hermespan

In my limited experience Bangkok has priced itself out of budget traveller/expat targeted destinations. I am not a tourist. I visit sites such as supermarkets in order to learn produce prices (Malaysia os better, Philippines worse) and I try to get simple household errands accomplished to see if a city is livable and good value.

Let's compare one tier one city of Thailand with a tier two city of Indonesia: Medan

I was in Medan 2 weeks ago and am now in Bangkok. Aside from horrendous traffic and unfriendly people (even compared with Jakarta, though I admit food and infrastructure is better here) I am failing to get a simple task accomished quickly in this Thai mega metropolis.

I bought three pairs of shoes in India that are poorly contructed - plastic instead of metal parts. In Medan I was able in one day to find a bag spare parts supplier within a angkot (songthaew)

ride and get them filed down to perfection and tool them to a popular mall shoe repair kiosk to be repaired for next day. Nott cheap but very well done, flirtatious gals too. Stitching machine and technicians on premises.

I have two more pairs and the spare parts ready. The footpath repairmen in Bamgkok appear to be retards and the results of myI hiring footpath seamstressess the results have been mixed. I have learned from experience in Bangkok to deal with craftsmen in shops and NEVER when they are just intermediaries.

Anyway, tonight I found at Central Chidlom basement a ladeedah 'shoe spa' which is just a depot and astronomical prices. At Terminal 21 near Asok BTS another basement kiosk called somethong 'Express' would do it but at too cheap a price really. I knew something was wrong - he was going to *cut* a crucial for strength part, totally against commom sense and professional shoe repair practice. And I had to ask for details - he was going to do the job the cheapest instead of the best more time consuming way.

In another post I will enquire which shoe repair places are good value. Just wanted to say how much easier I found Medan for household problem solving. Even Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia or Phnom Penh in Cambodia, even Koljata in India - are easier for me for finding and hiring experts (and Hanoi tops them both for speed and efficiency)

Something to consider when deciding on a place to settle in SEA - where will be easy to deal with little problems if you don't have servants, and whete can you *hire* help if you don't fancy doing much of the running around yourself.

When I compared complete price (consultation, tests, procedures) or even individually PEN and KUL were cheaper than BKK. This was comparing apples with apples (i.e. private top hospitals in each nation).

Is this still the same? I am thinking that it is better value to fly Air Asia to Penang to see three specialists than doing the same in Bangkok. OK, should compare PEN to CNX and BKK to KUL.

BTW, this is not looking good. All of the good hospitals (Pondok Indah,Medista, MRCCC) appear to be in the suburbs two hours away by taxi at 8 pm. Imagine during rush hour with no rapid transit. And their dermato-venereologists don't work at night.

And I thought BKK was a hassle to get around!

You are in the capital city of Indonesia. You want the best medical care money can buy from English-fluent specialists. You aren't poor. You are at the border of Jakarta Utara (North Jakarta) and Jakarta Barat (West Jakarta).

Where do you go at night?

Premiums and the buy/sell spread for Thai gold in Thailand I think are the lowest in the world but your problem will be storage as safe deposit boxes are not readily available and no 'vaults' that I know of.

You mentioned buying rings - don't do that for investment purposes.

Does anyone have experience buying gold etc in Hong Kong and Mumbai/Kolkata so can compare?

You make a good point about secure storage - United Building's EMERALD on mezanine indeed has safe boxes and at a very affordable prices. There is at least one other such service in BKK but the Israeli jeweller I spoke to prefers number two on Silom because they try harder (actually because fewer queues). A huge box can be had in United building for something like THB400 a month.

Rings and necklaces I buy to avoid any taxes transferring between nations. Singapore has excellent boxes but a fifth of the size for same price. However for serious money I trust girls with pistols in Singapore more than the nice guards at Emerald.

I buy metals as disaster insurance. i hope for the sake of the world that prices go down (less panic). Plus then I can buy more.

What I would like to know is WHY China (and USA, and India, and...) are so much stricter than in 1989. Terrorism risk? Political conflict with the government that issued the passport of the traveller? Xenophobia? Unemployment?

In the 90s international travel was much easier. I don't believe it can all be blamed on 9-11. I think there are more sinister forces at work. The rulers of this planet don't want us to have the freedom to travel.

Experiences please, especially from those with regional experience. Anyone familiar with the markets in Mumbai, Hong Kong and Bangkok because they frequently travel between the three and they have a taste for baubles and bullion? Add Dubai too? I restrict my travels to non-West Asia however.

