carbonara69

I was with two lbs doing a threesome at Playhause Thonglor in May.
 
This hotel is interesting. The room is tiny especially the bathroom which has only a small shower cubicle and only big enough for one person use at a time.
 
However, the bed is comfortable and the fabric is of good quality, the water is hot and pressure is fine. The rooms decor is classy and funny, so my guests easily went into mood for the fun.
 
It is a lb friendly hotel modified from a small building. The staff is helpful. Rate is closed to 2k per night. It is just close to thonglor and therefore easy for good restaurants, bars and clubs.

Just got back from the Red Cross Clinic near Rajadamri BTS. All clean so thats always good news.
 
However, they seemed to have increased the price. I paid 400 baht for HIV and syphilis testing, while last year I paid 200 baht for both.
 
But other than that, process was very straight forward and almost everyone there speaks some sort of english, enough to understand what stations to go to.
 
Took me 1 hour and 15 minutes in total.

I tried this place yesterday and was positively surprised how good the food is. I had Calamari, fried to perfection IMO, and Carbonara that was much better than I had expected, even with cream sauce. Total bill was 390 Bath including 2 soft drinks.
As Mardhi said, small place with few tables, only one outside table for smoking. Nice staff and sure the location can't be beaten, maybe 30 meters from CIRB

I tried this place yesterday and was positively surprised how good the food is. I had Calamari, fried to perfection IMO, and Carbonara that was much better than I had expected, even with cream sauce. Total bill was 390 Bath including 2 soft drinks.
As Mardhi said, small place with few tables, only one outside table for smoking. Nice staff and sure the location can't be beaten, maybe 30 meters from CIRB

Yes, the Kiwi Pub is owned by the Eclipse Group. It used to be simply called 'Soi 8 Pub' but got rebranded by Eclipse after they purchased it. The Australian on soi 11, where we recently had a pretty good burger, is also owned by Eclipse by the way.

There should not be any cream in Carbonara, just egg yolk added at the end, which cooks itself with the hot oil used to cook the cheek lard (not bacon). So the end dish should not be swimming in sauce at all.
 
I better preapare it myself in the kitchen I have in the apartment, if I can find the right things in BKK

There should not be any cream in Carbonara, just egg yolk added at the end, which cooks itself with the hot oil used to cook the cheek lard (not bacon). So the end dish should not be swimming in sauce at all.
 
I better preapare it myself in the kitchen I have in the apartment, if I can find the right things in BKK

There should not be any cream in Carbonara, just egg yolk added at the end, which cooks itself with the hot oil used to cook the cheek lard (not bacon). So the end dish should not be swimming in sauce at all.
 
I better preapare it myself in the kitchen I have in the apartment, if I can find the right things in BKK

Thanks Mardhi. I usually avoid italian restaurants when I'm out of Italy but also due to its location I think I'm going to visit this one, maybe with some girl from CIB.
 
Carbonara69 is going to try Carbonara made in Thailand

Thanks Mardhi. I usually avoid italian restaurants when I'm out of Italy but also due to its location I think I'm going to visit this one, maybe with some girl from CIB.
 
Carbonara69 is going to try Carbonara made in Thailand

Been in here a few times now. First time tried a pizza. Not so great but edible. Just looked undercooked to my eye and too much cheese for my taste. Some may love 'em. They are cheap at like 200 baht.
 
Beef Lasagne comes in a ceramic bowl/pot and I found it really good. 200baht. Had it twice now.
 
Carbonara. Quite surprised how good it was. Bit too much sauce for my liking but good taste. 170baht
 
Garlic bread - forget it, it's awful, toasted one side and chewy sweet Thai bread.
 
Bolognaise - had this today before heading back to home and found it very edible. 170baht.
 
The missus likes the Thai food and she also had various different salads which were also good.
 
No aircon, maybe 6 tables in total. Not a glam place but food is reasonable considering not too much choice in the area for 'easy food' aside from Subway and KFC. Have never actually looked at drink prices but must have been reasonable as total bill was always in the ballpark I'd be expecting.
 
Good and cheap is my summary. Just don't expect anything great.

