Advice

[Chubberoo]

Hello all. Im traveling from England over to Pattaya at the end of July. This will be my first time out of Europe so its a bit daunting going all the way to Thailand so I was just looking for abit of advice if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

What Im really looking to know is the following.

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time?

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August?

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya(perhaps a few days in Bangkok before we leave)?

How much is food(decent meals) and drink (alcohol - pints/spirits)?

Do's and Donts (behaviour wise/ not offendeing/ what to avoid)?

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool?

The best way to approch Thai women without offending?

Also looking for somewhere to stay, perhaps with a pool, somewhere nice but not too dear?

And basically any other little things that might help out, again sorry for all the questions but its nice to get over there and have some idea whats what.

Many thanks in advance for any help

[impact]

I would do a search on Thai etiquette and be one of the respectful tourists who wears their shirts while walking down the street.

asiatours.net/thailand/info/customs.html

There are some good books like Money #1 which will teach you not to lose your life's savings to the daughters you will inevitably meet (wink wink).

If you want to meet nicer Thais as opposed to those who are solely dealing with tourists all the time, you might wish to start reading this site: http://www.thai-language.com/dict

[soundman]

Knowing what age group the OP belongs to would be a big help in preparing a Pattaya holiday budget.

[brasso]

in replay, gbp now worth less 50baht to the pound depending how much you drink,eat

<snip>

now the pound is weak food cost more some places now work out dearer then england, average foe something like pie and chips in a english place is 250b upwards(£4) pizza 300b up on average, transport to pattaya again many ways,buses taxi, i find if i stay in bkk for a couple of days can get a minibus to pattaya from victory monument for 180b bus about160b, taxi depends 1000b up as a average, drink in cheap bars 45b most bars 80b cider 150 a can in bars

pattaya is the worst place to go, hua hin a better place, pattaya full of crime people looking to rip each off, my advice go elsewhere for your holiday,

Edited March 6, 2009 by soundman
No discussion of prostitution.

[barrybike]

budget for 100 euro a day for everything and you wont go wrong.........

[anothertorres]

buy the Lonely Planet guide to Thailand. and start getting prepared now with dealing with the dread of not wanting to ever leave.

[PhilHarries]

Hello all. Im traveling from England over to Pattaya at the end of July. This will be my first time out of Europe so its a bit daunting going all the way to Thailand so I was just looking for abit of advice if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

What Im really looking to know is the following.

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time?

Depends on what you call a "half decent time". I used to budget 100GBP per day back when it was 70THB to the pound but that was for a good old blast. So 50£50 - 75 per day (excl. hotel) should give you a time to remember.

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August?

Bluddy sight hotter than England! It will be hot, circa 30 Celcius +, and you may get the odd rain storm late afternoon.

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya(perhaps a few days in Bangkok before we leave)?

If you are going straight from the airport or not you can negotiate a lump sum taxi fare for arounf 1500 THB.

How much is food(decent meals) and drink (alcohol - pints/spirits)?

Depends on where you want to eat and drink and whether you are happy eating Thai food or need the odd stodge transfusion. You can get a reasonable meal from 100 THB up but at the lower end don't go looking too closely at the cooking facilities.

Do's and Donts (behaviour wise/ not offendeing/ what to avoid)?

As recommended do an internet search on Thai etiquette.

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool?

While you are boning up on etiquette do a search on activities in Pattaya. There are dozens of things to do other than the bars and beach. Like there's.............ummm..................................ummm................well there's something. Seriously there is plenty to do.

The best way to approch Thai women without offending?

That depends on the type of Thai woman you are going to meet. Caveat emptor I think is the phrase I'm looking for.

Also looking for somewhere to stay, perhaps with a pool, somewhere nice but not too dear?

Loads of hotels, check out the adverts on this forum or do a search on hotels Pattaya.

And basically any other little things that might help out, again sorry for all the questions but its nice to get over there and have some idea whats what.

So many little things, so little time. Search around the Pattaya forum here but ignore some of the twisted old fahrts, gettin old sucks and some just can't handle it.

