mikel

Herehai is a small restaurant, about 25 minutes from Thong Lor BTS station. 
The food and service was excellent.
We had the crab omelette, tom yum prawns, mantis shrimp, and the crab fried rice.
Each dish was a feast for the senses. If I return, I would order the same dishes.
Service was excellent without being intrusive.
Best of all was that the total came to only 2000B, which is inexpensive. The only issue is the wait times as the restaurant is very small so the lines are long. 
but if you love Thai food this is really a must visit. This is on par with Jay Fai. 
 
Dan

My trip in Sept last year had a return flight BKK to Melb by Thai Air.
Turned up at 9.30 pm for a 12.05 am flight. Seareched the board. Nothing there. Went to their ticketing office and asked what what was going on.
Oh no, that flight has been changed to 8.00am
I had to rebook for the following day. Cost me taxi fares, another night in the hotel etc etc. Total of about $250.00 with all the screwing around. Would have found out if they had the courtesy to notify me of the flight change, but no. Did not do it.
I had booked about 3 months prior so they had time.
Sent them an email asking for compensation but you can guess what happened about that!

I finally got thru to Thai Airways customer support. Went through the same number. pressed 9 for English but listened to the Thai (I know next to no Thai but I do know numbers) I heard neung, then later heard Song, so presume they were giving me options to press. 1 for x, 2 for y. I pressed 1 and got on hold music. Within 1 minute someone answered in Thai, I asked if they could speak English They just said hold on. More on hold music. 30 seconds later girl answers in English. Took minutes to read out my flight confirmation number, her mistaking every letter for a number and every number for a letter. 'Reference number is '3'  she says did you say P, no 3, the number, Sam. Oh Sam OK sir. Then next letter is F. She said did you say S? on and on through 5 digits. I even used the Phoenetic Alaphet which is standard in aviation industry. F is for Foxtrot. She had no idea what I was saying. She finally repeated back and found my flight details. She then said she would check my flight conditions. On hold for 2 minutes.
Came back and said I could cancel but cancel fee 6000 Thb = A$250 Aussie dollars (fuck that's 3 STs!). OK. Think the flight was only about $750 so atleast will get $500 back. Better than nothing. She then says it will take up to 180 to get the refund. 6 months seriously? How can they bill your card in seconds, but refunds take 6 months? Things that make you go hmmmmm.
Last year I had ANA cancel a flight in Japan, was due to Thyphon. Called their call centre. Did take 15 minutes to get through but that day many flights had been canceled. They gave me options to either reschedule, get a credit or get refund. I went for refund. Money was back on my credit card next day. No fee. I guess it is different as ANA cancelled that flight, and I cancelled this flight but seriously, it has been a mission to contact them, zero responses to emails. I'm done.
Thai Aiways. BANNED. You are on the No Fly List!
Makes me remember, more than 20 years ago, I was at Lumphini Stadium to watch Thai kick boxing. Sat next to an American guy who lived in Bangkok. He was telling me all the stuff the Thai Governement own, told me back then Thai Airways was actually owned by the Thai Miliatry. Any profilts went to feed their Generals. hahahahaha. TIT.

Thai Air are completely useless. I flew with them several times ex Syd because of special deals through Malai Travel  but one flight had a broken seat. No acknowledgement from staff and sought compensation/apology via letters/email/phone & online shaming. Nothing. One flight entertainment system broken. Same deal. Ladt time the plane broke down in Sydney but nobody told us for three hours until a softly spoken middle aged man  came out and told us it was cancelled  only those closest could understand him. Next day we returned and they had no plan or system at all. I worked with a British guy to separate passengers into destinations (London, Frankfurt & Singapore) and we worked with a lone Thai woman to get people on other flights. I ended up on Singapore Air. Will never fly Thai again. (And their whisky is awful).
 

From the Sofitel reviews. He's talking about you.....

@Ross77 I did indeed enter at the doors furthest away from the desk. If memory serves me correctly at the time there was also a small door close to the lifts with direct access to T21.
The Japanese style toilets did my head in, a degree in computer science was needed just to flush.

