little_me

Put some playboy rabbit ears on your GF and she thought you were a monster as you, em, ya, OK...

Gee, and I thought the cheeseburgers from the kart outside Nana Plaza was pushing my limits... (What ever happened to that kart? I haven't looked for it in a while, but used to have great cheeseburgers, much better that hooters, for sure.) Someone once told me they "harvested" those bugs with a can of raid. Ants, probably not, they bait pretty easy, but not sure how they kill / cook / etc., without crushing? Crickets, sounds plausible, good enough reason for me to avoid. Being a tourist, not needing household items, no kitchen to cook, I really don't have use for night markets. I get some people find them interested as attractions, but when you realize it's really just a grocery / general store and use it as such a few times the novelty gets thin. And then there the market in / around patpong, which is all tourist driven and an annoyance.

I've been using Fi for years, and mostly it's worked good. Had a real slow connection one night up outside Khon Kaen, it was working, just sluggish, out in the little farm village. In Bangkok, it just worked every time I looked at something, and fast. Main reason was really multiple devices, I could tether my laptop or use a separate data only sim in a tablet, no additional charge, same rate as any other data. Since I don't use the tethering or the tablet w/ GSM modem often I hate paying extra, but when I do need them it's kinda priceless. Cheap International roaming and instant data almost anywhere, same rate as any other data, domestic, etc,. just makes life that much easier.

I've read a lot of anonymous people on the Internet claim they have seen it. I've read statements from Agoda and Expedia claim they don't. (Expedia owns almost every travel site on the Internet that isn't owned by Agoda's parent co.). What I find difficult to believe is that they'd use an IP address and not a cookie. And, while I've only ever used corporate enterprise VPNs, I'm pretty sure none of commercial VPN providers are blocking any cookies, especially not in an HTTPS / TSL connection. (If you're allowing the VPN provider to play man in the middle by trusting there cert to do that, I think you trust them way too much...) It's much more likely the hotel is willing to take a hit selling one room at a teaser rate to trick the algorithm, and as soon as that's rented by someone else, they put another. But feed them one at a time.... (I once got 50% off a brand new car from a dealership doing this, 10 identical cars for 80% off, and the eleventh for 50% off, I got there fast enough after hearing the ad to get the one for 50% off. But, of course, it was a Chrysler, so, no one really wanted it even at 1/2 off...But I really needed a new car.)

Go stand on Sukhumvit, around Soi 2 or so, 5:00 pm, and find a taxi going toward the city center, and ask to go to Terminal 21.... It's about a mile in the other direction walking? And by car, it'll be about a 5 mile, at least, maybe 10 or 12 mile ride, probably taking over an hour or so.... Of course, you could've crossed the street first, but that would've taken ALL the fun out of it....

They are bars. Open to the street. Girls working there are in street clothes, normally dressed. You're probably not going to be making out in the corner. Fingering anyone, or even grabbing there titties, really doubt. Especially not when the herd of cunts from the hostel show up for their pub crawl.....

lower. In general. I usually don't worry too much about trying to pull the hottest girls, under 100 pounds, under 30 and straight teeth is good enough and the rest is attittude. But in Ao Nong, under 30 and under 100 pounds starts to limit options, so as long as she isn't missing teeth or have large cavities obviously showing....

I was at the RCA complex in Ao Nong in 2019 for one night. Looked like about 8-10 bars total, maybe 3-4 that served ladies. Each of those had maybe 5 girls. Few of them were youngish. They weren't watering drinks down and several of them looked like they've been drinking guys under tables for years and had the bellies to show for it. That was high season, pre covo. And there was this hostel down the road that hosted a bar crawl, bunch of hippy twats show up all wearing the same T shirt trying to score a freebee.

I think they all have pretty good and similar coverage around Bangkok and Pattaya, anywhere most of us would go. If AIS has any difference in coverage it's going to be out in the country side. Something to consider if you want to see where the latex for your condoms comes from, but otherwise, eh.

This place:

