Jump to content

Youngone

Advanced Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    919

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    122

Posts posted by Youngone

  1. Posted

    A very popular lb told me that the Sofitel opposite of Chuvit garden (between soi 13 and soi 15) used to make very accurate check of lb bags when they were going with customers there. This was about one and half years ago....

    Perhaps they've changes their policy as I've stayed there 3 times during the last 12 months and never had an issue bringing back (multiple) guests. Both LB's and GG's were met with a friendly nod by the doormen whilst the reception girls didn't even glance up. The Sofitel gets a big thumbs up as far as I'm concerned.

    oliver17 reacted to this

  4. Posted · Edited by Youngone

    I have a trip to BKK coming up and will be arriving in BKK April 30 and leaving on May 22. My passport expires November 16, 2016. The passport has to have 6 months validity from what date? The date of entry into Thailand (April 30)? Will I be able to get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival even though the 6 month date will occur while I have it?

     

    I tried to obtain info from Thai government sites, but have not gotten a definitive answer. Can somebody point me in the right direction, and provide a link to preferably a Thai government site to answer this question? I can get my passport renewal expedited if I have to, but it will cost me $200 US to do so, and I am trying to avoid that expense if I can use my current passport to get entry on 4/30.

    It seems the 6 months validity starts from the date of entry according to this info from the Thai Embassy in London, although it's not worded particularly clearly in FAQ #1: http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=faq/1

     

    Personally I would just renew now and not risk it.

    oliver17 reacted to this

  6. Posted · Edited by Youngone

    Is it really called the clap clinic ???

    Sukhumvit 11 Clinic, located in the sub soi of soi 11 where Cheap Charlie's is located.

     

    Capture1.JPG

  8. Posted

    I used to frequent the wine bar and Spasso when over for weekends while living and working in Singapore and then when I moved to Bangkok to work.

    Great review Oliver, thanks for making the effort. The lunch buffet in the main lobby used to be excellent quality and real value for money, did you try it? Personally I'm not too keen on the location of the hotel because getting to Sukhumvit from there by taxi is a bit of a pain in the ass due to not being able to just turn right onto Sukhumvit. Getting back home is easy peasy as it's just a straight drive.

     

    @Mardhi: I used to be a Spasso regular as well for quite a long period of time. Nowadays my visits are limited to around 3 a year, mostly in the company of a couple of GG's ( I find it easier to bring more than 1 so they can entertain each other, rather than me having to go through the root canal treatment of having to make small talk). They usually have really good live bands which rotate every 6 weeks, the food is good but overpriced as you'd expect from a venue that's part of a 5 star hotel, the service is impeccable and ordering a bottle is surprisingly good value. I've never taken a LB there though and I don't recall ever seeing one, are they LB friendly?

    If yes, we should go there next month as it will make a nice change from the usual haunts.

  9. Posted

    Ps give me some good ones then. I have tried many and the airlines seem to give best especially the mid eastern and Asian airlines.

    Up to about 18 months ago I used to buy 6 First class LHR-BKK round tickets in one go from Thai's BKK HQ at a special discounted rate, i.e. I paid for them straight away in January and used them up through the year. A bean counter, in all his/her wisdom, decided at some point that secured upfront cash was less important than a potential higher margin and cancelled the advance purchase option for me. As a result of this decision I started looking around at various booking portals and have flown with EVA instead of Thai 3 times in 2015. I find that travelsupermarket.com gives a pretty good overview of the available options in all booking classes for direct flights ( only EVA, Thai and BA fly direct)and indirect flights between LHR and BKK. From a pricing perspective EVA and BA seems to offer equal and sometimes better fares than the various 3d party sellers, whilst Thai consistently offers prices in C/F class that are £100-£150 more expensive.

     

    I tend to purchase direct from the airline, even if the price is slightly higher, because it's easier to make changes to the booking that way. A call to the airline is much quicker and more efficient in my experience than calling a 3d party seller's call centre where there are often long queues to get through and more often than not they need to call me back as they're not able to confirm the changes on the spot. As for the bean counters commercially insane decision: I used to spend in the region of £20K/year with Thai, which in 2015 dropped to around £9K for 3 flights. The other 3 flights were booked with EVA for around £2K per ticket, so as a result Thai was £11K worse off, EVA was £6K better off and most importantly I saved £5K.

