This is my first trip to Pattaya so I scouted around the internet for information.

My style of going on a trip may be different then others. For example, I like to find value when I go overseas and so I love the under $30 (US Dollar) a night hotels. So the information I state here is just my opinion based upon my own style.

Here are a list of topics that I researched while doing my pre-trip research:

- Hotels - The hotel situation in Pattaya is unlike Angeles City. In Angeles, I found that you have to reserve a room in your favorite hotel sometimes 2 months in advance. Everytime I went to Angeles the hotels seemed to be packed.

When reading various forums, I found there were probably over 100 hotels in Pattaya. At times, I found the hotel owners trying to encourage people to go to their hotels in other Pattaya-related message forums negotiating deals to people that go. I know the hotel owners in Angeles don't have to resort to the message boards to get people to stay at their hotel.

I concluded that its best to make a 2-day reservation at a cheap hotel in Pattaya that does not make you put down a deposit. Once you are there, then do a tour of the place and find the hotel that suites your needs. You could probably even haggle the price of the hotel down in-person with the manager or owner.

One haggling technique is to pay up-front the entire stay in cash. You may be able to get 10-20% off your stay by doing this. However, this does limit your options in that regard. There seems to be discounts too offered during different times of year and depending upon how long you stay.

I found no shortage of hotels that are under 1000 baht (under $30 US Dollars) online. There are quite a few hotels that are under 700 baht ($21). Here are a few of them that I found:

http://www.billabonghotel.com/

http://www.jasminehotel-pattaya.com/booking/rezeasy.html

http://www.rockhousepattaya.com/accommodation.html

http://www.havenbarpattaya.com/

http://canterburytalescafe.com/pages/home.php

http://www.dianapattaya.co.th/

http://www.secretspattaya.com/

I was told there were even cheaper options like renting a small condo where I would pay just 180 baht per day. I am fine with the economical hotels for now though and I will do more research on the condos once I get there.

- Barfine Research -

I found the following poll on a different mongering site in regards to barfines in Pattaya. I did ask Hombre for permission before I posted this link.

Here is a poll on long-term barfines:

http://www.pattayasecrets.com/forums/index.php?&showtopic=44195&mode=show&st=0

Here is a poll on short-term barfines:

http://www.pattayasecrets.com/forums/index.php?&showtopic=44285&mode=show&st=0

- Food -

I found that some of the hotels include breakfast with their stays. I also found that many of the hotels/bars offer meals for 50-100 bahts. I don't believe the food bill will be an issue on this trip.

My priority on this trip is not food since I am trying to lose a little weight. I am only eating for sustenance. Actually, I was hoping on losing a few pounds by jogging on the beach, exercising and the usual mongering activities;)

- Transportation from the airport -
I found the regular taxi service will cost you between 1000-1500 bahts.

This transporation service will do it for 200 bahts and drop you right off at your hotel. You can make reservations on-line.

http://www.belltravelservice.com/

- Map -
Here is a link to a thread with various maps of Pattaya:

http://www.pattayasecrets.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=43712

Other things to make the trip easier:

- Magic Jack - I bought one of these for the trip at Walgreens for $40. I can make and receive calls free to the United States. I forwarded my phones to this device.

http://www.magicjack.com/7/index.asp

- PacSafe - The in-room hotel safes are no guarantee of security. In fact, one time I had locked myself out of the safe and there was a rough looking maintenance guy that came up with a key. He flipped it right open. So I am wondering who has access to the keys to these safes.

So with this travelsafe, you can lock the travelsafe inside the hotel safe for added security.

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=117

- Camera -

I did not buy this for my trip. I will be packing the Canon T1i. However, I saw this camera reviewed on CNET which I believe would be ideal for some mongers. Its compact and has a F.2.0 lens which makes it ideal for low-light situations. You can probably get good pictures in a bar with one of these without a flash.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=19210

- Airline - I got my ticket for $850 (US Dollars) out of Newark Airport round-trip from EVA Air. I do not know the quality of this airline, but $850 is not bad when compared to other carriers who were way over $1000. I will put up with some discomfort for a sweeter deal.

http://www.evaair.com/html/b2c/english/

(Message edited by Portege on November 21, 2009)

The Ladies-

There are several porn sites out there where you can see examples of the ladies in action and compare whats really out there. The trip pictures in this forum and on other sites only show so much action for various legal reasons.

www.trikepatrol.com
This site takes actual bar-girls from the Angeles bars and uses them as the porn stars. I actually bar-fined one of the ladies that appear on this site. The bar-girls on this site are about average for what you see in Angeles. You will have to really hunt a little deeper to get better quality then what you see on that site in Angeles.

http://www.thaicoeds.com/

This is the site that made me schedule this trip for 30 days. My opinion is the Thaicoeds site blows away the Trikepatrol site. If these are the types of girls I am to expect in Pattaya then I will be very happy. Some of the women on Thaicoeds are better then some pro Asian porn-stars here.

