whole pizza is 750 baht. But it is a HUGE pizza, almost twice the size of a whole pizza costing 300-350 baht elsewhere. The slices are fairly large, too. Two slices at 300 baht are probably about the size of a larger type individual pizza or medium size pizza you might pay 250 baht for elsewhere. But I'm betting these slices taste better.[/QUOTE]You are correct about the place. I was going to try one of the pepperoni slices last night, but they didn't have any and said it would be 15 minutes before any was ready. For comparison, I think their large is about the size of an extra large Domino's. It appears Soho does use real pepperoni, not salami like some other places.

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300540]
I have been in or looked at the menu of most of the restaurants on Soi 11 north of the BTS train and on two floors of restaurants in the Terminal 21 building. I know what I am talking about. As with most places, if you go outside the tourist areas, things are probably cheaper.[/QUOTE]The restaurants in Terminal 21 are relatively expensive, as this is a high end shopping mall. However there's a cheap food court at the 5th floor. Prices starting from around 35 or 40 baht for a small meal. The quality is mediocre at best though.

Took Lae Dee in the Foodland supermarket in Soi 5 has cheap and reasonably good food. It's about 200 meters into the soi on your left hand side.
Look for 'Took Lae Dee, Sukhumvit 5 Alley' in Google Maps.

There are also some good options at the beginning of Soi 8, like Monsoon for example. Still relatively expensive but you can have a good meal and a beer for about 500 Baht. Including pizza ;-)

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300379]
The BTS train is an above ground train that runs east and west through Bangkok. A single ticket costs 27 baht, and an all-day pass costs 140 baht.[/QUOTE]Actually the price of a single ticket depends on the distance you travel and can be higher or lower than 27 Baht. From Asok to Nana for example is only 16 Baht.

Does anyone have some advice or general guidelines on "renting" a girlfriend for a few weeks? I see lots of information coming from some guys that seems a bit lowball, and of course lots from the ladies that seems a bit upper limit. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be fair. Even a little generous, but I always get the feeling if I quote a price, it's always much higher than what they usually accept. I know it's a complicated question and depends on a lot of factors, but I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or details they'd like to share.

Thanks a lot.

Food in the Suk area that is not stupidly tourist priced is hard to find, and Soi 11 is some of the worst. I don't eat down there often but here IMHO.

Burgers: The last burger I had down there was Taigers place and they sucked. Bullys is OK, just OK. Same with Kiwi. Kiwi has a nice Steak Sarnie that's almost US style.

Pizza: all overpriced yuk except for Vesuvio. The one under the BTS at Asoke is OK, but I never go there at night because of possible BIB action and I don't want to be pissing in a cup, Ja Irie.

Mexican. Margarita Storm. Superb.

Bamboo. Fabulous Rooskie food. Try the Plov when available and the Uzbek bread.

If I was staying down there, which I never would, but if I did I would, BTS out of there to Bang Rak or Silom or Ari or even Thong Lor.

Everything else is hit and miss down there. I find the Malls to be overpriced and farangy. ID rather eat at that place on Suk under the metal roofs past Soi 3. The street food in general in that area is not the best, although its hard to screw up noodle soup.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2300728]Took Lae Dee in the Foodland supermarket in Soi 5 has cheap and reasonably good food. It's about 200 meters into the soi on your left hand side.[/QUOTE]This is a good suggestion for a quick and frugal meal. No ++ pricing. Tell them you want water (found in pitchers on the counter) it is unlimited and free. Luxuriate in the air conditioning and people watch. Tip the coins you get back in change and Bob's your Uncle!

My suggestions would be:

1) Many schwarma stands around soi Arab serve up tasty chicken wraps for 60 baht. The best I found was on soi 3 adjacent to the Grace Hotel driveway.

2) Download the eatigo app and save up to 50% at participating restaurants. The "restaurants near me" search will list the available options in order, beginning with the closest to your current location.

3) For an introduction to the wonderous world of Thai street food (LOL) walk down soi 4 a ways, there will be options on both sides of the street.

SL.

I had a place for a month on Soi 11 in the Prime 11. Generally I agree, food prices and quality are shit but there are a few standouts.

Between Soho and Thaiger is a street vendor who makes the best Pad Thai I've eaten from a street cart. All the elements are well balanced and he really loads it up with the extras (chicken, egg, veggies) for 100 baht, you will be both full and happy. They are generally on the right hand side but sometimes, not often the left. It's the only pad thai cart I've seen down there.

In front of the parking lot for the japanese restos (shit all of them) is a lady selling fried chicken legs for 20 baht. They are pretty good, she spices up her batter and doesn't over cook the bird.

There is an Indian place down the alley across from el Goucho (which is not, I repeat NOT an Argentine parrilla and should be avoided at all costs) called Little Spicy that's pretty fucking good. It's a husband and wife operation, she speaks english, they are actually bangladeshi not Indian and if you ask her for suggestions just take them. Not cheap but not terrible. You're going to spend between 4-600 baht but you will be full and should be happy. In that same alley is a street vendor that makes a fiery fucking chicken red curry dish that's the shit.

Heading down the street towards Suk past the Au Bon Pain but not quite to the tourist trap on your right is a thai guy selling meatcicles (chicken, pork, and beef) they go for 40 a piece and are good.

