SAGuy

Hey there Thanks Yes I agree, if it is a gradual approach, then that's all fine, but my spider sense tells me its not a plan, but rather a 'tick of the box'. We shall see... Regarding the initial retina scans in DXB, I share your pain! My first one was 10+ years ago and very stupidly I had my eyes lasered 3 days before I first got there. They became so impatient with me, as it wasn't registering, that they were threatening to turn me back after the 5th failed attempt. Luckily, with the aid of copious amounts of saline solution, the sixth attempt worked. Moral of the story is don't get your eyes lasered so close to the retina scan! Planning and technology roll outs don't tend to go hand in hand in emerging countries, as witnessed by the UAE constantly digging up new roads over and and over again, as they forgot something. In BKK my favourite example is the fact that you have to have separate stored-value cards to ride the underground, skytrain and airport express. Logically, just one card across all 3 transport modes would make sense,. But then I guess that would mean only 1 billing system and 1 set of hardware, which then cuts down the number of RFPs that they can issue, with all of the associated 'leakage' that goes on with the RFP process in some countries... Cheers SAG

Hey there Thanks I also had to register for this process, as you described, on my last visit to BKK in May. I'll find out in July if I have to go through the whole process again, which wouldn't make sense, but then again TIT (This Is Thailand). It's definitely a combination of fingerprints and facial recognition software, but it seems that they have opted for the cheaper solution, as a retina scan is a lot more accurate and produces far less false-negatives. It's a good initial step forward, but its unknown what their plan is, if there is indeed even a plan for progressing this to full automation. I just landed back in the UAE this morning and entry takes less than 90 seconds, using a single thumb reader and retina scan, with no passport involved, if you have an Emirates ID card. Even for those passport holders of 37 countries that can use the biometric devices, its very fast and doesn't require any stamps in the passports, just a read of the barcode. This obviously has great advantages for the frequent travellers, as it means that your passport doesn't get used up as fast as before. What the Thai's appear to have done is a halfway house, where they have the basic biometrics in place, but still require the passport officers and the passport stamps, as they haven't installed the self-serve barcode readers yet. The advantages of a fully automated system really are significant, and in the very first year of installing this, the UAE picked up approx. 250,000 travellers attempting to re-enter the country on new or false passports, after they had been listed as 'persona non grata'. I guess that the days of being on an overstay and then returning to the LOS on a new passport are probably nearing an end, if they ever actually implement the full end to end system! Cheers SAG

Hi again mespicy If you are referring to Citadines soi 8, I think it is in better condition than the soi 11 property, as it is a bit quieter and gets more couples. It is also going through a floor by floor refurb, so I think the rooms are in very good nick. I've never had a problem bringing a LB back there and the walk of shame is just a few metres! There's also a number of good eateries nearby, Det-5 serves a good breakfast and is in walking distance. Cheers SAG

Hey mespicy I stayed at Citadines soi 11 a number of times over the years, but unless you get a room at the back on the 7th or 8th floor you may have problems sleeping as the bars in the area play the music at full blast until about 0200. If you are a late night type, then it wont be a problem, but believe me, any room below the 7th floor will require ear plugs if you want to sleep before 0200-0300. I also found it to be quite a walk in the heat or the rain to Sukhumvit, as the pavements can get crowded and there is a lot of traffic. I moved over to the Citadines on soi 8, which is a lot quieter and has a free 24 hour tuk tuk to Sukhumvit. Plus it is cheaper. OTS is correct about Citrus Suites, whilst I have never stayed there, its about the same standard as Citadines and is in a quieter location, so between the 2, if you want to stay on soi 11, then I'd go with the Citrus Suites. Cheers SAG

Hey Thanks Does the owner have a LB 'daughter' by any chance? Just asking for a friend... SAG

Hi Thanks Great research as always, but I cannot comment on any of these 3 venues, as they're too far off the 'beaten path' for me to have looked at. If you want a real Thai experience, maybe try Udon Thani? I was there on a job about 3 years ago and there's a whole area in the city centre, unimaginatively called "Bar Farang" so very easy to find! Its a strip of about 12 beer bars under a roof and they had a lot of GGs there, who seemed to be retired from PAT and BKK and so went home. I don't remember any LBs, but I am sure that there were. Udon Thani is a cheap flight from BKK and I liked the place, so maybe worthwhile for you to have a look? Cheers SAG