Have a word with yourself. Racism is for dickheads.

Have a word with yourself. Racism is for dickheads.

Just read this tread and changed immediately my reservation from mercure soi 11 to the Novotel Bang na!

Thank you all for making me aware of this dangerous area.


Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-S901B met Tapatalk

Spotted on Agoda...take heed

Going to cost you a fortune in LadyPies....

Going to cost you a fortune in LadyPies....

It's the tropics so a white dinner jacket is acceptable but remember you are representing the highest form of gentleman traveller so never white pants under any circumstance.

If you're a serious gym goer then you can't beat the Muscle Factory at On Nut. Bit of a hike but it's the best gym in Bkk. 250bt for a day pass.

If you're a serious gym goer then you can't beat the Muscle Factory at On Nut. Bit of a hike but it's the best gym in Bkk. 250bt for a day pass.

No one wants to enter your cargo shorts!

A white jeans with a linen shirt, and a petrol blue linen jacket, and dark blue sebago docksides, is more than acceptable, (no socks of course)
 

If I'm doing an afternoon date I might mention the pool and that she can bring a suit if she wants to swim or hang out.  Note...all my afternoon dates have been with girls from CIB and Cindy's.  No one has ever taken me up on it.  I think for 4 reasons:
1.  They don't want to be in the sun and get their skin darker,
2. They don't want to get their hair wet,
3. They still have to work that night and need to go back to their room and get some more sleep and get ready for work.
4.  They are sex workers and I'm just a customer for them.  They don't really want to hang out after the job is done.
It would be different if your date was with a girl from TF or whatever and not full time pay for play.  Or if it was a long long time date.
In Thailand I've found that almost all the ladies will take you up on going for a bite to eat either before or after fun in the room, but that's about the extent of extra curricular socializing I've experienced. 
Totally different from Las Vegas.  If you ask a stripper to hang out at your poolside cabana, 90% will take you up on it.

@Rocco Yup, exactly!
Even though it was frickin cold I did laps instead of the gym today. Hopefully things down there get back to normal by tonight.  
I was going to take a picture of the gym, but there were always some people in it. Never crowded (only 1 or 2 each time).  Lots of the standard cardio equipment (treadmills, bikes, ellipticals...maybe at least 2 of each); dumbbells and weight equipment and enough space in the middle to do your thing...including a Bollywood dance that I just witnessed.
Overall, this hotel is nice enough and in a good location, but I'm not sure if I would stay here again.  I don't know how much they were asking for their rooms, but based on what they charge for everything else (if you want to buy the breakfast buffet it's 450 baht) it's probably not the best deal.  If I have points again next year, maybe I would stay a few less nights at the Westin.  Great location for CIB!
Oh, and last point...if you watch TV, there are several channels to choose from and a surprising amount in English.  I've only turned the TV on once just in case they were showing NFL football and sure enough they were.

I did the Capella, with the Verandah king room, nice, fantastic bar with peacock, fantastic CÔTE Michelin star restaurant but its a little bit clinical, also the swimming pool is below comparison with the Four Seasons, Spa is spectacular though.
I am still pushing for the FOUR SEASONS, in everything superior or equal with the CAPELLA.
The only thing i want to consider the Capella are the Verandah king rooms with outside Jacuzzi.
The Four Seasons standard rooms are nice but without an outside balcony...
They have all the same interior but otherwise TOP!
Secret tip, the NARA HOUSE in the Rosewood Bangkok.  spectaculair!!!!