I have bought precious metals in the west, plus in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, India etc. I keep trying to find the perfect strategy of where to buy both coins (rare and standard bullion), bullion bars, anf bullion (or close to Bullion standard) jewellery. Challenge is prices, laws and enforcement keeps changing.

Thus far it seems that Thailand is very good value, but only for gold, especially jewellery. BTW, that one shop in Yaowart that claims to sell 24K, is that true? The Thai standard is 965, yes? That's what - 23K?

I thought Hong Kong would be better value for sterling jewellery but the price at a teeny kiosk was about the same as a Khao Sarn jewellery shop (I regret not buying, the designs were more to my taste. Funny, The HKG vendor said the items were from THAILAND yet I cannot find these chunkier western styles in Bangkok). In PNH got ripped off for those silver thin bits that girlies get wrapped around their luscious Khmer waists for good luck. But at a Poipet jewellery repair shop found second-hand men's bracelet at close to spot (unlucky gambler pawning?)

I am in India right now and disappointed with premiums. Indians seem to want brand name now and you try buying a platinum ring at Joylukka in Kochi at an affordable price. I just bought a used 995 platinum wedding band at a reputable jeweller in Javeri Bazaar in Mumbai. Talk about a premium! OK, high melting point and limited market. Maybe it was the famous US store mark. Still much cheaper than Hawaii, USA (I checked at Harry Winston's in Honolulu). Warning: don't make my mistake and not check size, Pt is costlier to resize).

Want to get paladium and rhodium rings. Supposedly AMERICAN METALS in USA sells, but they never answer my emails. COHEN MINT sells various odd ball metals medals but high premium and they have a dodgy reputation for fulfilling orders. Kitco (Canada) sells rhodium bullion (out if stock of powder) but today's spot price is $975. Thus $1175 is a splurgevpremium. And Kitco doesn't sell rhodium to Canada. How weird. I have given up asking for rhodium rings in India. Jewellers have only rhodium plated gold. Suppose I'll have to go to an Uncle Kumar's type custom jewellery maker. India has piles of zillion dollar of stock AC jewellers seling fancy stuff. I am just looking for the metal, portable and discreet with no brand name from an honest sonar (goldsmith).

I thought India was supposed to have *cheaper* prices than Thailand, but I think that at the moment this just isn't true. Anither problem is I don't dress like a Hindu bride. I read that the Indian federal gov't in its wisdom to control the weak rupee added import tax of 15%. That could be the crunch.

In small town Vietnam I got a 24K wedding band in a shop where everyone was lining up since at the time their federal gov't was restricting bullion purchase.

Where NOW is the best place to buy good delivery list gold and bullion jewellery? And BTW, how does CGK compare? I gave an upcoming trip to Jakarta. I try to buy one precious metal item in every nation, but sometimes its so poor value that I don't.

For storage Singapore is excellent value, especially as all good delivery list bullion is now duty free, you can bring in negotiables of up to something like USD23,000 and secure storage can be had. My problem is travelling with ONE pesky bar or even 50 ounces of silver just isn't cost effective unless I am going anyway. Oh, and you have to pay duty on collectible coins and rhodium. Not that they check... Warning: The red dot is a poor place to BUY bullion.

Hong Kong is best value, that satellite of a communist nation actually has much more of a free market for the little guy like me than Thailand does.

Canadian Mint bullion you'd think would be chepest in Canada but the national mint only sells through retailers now so I think AMPEX in USA might be better deal (especially as right now free domestic delivery).

I think there is room for a co-operative or small business catering to gold bug expats - we buy whatever you want in precious metals wherever on the planet is currently the best deal, personally courier it to you. And as it is jewellery or in personal luggage there is no duty or taxes.

Still looking for my paradise - where precious metals are low premium, no tax and secure storage. So far, I have to scramble in a patchwork effort.

wrong. Iphone hides complete messages.

Full receipts were sent but failed to mention to what credit card (they could have blocked out parts for security)

My math wasn't quite right but still something strange and non transparent us going on here. I suspect hidden charges by the hotel or Hotel.com

Yes, both purchases of rooms charged the same room rate BUT...

the 4-nighter charged more in taxes and fees per night. There is a THB406 difference. What, is there a Saturday surcharge? Strangely Hotels.com did not send me a breakdown of taxes and fees except to mention that there is a 7% tax and 10% service charge, but failed to mention if the tax is on the service charge (like compound interest)

The weirdness continues.,.