     

    I must admit that service and comfort in Thai's First class is far better than EVA's or BA's Business class though and my next 3 flights will be with them, but only because I've got 2 free upgrades from C to F and a 50% promo offer on miles to use ( 90K miles instead of 180K).

     

    Some pics from Thai's First class on their A380 on the LHR-BKK route.

    P1020348.JPG

     

    P1020350.JPG

     

    P1020361.JPG

     

    P1020363.JPG

     

    P1020365.JPG

     

    P1020366.JPG

     

    P1020369.JPG

     

    P1020371.JPG

    Boomerang, whiteshirt and carbonara69 reacted to this

  10. Posted

    I along with youngone and shyguy ate here last night. I had beef fajitas which used very good sirloin. Lots of peppers and onions with sprinkling of shredded cheese. I enjoyed it. It's by no means cheap and not sure I'd consider it good value for money.

    I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food and don't know much about it, but I found the portions a bit small as well for the price charged. The drink prices were out of sync though, 410 Baht for a Bloody Mary and 270 Baht for a rum & coke is plain expensive. Those are prices I'd expect to pay in Central London but not in Bangkok's soi 4 area.

     

     

    Mardhi's beef fajita's

    P1020636.JPG

     

    Shyguyuk's pulled pork taco's

    P1020637.JPG

     

    My chicken burrito

    P1020633.JPG

  11. Posted

    There is a drink menu - lots of tequila specials and Margaritas and Corona beer.

     

    Will try to photo drink card next time.

    The food and drink menu is on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1500219286936955/menu/?p_ref=pa

     

    It pretty much looks like standard restaurant prices for soft drinks, beers and wine; cocktails however seem rather expensive. I'll definitely give the place a try later this month.

     

     

     

    1a.jpg

     

    1b.jpg

     

    1c.jpg

    icebergjr., oliver17, scottie1954 and 1 other reacted to this

  13. Posted · Edited by Youngone

    Glad for the good news you received that eventually led to this decision :)

    Congratulations...... and good luck to you as you move toward the next chapter life brings your way........ hope to catch up soon....

    Good to see your plan coming together. My liver won't be so pleased but never mind.

     

    Elite card certainly seems the way to go for least hassle long term stay's for the under 50's not working.

    Thanks guys... I'm still working through the details at the moment but I'm hoping to have everything finalized by Xmas. There is a possibility however that it'll take longer, which would shift the permanent move out to July. Fingers crossed that won't happen!

     

     

    Half a million baht is not cheap, but if you value your time and have the cash then I can see how it makes sense. Not having to do Visa runs, deal with immigration and so on, is worth a lot in my book. I'm sure there are guys who will choke on their cornflakes reading your post and be thinking "But that's the equivalent of 500 STs !!"

    500K Baht is not cheap from an upfront payment perspective as it ties in cash. However, if you do the math on the cash needed for visa runs when you're on an education or multiple entry tourist visa you'll find that there isn't much difference, bar the cash flow.

     

    Regarding the 500 ST's: I've never been the type of guy that thinks in terms of 'or this or that', my thinking is usually 'and this and that'; which is why I fully intend to do those 500 ST's as well ;)

  14. Posted

    Well, I've just gone through the process with Thailand Elite for a 5 year Privilege Entry Visa (PE Visa) and have this morning received confirmation of my Membership nr. I had been considering moving back to Thailand for about 2 years when I received some good news 2 weeks ago which accelerated my decision. Once I had made up my mind that starting a new chapter in my life, thus moving back to Thailand, was the right decision, I re-acquainted myself with all the Thai visa options available. I'm 46, so not eligible for a retirement visa, which means it would have to be a Student Visa, the new 6 months visa, various multiple-entry options, the PE Visa or just go in and out via the 30 days visa exempt system. After weighing up the various pro's and con's of each Visa, I decided the PE Visa was the easiest option around. Sure, it costs 500K Baht, but over a 5 year period that's not so much more all the other options would cost either when taking visa runs into consideration.