Last time I was in bkk with work. I stayed here and loved it. Bit far from the action though  not massively expensive (if money is no object) around gbp300 a night 
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
https://www.kempinski.com/en/siam-hotel
 
 

I am back staying at Hyatt Regency. I love this hotel. Best location on the corner of Suk and Soi 13, super modern (opened in 2018), great buffet breakfast, awesome Club Lounge on Level 27 with great view, very nice gym and swimming pool on Level 6. Only 280 meter walk to CIB, and about 450m to Cindy's. i doubt I will go any further than 450m in the next 5 nights.
I booked standard room at 6800++ per night. Used a free Suite upgrade and let me tell you the Suite is SWEET! Separate lounge room and huge bathroom.
In my small mind I thought this would impress the girls! last time I stayed in April, I also used Suite upgrade. Brought Patty from CIB back and she didn't mention anything. Brought Nutty from Cindy's, she didn't mention anything. Guess they seen it all before. Last night brought Gaga back and she did say 'Oh big room'.
Funny thing is I stayed a 2nd time in April and brought Nutty back again. Was only in the standard room this time which is still very nice just not as big. Nutty mentioned on this one, just saying, oh you have different room this time!
 

I've used Bangkok International Dental Centre several times and always pleased with the result (and cost...also from Sydney so I understand your pain). My lb 'gf' always chided me that it was ek-pensive - it is aimed at farang - but to me it was reasonable and honest.

Awesome review! I love Soi 11. So many great restaurants and bars and weed vendors. I usually stay at Hyatt Regency which is just around the corner from Soi 11. I'll be back there in April.
Like you said Soi 11, just a short walk to CIB.
I had dinner at El Gaucho Argentinean Steakhouse a few years ago. Bloody good steak! International prices but top quality. I first went to El Gaucho in Saigon before I discovered this 1 on Soi 11. There are a few El Gaucho steakhouses in Bangkok, another on Soi 19 and a few other places.
Hotel rooms light switches are a pet hate of mine too! Some hotel rooms have a central switches to turn off the main lights, then they have a few lamps that are not connected to the main switch. First night takes me ages to walk around and work out how to turn off all the lights.
Power points next to the bed is key too. Got to have my laptop power!
Another tip for food on Soi 11 - further down past Mercure you'll find Bang Bang Burgers which has some very tasty burgers!