Now just imagine if Hooters had rooms? SAG

So I had my first wisdom tooth pulled about 15 years ago in NY by a dentist straight out of college. He used the laughing gas very liberally and it was overall not a bad experience. But my dental insurance ran out, so that was the end of that. My second was about 5 years ago in Cape Town, by Dr. Mengele's crueller younger brother. It took about 6 days to get over that one! I'm now thinking about getting the remaining 2 pulled in BKK, as its a lot cheaper there and it seems that they have some decent dentists, who don't think that leaving you looking like a hamster on steroids is a great thing. Does anyone have any recommendations for dentists that do a decent job on wisdom teeth and have any indication of the costs involved? Cheers SAG

Taas If you scratch just beneath the surface of the glitz and bling of Dubai, there's a lot of sleazy places that the mall-obsessed tourists never see. One area is called Bur Dubai and its where us mongers would naturally congregate, but you wouldn't want to live there. Soi 3 reminds me very much of Bur Dubai, with the revolving death shwarma stands and big-ass street meat. Cheers SAG

Thanks very much Robert, I'll go and have a look there on the next trip. According to the site, they are now on soi 77 and 60% of the customers are foreigners, so it does come across as professional. That's top of the list now. Cheers SAG

Thanks Taas I tend to avoid 'Soi Arab' as it feel like too close to 'home' for me to be comfortable there LOL. Clearly the pop-ups are appealing to the ME medical tourists, but I'll stay well clear. Thanks for the heads-up. Cheers SAG

Thanks for rooting out yet another unknown potential gem Thanks. You are rapidly becoming the board's Dr. Livingstone! I work out of the Trendy Building on soi 13 quite often and know that alleyway well, so will pop my head in on the next BKK trip. If there's anything of interest there, I'll do a report back. Cheers and keep up the exploring, its of interest to many of us. Just keep an eye out for any cannibals! SAG

Like most things in software, its one step forwards and five steps back! But it does seem to be a lot more stable now. Thanks to the admins for all the hard work getting it back on its feet. That's much appreciated and I for one feel like I have an old friend back in town. It was lonely out there in the sand! Cheers SAG

Thanks thanks for the detailed hotel review which was very good. 2 comments and a question: Very often hotels will have silly pricing policies, like the one you describe, where their rack rate is more expensive than via booking portal, for which they have to pay a 10-15% commission. Daft but true. Citadines is more sophisticated and so you will tend to get a better deal if booked directly, but that's not the case with many other chains. I always try agoda, booking.com and then directly and compare the rates that are offered. Just be careful that they are all apples to apples and include the ++ charges. In the third world and Spain, its always prudent to knock off 1 star from what they claim they are. Obviously this doesn't apply to the big Western chains such as Marriott or Sheraton etc. The question is how far down soi 2 is the Icon? is it close to Sukhumvit or a forced march to get to the main street? The pictures definitely look good and your room seemed to be in very good condition. Cheers SAG

That's the strange thing, both buildings have the same address and so the only way to avoid ending up in the annex is to state upfront that you want to be in the main building. I have been in the annex once and it wasnt terrible, but the main building is better and this is where breakfast is served, so its more convenient. Cheers SAG

I'm glad to see that its not just me and that was a funny story. In the end its just USD 30, so its not worth sweating over and I bet the maid told her family all about the very generous hi so farang that night, so its great that you made her day! Thanks for the story, it was a great one to chuckle over, as I could see myself doing exactly the same thing! Cheers SAG

