mardhi

This is a superb product !!!! Been looking at plenty London bound flights for November and this has just cut through the crap - cheapest by far is some 22,000b ex BKK on KLM in economy. That is half the price i have seen before. Many thanks for suggesting this - aside from the GDS systems used by agents, this is way ahead of plugging through each airlines website. The month feature is really handy as well. Good job that man for suggesting it.

I remember when they launched this chain, that aircon was NOT included in the room rate - so you had to pay extra if you wanted it. Presumably the fan is free ? I could well imagine in Thailand, no aircon room at these rates is not going to be popular with customers. Maybe they now just included it and left the fans there.

I'd go for iCheck in purely for the location. Trudging up & down Soi 11 would get very boring very quickly to me at least.

I was quite impressed with the soap when I found it. Does not seem to be a regular bar of soap but one of two little bottles - one is shampoo, one is shower gel but I found them in the room itself on a tray, next to drinking glasses and loo roll. However that was when i stayed overnight, so they may spec the 'extra's' differently.

There is/was a Spanish Tapas set up in around Soi 11 as I recall - maybe off the U bend where the cheap stand up bar is/was. Sounding a bit vague because I have never been there but had always wanted to try it. Will try and do some research to see if it is still there. As I recall, it was owned by a Spanish guy.

I doubt it - its not that kind of set-up. For now, no problem with just walking up. Aside from few short times, I doubt they have ever had 3 rooms occupied thus far.

Completely different standards of hotel. GP is much much better than Nana City

If you dislike musty smelling carpet, then cancel now. Like many older hotels, they seem to love this carpet that just oozes 20 years without a clean or refit. The hotel is OK and what it offers is about right for the price (about 1000b). But plenty of newer options out there.

I have been looking around for flights ex BKK to go to London. Aside from the fact prices have gone up a lot, it really does appear that the Internet age has not hit Thailand, at least as far as flight bookings go. From what i can see, the best fares are on the airlines own websites. I will check out some real travel agencies as well over the coming weeks. seems like 32,000b is about the best economy fare and 82,000b the best Business class fare (South Asian/Indian carriers excluded - I have done the Mumbai transfers before for business and vowed never again).

I have stayed there but probably even before OTS. i do remember a tiny old fashioned lift with doors you closed yourself and duvets on the beds (not common in those days). other than that, not much else to recall about it but it had a quite nice garden and pool at the front of the hotel and very scandinavian menu. I assume it was most likely owned by a Danish guy but would stand to be corrected. If it has not been upgraded, as OTS suggested much better options now exist.

You can pick tickets up at any Thai major ticket office but I just pick them up at their office at Morchit bus station. The ttm office just pull up the booking and print them there and then.

On the numerous times using both these company's I have always sat wherever possible on the lower deck. Lower deck has only 6 seats and has less 'roll' than upstairs. On all occasions the driving has been excellent and ast moderate speed. These are the minibus drivers you so often see.you choose seats via an online seat map, so its easy to tell lower and upper deck when booking. All the buses have toilets on board and stop about every 3 hours for toilet breaks. The VIP buses I have seen from these two companies have also been in very good condition. I have also seen other buses that look crap, hence the comment that there is not one standard across all the operators. One other that I have heard excellent reviews on is NCA however they seem to be Chiang Mai centric and do not go between bkk and mukdahan.

So back to the services, product and price. Between bkk and Mukdahan as an example, 999 company charge about 890b one way. Sahanapan charge 633b. The. VIP service is virtually identical. First class on Sahanapan is 533b. For a 100b difference, its a no brainer which service to take. 1st class, while good, is just like a regular coach seat with slightly better legroom and recline than normal on a 52 seat coach.

Until you see Morchit bus terminal in Bkk, you would never comprehend just how huge the business is of moving people around this country. Sat last night in Mukdahan, a border city with Lao. OK we got there early due to uncertainty about delays at the border (there were none, hence being so early). I saw in the space of 90 minutes 6 double decked coaches Leaving for Rayong via Pattaya. Also saw 15 Double deckers, including ours, leaving for Bangkok.

I have used VIP services on Two companies. 999 transport company and Sahaphan company. Both have similar products but very different pricing. Booking bus travel had often been a pain in the arse until Thai Ticket Major came to the rescue. From their website you can now book both of the above companies bus services. Even better is the website is dual language with both Thai and English options. I cannot put a link as typing this on my tablet but just Google them, find the site, switch to English and see the bus travel box on the right hand side.

Have a read of this link about the train. There is regular every day service plus special weekend train which goes from the main station (hualumpong) which is easier for being in central BKK (its quite near Patpong just of Rama 4. http://www.seat61.com/Bridge-on-the-River-Kwai.htm#.UzLlaM73OV4

This is good info and I have been planning a trip around that International express train down to Malaysia. Feel free to add some simple trip reports even if you do not have any photo's. Many of the members are interested in side trips and this one to Malaysia is often overlooked. I read recently of a guy who did a Vientiane run and flew up. Lot of queues at the border points etc etc. He clearly should have taken the overnight express by train and switched onto the little train that goes over the bridge. Apparently, nobody uses it who needs a visa on arrival into lao and the whole thing takes less than 5 minutes as its not the same immigration point. I intend doing that overnight soon as part of a bigger trip up to Chiang Mai and over into Lao and Luang Prabang. Although I may fly the Luang prabang to Vientianne bit, everything else will be by rail or boat.

I can guarantee that OTS would not have done it LOL. Looks nice hotel and good timing as i am planning another adventure up to C/Mai and then into Lao and along and Mekong - just need to be sure there will be enough water for the boat trip.

I enter this site the same way - for some reason my firefox memory does not pick up the forum is what i always visit and thus keeps bringing me in the same way. have to say though - there is some hideous Western women in that webcam thingy that pops up.

I never heard anything from outside and I also had street facing room. By the way I booked the cheapest which is superior room. Apparently deluxe are same, just slightly larger. I would book superior sized again. I had to extend for a 2nd night but to get the 1099b rate, I had to book it online, stood in front of reception. Rate otherwise was 1400 from memory if front desk booked it as a walk in from the street.

I stayed last week following this review from SM. Aside from it being an excellent new hotel, the current rate is just 1090b all in. To get the best rate you need to book on the hotel own website. Just Google it. Also have a hotel in soi 11 and soi 2. Important note is the rooms are all non smoking. Smoking terrace at the front and a free coffee machine in the lobby. No tea/coffee making in the rooms though. All in all, excellent value for money. I will certainly stay again.

The guards carriage they leave a door open for smokers.

Thought you would have been sat in 1st class mate. Wooden bench seats don't seem your thing. Still what were you expecting for 90b fare?

I remember putting up pics with her in before anyone knew her name. she is in pics but only in last couple of months - she started not long before the inside cib opened - infact I think I first saw her at june's birthday/halloween party and she was one of maybe 5 new girls - of which I believe only 2/3 eventually started. Do not recall seeing anything else about her, i.e. trip reports etc.

Out of interest - what layout were the seats in? I cannot stand 'theatre' style seating for more than 10 minutes so hopefully its chairs around tables style of layout. I may well give this show a go soon but 300b for a lady drink is just total rip off. .