carbonara69

So until then we better wash our hands regularly, with soap, I assume: 
 

A+ here too.
Trump is spreading half fake news here.
Yes Azithromycin + chloroquine have been effective on small scales with very ill people. Effects have been moderate at best.
Much better medication will be found in the next few months.

Would you want to take meds that could potentially make you sicker (both meds have side effects) when tested only on small samples?
Think of how ill you would need to be for that to sound like a good option.

Some extra info that I found out yesterday, J&J has a HIV vaccine in fase 3 of testing, primary results are looking good. (sorry if this is general knowledge, I didn't know)

I've stayed there many times and have always found it good value for money. Rooms are spacious, beds large and extremely comfortable, bathrooms adequate. Below some pics of the room featuring Ming as a willing participant to brighten it up a little
 
If I stay in the soi 11 area my preferred hotel nowadays is Fraser Suites. Large modern rooms, decent swimming pool, great rooftop bar (Above 11) for only a little bit more money than the likes of Mercure.
 

No updates to this thread for a while so high time for some new pics  
 
For the Ramen lovers amongst you I can wholeheartedly recommend Mensho Tokyo, located on the corner of Sukhumvit road and soi 31. I had the Tori Taipan: a very rich chicken broth, pork chashu, duck chashu, green onion, marinated egg and lemon grass. Outstanding and at 320b not bad value either!
 

 

 

Considering 6 months had passed since our last culinary excursion to Le Normandie, Shyguyuk and I decided last week that it was high time to once again make our way to the Oriental Hotel and indulge in Le Normandie's 8 course Menu Gastronomique accompanied by a Wine Arrangement. I'll let the pics speak for themselves, save to say I needed a nap after this lunch!  
 

I just finished up a stay at Citadines 11. Here are a few of my observations:

Book through their website. Expedia wanted 4000 Baht a night for my one bedroom condo unit. I booked it through their painfully slow website for 2350 Baht per night after taxes. There are lesser rooms, but I was only in town for two nights, so the extra 350 Baht per night upgrade was not a big deal.

The one bedroom unit of mine was spacious, clean and well maintained. It had a functional kitchen and a split bathroom. The only complaint that I listed with them was the toilet room. It had the porcelain throne and a small sink. But the throne was damn near against the wall/sliding wood door. You can see a huge void in the corner where the old shower used to be. But they never relocated the throne to the center of the wall to make more room for the user. It is fine if you are 50 kgs, but I am double that. So I had to sit at a slight angle when having deep thoughts. Across the hall was the large basin with mirror and a full size tub/shower.

I had a corner unit on the seventh floor. I could hear the night clubs nearby and there were complimentary ear plugs on the safe. But as a monger, bedtime was 3am to 4am, so it was not an issue.

A breakfast buffet is included in the price and it was decent by western standards. The restaurant is open 24/7. It is packed at 4am with mostly Westerners.

The living room and the master bedroom each had a 42" flat panel TV. Most places only give you one.

You can send your laundry out for ungodly prices, carry it over to the 24hour laundry shop across the street (down an alley, look for the signs) that is priced by the kilo, or go up to the 9th floor. The gym and pool are up here. It costs 90 Baht for one token. It takes 2 tokens to do a load. 1 for washer, 1 for the dryer. They are full size units. The laundry soap & fabric softener is included when you buy the tokens from the front desk.

This place is within walking distance of Check in Bar, Nana Plaza, Terminal 21 mall and splits two of the BTS stops. There is a ton of street action on Soi 11 and on the strip down towards the Westin Hotel. The Westin sidewalk was overflowing with LB talent.

The hotel is LB friendly. I had Beam come over on her day off and stay overnight without any issues.

My cab ride to the airport using Grab at 11am was 400 Baht plus 78 Baht in tolls. You can take the BTS to the airport line for cheap, but I had a full size suitcase, a full size gym bag, a fully loaded computer backpack and my CPAP bag. I was not in the mood to haul all that down 7 blocks in 93°F heat just to save 400 Baht.

I was brought up by hired car from Pattaya, so I do not know what that cost would be from the airport.

Depending on how long I plan on staying im Bangkok next year, I will plan on booking here again.