Just a follow up after our stay. I can well understand the reviews. This is a rather odd hotel but strangely quite charming in its own way.
 
First off, I will stay again as I liked it and have no need for guests to join me, so no idea if they actually invoke the 500b joiner fee advertised on a sign at the front desk.
 
This is a typically old money business. Trends may change but little seems to have changed here. I found all the staff (well all two of them) to be very nice and both have great English. There is an old lady who sits in the lobby all day. I can only guess she is the original owner and that operational control has passed down to children/grand children. I did see an absolute stunning looking GG coming out of a back area. Deffo a top drawer Hi So and probably a grand daughter aged about 24.
 
The rooms have modern air conditioners and work well. The deluxe rooms are on the two highest floors (8 & 9) and have crap water pressure. We moved to the 4th floor and had perfect pressure. Moral of the story is they need a pump on the roof to push the water.
 
Breakfast from 7.30am to 10am and cooked by one of the receptionists. Coffee is instant and you make it yourself !! Breakfast set is only 100b. Probably all it's worth to be honest. Just to re-inforce the old fashioned odd style of the place, there is a probably 80/90 year old manual sewing machine set up in the restaurant and still being used as some linen was next to it waiting repair. Also the breakfast plate was Bone China and from a very expensive set that I looked at for my house about 15 years ago !!!
 
Lovely view from the top floor rooms overlooking Chuwit Park and up over Sukhumvit. Has a small pool which we never used on the ground floor. If you look in the pics of the skyline, you can see where new CIB will be. Its in the building which has red & white telephone mast on the roof.
 
Deluxe rooms (floor 8 & 9) are 1500b night. Regular (lower floor with carpet not laminate) was 1250 b night. Fantastic value for money if you're ok with the oddity about the place. My missus prefers this over the Ever Rich for some reason. no more than 125m walk from the main Sukhumvit Rd.

That breakfast is just sad.

The plan for this are already pretty advanced and by look of things will be opening quicker than anyone expected. This is what I have been told and also what some guys are trying to influence June so it works well.
 
The CIB building is at least 30 years old and has all the main plumbing at the back of the building. The rooms were previously rented out to Thai's in price range of 3,000-5,000b month. They were in terrible state. Floor by floor, everything is being ripped out and done again. When CIB opens it will comprise the first 2 floors (Ground and mezzanine). There are two rooms on the mezzanine which will be used for hourly rentals.
 
On each of the floors above, there will end up being 3 rooms and one suite. The suite takes up half the floor space and has a fully integrated bathroom with walk in shower etc. Separate bedroom then at the front is the living area with windows etc. The 3 rooms will have their own shower but not an integrated toilet within the room. Only one of these 3 rooms has a window. Two rooms are internal. The toilets are on each floor at the back of the building. As a result, the prices will be pitched accordingly. Some guys maybe OK with that, some not so cool. The plan for rooms is king size beds, powerful aircon, powerful water supply and sound proofed rooms. Beds and linen will be 100% cotton and very good quality. Prices expected to be somewhere around 800-1000 baht per night. The suites will be somewhere in the 2,500-3,000b night range and drop down the more nights you stay. i.e., this is not full service hotel, the preference is for guests to stay longer and pricing will reflect that in the suites & rooms. There will likely only be 2 suites converted, but that could increase to 4 if it is a success. It is being looked at now if the suites can create a balcony as well, no word on if this can be done.
 
The 1st floor (Ground, mezzanine, 1st, 2nd etc) rooms will likely be ready in September. At this stage I have no idea how bookings will be made and June is focussed on getting the bar ready first and then move onto the rooms. For guys planning trips this autumn/winter may find this useful. The rooms have their own access into the building seperate from the bar with key code access.
 
The 1st floor and 2nd floor are walkable easily, any higher and I can't see people walking up. There are 6 floors in total. There is no lift.
 
That is what I know so far.
 

Will be in BKK tomorrow for 2 nights and just found out my regular hotel (Ever Rich soi 7) is full !!
 
So, will switch to the other side and give this place a try. It does sound a bit of a Fawlty Towers joint on the booking.com reviews so it maybe a short review if I ain't impressed. I walked past it the other day when looking for some places to eat in soi 10 (ended up in Galleria for coffee, very good). It is about the 3rd closest hotel to the new CIB and about a 100 metre walk, if that.
 
