Jackman11007

I’m in the lounge now and I’d say it’s worth it if you base your holiday in being in here for the 2 hours a night but the booze and food is cheap in bkk so I guess if you like the vibe of sitting in the lounge drinking and watching the night take over bkk then it is.. plus the breakfast up here is less hectic and now spacious 

I'm booked into Ibis Styles.  Look forward to being at this hotel! 

Fair enough mate, in that case I've heard good things about the Panasonic Lumix TZ range. I think the most recent ones TZ80 and TZ90 can be had in the A$400 range or even less if you can get it on sale.
You can also look for older models on sale, here's the Sony RX100 for sub $500
https://www.ryda.com.au/sony-rx100-cyber-shot-camera
It's a superb camera and at the time was used as the 'second' camera for many pros, it was that good. Blew away every other camera in it's segment. I've used the later editions and been very impressed with it's quality.
Maybe I'm a bit picky but I've used my ex's Canon SX420 (the older one) and apart from being able to zoom really bloody far haha, I didn't think the images were particularly much better than what you can get with a phone nowadays. 
With that said, it's your money of course and I don't wanna pressure you into spending more than you want/need.
On one hand I enjoy taking photos because it captures moments that often cannot be recreated, and having the right gear allows me to better achieve this. On the other, I've tried to cut down wastage as there's no point overspending on something you'll rarely use.
Anyway apologies for the long rants. Regardless of what you end up using I'm sure you'll have a blast regardless. Just the mental images of some of the girls I've been with will stay with me forever hah!

Ahhh unsure about that one!  
 
Yeh when you put it like that it’s not really worth the risk. Thanks Ropey! 

Duty free is a rip for electronics, the only real savings you make will be on items where extra duty is applied such as booze, tobacco and perfume. 
Check out http://www.staticice.com.au/
Plenty of options for the Canon you want http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Canon+sx430&spos=3

I've always liked the advice "the best camera is the one you have with you" as it applies on many levels.
Smartphone camera quality (and specifically computational photography) has improved dramatically over the past half decade, enough that I would say a top-tier smartphone (Google Pixel, iPhone, Samsung S10, etc.) would suffice for most. Works out well because most people already have phones on them.
It sounds like you're keen on shooting videos too however, with video recording capabilities of phones still leaving a lot to be desired. Should you want to upgrade to a dedicated camera option this leads to the second interpretation: getting something portable and easy to use.
I've known too many non-technical people pick up bulky and relatively cheap DSLRs expecting them to dramatically improve their photos, only to not be bothered enough to learn to use the camera properly as well as rarely even taking them out because they are too big and heavy to carry everywhere. If you are really keen on photography/videography and willing to lug around 1-2kg worth of gear sure, but I'd say most average people are not.
Back to recommendations, I like 'advanced' point-and-shoots like the Canon G7X/G9X and Sony RX100 series but they can be quite costly- ranging from A$700 all the way up to $1500++ They are pretty simple to use with reasonable auto-modes, fairly compact (not pants-pocketable but fits into coats/bags) and the image/video quality is perfectly fine for most I would say. There's a ton of reviews out there, at the time the Canon G7X mark II was lauded as a good vlogging camera. Not sure where in WA you are but JB HiFi has them and maybe you can check some out there.
Going down budget I'm not sure I can recommend the cheaper (<A$300) point-and-shoot cameras. Picking up second-hand or waiting for sales of the aforementioned cameras is a better bet in my opinion. Otherwise, I'd say you're better off just upgrading your phone and maybe getting a tripod with phone mount for any videos. Make sure there is adequate lighting, turn on extra lights if you have to. Work with what you have.

Smart phones are okay but not great especially when you mirror your movies onto a sizeable TV. 
 
Whats a VHS? 

Smells of 1995 in here. Surely you just use your phone and/or laptop? Unless you're an enthusiast I guess, then I prefer the JVC VideoMovie, because you can insert the VHS directly from the camcorder into the player with no adapter required. 

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

https://www.parkplaza.com/bangkok-hotel-th-10110/thabaas
 
Try this i have stayed here a few times no issues with guests nice rooms and pool/gym never made breakfast, short walk to soi cowboy and Whynot

If with a random freelancer/street girl its probably best to register them downstairs in case they turn out to be light fingered or nutjobs.
However if you know/trust them and want to slip them in discreetly I have used the following in classier hotels (when they arrive solo):
 
Conrad:
Meet them at Ballroom level lifts
 
Okura:
Lifts by the steakhouse
 
Park Hyatt:
Meet upstairs at lifts by the Penthouse bar/grill then take guest lift down
 
Pullman G:
Seems like they can come straight up to your room. Not had anybody stopped and lift works daytime.

I stayed there in early October last year. Fantastic hotel with amazing rooms ( i had a standard Luxury Room).
 
The rooftop bar is a great place for a cocktail before heading down with your girl.
 
Was never any comments from the staff when I brought girls up (5 times).
 
What i love about Sofitel is that they offer a choice of early check in or late check out to Gold members, and you can purchase a late check out for about 25% of a full day fee (5pm check out).
 
I know many people feel that the 5* hotels are not worth the money compared to the rest thats on offer. But coming from Scandinavia its amazing being able to get a 5* hotel room for around 130 USD per night.