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Great recommendations above from the guys! Just to make your life a bit more difficult here are a few more suggestions from a fellow non romantic software guy
 
Uno Mas, 54th floor of the Centara.
http://www.unomasbangkok.com/
 
Above 11, top floor of Fraser Suites on soi 11.
https://aboveeleven.com/bangkok/
 
Sala Rim Naam, riverside dining at The Oriental ( far from cheap).
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/chao-phraya-river/fine-dining/restaurants/thai-cuisine/sala-rim-naam
 
The Horizon Cruise from the Shangri-La hotel ( she will absolutely love this).
http://www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangrila/dining/restaurants/horizon-cruise/
 
Nahm at the Metropolitan Hotel in Sathorn.
https://www.comohotels.com/en/metropolitanbangkok/dining/nahm

And if anyone else is interested in those places with great views in BKK, here's a nice list:
http://www.bangkok.com/top10-rooftop-bars.htm

Japanese is always a hit with thais, Youngone has recommended two good restaurants in this thread here (Zuma and Tsu Nami) : 
 But you can go cheaper also, many of the malls are swarming with Japanese restaurants, places like Central Embassy and Emporium have plenty of mid to high end.  
Following that, you could head to Gold Class Cinema at Embassy, I often see guys take dates there (even LB's).
Or if you prefer to drink, Maggie Choos in Silom (below Novotel) is a LB friendly speakeasy style bar and is themed as a British East India Company bank vault, they frequently have live jazz and blues/soul bands/singers. 
Or for something more elevated, cocktails at Moon Bar in Banyan Tree Hotel, probably the best night view of the cityscape, she will love taking selfies up there. Pretty busy spot usually though. 
If you'd rather spend less, but show you know some trendy hidden gems, try Tep Bar in Chinatown: 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jUnCq
If an activity is preferred, then get on a river cruise, book online, some have bars.
Or head to a night Market, for a date the flower market used to be best but that's a shadow of its former self now, so another good market is up near Bang Na, its an antiques/memorabilia market called Rod Fai Night Market
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KhfF3 this place has loads of interesting things to browse, maybe buy.
Alternatively, for somewhere close, Neon Markets (Talad Neon) on Petchaburi Rd is good for selfies (because thais love selfies). 
Chock dee! 

ShyguyUK and myself had promised ourselves to start 2019 with a culinary feast, so to that end we made lunch reservations at Le Normandie; the Mandarin Oriental's flagship restaurant.  https://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/chao-phraya-river/fine-dining/restaurants/french-cuisine/le-normandie
 
The restaurant has great views over the Chao Praya river and has been awarded 2 Michelin stars 2 years in a row. In the past the dress code was quite strict with compulsory jacket and tie for men, but luckily they have relaxed their dress code a bit; business casual for lunch and just jacket for dinner.
 
Anyway, we ordered the 8 course Menu Degustation together with the wine arrangement ( 5 glasses) and what followed was exactly what we had in mind: a culinary feast  . I'll let the pics speak for themselves
 










 

Last trip I took 5 of the lovely lbs from “Why Not Bar” to The Sky Bar at The Lebua Hotel for drinks/cocktails, then out to dinner.

We all had a great night and they were so excited and appreciated it so much.

Mind you they aren’t use to drinking champagne and cocktails.

As we were leaving a couple of young Arab guys got in the lift, they looked at the gals, looked at me, looked at the gals again and looked at me again, and then I said to them “Never try never know guys”

We got out of the lift and one of the lbs tripped over spread eagled over the floor laughing, 30 seconds later another one goes over and snaps one of her high heels and decides to put both shoes in the bin - I turned to her and said “You’re such a bloke”

Yes it did cost a bit but it was so much fun and the gals loved it.




Say no to grief

This is one good way to see a side of Thailand many tourists miss. The food is much better when you get off the beaten farang path. Food is a very social event for Thais. After living here 3 years I have a hard time eating farang food. I feel stuffed and bloated when I eat farang food... so they will too. It also makes them feel good to know you have an interest in Thai culture. And ask her about Thailand (if she is Thai) and Thai food. 

The smart move is to let the LB choose a place. Chances are you will end up at a modest Thai restaurant with communal dining tables, often outdoors. It will only cost you a few hundred baht.  Don't try to take them to some dressy farang-oriented Thai restaurant.  The atmosphere will be uncomfortable for them and they often won't care for the taste of the food. The food is apparently too salty for their taste in the fancy places.  
Afterward for desert,  take them out for ice cream. They all love ice cream, and going to Swensens or wherever is always a big hit with them. 
 