Youtube also has various videos of the two locations:

Angeles City
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=angeles+city&search_type=&aq=f

Pattaya
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pattaya&search_type=&aq=f


I don't know how you guys feel, but seeing the various videos and pictures from the various sites. Angeles City does not seem to get my blood flowing like Pattaya. Lets hope this good feeling keeps going...


(Message edited by Portege on November 21, 2009)

US Citzens should probably read the entry and exit requirements of Thailand. Two big take-aways are that your Passport must be within 6 months of expiration and you cannot stay more then 30 days without a visa.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html#entry_requirements

Another section is the "Crime" section. Basically, you want to leave your drugs at home. The penalties are much more severe in Thailand. They don't have a medical marijuana law there I believe;) The good part about being a United States Citizen is that the maximum time you can spend in a Thai prison is 8 years. Everyone else can get a sentence much longer then that.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html#crime

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/wwc/recent.html

Awesome research, thanks for posting that !!

Portege:

You talk about value, but it's not that simple. One example of this is your air ticket. I have nothing against EVA, but I know that flying different airlines on each trip is a loss of value. You end up with orphan airmiles on numerous airlines and never achieve status. I fly all my trips on One World mostly American Airlines. I wait patiently for my best sale price and may pay an average of $100.00 per round trip more than you. However I have Platinum AA (Saphire One World). This give me double airmiles for each trip. My trip from Chicago to BKK nets me 38,000 airmiles so if I pay for two trips the third is free. I also get more upgrades, use of lounges, better seat selection, and early boarding. EVA might give similar benefits, but only if you use them regularly and don't cherry pick the cheapest flight each time.

It's much the same with hotels. I stay at Pattaya Bay Resort. I've given my many reasons before. If you want a cheaper hotel that's well and good, but if you go to a different hotel each trip you never build a relationship. Last year around New Years when the hotels are very booked PBR did what ever they had to so that I would get a room on a moments notice when my schedule changed. Someone on this site complained that PBR charged them for a ruined towel. Not only do they not do that to me, they go out of their way for me. They've stored belongings for free, given me free nights when I was unhappy with a service problem and so forth. When they know that you will stay there sixty or more nights a year they will do a lot more for you.

BTW If your trip goes over thirty days but less than forty days you can get a ten day visa extention at the Jomtiem immigration offce. You can also get a sixty day visa before your trip from the Thai counsulate in the USA.

One more thing, at the risk of the ire of some board members here or elsewhere, beware of Secrets. I stopped going there after catching them bill padding too many times. Earlier this year I broke my rule and went there for a late night meal with a friend who was staying in their hotel and they screwed with his meal and maybe bill. In addition the better looking girls in their bar have a special high barfine until late at night (two tiered barfine system). If you want to get value for your money avoid Secrets for food, drink and ladies. The value for your money is in little less known gogos like Silverstar Soi Seven or Eight, Soi Six in general, Soi Bukhao, or smaller Walking Street gogos.

I think your right Gurock, but I honestly don't know how all the airline miles and clubs work.

I found the trick to these cheap hotels. The hotels that are right on the main streets are the ones to AVOID. The traffic is so thick on the main streets that all you hear is traffic all night long.

I can believe the Secrets Hotel pads the bill. I am finding that you have to watch the hotels closer then the girls. For example, this Diana Inn looks great on their website, but its a dump and there are a few hotels right next door that have huge signs saying "550 baht a night" while the Diana charges 1000 baht a night.

The funny part is one of the girls was saying how loud and hot it was and she doesnt have these conditions in her 4000 baht a month apartment.

I did my research a little more and the Sawdee hotel chains are probably the best ones for a budget. I saw a few of them on the side-streets which would make them perfect.

http://www.sawasdee-hotels.com/

IMO the Sawadees are ok in a pinch, but not preferred. It's all the little bits of cheapness that can add up to become annoying. Their bathrooms are so 'efficient' that you'll bash your elbows when you try to shower.
I only stayed there once, for a few days (the one near LK Metro). Every girl I brought to the room recommended a different place.

Some of those cheap places are rooms for the resident drunks: wake up, go out, drink all day. If you come back and think the room sucks it means you're not drunk enough. Over the years I've been shown places that IMO takes a lot of damned nerve to ask money for.

There are quite a few hotels like these that I found which are from 500-700 baht a night. I would not expect anything more then a noisy semi-clean room with an A/C that may or may not work and dated well-used furniture.