     

    This is the timeline it took for the membership to get sorted:

    • Sunday, 22nd of November I asked for info via the Thai Elite website ( http://www.thailandelite.com/index.php).
    • Monday, 23d of November I received a reply with explanation, requirements and application form (6 pages).
    • Monday, 23d of November I emailed them a scan of my passport, scan of a picture and the application form in pdf format.
    • Tuesday, 24th November Thai Elite emailed me acknowledging receipt of my application and explaining the procedure. Main point was that they were waiting for Immigration clearance which could take 5 working days.
    • Wednesday, 25th November I received confirmation that my application had been approved by Immigration and was given bank details for remittance of funds.
    • Monday, 30th November I transferred the funds from a UK based HSBC Premier Account and emailed them the remittance details.
    • Wednesday, 2nd December they emailed me acknowledging receipt of funds and informed they were in the process of setting me up on their system. Membership ID nr. would follow in a couple of days.
    • Wednesday, 2nd December, a few hours after their previous email, I received my membership nr, together with some practical information
    I have opted to receive the actual visa upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport. In order for everything to run smoothly Thai Elite has asked me to communicate my arrival details 5 days in advance by either phone or email so that they can arrange for a pick up at the gate and an escort to immigration. All in all I must say that I'm extremely impressed with their service, it was fast & efficient + every time I rang their office the girl(s) I was speaking to spoke excellent English. If budget is an issue than this Visa might not be for you, if however, you're willing to pay for comfort and ease of mind this is the way to go in my opinion. Let's be honest, if you're looking to emigrate to Thailand without intending to work or start a business and don't have enough funds to afford a 500K expense, your best option in most cases would be to stay at home.

     

    Below the last email from Thai Elite confirming my membership...

     

    Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXX:

     

     

     

    Greetings from Thailand Elite .

     

     

     

    Welcome to Thailand Elite Member Club, the worlds first membership club, backed by the government. We already registered your name into the system and your ID number is XX XXXX XXXX

     

    We hope you would find our privileges and benefits useful during your stay in Thailand. Please be noted, members are required to make advance reservations for all privileges and benefits.

     

     

     

    Also, please kindly find the welcome letter and fact sheet showing privileges and benefits you are entitled to .

     

     

     

    Please be gently reminded, Thailand Elite Members are require to do 90-day report at the Immigration Office as well. Furthermore, members who have permanent residence in Bangkok, we have a staff do on behalf of you. Please kindly drop the passport before 90-day report due at our office on Tuesday and come pick it up on Thursday.

     

     

     

    Regarding to the request for Elite Visa, kindly inform Member Contact Center (MCC) for 5 working days in advance.

     

     

     

    For more information or reservation on service(s), please contact 24/7 MCC at +66 2 352 3000 or memberservice@thailandelite.com and identify yourself with the aforementioned ID number.

     

     

     

    Moreover, the list of vendors, Please find them in the privilege book. kindly go to download at http://www.thailandelite.com/downloadable_form_file/downloadable_form_file30.pdf

     

     

     

    Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime. We are looking forward to welcoming you as a guest of the country soon.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Best Regards,

     

     

     

    Ms. Sucheera Noisumran

     

    Sales Support

     

    Thailand Privilege Card Co.,Ltd.

    Gympy, carbonara69, AntAnt_1964 and 5 others reacted to this

  15. Posted

    Have you tried sticking a dildo to the walls yet?

    Not yet, but it's only a matter of time as I did bring a small collection of toys for fun and frolics... ;)

     

     

    What was the daily rate during that sale?

    Around 4K Baht/night including breakfast for a 'Luxury Room with King size bed'. For some reason I got upgraded to the Opera Suite even though I'm just a basic member with Accor.

  16. Posted

    I was originally booked into the JW for this trip, but about 3 weeks ago I received a marketing email from Accor announcing a fire sale with 40% discount on offer, downside was that it needed to be pre-paid. Out of interest I checked what they were offering and found quite a good deal for the Sofitel, so after some deliberation I decided to cancel my booking at the JW and bite the bullet in favour of a pre-paid room at the Sofitel.

     

    It is my first stay at this hotel and to be honest I'm wondering why I haven't stayed here before. The place is much better than The Landmark or the JW, there are no loud groups of kids around and the location is near perfect. The pool area is good with sun in the afternoon, the restaurants are top notch and the coffee shop on the ground level serves fantastic coffee. There is no joiner fee and on the 2 occasions I've had a guest there was no need for them to leave ID at reception.

     

    Pics below are of the 'Opera Suite'.

     

    Living room which is quite spacious. Wifi is free and fast.