Last night a non BM friend, Shyguyuk and myself made the pilgrimage to Savelberg ( https://www.restaurantsavelberg.com/ ) on Wireless ( Witthayu) road. The restaurant is located about a 10 minute walk along Wireless road from Phloenchit BTS station on the side of the US embassy and is within the compound of the Oriental Residence. Plush surroundings but the staff were quite relaxed and were not overly formal as can happen in Michelin starred restaurants ( Le Normandie at the Oriental Hotel is a good example of that). The place is owned by Henk Savelberg ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henk_Savelberg ) , a relatively famous chef in The Netherlands who has relocated to Thailand to start a restaurant here. All 3 of us were well impressed with the quality of the food which by western standards is very good value, the only dish I found overpriced and disappointing was the cheeseboard. The wine list is extensive, not cheap but I wouldn't say overpriced either due to the high import duties Thailand charges on imported alcohol. Return factor: High.
 
A look inside the kitchen from the table.

Amuse 1: the silver ball was filled with crab meat.

Amuse 2: a very light foie gras mousse

My non BM friend was keen on the caviar dish so we asked if we could share a portion: no problem the waiter said, instead of 30 grams you'll get 15 grams each . It was served on crème fraiche and surrounded by a potato mash. Most excellent!

Starter: Lobster, tasted very light and refreshing.

Main dish: Veal & Foie Gras, very delicate and an outstanding combination.

The let down for me was the cheese board: 700b for 4 tiny pieces of cheese is terrible value for money when compared to a place like No Idea where 8 large pieces are charged at 590b.

Mango dessert, again very light and refreshing.

We had 3 bottles of wine with the meal: a terrific Chablis ( 4500b) to accompany the caviar and lobster, an outstanding Saint Estephe (5000b) to accompany the veal & foie gras and we treated ourselves to an unbelievably good Chateau d'Yquem (15000b) as a dessert wine. Both the Chablis and the Saint Estephe were recommendations of the sommelier and he was spot on.

For the late night street food fans amongst you. On the corner of Sukhumvit soi 11 roughly here I think 
Dropped Pin
near Soi Sukhumvit 11, Khwaeng Khlong Toei Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110
https://goo.gl/maps/r6kiN2u2nBJ2
Ate here two nights running at 2-3am both nights. Spicy seafood noodle salad was great, their fried rice is banging had a seafood and prawn version, pad see ew was top notch as well. But the absolute highlight is watching the small lady with a limp who is clearly the head chef at work. Never in my life have I seen someone cook at such speed, with such skill and produce food of such quality. And all on what, to all intent and purpose, to western eyes is little more than a camp fire. Very few of your michelen star chefs could produce food of this quality under such conditions.
It does get very busy had to take away second night as nowhere to sit.

You're welcome guys, it's actually fun going through these pictures and remembering the good times had...
 
Here are a few more
 
Zuma Bangkok is located on the ground floor of the St. Regis Hotel, right next to Ratchadamri BTS station. Zuma has branches in 14 locations worldwide, some of which are notoriously hard to get reservations at; particularly the ones in New York and London come to mind for me. The Bangkok branch thankfully does not have such issues, in fact chances are you can get a table when you walk in without reservations such as I did on the 2 occasions I had lunch there. It is by no means a cheap restaurant but when compared to the branches in the West it delivers good value for money. The atmosphere is pleasantly informal and the food is excellent, particularly the duo of salmon & tuna tartar with Oscietra caviar and the Wagyu beef gyoza stood out for me. Will I return a 3d time? For sure yes.  https://www.zumarestaurant.com/zuma-landing/bangkok/en/welcome



 
A Japanese restaurant that is consistently highly rated on TripAdvisor is Tsu Nami in the basement of the JW Marriot on Sukhumvit soi 2. Nami is the Teppan Yaki side of the restaurant where I have never dined, whilst Tsu on the other side of the restaurant serves more traditional Japanese food. It's a very large restaurant so showing up without reservations should generally speaking not be an issue. Service is attentive without being too formal and the food is of very highly quality. Sadly this restaurant lets itself down for me on the pricing level. Whilst I do not mind paying over the odds for high quality food I do object to a restaurant 'taking the piss', which in my opinion Tsu does. It is for that reason I will not be returning in a hurry...
http://jwmarriottbangkok.com/dining/tsu-japanese-restaurant/





 
Brasserie Cordonnier is conveniently located on soi 11, more or less right across from Insanity. It is a French Brasserie style restaurant that serves classic French dishes such as snails and steak tartar. The atmosphere is informal, the food is good and well priced for this part of town. The only thing that needs improvement in my opinion is the selection of wines by the glass. Great place to go with a group of friends prior to a night on the town. https://cordonnierbkk.com/


