When you first came to Thailand - do you remember where you stayed?

[ToddinChonburi]

in the arms of a women, I was so hypnotized.

Never tell one about the other

Never shit were you sleep

Keep them separate

Edited December 23, 2014 by ToddinChonburi

[chicowoodduck]

Another excellent post for "most stupid post of the year" Well done !

Have you been waiting until the end of December to put this rubbish in ?

It's a bit like on auction sites, waiting for the last moment before posting and hoping to win.

This post is certainly a contender.

Also this particular OP thinks that because one writer alleged he was first here in 1957, through no decision of his own, just circumstances due to the war, he needs to be given great respect.

Rather than give respect because the poster was obviously a war veteran due to one of the worst wars in history, but because he happened to have some R&R Pattaya.

Ridiculous !!

Jeez wept. Having a beer with you would be the most boring thing I could think of. Lighten up. You're getting some free history lessons from some great story tellers :)

Geez, what a sad old <deleted>*k you are.......it is mostly certainly you who needs to lighten up....?

[Benmart]

1993, Narai Hotel - Silom Road, Bangkok.

I paid round $35 USD if I remember correctly, which was dear since one USD only fetched around 25 Baht.

Nice place and still is.

[Dannyboy666]

Riverside Hotel pier 13, in a Riverside Suite for 2,000 baht, 8 years ago, close to Khoasan Rd. I Loved that place...

[PJcm]

It was the late 1960s and I stayed in a small hotel by the beach which I suppose is now Pattaya. I landed in Utapao in a DC3, flying in from Da Nang Vietnam sitting on my helmet.

Me too, I was stationed in dorn in 1968 went to some hotel in Pattaya was a damn fishing village but an up and coming site, Stayed at the YMCA in Bangkok and the Railroad Hotel in Chiang Mai circa 1968

[nahkit]

Feb. 1984 stayed at a place on Sukhumvit 22 called the Sainamthip and it really was a tip then. They charged 150 baht for a room with a fan and 200 for a room with aircon.

[NicoBKK]

1987, for a week at Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 11, Ambassador Hotel. The tallest building in the area.

Then Samui, Chaweng Beach, Imperial Samui. Lots of guesthouses and fisherman's huts but only 2 decent resort on Samui -and no airport.

Malls I remember were Central Ladprao and Chidlom, MBK was just opened. No Paragon, no WTC/Central World, no Emporium ... and even Chatuchak Market had a different name

[gawaterman]

1st trip in 1979 with a few workmates stayed the 1st week in the Rex Hotel, on Sukhumvit, near Soi34. Always thought it amusing that the name had 3 letters, and the Thais could only pronounce one of them (Lek hotel.)Then went to Pattaya for a few days and while we were there an american ex serviceman recommended the Honey Hotel in Suk Soi19, so stayed there on our return and have stayed there with the wife on every trip for the past 30 odd years.

Last trip was considering a couple of nights at a 5 star hotel (probably the Oriental), but cheap charlie me, changed his mind and stayed the Honey. Coming back in 4 weeks so must book it again soon.

[ThePlant]

Intercontinental - the old one across from Siam Square.

Was a beautiful place - like a big park, set back from the road with a big Thai-style pavilion, green grass lawns and peacocks wandering around between the buildings.

It's now Siam Paragon.

It was a remarkable building and the grounds were lovely for a wander in. Shame they knocked it down....

[cruisemonkey]

Oh yeah... it was my honeymoon. We had three nights in a suite at the Shangri-La Bangkok before embarking on the (old) Regal Princess for a 49-day cruise from Laem Chabang to San Francisco.

Now, I'm divorced and stay in $40/night resorts in Khao Lak.

[srowndedbyh2o]

1982. Miami hotel Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 13. Near the Thermae Coffee shop. The Miami had a great pool, and a decent coffee shop, but even back then the hotel and rooms were pretty run down. Actually that was the second hotel I stayed in. When I arrived at Don Muang there was a hotel counter where you could order a room. I flipped through the list and picked The Park Hotel, Sukhumvit, Soi 7. Only stayed a couple of nights as it was way above my budget. I just wanted to spend a couple of nights in what at the time I considered a first class hotel. One of the girls from the coffee shop took me over to the Miami, which was closer to my price range.

[Tony125]

April 2000 stayed at First House Hotel soi 19 off Phechuburi Road in BKK was recomened as an afordable place for me to stay by Thai girls I chatted with online its still there.