Many thanks in advance for any help

[Ungabunga]

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time? I reckon upto 5000 Baht per day

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August? Typically hot humid with daily rain showers

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya? Regular Taxi Meter or by Private Hire

How much is food and drink? Bottle beer = 40 Baht to 120 Baht depending on joint/where

Do's and Donts Just smile and be polite, you should be okay.

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool? Errmmm......I'll get back to you on that.

The best way to approch women without offending? From the front! They get mad when you sneak up on them.

Hope that you have a great holiday. I wish it was my first time again.

[patklang]

All the need is ATM and condoms

[BigSnake]

In addition to the good tips you will get here, bet if you visit your local Pub, church or an socialable areas(parks/resorts) you will fine someone that had just return form a visit to the land of smiles(LOS) aka, Thailand. My guess is they most likely had a great visit and would bbe most than happy to share their experience in Bangkok(the Big Mango,also the Capital) Thailand and many other place around the land of smiles

[dotcom]

Most of the women will be eager to meet you. If you are 1/2 way polite & dress like you respect yourself you will be fine.

Dress code in PB is rather like beaches the world over. Shorts T shirt & sandals. Need to think how you are going to keep your money & your credit card safew & dry.

[Super Hans]

If you've not been out of europe before, my advice would be to prepare yourself for a complete culture shock. It's hot as hel_l and STINKS to high heaven, although you'll get used to that given time. You'll get pestered everywhere you go - taxis/buses beeping at you, tailors chasing you, massage girls shrieking at you and bar girls grabbing you. Personally, I find Pattaya annoying on every level, but everyone's different and many love it.

The beach is fairly crap, although nowhere near as bad as some make out. There are women everywhere, just don't be a dick. It's acceptable to approach anyone - just be polite and friendly. No need to look into etiquette and the rest - it's an irrelevance most of the time. Thais want your cash, not to improve your manners. Don't be a complete nob and you'll be fine.

Cash wise - up to you. You can spend a fortune or next to nothing, although the more you spend the better time you'll have (probably). Don't flash it around though. It's low season, so your hotel will be cheap - look around Soi Baukhau if you want a basic room for 400-800b/night. In the main these will be clean, comfortable and reasonably well equipped. Beers are dirt cheap in pattaya, and you can spend as much or as little on food as you want.

Use the baht buses - they *generally* do a circuit of beach and second road, meaning you can go practically anywhere on the beach for 10b. They'll beep you like mad - stick your arm out and jump on the back. NEVER tell the driver where you're going as he'll think you've chartered it by yourself and charge you accordingly. Jump off when you're where you want to be and give the driver 10b.

Getting a taxi to pattaya from the airport is dead easy - prepare to pay about 1200-1500 including tolls. If you're on a budget there are regular buses from the airport for 150b. These are superb actually - do a search for past threads on Bell buses from the airport. There are also regular buses from Bangkok, which go from Ekkami bus station, which is on the skytrain route, so very easy to find. That service is also superb.

Finally, and most importantly, avoid soi 6!

[barrybike]

If you've not been out of europe before, my advice would be to prepare yourself for a complete culture shock. It's hot as hel_l and STINKS to high heaven, although you'll get used to that given time. You'll get pestered everywhere you go - taxis/buses beeping at you, tailors chasing you, massage girls shrieking at you and bar girls grabbing you. Personally, I find Pattaya annoying on every level, but everyone's different and many love it.

The beach is fairly crap, although nowhere near as bad as some make out. There are women everywhere, just don't be a dick. It's acceptable to approach anyone - just be polite and friendly. No need to look into etiquette and the rest - it's an irrelevance most of the time. Thais want your cash, not to improve your manners. Don't be a complete nob and you'll be fine.

Cash wise - up to you. You can spend a fortune or next to nothing, although the more you spend the better time you'll have (probably). Don't flash it around though. It's low season, so your hotel will be cheap - look around Soi Baukhau if you want a basic room for 400-800b/night. In the main these will be clean, comfortable and reasonably well equipped. Beers are dirt cheap in pattaya, and you can spend as much or as little on food as you want.