I guess it kinda depends on who you're talking to and how technical you want to be.... Maybe? Though I'm hardly the expert, this is the Internet, so here I go!!!! Sukhumvit basically starts, I guess, at about the train tracks or so, as a continuation of some other road that seems to come out of the old historic city center where the Grand Palace and such is. But, ya, it adopts the name Sukhumvit right there around Soi 1 or 2 or so... Where there's some train tracks, a raise expressway, what looks like maybe a filled in canal... Probably was the edge of Bangkok at some point in history... There's a bit of history written about Sukhumvit that is kinda interesting, but, anyways. So, ya, "Soi 22", is more properly Sukhumvit Soi 22, because many other roads have a "Soi 22", it's just a numbered alley and assumed an alley off Sukhumvit in any context on this board. Similar with Nana, or Soi 4, I've seen other "Soi Nana" signs, I think, around Bangkok. And Asoke seems to be Soi 21. And at some point turns into Ratchada rd., at which it's kinda in a different "area"... the Asoke part is still pretty much there where it crosses Sukhumvit. So, it's pretty much all part of Sukhumvit area, or lower Sukhumvit (smaller numbered Sois?). The whole road is a highway that goes all the way to Cambodia apparently, passing through, or at least the outskirts of Pattaya on the way. So, short time, daytime, on premise action is pretty much all in massage shops around there. They mostly start rolling at noon. Most of the BJ bars, i.e. Kasalong, wood bar, etc., if I remember typically open around this time too. Some places claim to open at 10:00, be skeptical, maybe one girl will show up that early and she'll already be busy. And "on premise" action is not typical in any of the Bangkok bars or gogos, there are some exceptions, but rooms upstairs seem to get them into trouble if you follow news reports on bar closings. I've had good luck with Bamboo massage actually starting at 10:00 in the past, but that was years ago. Like Soi 8 I think (Sukhumvit Soi 8), upstairs from the other massage shop (which apparently doesn't have an upstairs, so no rooms, or maybe it's really next door and bamboo is actually upstairs from the tailor... I dunno.. Just make sure you use the little door that goes immediately upstairs inside)... And daytime, in a bar, used to be Star of Light in Patpong, depending on how you define "great"😇. There are reports of another bar upstairs from where it was that's carrying on the tradition, but I've never been, can't remember the name, something about the "world" or something? A little out "Suk" area in the Silom area, but not that far and real easy to get to via MRT or BTS in daytime. And I can't comment about the new place but Star of Light did, quite surprisingly, start rolling at like 10:00 AM. Shocked me to stroll in there just after breakfast and find a line forming behind me to get..... um, some..... (and ya, it was the kinda place where the line sits and watches...)

Just got back from 3 weeks in Thailand and found the grab really saved my ass the first time I used it... I was looking for a sailboat to rent with a friend around Pattaya (actually on Jomtien Beach). Had done some searching online and had a list of possibilities. Via baht bus, we got close, and then found a taxi, second place we tried we found a boat (hoby cat) and sailed around for a couple hours. Leaving, we decided to walk up the beach to get back. 2 km later, sea on the left, I see to top of a large boat on the right.... start scanning the area, no bridges large enough for that boat to go under. There's water on both sides of us, we walked out into a dead end. Checking google maps, sure enough, 5 km route to walk around this little inlet... Way off the baht bus route. No chance a taxi's going to just wander through the area. Grab!!! We were picked up 5 minutes later and had a nice cheap ride to the hotel. I dunno if it's cheaper than the taxi meter or not, but just knowing you can find a ride out in the middle of being fucking lost is priceless!!!

I loved the breakfast there. It's probably been over 15 years since I stayed there, but still remember the breakfast. The rooms were all being remodeled at the time, and ours was pretty dated but had a steep discount. Location can't be beat. Except maybe that Majestic Grande, but that's a different kinda place. Huntsman Pub, in the basement, has great western food but isn't cheap. Ate at another restaurant on a higher floor once, 15 years ago, only really remember nothing other than we were there, couldn't have been remarkable and was probably way too expensive to be unremarkable. I've caught the flu in Bangkok and one or two mild stomach / intestine infections... And being down in a hotel room kinda really sucks with everything else you can do, but if the fracking TV can't distract you it's gonna really suck. And with the latest virus humans have stumbled into, something to be a little more prepared for....

I've come down with the flu on past trips, ruined a whole bunch of time better spent drinking. So I make sure I get that now.

I have read news stories about them shutting down bars and performing drug tests, but was never clear if the only tested staff or customers also. I guess it's pretty much up to them?

https://www.penthousehotel.com/ (which lists itself as currently closed) I am unaware of any other establishment that rents rooms for longer than 1-2 hours and employs women that will join you in those rooms. As a budget issue, I'm not sure having the two together really lowers any costs, I would actually expect to be paying a premium for the convenience / novelty. Picking a room and then finding a girl independent of where that room is would seem to offer the best selection of both?

I was curious about it when staying at a nearby hotel years ago, and it sounded to me like a place to get your skin scrubbed off, I guess? I've heard of such thing as a legit massage type in some places, and the idea just never appealed to me, so I passed. Plenty of places have a massage and happy ending easy enough without get sanded on and maybe something more, depending. Akane, I've been to several times, both locations, and in all my visits they hardly bothered with the massage pretense, just no FS, but everything else, and I mean everything else was almost standard. My first visit to Akane the girl let me fist her, no FS, against the rules, but fisting her while a second girl was giving a BJ, well, that was OK....

I wear pretty light weight pants or shorts, and have felt them going after my wallet before. Usually a ladyboy, but be especially aware around kids, last time I was there a little gang of them were hanging around Sukhumvit and Asoke, by Soi Cowboy, little girl would try and lift wallets for people waiting to cross. The ladyboys will grab your junk and rub you all over to try and distract you. Sometimes in teams. And, Thai people generally take much better care of there kids than let them wander the corner like this, I've wondered why police haven't gotten involved. But when you see them in an area like that after dark, be aware.