    P1000376.JPG

     

    P1000377.JPG

     

    Bedroom with a very comfy king size bed. The place is totally noise free and the curtains black out any light. For a very light sleeper like myself there is no need for the usual earplugs.

    P1000371.JPG

     

    Nice bath in the massive bathroom.

    P1000366.JPG

     

    Large shower cubicle with rain shower. Water pressure is excellent.

    P1000369.JPG

     

    Double sinks with plenty of amenities.

    P1000368.JPG

     

    Pool area which is very relaxing with light music in the background.

    P1000379.JPG

    Siam Man, Boomerang, crazycloud and 4 others reacted to this

  17. Posted · Edited by Youngone

    Over on the patts forum I asked the same question,

    What are your fav thai foods and dishes

    and

    your fav places to eat in BKK and patts.

     

    Please do hit me with your fav's

    There are so many excellent places, from very cheap to very costly, that it's hard to say which ones are favourites with me. For a special night out with a girl you feel special about you could go for pre-dinner drinks at Vertigo, the roof top bar of the Banyan Tree hotel, followed by mind boggling good food at Nahm in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Don't make the mistake of eating at Vertigo though, it's mediocre at best. Make sure you invite a girl who is comfortable in these surroundings, as the majority of girls probably prefer a simple noodle stand by the road.

     

    http://www.banyantree.com/en/ap-thailand-bangkok/vertigo-and-moon-bar

     

    http://www.comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok/dining/nahm

    AntAnt_1964 reacted to this

  18. Posted

    Good korean recommendation? I havr tried a few need soi 11, but the Kim chi was lacking.

    There are plenty of good Korean restaurants in the little Korean enclave next to soi 12. Last May I went with Mardhi to a Korean BBQ restaurant in Time Square (diagonally across from Terminal 21/next to Sheraton Grande) which was excellent, think it's called Korean BBQ @ Time Square; take the escalators to the 3d floor, it's in the right hand side corner.

     

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Korean-Bar-BQ-Time-Square/197820810238654

  19. Posted

    I'm surprised at the statement of the Landmark. Stayed there not so long time ago and didn't pay a joinerfee. The ID cards of my vsitors were checked. I booked with a german travelagency for 1 person only.

    I've stayed there twice during the last 6 months and was never charged a joiner fee either. Sounds like The Landmark is playing it safe...

  20. Posted

    Does any of you had any problems once bringing a ladyboy to his hotel ?

    I've had guest issues (GG&LB) at the following hotels:

     

    Mandarin Oriental: no problems during the day but my guest got refused at night, even the offer of leaving ID and paying for a second person got declined; the only option would have been to purchase a 2nd room for the night under my guests name. Considering the price I was paying for their 'Executive Suite' I was annoyed, checked out the next day and haven't been back since ( except to indulge in the lunch buffet at Lord Jim's from time to time).

     

    Dusit Thani (Silom): polite and discreet receptionists, but they did charge a 1000 Baht joiner fee to my room after taking my guests ID. I complained at check-out and it was withdrawn although I reckon it's their policy.

     

    The Sukhothai(Sathorn): just as polite and discreet as the Dusit, but they also charged a 1000 Baht joiner fee which wasn't withdrawn after complaining.

     

    The St.Regis: No joiner fee got charged, there was a lot of hassle with security to get her up to my room.

     

    Grand Hyatt Erawan ( where Spasso is in the basement): if you come in via reception chances are ID is taken and joiner fee charged. If you take the hidden elevator just outside Spasso in the basement you circumvent reception and you go straight up to your room without being asked for ID or charged.

  24. Posted

    Anyone here have any recommendations for restaurants that have decently priced dim sum? Or a dim sum buffet?

    Decently priced is all relative, but I thought Hong Bao and Din Tai Fung in the Central Embassy mall ( between Phloenchit and Chit Lom) were very good. I believe both are located on level 5.

  25. Posted

    Any up to date info on this one?

    I stayed there for a month early last year. Nice condo's with all the amenities you need, good pool area, quiet and pretty good wifi. There are a number of supermarkets nearby, mainly oriented towards Japanese clientele, which makes stocking the fridge easy. The only downside for me is the location, not easy to find for taxi drivers due to the one-way system around that area and it's about a 15 minute walk to the nearest BTS (Phrom Phong). I would stay there again for a 3-4 week visit but probably wouldn't for a shorter trip.

×