Second place was Penthouse Hotel Soi PattayaLand 1 or 2 off of Beach Road that I saw online . Found out the manager was engaged to a co-worker .of mine.

[Boon Mee]

Hotel Malaysia

What a dump!

[binnsy1]

Honey Hotel Bangkok Soi 19

[smotherb]

I stayed in the YMCA on Sathorn Road. It was quite rural in those days, with a klong and large trees down the middle of the road. Being poor, we went everywhere in Bangkok by samlor.

That was in 1957!

Kudos to you isanbirder, you have me by ten years. I first went to Bangkok with a friend who took me to the Golden Palace on Soi 1 Sukhumvit. It was a lovely old two-story '50's style hotel in a U shape, with a great restaurant and a pool with three special rooms in the middle of the U. I habitually stayed in C--the best room in the pool area with its own patio--for more than 15 years when I visited Bangkok. Then, for some reason--wife and kid--I changed hotels. Twenty-five years later, I was looking for a hotel at xmas time and found no rooms at any of my favorite spots; so I called the Golden Palace. The concierge remembered me, the wife enjoyed the hotel, so I rekindled my love for the old GP and stayed there until they closed it a couple of years ago.

[buzz]

June or July 1977 the Atlanta Hotel ... think it was something like 120bht/nite (maybe less) ... some sort of coup/military rule on then too ... I remember a curfew was on between either 12-1pm till 5-6am - not allowed on the streets between those times.

Pretty sure the police raided the Atlanta then too while I was there (it was common in those days)

Later on Miami, Crown Sukhumvit 25 or something and a few other dicey joints ... oh yeah stayed at the Golden Palace Soi 1 a cpule of times

Grace Hotel coffee shop was all the 'go' then as was the Thermae (downstairs under the Barber shop) - was run/owned by the Police - had to enter thru the rear toilets late at nite

Edited December 23, 2014 by buzz

[stoli]

Sheraton Royal Orchid Hotel in Bangkok on the Chao Praya River. Stayed a few days, went to Chiang Mai for a few days, and when we came back from Chiang Mai we went back to the Sheraton. Since we were returning guests, they upgraded us to a suite that must have been 1600 sq. ft. Just huge. 1987

[herb59]

yes, in a Hotel.

[jobsworth]

1985 fortuna hotel sukhumvit soi 5

300 THB per night.

i was used to paying 30 THB in India.

taxi driver brought me there from the airport,

it has a swimming pool.

it is still there (i think) but not the same.

[charmonman]

My first time in Bangkok was 1987 and I stayed in the Lek Guest House on Khao San Road, before Khao San was not much more than a few guest houses and cheap restaurants. Incredibly, the Lek Guest House is still there (last time I checked).

Later I moved to the Malaysia Hotel, which despite all the negative comments about it being a dump, seemed luxurious to me. I also spent one night in the Boston Inn which really was a dump. Had a few drinks in the Blue Fox which has been mentioned here by a few others. Bangkok really did have an edge back then which is sorely missed.

Anyone interested in old hotels in Bangkok , there is a website old bangkok dot com with a lot of hotel images and a little bit of history of a bygone era.

[khunPer]

»When you first came to Thailand - do you remember where you stayed?«

Sure, Royal Meridien in Bangkok and Royal Cliff in Pattaya, however to be honest I’ve forgot the name of the hotel in Chiang Mai – maybe because it was a class lower than the others – all part of a 2-week package tour, back in ’87; a real bargain for something like 1,450$ air tickets Europe-BKK, transfers, local air fares, hotels and 2 meals a day included.

Second “first time” 14½ years later in 2001 my first hotel is not worth remembering the name of – but I never forget the experience: 170 baht a night backpacker guest house in a soi to Khao San Road, no lock on the door (buy your own from a street vendor); no bed linens (brought my own sheet); en-suite was a balcony with a toilet, no flush, and a shower head for cleaning both ends of oneself, and luckily a tiny semitransparent cheap plastic shower curtain to cover most of your functions out there so the people in the soi or looking from opposite buildings did not see all – I was traveling with friends on a backpacker budget, so I just followed. Do not regret, that was a great fun.

Next stop and final destination was a small island down south in “expensive” 300 baht bamboo huts on the beach – the en-suite was “inside”, but still no flush and one only showerhead – however, on a “Bounty-dream-beach” it really doesn’t matter much where you stay, a hammock between two palms would also have be perfect...