Looking back through my passport: admitted Aug 7 until Sept 5 admitted Aug 6 until Sept 1 (or maybe that's a 4?). admitted Aug 11 until Sept 9 And another that's hard to read, looks like Aug 12 to Sept 10. Not sure what bar you met an immigration lady at and what you did to piss her off... OK, just kidding, maybe? But I'd kinda assume what they stamp in your passport is what is enforced, and every exit is right next to the entrance, so they are probably looking for that entrance and checking it before you get that exit stamp.

I was there once. Caught the flu, and it just hit hard. Couldn't remember ever having the flu before, but whatever my excuse for going... Went into urgent care, talked to a nurse, sat in waiting for ten to fifteen minute. Nurse called me, swabbed my nose. Another ten to fifteen minutes later called back up and sat down with the doctor who spoke English as good as me (very good my english no?), flu test was positive, confirmed symptoms, gave me Paracetamol and theraflu, off to the cashier and not surprisingly wasn't covered by US private health insurance, but was (totally out of pocket) under 4000 baht. Last time I was in a US emergency room was with a kid who fell ice skating, they "observed him", 30 minute wait to be seen and then 4 hours of checking on him twice. $500 cause the hospital was "out of network" (never mind paying the insurance company $300 a month, cause that was years ago)... So, comparing Brumrungrad with that, way inexpensive, better care, better service.

I've never used grab, have heard many good things about it. You can negotiate a set fee with a taxi pretty easily. Especially if you're going multiple places and it'll be a while, or far, taxi's take the opportunity quick, they are all looking for a long ride that doesn't end in the middle of nowhere. I've taken them to Pattaya, negotiating fixed price there and back 2 days later (far from the cheapest, wouldn't recommend, but it's doable). And on a several day trip to Khon Kaen, and local transport around while there. While just a general ride here or there around Bangkok decided the driver seemed decent enough, my Thai friend asked if the driver was interested, got his number, called him later and negotiated. A little more expensive than renting a car (cheaper than airfare for two and car rental if I remember...). From the airport, using the official stand, they are taking great pains to avoid a "proper" welcome to bangkok with the taxi screwing you, and I've never had one FROM the airport do anything obviously screwy. Anywhere else is suspect. Even if they have the meter there, turn it on when you get in, etc., and then it just breaks (switch on the floor I'm sure) and he wants twice as much as you paid the other guy yesterday off the meter... Usually getting around Bangkok, I stick to transit if I can, everything's pretty well marked in English and easy to navigate, a bit more adventurous than just sitting in a car, and doesn't get stuck in traffic. (though I have realized, showing up ever year or two for the last 20 or so, transit is getting crowded...) Either way, especially around Sukhumvit, especially going West from Soi 4, be aware that Bangkok is just a mess and they can't just make a U turn... And at times of the day, it really will take them 30 minutes or longer just to turn around and be going the other direction... Be aware of where you are going and cross the street first if it's in that direction. A friend that was showing me around Bangkok on one of my first visits kept doing this, and as I made fun of her, decided to let me do things my way... That was an hour of my life spent poorly...

Airlines are typically on the hook to remove anyone getting off their flights that immigrations doesn't allow entry. (or they get fined, sometimes maybe both). So, ya, they might pick up on that. Immigrations sometimes wants to know when you're leaving and see proof. I forget if I've ever had to show a confirmation number or anything before. Years ago, when paper tickets were the thing, you'd often have to show them. They'll see over 30 days... If you can get refundable tickets, or decided to commit to the side trip, having that handy, some proof of purchased travel leaving Thailand before 30 days, would probably help... Or, it might just not be an issue... If you ignore the issue and just overstay, you will at least be fined leaving. maybe more consequence (banned from returning?). I don't think the fine is much, banned would sure suck.

Both of these link show options to buy online with e-sims.

Guessing the Sheraton and JW Marriott are more expensive, maybe outa that price range? Landmark is less expensive, was there many years ago and remember the breakfast was excellent, don't remember much else. Westin has a bit of a screwy lobby, on the 5th or 7th floor I think, just a small bell hop desk and elevator on ground floor, if you're one of those guy's worried about who you wander through the lobby with, you're almost doing it twice. Room was nice, didn't use any services that I remember...

Holiday Inn Express is a step below a Holiday Inn, and you're comparing probably 5 star (Westin) and 3 star hotels... I've been to many Holiday Inn Expresses in the US, and the breakfast is pretty uniformly awful at all of them, eggs that must be some kinda dried / reconstituted thing to be as bad as they are (with no salt or butter), bland sausages and grease less bacon... bags of instant oat meal... Pastries in individual wrapped plastic packages... All from places that don't have kitchens!!! Being in Bangkok it's probably better, not dealing with the average US Midwesterner's lack of desire to taste their food, but I'm sure it's not up to the quality of any of the higher end hotels. Standard expectations for the chain is a free breakfast and self service laundry in every hotel. And a few exercise machines in janitors closet somewhere with a few weights, usually no pool. And usually no restaurant (ya, breakfast prepared without a kitchen...).