More over the weekend....

Hilbert Space was here

I like the Strand Inn on Patpong 2, straight across from Electric Blue and adjacent to Badabing. The Madrid on Patpong 1 would also be an option.
 
Room at Strand Inn

 

I stayed at Phachara during my short trip last April. Besides being close to the action, like SheLuver I also wanted to check it and see if it could be good for my August vacation. I had the same room he had and I found it good for a short stay. But for my next long trip I wanted a One Bedroom apartment so I talked to a management girl and asked her to see one of them. The Deluxe one was just ok but I found the Executive one great. Large bedroom and living room and big balcony with table and chairs. Got it booked for 65.000 for the month.
Shama was one of my other options but after having seen the apartment I will be staying in at Phachara I opted for this last one.
 
Of course it's only booked and not paid yet, especially now that CIB could relocate somewhere else. If they should move the bar before August and the new location will be around soi 22, I will change my hotel too. My evenings will start in different places but most of the nights will end at CIB so I prefer a place close to the bar.

Great location for sure... Shama is at least 1 grade better than The Phachara, the rooms are larger and more modern whilst the rooftop pool is far superior as well. There were 2 minus points when I stayed there around 3 years ago: the wifi sucked big time and the choice of TV channels was very limited + mainly dominated by Arab stations. Not a surprise given that the majority of clientele were Arabs, but still a bit of an annoyance to me. The poor wifi was however the main reason for not returning. The room itself and the onsite amenities were excellent.
 
Enjoy your stay and, like Boomerang, I look forward to an up to date Shama review.

Hilbert Space was here

Thanks from me too Oliver to take the time to write and post this great report.
That's a hammered dulcimer (khim in thai)

Thanks from me too Oliver to take the time to write and post this great report.
That's a hammered dulcimer (khim in thai)

Yes it is south of Hua Hin, about 20 minutes away. The car service drivers have taken different routes to get us there, both through Hua Hin and around it. I don't think any time is saved one way or the other. As said in the review, the hotel does operate a scheduled shuttle van into Hua Hin, but only in the evenings. The drop-offs and pick-ups in town occur at the clock tower with the portraits of the King and Queen. In the vicinity of the clock tower is a pretty good night market, and also numerous restaurants. JJ told me there is also at least one ladyboy bar in Hua Hin (one of her friends works there). We didn't visit, but I did see pics of the place. It looks like they have about 6 or 7 girls available, and as you can guess they aren't quite - I am being kind here - BKK quality ladyboys judging from
the pics.
 
The resort is isolated, but during the day there was no incentive to leave and during the night you can take the shuttle into Hua Hin. Pranburi itself has a couple of farang-oriented bars within walking distance, but neither one of them was much fun.
 
 
 
The Sheraton at least implies that they are on the beach, but directly across the road is nothing but rocks at the waterfront. There is also a fairly impressive walking trail / bike trail under construction along the waterfront. They had made a lot of progress on the trail since I was last here back in January. It looks like it will be a boardwalk type thing with food and drink available along the route. The first pic below is looking across Sheraton's lawn to the waterfront.The 2nd pic below shows the trail and the waterfront. The figure in the middle is JJ taking (what else?) selfies for facebook. The guy in the water was a fisherman gathering up his nets.
 

 

 
 
 
Below is a pic of a typical walkway at the Sheraton. Our villa was about a 10 minute stroll from the big restaurant and reception area. There are no motorized vehicles on the paths, the staff uses bicycles to get around.
 

 
 
The pics below are from my January 2016 visit here with Sofie. We spent 4 nights there. Sofie generated some interest in another thread here recently http://www.bangkokladyboys.net/forum/index.php?/topic/7289-sophie-maybe/ These pics are about the only ones I have from that trip that are suitable for the regular section. The other pics I took belong in the advanced section, and I will put them there if I don't lose my nerve first. Here, you can also get a closer look at the outdoor sunken bathtub, which was a big hit with both Sofie and JJ. The other pics are from the main restaurant at breakfast. Somebody please tell me what instrument the girl is playing. She provided entertainment every morning during the January visit. I have no idea what the instrument is called, but I hear it all the time in Asian music.
 

