oliver17

You should be OK because the "official" CIB Christmas party is usually on Dec. 25, not Christmas Eve. However, they usually draw a huge crowd on the 24th, and many of the girls are still shaking off hangovers on the night of the 25th. t

I know exactly what you mean. I'm in hog heaven when I am lucky enough to land a balcony room at Legacy Suites that has a chair AND a table.

EVA also serves Dom Perignon in biz class, or at least they used to.

Yep, that's it. I have no idea whether the massage is happy endings or not, but their laundry service is top-shelf.

Legacy Suites on Soi 29 has room washer/dryers and that hotel is an excellent value on a quiet Soi. Fraser Suites on Soi 11 has them also, but their rooms are overpriced for what they offer. I haven't stayed at Phachara in several years, but they do have washers. They are operating under a different name these days (can't remember what it is). As you said, Adelphi has them, but when I stay there I only use their washer for socks and undershorts. There is a very solid and inexpensive laundry directly next door where I get shirts and everything else cleaned. If you do a search on Agoda or whatever hotel site you use, search for "serviced apartments" and you can find the hotels that have in room washers.

On Soi 11, the Solitaire is pretty good. I last stayed there in early 2020 right before Covid struck, and a renovation of the hotel had just been completed. Their beds are gigantic. I don't know what you call that size, but they are noticeably larger than king-size. I had a 3-some there with my girl and Nan from CIB, and we could have easily accommodated a 3rd LB. Another option is Radisson Suites on Soi 13. The rooms are large and the housekeeping is meticulous. On the roof is a very good, quiet and uncrowded pool along with a full bar. Relaxation-wise, you just can't beat a quiet hotel pool with a bar and bartender. The Indian restaurant downstairs serves upscale cuisine with a touch of elegance. I like that place.

If you want to connect in Europe, try to do so in Amsterdam because business fares AMS-BKK are usually lower than from Frankfurt or London or elsewhere. Many airlines fly from Amsterdam to Bangkok. Twice before, I have flown from Philadelphia - AMS on American (using reward miles for that leg) and then flown on a separate ticket AMS-BKK on Cathy Pacific. That may sound like a lot of stops and hassle, but it actually only took 1-2 hours longer than flying through Tokyo or Incheon, which are generally the fastest ways from US to Thailand. And yes, I know Cathay is off the table because they connect in Hong Kong and no westerner should set foot in China these days unless they have to - I just cited them as an example of what is possible. One option might be Finnair. They fly out of several US cities and connect in Helsinki. I have never flown them, but I know they are aiming to be a conduit between North America / Europe and Asia and they offer some pretty good fares. You can also try the Arab carriers like Emirates or Qatar, but neither of them seem to be the business class bargains they used to be. If you fly one of them, I would go for Emirates because they generally offer more bang for the buck than Qatar and offer more flights per day to/from BKK. Qatar's lounge in Doha is quite opulent, but it's sometimes very hard to get a drink and their food selection isn't very substantial. Emirates Dubai lounge serves alcohol around the clock, a good selection of food, plenty of showers available and lots of quiet corners where you can snooze between flights. Their BKK lounge is pretty solid also. Qatar does have superior in-flight service, better than just about any other airline anywhere but their lounge service kills the vibe. The very best way to go to Bangkok from the US is connecting in Asia, particularly Japan. I have traveled through the Middle East and Europe several times on LB trips and that works fine, but flying Japan Airlines or ANA is your best bet for the combination of fares, flight schedules and quality of service.

On Soi 11, chances are you won't see any families with kids. In hotels that attract Arab families, kids are running up and down hallways without adult supervision around the clock even in the wee hours. They don't misbehave - they are actually quite well behaved - but they apparently don't have conventional bedtimes like they would in the West. It's simply a cultural difference. Those hotels are mostly in the Arab quarter proper rather than Soi 11. A few years back as I was leaving Nana Plaza, I spotted a young farang family with pre-school children and a stroller at the entrance trying to enter NEP. I guess they were attracted by the bright lights and wanted to see what was inside. The security guys jumped up out of their chairs, stopped them immediately and then had a chat with the parents. I didn't hear what was said, but I did see the mom's eyes open really wide while she was listening. That was probably when they realized Bangkok is a questionable choice for a family vacation.

You may want to reconsider before having an LB sneak around with you to avoid being seen by other people. Think about what that says to a ladyboy: That you are embarrassed by her and don't want to be seen with her. I know that's not the message you to convey, but that's what she is going to think. It will get you off on the wrong foot with her and put a damper on things for the rest of the night. Soi 11 is crawling with hookers. Cindy's Bar is a stones throw away from the Mercure. Every hotel and hotel worker in lower Sukhumvit has seen guys with girls and ladyboys 10 million times. They expect to see it and they don't care. As for other hotel guests, if they have issues with LBs, that's their problem and not yours. You don't know any of them from Adam's housecat, so who cares what they think? Don't be afraid to be seen with ladyboys. Every BM here (at least the ones who actually visit Bangkok) will tell you the same thing. If you treat LBs with common respect like you would any other friend, they will love you for it. It will mean a lot to them and it will pay off for you in the future. Take my word on this. Last year I wrote a post about this same subject along with some pics. It seemed to strike a chord because it got 21 likes. Click on the link and read the whole post. Good luck.

I just posted that pic as a joke. I came across it on a Thai news site with a story about BKK ramping up its facilities to meet increasing tourism. I personally have never seen immigration anything near that crowded, even when Chinese tour groups were running amok. I do know if I had walked into the immigration hall and seen a line that long, I would have immediately turned around and gotten back on the airplane to go back home. Life is too short.

I have also used Bangkok Airport Limo in the past. There really isn't much difference in price, but only AOT has kiosks at the airport. BAL has greeters who escort you to the car which works just as well. I use BAL for trips to Hua Hin and Pattaya and they have never let me down. AOT has several kiosks in the main terminal after you emerge from baggage claim. They used to also have kiosks on the concourses between the gates and immigration, but I don't recall seeing any concourse kiosks on my last trip. Speaking of BKK airport, let's all celebrate the rebound of tourism in LOS. It's hard to beat the thrill of going thru immigration

AOT has vans and SUVs. From BKK to lower Sukhumvit area is 1K baht for the Isuzu and 1.3K baht for the Mercedes van. Yes, I know AOT is pricier than taxis but it's more than worth it because you can avoid the taxi queue, communicating with drivers who can't speak English, etc https://www.aot-limousine.com/

Somebody's sniffy disgust over what 2 consenting adults are privately doing in a hotel room is their problem, not yours. They're strangers you'll never see again and there's no need for you to give a shit what they think.

Well, you can't beat the location because it is directly across the street from Why Not. You can sit on the front porch at WN and look directly into the lobby. Like Dray said earlier, it doesn't look like they have anybody manning the front desk late at night, but it's well lit and seems to get a lot of traffic. It really looks like a solid boutique type hotel.

You can just book fast track only if you prefer. The car service is certainly more expensive than taxi, but you won't have to wait in the taxi queue (they bring the car directly to you out front of the terminal), and you will also get a driver who won't try to avoid the toll roads and knows where you want to go with no communication issues.