Cross Suk to soi 8 on your left is a street cart that has a lot of tables with great soup and if you turn down the alley it kinda blocks (that doesn't show on maps) there is a place on your left that is good, not great but consistently good and very inexpensive. If the young (or old, I can never decide) girl tells you it's spicy it means you really shouldn't eat it unless you come from a tradition of REALLY spicy food. They have a spicy fish dish that I got against her advice and I had to run around the corner to 7-11 and buy some milk.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300530]IMO, one of the best cheeseburgers you can get in the area is, believe it or not, right in Nana Plaza, at any one of the Stumble Inn group of bars; Stumble Inn, Big Hog Bar, Lucky Luke's, Nana Beer Garden, a couple of other places. Not to be confused with the burger at the Hillary bars, which, imo, is not as good. Anyway, if anyone reading this has not had one of those Stumble Inn/Big Hog Bar cheeseburgers in over a year or so and your memory of them is they weren't very good, you're right. They weren't very good up until about a year or so ago. They have improved greatly since then. Check them out. It is a large burger, good quality meat, very tasty, noticeably good cheddar cheese, soft fresh baked bun, includes a handful of pretty good french fries and misidentified "cole slaw" (it is actually just shredded lettuce, maybe a trace of cabbage in there somewhere, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on the top. I don't bother eating it). 220 baht. Worth it.[/QUOTE]Will have to give Stumble Inn another try then. Oddly enough, favorite place to sit and people watch. Stickman gave a review of Bus Stop down the soi for about the same price for a decent burger, fries, and beer.

[QUOTE=IMembr;2300898]Will have to give Stumble Inn another try then. Oddly enough, favorite place to sit and people watch. Stickman gave a review of Bus Stop down the soi for about the same price for a decent burger, fries, and beer.[/QUOTE]If you eat at the Stumble Inn group of bars often enough it might be worth purchasing one of their BKKFUNCARD memberships. One time only 200 baht charge. You give them your membership card when you hand them your check bin cup to settle up and they take 10% off your food bill. You will be asked to sign the discounted receipt later. There are times and certain drinks when you get the same discount off the drink portion of your bill, too. But I usually just get sodas, which don't qualify for the discount, so I am not sure about the particulars on that.

Be prepared for the server to warn you that there will be an additional 6-8% charge when you hand her the card. Just nod and ignore it. Don't get riled up trying to explain. The membership card looks like a credit card. But it can't be scanned or swiped like a credit card. She will realize her mistake when she takes it to the cashier. You will get a 10% discount on your food, maybe drinks, and there will be no 6-8% credit card charge on it. Most of the servers aren't familiar with that membership discount deal and rarely encounter a customer using it.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300417]Yep. I found adjustment to Phnom Penh and Jakarta difficult. Hard to find good places to eat. The food was very different...[/QUOTE]I liked the food in Phnom Penh, as they have a good size French expat community. Many small French restaurants, all over the place, serving decent French food, IMO.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300997]If you eat at the Stumble Inn group of bars often enough it might be worth purchasing one of their BKKFUNCARD memberships. One time only 200 baht charge. You give them your membership card when you hand them your check bin cup to settle up and they take 10% off your food bill. You will be asked to sign the discounted receipt later. There are times and certain drinks when you get the same discount off the drink portion of your bill, too. But I usually just get sodas, which don't qualify for the discount, so I am not sure about the particulars on that.

Be prepared for the server to warn you that there will be an additional 6-8% charge when you hand her the card. Just nod and ignore it. Don't get riled up trying to explain. The membership card looks like a credit card. But it can't be scanned or swiped like a credit card. She will realize her mistake when she takes it to the cashier. You will get a 10% discount on your food, maybe drinks, and there will be no 6-8% credit card charge on it. Most of the servers aren't familiar with that membership discount deal and rarely encounter a customer using it.[/QUOTE]Don't you hate the 21% that many place on your bill? I tip at the ones that don't but when you have a date and the bill is 900 baht+ another 189 baht, or at better places when the bill is 1800 baht and they add 378 baht it pisses me off.

We have a place in Honolulu that adds 2% on the bill for the kitchen service. When I asked about that the waitress said that the kitchen works were stressed and they hopped this would help. It's a fuckin Malineals thing, those worthless shits that hang in Starbucks all day on their PC's.

I paid the upsell, but never to return. Moku's in Kakaako. Stay away.

RL.

[QUOTE=Ready81;2300782]Does anyone have some advice or general guidelines on "renting" a girlfriend for a few weeks? I see lots of information coming from some guys that seems a bit lowball, and of course lots from the ladies that seems a bit upper limit. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be fair. Even a little generous, but I always get the feeling if I quote a price, it's always much higher than what they usually accept. I know it's a complicated question and depends on a lot of factors, but I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or details they'd like to share.

Thanks a lot.[/QUOTE]It depends on what you want and where you get her.

You can ask on Thai Friendly for a 'tour guide' and let them know you want them for the full week. If theyre interested, discuss it on the LINE app and make sure they know its a 'complete' deal. Others here may have more info on that.

Other than that, the best way to do it is to get a girl. Hire a freelancer or a gogo girl or beer bar girl. Have sex that night, and if its good, ask her if she'd like to be your 'tour guide' for the week.

Different girls will quote you different prices.

I did this on a trip in 2017 when I decided I wanted to see Bangkok and she charged me what she says was her 'bar fine' for each day of not showing up, 3000 baht. Of course, in reality she just quit that bar, and I'm pretty sire was planning to do that anyway, but it was still a good deal for me as it only cost me 3000 baht for a girlfriend. Who knew her way around Bangkok, took me to some cool tourist places, fucked my brains out each night, etc.

I got tired of it real quick, but, it was fun for a few.

Now I look at it as WHY would I ever want to settle for one girl on a trip to Thailand?

[QUOTE=Admin2;2300862]Heading down the street towards Suk past the Au Bon Pain but not quite to the tourist trap on your right is a thai guy selling meatcicles (chicken, pork, and beef) they go for 40 a piece and are good.[/QUOTE]That's what I'm talking about. 40 B for a meatsicle LOL. I can get then in IconSiam for 15 B for Gods Sake LOL.

In Lopburi, I was gobbling them down a 5 a pop. They are 10 b around my crib in Thonburiville.