Just spent 8 nights at the Mercure on Soi 11 and thought I'd offer up my take.
I had a King room with shower and bathtub, one of several options. It's not their largest or their smallest room, but was plenty large for my needs (photos below).
I arrived at midnight, and check-in was quick and simple. I purchased a room without the breakfast add-on, as I like to explore various breakfast options around town. I booked well in advance, while prices were still depressed by Covid, so got a rate of about $86/night. When I checked in, the rate being offered at that time was about $112.
My room was on the 16th floor and away from Soi 11, so as quiet as a room will get in that part of town. I had no issues with noise
A funny moment: I was only interested in sleeping after a 27 hour trip with a 15 hour time change, but could not figure out how to turn off the room lights. I searched everywhere (I thought) for the switches, finally calling the front desk to send someone up. The control for the room lights (nearly all of them) was in the middle of the bed headboard, hiding behind a stack of pillows.
Description of room:
The room was plenty spacious, and had pretty much everything I would want. The king bed was comfortable and the bed linens were high quality. Four large pillows. There was a desk with two chairs, and an additional two guest chairs with a small table. Opposite the bed there was a small storage unit with two drawers for clothes, and a flat screen TV above it. TV worked fine and was decent sized, but I never watched any TV. To the left of this, towards the door to the room and the door to the bathroom, was a platform to set luggage on, a small fridge (not a minibar), and then a closet with a decent sized safe (big enough for a laptop). Across from the closet was the door to the bathroom. As mentioned, the bathroom had both a glass-enclosed shower, with adjustable/handheld shower head and a rainfall shower head. Across from the shower was a full tub with an adjustable/handheld shower head (for some reason, many Thai girls seem to prefer to shower in the tub...I don't get it). Tub had a wall mounted soap dispenser, shower had wall mounted soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers. Next to the shower was a toilet with the essential bum gun, and next to it a shower and sink with ample room for storage of toiletries.
Pros: 
Comfortable bed Good AC that was easy to control air speed and room temp Great hot water. It was easy to control, and never ran low. Two large bath sheets and two smaller bath towels Plenty of seating for guests. Chairs came in handy for sex as well. Housekeeping was responsive to requests for extra towels, hangers, etc. I tipped daily. Good reading lights by the bed. Cons:
Lighting was hard to control. No dimming, and ceiling lights were either all on or all off. No power outlets next to the bed! Charging phones had to be done at the desk or on top of the fridge. This was a nuisance. Aside from liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, there were no other amenities in the bathroom. No plastic hair cover for the girls, etc. Fridge was on the small side. Room for a few drinks and not much else. The Hotel:
The lobby is nothing fancy. From the driveway you walk through sliding glass doors, across a seating area with a concierge stand, past the elevators (one left, one right), and to the actual reception desks. One of the two hotel restaurants (Lily Fu's) is on the ground floor to the right of the hotel entrance, and can be entered from inside or outside the hotel. Another restaurant (Gaucho Argentinean Steakhouse) is loosely affiliated with the hotel and is just to the left of the hotel.
The hotel has a parking garage (4 levels), a pool, bar, and gym that sit above the parking garage, and 16 floors of rooms (1-16, minus 13th, plus a Penthouse level). I spent a fair amount of time at the pool. One of the better pools I've used. There are actually two pools: a smaller and very shallow splash pool for kids and a larger pool, still fairly shallow (1.2 meters) for swimming. The pool is surround by ample seating of various sorts with shade for the sun-averse. The bar sits at one end of the pool, and has a decent drink and food menu. Neither cheap nor overpriced. The gym, glass enclosed and looking out over the pool, was also very good, with plenty of cardio and weight machines.
Pros:
Lobby easy to negotiate. It's a decent walk (of shame?) to the elevators, but you have the option of skipping the desk and taking your guests straight to your room. Elevators require a room key to get to a particular floor, so no surprise guests will appear at your door (as has happened to me at other hotels). Breakfast buffet at Lily Fu's is excellent, at 299 baht. Egg station, all the usual options for American/English breakfast, tons of Asian options, good selection of fruit, juices, breads and pastries, coffees and teas, etc. One can sit open air in the front of the restaurant facing Soi 11 or sit back further inside or at the bar. In the evening, Lily Fu's is a bar/restaurant and is pretty active. Good drink options, reasonably priced, and usually quite crowded. The food is primarily pan-Asian and good, but there are better options, so I only had a quick meal there one time when convenience was key. Gym was great and never crowded. Pool would get busy, but there was always ample seating. Cons:
The hotel is definitely a family hotel. Not exclusively so, but if you're a shy monger just know that you'll be dealing with lots of couples on vacation, families with kids, and so forth. The clients were incredibly diverse, a little United Nations. Didn't bother me at all, but I know some here prefer hotels that cater primarily to mongers. I'm afraid there are fewer and fewer of those, and they are generally not the best hotels. Pool area could get noisy when a few families with kids would show up. The pool is my reading area, and shouting kids are distracting. Come on the early side for breakfast. At least while I was in town the restaurant got quite crowded by 9:30. Fortunately, I'm an early riser. Conclusion:
Depending on the rate I can get, I'd definitely stay again. Did I mention that Cindy's Secrets is about 100 yards from the hotel, and that it's a short walk to Check In Bar? And that Soi 11 really has lots of options for food at any time of day, and plenty of nightlife. By 9 pm freelancers show up along Soi 11 closer to Sukhumvit. I definitely preferred staying here over Soi 4. Soi 11 is now also the hub for the mobile marijuana dispensaries. There were at least ten vans selling marijuana along Soi 11 (and tons of dispensaries along Sukhumvit), including two vans parked in front of the Mercure in the evenings. Didn't imbibe. I liked getting in walks to the skytrain from the hotel (maybe 5 minutes), and Terminal 21 is just a 10 minute walk.
The morning I left, at 5 am, there were four girls from Cindy's sitting in front of my hotel, so I went out and chatted with them. The street was still pretty active, but mostly filled with bargirls and freelancers ending their nights by getting something to eat or drink. I don't think Soi 11 ever sleeps.