So as part of my promise to give back to the forum that has been so helpful to me, this is my first new topic. I started visiting the LOS in 2009 and this was the very first hotel that I stayed in in BKK. It was booked as it was close to where I was working on Soi 13. I stayed at S15, which is part of a small chain of 3-4 hotels for 3 visits between 2009-2010 and it is a great location, right on Sukhumvit and in walking distance of Robinsons and Terminal 21 and also the fleshpots on lower Sukhumvit. The hotel is very clean, serves a decent breakfast and is guest friendly. As this was my introduction to life in the LOS, the 'walk of shame' also wasn't too far LOL. I stopped staying there after midway 2010, as their rates kept climbing to around THB 3,500 per night and they weren't interested in a corporate discount deal. I still use the lunchtime buffet from time to time, as it changes every day and its a good venue to take a mixed group of people, with different dietary requirements. This hotel is also the scene of one of my favourite newbie mistakes, of which there have been many over the years, which I'll document in later posts. After checking in I tipped the hotel porter what I thought was THB 100. (It had been a long flight and in my defence I was unused to the Thai currency). Later that night I realised I had actually given him THB 1,000! Even in the States and Europe that would be an extraordinary tip for carrying one bag and also explains the smile from ear to ear that he had! So what do I do? I can't really ask him for THB 900 back? On the other hand, it just didn't seem right to let him get away with it. So a plan was hatched... After a wash and some food shopping I went to see him again and explained the situation and advised that he now needed to do me a favour. He could keep the THB 1,000 but had to procure me a decent looking GG. (Yes I do realise it was a newbie mistake, but it was my first night in BKK and little did I realise that there were GG a plenty literally outside the hotel or down the street outside the Ruamchit Hotel). This was before the days of Holly Coffee, which is also a great pick up spot. So I expected him to take about 30 minutes to 'procure' one, but within 5 minutes he was knocking on the room door with a great selection of 3! This is when I realised that BKK was like no other city I had ever been to before and its when I coined the phrase "you are never more than 10 metres away from a potential jump." Afterwards I also laughed at the difference between BKK and the big London Hotels, where the concierge would use the code phrase "would you like an extra pillow for your room Sir?" It was on my second stay at the S15 that I broke my LB cherry with Eye, from an escort agency, so happy memories! So in summary, S15 is a good hotel, in a great location, but is a bit pricey for what you get and some could find the rooms to be a bit austere. I swapped in 2010 to start staying at the Dream Hotel further down Soi 15. But that's another story and another hotel review. Here ends my first ever proactive post! SAG

The building next door is now completely gutted and you can actually walk through the ground floor as a short cut to get to CIB, if you don't want to take the first or second sois. SAG

Hey there Thanks From what I heard from the girls at CIB a few months back it has now transformed into a karaoke bar and knocking shop focused on the Koreans. So unless any BM wants to rent a room by the hour and also use to ear plugs to drown out the dulcet tones of 'sararymen' knocking out My Way on the hour, every hour, then its probably not appropriate for a farang as an accommodation option. Cheers SAG

Hey there Manga I've seen 2 in 10 years of visiting. One was a bright yellow/green one down by the canal path at the end of soi 15 and the other was a python in Chatuchak Park. But saying that, Oliver is right, the soi dogs and rats are a lot more prevalent! Your biggest risk will be some of the two-legged sharks you may encounter. Cheers SAG

Hey there Geronimo You are most probably right, but I was just repeating what we were taught in basic training many years ago. Saying that, like many things in that military it was probably wrong! Cheers SAG

Manga They milk the venom from the snakes to produce the antidotes. Top tip 1 - if you ever get bitten by snake - first thing is to try and kill it and then take it and yourself to the hospital pronto. Only when they can actually ID the snake can they know which ant-venom course they should use. Unfortunately there isn't a single antidote to all snake bites. Top tip 2 - tie a tourniquet around the part that has been bitten to slow down the spread of the poison within your blood stream. Top tip 3 - if you get bitten by a Black Mamba - make sure you get to the hospital within 30 minutes maximum! Cheers SAG

Thanks Taas I know Holly's well as its the best place to stop for a coffee in that area. I have also passed it late at night, but never been in then. If I have to resort to Plan B, I'll give it a go around the changing of the shift time. It adds new meaning to "would you like a shot with your coffee sir?" Cheers SAG

Thanks for the suggestions Taas. One of my favourite things about BKK is eating at recommended street food places that dont result in the Aztec Two-step. Cammy also had a great suggestion and I've been to that place just up soi 11 for noodles with quite a few of the LBs after their shifts end and prior to loom escapades. A great additional go-to I like to use during the day is the 24 hour restaurant at the New Business Inn on Soi 11, thats always a decent place for low cost and it has AC. Cheers SAG

Thanks for all the info Manga, these prices are very low and also some of the vaccines cant be found in many countries, e.g. Japanese Encephalitis. Make sure that you use an international inoculations book, which you normally get with a Yellow Fever jab, as that can then be used like a log book and so its easy for them to work out what you have had and when. Definitely make sure you get the Typhoid jab. I caught that in Ghana from forgetting to use bottled water to brush my teeth one morning and was man down for a month. Great info, thanks for taking the time, I never thought of using the CDC website and the HPV suggestion is also something I hadn't thought of. Cheers SAG