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If I'm in the mood for a simple and quick lunch I like to go to Ippudo for some of their excellent Ramen. There are a number of Ippudo restaurants across town, I like the one on the 5th floor of the Emporium Mall best. The spicy gyoza is fantastic and the Tom Yum Ramen is memorable...  http://www.ippudo.co.th/en/


 
If you like Spanish food and you like dining with a view than look no further than Uno Mas. It's located on the 54th floor of the Centara Grand hotel at Central World ( BTS station Siam Square). They have a stunning array of tapas and a Spanish wine selection that is more than excellent at very competitive prices. Best is to order 5 or 6 different tapas as the portions are quite generous and forget about the main dishes. I dined here just last week with Shyguyuk, a fellow foodie, and we were both more than impressed   http://www.unomasbangkok.com/
 




 
Probably my favourite restaurant in Bangkok is No Idea in Sukhumvit soi 22. It labels itself as a 'gastro pub' but I reckon they're too modest with that description. The place is run by owner Dave, a Kiwi who is a retired 747 captain with Cathay Pacific, and his wife who does the cooking. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the food is outstanding and the selection of wine is one of the best in Bangkok. They have great wines by the glass like Alexana, an excellent Pinot Noir from Oregon, as well as a huge bottle selection of both New World and traditional wines. The cheeseboard here for me is the best in Bangkok, 590b for a selection of 8 different cheeses is truly great value for money.  http://www.noideabkk.com/
 

You're welcome Privateluca. One of the reasons I love living in Bangkok, besides obviously the nightlife, is the fact that there are excellent restaurants galore for very affordable prices when compared to the West. Here are a few more
 
One of the best coffee's in town in my opinion can be had D'Ark, located on the ground floor of the Emquartier. It's a good place to relax, watch the world go by and try one of their delicious coffee's or simple dishes. http://www.darkoffee.com/
 



 
Michelin brought out their first Bangkok guide earlier this year and awarded a number of restaurants with 1 and 2 stars. One of the restaurants awarded 1 star is Joel Robuchon, located in the Mahanakhon Cube right next to Chong Nonsi BTS station. There is an open plan kitchen where you can see the chefs at work and seating is either at the counter or at a table in the back. If you're going there alone or with just 1 friend it's fun to sit at the counter but if there are 3 or more of you that makes for awkward conversation and a table would be better. The food here is more than excellent, but it does come at a very high price; especially by Bangkok standards. Where this restaurant lets itself down for me is with their wine list. The selection of wines by the glass is very limited and too expensive, whilst it is virtually impossible to find a decent bottle on their list for an affordable price. It is for that reason that I am not too keen on returning.  http://robuchon-bangkok.com/
 





 
 
 

Personally I'm not a huge fan of Indian food but I did like Charcoal Tandoor at the Fraser Suites in Sukhumvit soi 11. Not cheap, but they serve high quality food in very nice surroundings...
http://charcoalbkk.com/
 



 
If you like Barbeque and ribs look no further than Le Cochon Blanc on Sukhumvit soi 31. There's a very relaxed vibe about the place and the prices are OK for the food they offer. I particularly liked the sweetbreads ( ris de veau ).  https://www.lecochonblanc.com/
 

When it comes to restaurants Bangkok wins it from Pattaya by a country mile in my opinion. Pattaya for me is a bit of a culinary desert whilst the possibilities in Bangkok are endless, from simple inexpensive food to Michelin starred restaurants. Recommending restaurants is always a bit tricky though as different people value different things, but I'll take a stab at it...
 
Since we're in Thailand I'll start with a Thai restaurant. Osha on Wireless Road offers terrific Thai dishes in a very pleasant setting and is surprisingly affordable.  Great place to take a date with a  good value for money factor.
http://www.oshabangkok.com/osharestaurant/




 
Masu Maki on Sukhumvit soi 39 is a very simple little restaurant that serves high quality sushi for very reasonable prices. Perfect for a quick lunch or simple dinner, not so perfect to bring a date though. You'll struggle to spend more than 1000b here which for Sushi is a great deal.
 