Use the baht buses - they *generally* do a circuit of beach and second road, meaning you can go practically anywhere on the beach for 10b. They'll beep you like mad - stick your arm out and jump on the back. NEVER tell the driver where you're going as he'll think you've chartered it by yourself and charge you accordingly. Jump off when you're where you want to be and give the driver 10b.

Getting a taxi to pattaya from the airport is dead easy - prepare to pay about 1200-1500 including tolls. If you're on a budget there are regular buses from the airport for 150b. These are superb actually - do a search for past threads on Bell buses from the airport. There are also regular buses from Bangkok, which go from Ekkami bus station, which is on the skytrain route, so very easy to find. That service is also superb.

Finally, and most importantly, avoid soi 6!

ive always heard about soi 6 .i walked down through it once and couldnt wait to get out of there ...why has it got such a bad name ...for me there was too many lady boys there annoying me ,,what do the rest of u think of soi 6 ????????

[sotsira]

ive always heard about soi 6 .i walked down through it once and couldnt wait to get out of there ...why has it got such a bad name ...for me there was too many lady boys there annoying me ,,what do the rest of u think of soi 6 ????????

I think you hit the nail on the head as to why it has a bad name, unless your into LB's

[britmaveric]

Soi 6 - great place, bring an Arab mate with you and they (katoeys) will bother him. Seriously never had a bad time down Soi 6, not to mention Queen Vic, Berts Tropical Bar and course the dive shop (Aquanauts) I use.

Edited March 7, 2009 by britmaveric

[sotsira]

Hello all. Im traveling from England over to Pattaya at the end of July. This will be my first time out of Europe so its a bit daunting going all the way to Thailand so I was just looking for abit of advice if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

What Im really looking to know is the following.

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time?

£80 a day on average will give you enough for everything.

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August?

Expect the odd rain shower with hot&humid temp around 35c highs and 28c lows.

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya(perhaps a few days in Bangkok before we leave)?

You can take a Bell Travel coach from Floor level 1 Door7 direct to Pattaya for 200bt, same going back if you call them they pick u up from your hotel.

How much is food(decent meals) and drink (alcohol - pints/spirits)?

If u want european food about 300bt a meal, Thai food is about 100bt, bottles of beer are under100bt in most bars, Discos charge nearly double that, (avoid drinking in Walking St if you want to save money)

Do's and Donts (behaviour wise/ not offendeing/ what to avoid)?

Don't be tempted to buy drugs from anyone that offers any(Too risky and highly illegal in Thailand)

Always be aware of your belongings especially when you are in the company of any local girls.

Never carry more money than you need for the day.

Keep all your valuables in a safety deposit box(Passport,Travel documents, Cash, Credit cards, Jewellry etc)

Leave expensive jewellry&watches back in the UK.

Always be polite and avoid any altercations with the locals, just walk away and bite your lip.

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool?

Crocodile Farm, Tiger Zoo, Elephant Trekking, Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens/Zoo, Live ammo Shooting Gallery, Traditional Thai Massages, Sabailand Soap Body Massage,

Visit Ko Larn Island(You can get a boat from Bali Hier Peer 20bt each way)

Go to the top of Pattaya Park Tower(Fantastic Views)

Go to the Pattaya Viewpoint & The Big Bhuda on Pratunmak Hill.

The best way to approch Thai women without offending?

Ask them their name,where they come from? how old they are and how long they've been in Pattaya, (That should break the ice!)

Also looking for somewhere to stay, perhaps with a pool, somewhere nice but not too dear?

Silversands Hotel in Jomtien has 2 great pools, located on the beach Rd for 800bt a day.

And basically any other little things that might help out, again sorry for all the questions but its nice to get over there and have some idea whats what.

Only rent a bike if your a competant biker, otherwise use the bench taxis, just flag them down and jump on the back, press the bell when you want to get off and give the driver 10bt, don't ask the driver to take you somewhere unless you don't mind paying a lot more.

Pick up info leaflets from your hotel recpt for day activities, they nearly all offer free pick up&drop off service.

Watch out for pickpockets especially on the bench Taxis(usually mid-aged local women)

When shopping, it's expected to always barter for a good price.