 

 

 

 

During my May 2016 trip, I spent 4 nights at the Sheraton Pranburi Villas outside of Hua Hin. My companion was JJ from CIB. Pranburi is about a 3 hour trip by car from Bangkok on a normal day. Regrettably, JJ and I took the trip on May 20, which turned out to be Vesak day, one of the most important Buddha days of the year. It was also a Friday afternoon, making it a big holiday weekend for Thais and the result was a very slow go to Pranburi which consumed 5 hours in the car. We did wisely use a private car service instead of a grimy and cramped BKK taxi, which made the trip a little easier.
 
The Sheraton Pranburi Villas are located about 20 minutes outside of Hua Hin in the sleeply little town of Pranburi. The hotel offers a scheduled shuttle van service to Hua Hin in the evenings. Taxis are not usually available at the hotel, which is a good thing because Hua-Hin's Phuket-like Taxi cartel charges about 1000 -1200 baht for a trip between the hotel and town. Use the van instead if you want to visit Hua-Hin. As for Pranburi itself, it is within walking distance from the Sheraton or you can simply take one of the mountain bikes that are available for guests to use. Am pleased to report that the mountain bikes are rock solid Treks instead of some cheapo off-brand machine.
 
The property is comprised of 50 detached villas. Each villa has its own private swimming pool. Also available are 2 story villas with multiple bedrooms. The villas all have high walls surrounding them which give you total privacy and seclusion from the surrounding villas. The hotels property is quite large and very quiet.
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In the back of each villa is a private pool, along with lounge chairs and a cushioned pit for eating or doing whatever comes natural to you or your ladyboy.
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The villas are large and well appointed. I particularly liked the in-room shower that converts to to a wet sauna with seat. Now, I have seen these gimmicky things before in hotel rooms, and they rarely work as claimed, but the Sheraton's shower / sauna gizmo tuned out to be truth in advertising. They are completely sealed and the water is very hot and generates more than enough steam to sweat out the booze and tension in your body, as good as any wet sauna in a health club. This gets an A+ from me.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The villa also has an outdoor shower if you want to bathe outdoors. There is also an outdoor sunken bathtub right outside your bedroom door (seen in 2nd pic, the tiled area in the plants). I didn't use these, but JJ bathed in them every day.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The beds are comfortable and the mosquito netting is not for decorative purposes. You can completely open the bedroom's glass walls and sleep in the fresh air if you want. That's when you want to deploy the mosquito netting, because they do come out in the evenings.

 
 
 
 
More room details.....
 

 

 
 
 
 
If you get bored with your villa pool, you can stroll over to the hotel's infinity pool. When we there, we were the only guests using the big pool. The Sheraton also has a small restaurant and bar next to the pool. A larger bar and restaurant are located elsewhere on the property. The breakfast buffet is noteworthy, because along with a very nice spread of food, a sushi chef is also on duty to give you a sushi fix if you are in need. Typically for an isolated resort with a captive clientele, the food tends to be on the pricey side . However, the liquor prices are surprisingly very reasonable (80 baht for a Singha , 100 baht for a Heineken ).They do have 24 hour room service (the full menu ), which I found to be commendable on a property with only 50 room units.
 

 

 
 
 
 
The gym next to the big pool.
 

 
 
 
 
To sum up, the Sheraton Pranuburi Villas make for an excellent getaway from your BKK trip. I have been here twice with LBs, and this place has been an enormous hit with both of them. Rates run about 6000 baht per night low season and about 7000 baht per night in high season. This property does have occasional sales, and if you are not a Starwood member, it makes sense to join to get favorable rates here when you book.
 
Thanks for reading my review. Later on, I may post a director's cut of this review as well as pics from my earlier Pranburi trip with the other LB in the advanced section (also have video if I can figure out to post a video), but that is a couple of days away.
 
 
 
 
 

Always a good idea . After all you have booked for two people per day . Grand Swiss asked me when the other guest would be arriving , my answer with a smile " every night " .