Having just spent three precious hours of my life to save $30 a night (I am too exhausted to calculate - something like that a 25% discount) I walk over to the reception and check in.

A Chinese man asks if the staff can help him book online. Not possible and I sure don't blame them!

But two anomalies. Neither to my mobile nor to my email do I get what I am expecting - an invoice itemizing what I have just purchased. And something is amiss.... Though I purchased in two separate transactions 4 + 5 nights in exactly the same type of room and the same package, that showed the same price The one more night more (tonight) total works out to THB1000 more. What the heck? I ask to see his record. Nope, internal document. Contact wherever you booked it.

I have just spent 90 minutes trying yo book a room got just ONE guest. As the other guest checks on 1 day earlier I have to do this twice . website isn 't set up for such subtleties.

Go to yet another website - bookings.com

Price is $13 higher.

back to hotels.com... Oops, it has forgotten that it is one room one adult, not two. Grrr.

I correct it and...

fill on card info NFG, stuck, won't move

reload page

wrong deal, wanted with breakfast

start over

webpage not available

FIVE times later it works though now no options of two or one bed

check if do NOT want spam. ( sneaky)

Immediate confirmation by mobile phone. Unlike airline not required to give residential address associated with card. Hmmm

try Agoda. Same bs.

'We are having technical difficulties'

Call this number (in UK)

Call on Skype. I get a machine telling my to enter my booking number. Uh, if I *had* a booking number I wouldn't be going through this!

Go to our website.

so much fir customer service.

the tel # fof Hotrls.com. is +6562263310

I have tried using my Skype account on both my android device and my iphone. It rings once and immediately hangs up reading 'busy'

<deleted>?

So, I go to my other device snd get an error message some technical problem with initialise.do

"Sorry, there is a problem with the link you followed "

So much for technology

I go to book room and both my android and iphone have memories of elephants and seem unable to forget that three hours ago I wanted TWO rooms. unable to figure out how to change it to ONE and not wanting to be billed for two, I try calling HQ. in Singapore. Kerps hanging up on both Skype and DTAC service. OK, so I am out of credit on DTAC cellphone. Skype should still work as I have data credit.

Grr, computers...

The devil I used to know...

There are three siginifican downsides to Grace...

1. They are usually full except for the crappiest and most luxurious rooms. It'svery difficult to just walk in and get a room.

2. The neighbourhood is very difficult to navigate as a pedestrian. Must be too much money in bribes to enforce Bangkok's civil rules about sidewalks as passageways

3. Front desk is often packed - more customers than staff

4. Doesn't matter how many years I have been coming here, I never get a discount.

But I tried the Ambassador and the warren is just too confusing and the receptionist, when I asked to be shown a room told me to look at their website.

The challenge in Bangkok is finding hotel rooms in 'downtown' locations that are crying for business. Seems they are a license to print money. There is a huge demand from tourists, especially the middle class from India and families from the Gulf states. And China, and Spain. It's as if the whole cosompolitan selection of the planet is in Bangkok (unlike Vietnam and Cambodia and everywhere in Indonesia outside of Bali)

Bangkok is no longer an affordable destination for me, and I just gave to grit my teeth if I come here for business. And pull out my credit card.

Ah, 1989, when Bangkok seemed like it was just being discovered by the rest of the world! Bangkok is now second world, not third. Hasn't been for a decade or more

Anyone stayed many times at both and care to comment?

Without kindapping and torturing the GM, and without spending weeks online, what is the way to find out which hotels use which online promoters? I mean for the very best deals. Venere, trip advisor, agoda, asiaroms - there are dozens, and it appears that Hotel X uses website A fir discount and website B for deep discount.

Maybe tgere is some computer expert who knows tge answet... Oh, just go to website ABC and it gives you the lowdown,

But sounds like it would be a guarded trade secret or internal procedural secret to me.

http://www.r24.org/bookingsthailand.com/bangkok

Let me also come to the defence of Indian businessmen. I like it if a place caters to Indians - better selection of vegetarian food. I see that the dinner buffet (THB500 or thereabouts) at AMARI ATRIUM includes not just Italian, but Indian dishes as well. But in general I find more delicious food and better value outside hotels. They are not in the food business except top end ones.

I will post my reviews in this thread

Looking at Amari Atrium. Twice the price of Town in Town (which I like for big size rooms, closeness to a very good local's seafood restaurant and several other Thai restos on Wangthanglong, but the staff act like they're retarded, the buffet is marginally acceptable and everything is so far away. TOWN IN TOWN is useful only for proximity to casting studios

ATRIUM AMARI

Pros

- high standard service?