[HannahD]

1966 Nakorn Petch Hotel on Petchburi Road and a few weeks later Morakot Hotel much further out on Petchburi Road and so new that the elevators (lifts) were not yet installed. There were still a few open fields left in the area.

[khunPer]

If any of you guys have some photos from when you first stayed here, of the accommodation, that would be great also.

Hotels, back in their hay-day, before they became run down or tired.

Koseng 2, Maenam Beach, Koh Samui, 2001

Edited December 23, 2014 by khunPer

[mickyboy]

satharon hotel not sure what part bangkok its in but then stayed at sawadee inn khaosan 100 bhat a night then to the meridian bangkok 4000 a night so think done ok for myself but 2 best places stayed ark bar samui

chang buri resort koh chang sea view side but i stayed beach huts and real dumps thats part of lifes richness upps as well as down

Edited December 23, 2014 by mickyboy

[jerrybeirne]

miami hotel, soi 13 sukhumvit, 1986. it was a bit basic. my mate was a cheap charlie. went for a walk around and had my first beer in thailand in the offshore bar, in the quiet soi (23?) at the non asoke end of soi cowboy.

sadly it recently closed. soi cowboy was great in those days.

[MaxiMaxi]

I was lucky, it was 1980 and in transit for one night between Colombo and Jakarta, I slept at Mandarin Oriental htl, but company was paying and I shared room with my collegue, but I remember we went to PatPong which was a dark empty road with 3 bars and few girls, and DonMueng a.p. was the first little one with no airconditioning......

But still a bful remember.....

[kenio]

Orchid Lodge Pattaya 1975, still a beautiful hotel.

[sprq]

Arrived Bkk May 1985, got railroaded to some guesthouse near Sathorn. Can't remember a thing about it other than workers were still constructing the place and welding a gate without safety glasses, and the guv chewing out the staff for allowing a French drug addict to stay there. Later trip stayed at the Malaysia Hotel. The less said about this one-time institution, the better.

The notorious Boston Inn??

Why notorious? It was so respectable even the cockroaches wore shoes. Yeah, a real dump - but it was in Soi sribumphen, about 100m from the Malaysia and the much lamented Blue Fox. The whole of Ngam Duphli was a hive of drug addicts, con men, gunna-be adventurers, dreamers, two-bit novellists in waiting and life's observers like myself. A fascinating place at times.

And barfly English teachers, don't forget us.

[sprq]

1962 leave to Bangkok from Udorn base.

Stayed at the Nana Hotel. Up till about 15 years ago some of the original staff were still there, reminisced about the old days.

Surrounded by rice fields, bad roads and basically Sukhumvit ended/began there at the rail road tracks.

I think some of the original working girls are still working the bar area next to the lifts. Little wonder they're happy to give you the free drink coupon on arrival

Seriously, you'd be horrified to see what has become of lower Suk over the last few years - it's gone downhill big time IMO. I used to wonder what places like the Grace Hotel were like in their heyday - now I just try to minimise my time in that part of the world and leave those thoughts to the history buffs.

Grace Hotel, 1980: greatest freelance hooker coffeeshop in all Asia. Pickup paradise. Three jukeboxes playing different records, you had to choose one and stay close to avoid hearing the others. Eventually the Arabs invaded and ruined it. The hotel was happy, it made more money that way.

[sprq]

It's interesting to hear about place like The Malayasi and The Boston. Not many stories on The Atlanta though

The Atlanta is an utter sh*thole suffering from delusions of grandeur while reeking of cat's urine and I mean reeking...

They call themselves "a Bastion of Wholesome, Culturally Sensitive and eco-Aware Tourism"

Take a look at their website if you want a laugh...

http://www.theatlantahotelbangkok.com/

It got a decent turnover and was always busy thanks to a page long rave review in the Lonely Planet which highlighted their anti-prostitution and ludicrous Victorian rules and regulations.

I went to check it out once with an American Chinese bird I'd met in Bangkok and we were refused by one of the rudest tosspots I've ever seen in a service job in Thailand . It took us all our persuasion to get a table in the sh*tty restaurant when we did we had to endure 30 minutes of haughty looks from racist flabby Western backpackers thinking they had found some exclusive hotel. Was a craphole, still is....I'd not pay 100B to stay there but they ask around 1000 for crap rooms which (you got it) are permeated with the stench of cat's pee...

A great piece of original 1950s design, though, deliberately preserved.