If I had to do this trip all over again, I would have simply packed a large rucksack of clothes, took the bus service at the airport to the Walking Street beach area and then hiked around looking for one of these cheapskate hotels. Even now, during the high season, vacancy signs are all over the place and hotel owners are willing to bargain. You will have no problem finding a cheapskate room for under 700 baht that is similar to one of the hotel rooms in Tijuana; basically a dump. Of course, if you want to pay up, then you can always check into one of the beachfront high rises for many times the rate of the cheapskate room.

The cheapskates are located in some of the areas of Pattaya that resemble parts of Angeles City or TJ.

I brought some conventional luggage this time around, but I would get myself a rucksack next time so I can escape from the budget inn easy if I had to.

If you choose the cheapskate option, then you are going to change hotels sooner or later;) All of the websites for hotels under 1000 baht will either lie and make the hotel seem greater then what it is or will find another way to extract cash from you.




(Message edited by Portege on November 24, 2009)

great discussion here. i have to admit, i am not good with airlines and miles either. if i can get here the cheapest way i can find, i go. right now though i'm setting roots in Bangkok for a few months which requires 113 baht bus rides from my Mor Chit bus station in Bangkok to Pattaya where i want to go on the weekends! way better than paying even 800 baht for a taxi to go there!

but Gurock1 is right. build a relationship with a place you are comfortable with and be consistent. i have been jumping around but it is because i get free deals and weeks here and there with this vacation club i joined (don't do it. not worth it) but i would be happier going to a place where they knew me and took care of me.

yes, i stay away from Secrets too. there are a lot of other places to go that are much better. Super Baby and it's sister club work well for me and there are other places that let you have fun a lot of fun!

thank you for the report. look forward to reading more!

I found out that I am in the old wing of the Dianna Inn. The new wing is much better with less noise and better furnishings, but more expensive.

I went over to the Apex Hotel and the guy wanted cash, no credit card. For 550 baht a night, thats about 300 dollars for a 20 day stay. It would be noisy, but 300 dollars for the entire stay is not bad even if you do have to listen to a little noise.

I am going to email the Hotel Pasadena which is a new place up the street to see what deals they can give me.

I have learned that whenever you hear a price for anything in Pattaya just shake your head and act like you are about to leave. Oftentimes, the Thai way is to then lower the original price.

I read a report somewhere where a married guy had taken a trip to Pattaya. He did not bring anything, bought all his clothes here and then threw everything out at the end. His thinking was his wife might find out somehow if he brought clothes. I guess she might find some type of forensic evidence and he did not want to risk it, haha, I dont know.

In walking around to the various shops, I am finding its probably a good idea to bring as little clothes as possible. Bring underwear, socks, shoes and some basic stuff. Shorts go for about $15 US Dollars and t-shirts seem even cheaper. Lotion, toothpaste and everything else can be purchased here.

When packing, do not worry about taking the farm with you. I packed a lot of stuff and my large bag weighed in at 47 lbs. I also had a smaller bag I checked in and two carry-ons. Whoooaaa...lesson learned...too much stuff.

Next time around I am just taking two carry-ons with the essentials and leaving the rest at home. You can even buy a suitcase here for about $20 US Dollars if you need to carry things. Up by the beach, there are plenty of shops each with some great deals. Bring cash. I am not sure any of these places take credit card. You could even jump on the plane with nothing but cash. For about $200 US dollars you can outfit yourself here and even buy the suitcase to bring the stuff you bought home.

All you seem to need here is t-shirts and shorts. Although, I am finding its easy to burn and so long sleeves/pants should be considered along with a wide-brim hat and sunglasses.

**Do not shop before you go.** The only thing here that you might not be able to get at home is good condoms. The condoms can be bought cheaply on www.amazon.com BTW.

(Message edited by Portege on November 30, 2009)

Here is a typical street in Pattaya. On nearly every street are hotels everywhere. In this photo, you can see nearly a half-dozen signs pointing out different hotels. There is no need to make long-term reservations at any hotel. I would simply make a short-term reservation at a cheap hotel and then go around finding another hotel. Actually, that hotel in the background.."The LEK" I did visit which seems like a decent ok budget hotel and probably a good place to start your journey.

Pack lightly with a backpack style luggage if you decide on going to a hotel you have never been before. Do not make long-term reservations or drop a deposit at anyplace.

The 110 baht Breakfast and 180 baht dinner buffets are the best deals you will find. A lot of hotels offer these buffet deals. Its not great food, but good enough for the price. There are plenty of good restaurants, but I am trying to lose weight and just need some grub to sustain myself through the journey.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293919-d555156-Reviews-Lek_Hotel-Pattaya.html



(Message edited by Portege on November 30, 2009)

(Message edited by Portege on November 30, 2009)

i think most members who have visited pattaya have stayed on this street at least once. soi 13 also has whitehouse, dynasty, and sandy springs. good location but the hotels don't offer much on the amenity front, no views and pools are tiny if they have them. i like this soi for short stays (week or so).

this is a great report man, full of useful info. Thanks