- very relaxing

- very comfy mattress

- very quiet (dble glazed windows)

- some rooms (especially corner suite) has good surface space. It has real desk. Nope, that option too lux price

- Closer to town than TIT

Cons

- Not two big beds (it's 1 king or two twins)

- bit dark. although focused soft light for work I asked if housekeeping can give additional floor lamps

- over budget list price (but hotels.com bound to be better - was 30% cheaper than walk-in at other place I checked)

- not many restaurants nearby unless you like expensive Indian ones

- guests I interviewed said breakfast buffet is good

Airlines crew stay here - good or bad I don't know. Qatar Air it looked like.

choices Are as follows...

executive (just deluxe with carpet and with several elitist perks such as 'evening cocktail', upstairs dining room (same food though), lounge and some snacks in pm. I won't bore you with three prices (room only, with breakfast for one, with breakfast for two) and give you the last option only. walkin is 3713.

Corner suite is certainly large but the layout is retarded. good working desk, couches and chairs but as everywhere here, even the lobby, it's as if they got a deal on sexy recessed spotlights and they are trying to avoid you seeing women's wrinkles or something. I find the lighting impractical. I like to be able to scan across the room and see what's present. 3263.

Deluxe is I say the best deal. Bathtub and shower separate seems overkill but nice soft browns as decor, 2962 (hotels.com is 2232) I think but maybe I mixed up with and without breakfast. In any case it's 500-900 cheaper.

superior is 2177. Naturally the least appealing. Not enough place to put your stuff.

I don't like tricky words, just give me numbers 'tier 1, 2 and 3' or 'cheap, better, best' How am I supposed to distinguish 'superior' to mean 'bottom of the barrel here'? Marketing bullshit.

My biggest criticism is besides the low lighting the beds are either too large (king) or two small (twin) I asked if they had a room with one queen and one twin. No.

decided not to stay at Amari because it is a lux four star fancy place. I am looking for an OLD four star hotel because their rooms will be bigger and price cheaper.

All I care about is deluxe mattress on the slightly firm side, and all my boss cares about is service , English fluency and especially SECURITY. All the art, gym facilities, cafes, hairdressing salons, etc are totally unnecessary. I am not a tourist husband trying to impress his tired wife. Looking for working class business visitor value with SPACE, storage facilities, quiet and ideally proximity to almost any BTS/MRT.

GRACE HOTEL is more like it, and I like the proximity to Arabic food 24 hours at BAMBOO, but at least tower A is too noisy from nightclub below, and in that tower wifi does not work. It is in the race even though I don't like paying for a bowling alley.

GRACE is 1300 to 1900, close to BTS and hospital, I like the lobby and the business-like staff is no nonsense Chinese style and most staff have been working there a billion years. They store bags for free. But they don't really know how to make a bed, the blankets are heavy cheapos and I feel like I am staying in Dubai (no big deal).

I continue my search for a functional under 2000 baht four star spacious, service-oriented place with a great breakfast and excellent wifi, near BTS/MRT. So far such places do exist except they are five star or further out in more isolated areas.

Superficial - haven 't actually stayed there, just inspected a bottom and a middle room.

I chose to not book for a week of work as appears impractical for business travellers...

1. Bed rather hard. Felt like a cheap matteess

2. Desk space very limited

3. Poorly illuminated

On the plus side adequete acces for taxis/van and down a quiet (?) so. Room safe.

Lobby marble and live piano playing don't impress me. I need space, light and functionality.

The name escapes me just now, buy in Indonesia there us a walk-in hotel booker where substantial discounts are to be had instead of walking in to the hotels. Is there a native Thai equivalent?

Their website gives a toll-free number - but that is inaccessible by my DTAC mobile.

They also provide a +65 long distance number (Malaysia?)

Makes doing business troublesome when their website is down. Sometimes making a reservation isn't a simple matter - one person arriving early, half-days , flexible checkout dates, whatever.

I narrowed my choices down to three and am now inspecting prior to my boss's arrival. Surprised that Hotels.com is substantially cheaper than walk- in, even though there is no middle-man. The opposite of when I booked through state-run travel agency in Hong Kong on my first trip to. China. In that case I would have SAVED 50% at the Shenzen hotel just by walking in.

not in my experience

Yes, that's why I am flying with them. Telephone staff assured ne that there is no limit.