 
 
 

Without knowing what your budget is, if you are looking for big room( suites are 55 sq m) at decent rates, you may want to look at Citrus 11 on Soi 11. The suites can be had late may for about 2100 baht. They have 2 full bathrooms per suite, which comes in handy when you bring 2 girls with you. I know One True Saxon has stayed here as well, and I think he liked it just fine.
 
https://www.citrus11sukhumvit.com/en/
 
Below are some pics from my stay a couple of years ago - Amy from Cascades showing her ass and Stephanie from Casanova showing her tits.
 

 
 

I stayed at Galleria 10 for 4 nights and was really happy with my accommodations. I paid 1855 baht per night booking right through their website. I think the hotel is well priced coming in a bit cheaper than some of ritzier places like Grand Swiss, Dawin, or Phachara. I haven't stayed at the more expensive places but I have stayed at a cheaper place and can say Galleria is worth the money.
 
My room was very comfortable and inviting. The shower was best I've had in Thailand, the bed was big and comfy, had a nice view of the city on the 6th floor (which i requested), and the safety deposit box was big enough for my 15" laptop. They have a nice system where you flick on a light for Do Not Disturb, or Request Room Clean. This way they don't bug you all the time about it.
 
The pool is definitely too small but not much can be done about that, still nice for a dip after a long day. The roof area is really nice with lots of little spots to chill and zero pressure from the restaurant staff. I would bring up my own beer and food all the time and they never said a word.
 
The place is definitely guest friendly and never said a word about my LB's or girls. It's geared more towards regular tourists so the only weirdness you will get is from them of course. The staff are lovely people. I find I'm torn on whether i prefer a normal hotel that is ok with the guests or a hotel geared towards mongering (basically anything on Soi 4). With Galleria being on Soi 10 it was nice to escape the madness and relax for a while, make eyes with the Swedish tourist girls and be amused by the couples who seem miserable half the time. True enough that the elevator requires a room key so if you have a LB come to see you, you essentially have to go down to the lobby and declare your everlasting love for ladyboys to everyone there. Some of us are more ready for that than others.
 
I would say Galleria 10 is a great option for those newer to the game who want to get in on the shallow end and also need to save a bit of cash. I'm not certain I need to spend more for the nicer places as I felt all my needs were met here. The only thing I would maybe prefer is to be a bit closer to Nana Plaza. I tried a cheaper place for the last night (SM Grande Residence) and it was definitely not worth it. Maybe it was just the place but I felt it better to spend a bit more then to have a bad room you are embarrassed to take the girls.

I did one night at this place last week. My regular hotel was fully booked when I wanted to stay one more day so i thought I'd try something a bit cheaper to see if it I would still be satisfies on something a little more budget friendly. Also wanted to try being right on Soi 4.
 
Turns out I would rather pay the extra baht. This place was maybe nice a decade ago or more, but you can tell whoever manages it now doesn't really care and just seems to be bailing the boat. The lobby looks really nice but once you're in the halls and rooms it looks old and in need of renovation.
 
The rooms are huge, like needlessly huge to the point where they echo. My toilet was facing the shower with maybe 10cm in between so you had sit on it with both legs to the side. Which is mostly just bizarre and kind of funny. The shower was old and dingy.
 
The worst thing about this hotel is the multitude of signs everywhere telling you not to break stuff or you'll be charged, followed by telling you they are watching on CCTV. Things that are just common sense and would be comfortable in one paragraph on the waiver you sign when you check in. One example is a sign in the elevator that tells you not to press all the buttons on the elevator or you might break it and they will charge you 5000 baht. First of all, obviously you don't do this and the only one that need to be told are small children. Second, your elevator can't handle visiting multiple floors? Maybe you should upgrade this, let alone multiple things in the hotel before it collapses. Sorry got a little ranty there.
 
The one redeeming quality of this hotel is the really big pool and hot tub with plenty of sunshine... too bad I didn't get a chance to use it.
 
Overall I was embarrassed to bring girls back here and in the future, would rather pay the extra baht and have a nice place.

I think you are referring to Cozy at Ten
http://www.bangkokladyboys.net/forum/index.php?/topic/7571-cosy-at-ten-nearest-hotel-to-check-in-bar-soi-10/?hl=cozy
It is the closest you can get to CIRB, 5 meters from the back door entrance. I booked myself a room there for Sunday the 12th, the last day of my upcoming short trip this week, 1400 bath
Paradiso ia also very close and even better quality. It should be around 1900 bath

I have done that a few times and sure it is worth a try. Remember to order something also for the girls, they will love it and they will love you.
 
Another option is to take a girl out for dinner and let her order the food, I have eaten some delicious things this way that were not even on the menu