Many thanks in advance for any help

Enjoy!

[allexx]

Hello all. Im traveling from England over to Pattaya at the end of July. This will be my first time out of Europe so its a bit daunting going all the way to Thailand so I was just looking for abit of advice if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

What Im really looking to know is the following.

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time?

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August?

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya(perhaps a few days in Bangkok before we leave)?

How much is food(decent meals) and drink (alcohol - pints/spirits)?

Do's and Donts (behaviour wise/ not offendeing/ what to avoid)?

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool?

The best way to approch Thai women without offending?

Also looking for somewhere to stay, perhaps with a pool, somewhere nice but not too dear?

And basically any other little things that might help out, again sorry for all the questions but its nice to get over there and have some idea whats what.

Many thanks in advance for any help

Don't use your video cam in Walking Street....

[gk10002000]

Hello all. Im traveling from England over to Pattaya at the end of July. This will be my first time out of Europe so its a bit daunting going all the way to Thailand so I was just looking for abit of advice if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

What Im really looking to know is the following.

How much money will I need in GBsterling to have a half decent time?

What the weather will be like from mid July to start of August?

:weather will be warm and humid. Bangkok very hot during the day. Pattaya OK and nice at night:

The best way to get to and from Bangkok airport and Pattaya(perhaps a few days in Bangkok before we leave)?

: during the day time, take the Bell air con bus. 350 Baht. Just go downstairs. Girl has a sign amid a row of chairs. Door to door drop off. Bus goes to Pattaya bus station, minivan will take you to your hotel. At night, metered taxi outside, pay in advance for around 1400 baht . No problems ever in my nine trips.

How much is food(decent meals) and drink (alcohol - pints/spirits)?

Can eat for 200 baht a day and enjoy street food, soups and pork kabobs up to thousands in fancy dining.

Do's and Donts (behaviour wise/ not offendeing/ what to avoid)?

Do not yell. Do smile a lot.

Reccomendations of things to do other than go to the bars, beach and pool?

In pattaya, Go to Nong Nooch tropical garden. Take full day tour. half day tour is too short, or go with a friend and on your own time. Do crocodile park the next day. Check out a movie at Big C. 100 baht and popcorn and soda is not a ripoff. One of the simple things in life. Do go to Ko Laan island visibile just off shore pattaya. speed boat rental across from hard rock hotel. Nice quiet day. Do get foot massages. Do get a thai massage and an oil massage. In room at flipper house and others is nice. Walk up to the big buddha hill, south of pattaya. A little exercise is good for you. Tiffany ladyboy show is OK. I think Alcazar might be better but did not see that one. In BKK, do go to the Dusit outdoor zoo. a little piece of paradise amid the concrete and noise. Do visit a few of the Big temples. Do not fall for the "temple closed scam". Wat PO or grand palace are nice. All the nightlife is in BKK and Pattaya and I leave that to other forums. I do recommend you walk around a bit. go down to walking street and a few sois. stick your head in the post office. see how they organize things.

The best way to approch Thai women without offending?

" won't be much of an issue. walk down soi 7 or 8 and you will have lots of admirers.

Also looking for somewhere to stay, perhaps with a pool, somewhere nice but not too dear?

:Flipper lodge or house. about 800 off season. Decent roof top pool.: Areca lodge a bit nicer and off the beach a bit.

And basically any other little things that might help out, again sorry for all the questions but its nice to get over there and have some idea whats what.

Many thanks in advance for any help

[eyebee]

(avoid drinking in Walking St if you want to save money)

Although I agree with most of your points, sotsira, I disagree with the above, which is always trotted out by those who haven't been to WS for a while. Most bars in WS now sell draught beer for between 55 and 65 baht for a glass all night (although the glasses can vary in size), and one bar I know, your first drink is FREE, and you don't have to buy another. So let's get rid of this myth that WS is pricey (OK lady drinks may be expensive, but you don't have to buy those). It certainly has the best entertainment in town.

[timi2546]

...... I wish it was my first time again.

yea correct, 5000 baht

goes like that in

pattaya rocknroll.

go for that