New Year's time in Bangkok?

[Buddy]

Planning a possible trip for Christmas-New Year's timeframe. How bad are the Bkk crowds for the LBs? I think I got spoiled in low season, feasting on pick of the litter 1000 baht short times.

[Rollo Tomasi]

More customers means more ladyboys...

Christmas is as busy as hell and you'll be paying top dollar for everything - hotel rooms, taxis, sex...

On the flip side there are no 'long times', the service is crap and check out time at the hotels is 5am!

Happy Christmas!

[wembleyguy]

I have spent the last 2 new years in Pattaya, and found there were more than enough LBS to go around. Pattaya is one of the biggest party scenes ive ever been to in the world at new year time and much cheaper than BKK

[elbarto]

Never spent new year in bangers but had some great new years in pattaya. So good i cant remember them! Always plenty of gg and lb available. Will be back in patts for this new year. Cant wait!

[Buddy]

Interesting. I'm surprised to hear that about Pattaya. Maybe I'll have to reconsider against BKK even though there are few moments in life like the entry into Cascades.

[SamplerDoc]

Xmas shopping already, eh

[Tomcat]

The best time for LBs in Pattaya is new year without a doubt , they all come out of the woodwork and also they now have a massive 2 day public party at the very far far end of Walking Street in that big open space.

I found some real sweeties last year. Fantastico!

[Otho]

Was in BKK/Pattaya on NYE 2005, if it helps.

In BKK NYE really isn't as big deal. Not much more than business as usual. Pattaya has a lot going on but the bar fines go through the roof. You could be looking at quadruple!

Unless things have changed. Anyone got more recent info?

[Buddy]

Quadruple, was that in both places or just Pattaya? My choice may be made easy by the fact that I'm not having success with reservations in Pattaya right now anyway and it's only mid Sept.

[farangbah]

(Buddy @ Sep. 12 2008,08:52) there are few moments in life like the entry into Cascades.

You said it, brother.  

As life would have it, somehow that was my first bar experience.  And it was low season.  And I was alone.

I'll never forget it.

[Otho]

Quadruple was only in Pattaya. A GG gogo in soi 13/4, which I think is gone now, was charging 1600 baht instead of the usual 400. They had a big sign up on the wall pointing it out.

BKK was same as normal prices.

[rxpharm]

On New Year's Eve 2007 barfines were double in NEP bars. This is done to discourage staff to barfine themselves to attend parties. Not sure if Pattaya still has premium bar fines for New Year's Eve.

[donnnnnny]

i have just booked the majestic suites for christmas new year no increase in price there 1550 / night for the standard rooms.
i have heard on new years eve the bar fines go up??? but thats about it.I find its nearly always a buyers market in thailand, thats why i love going there. cheers just my two bobs worth

[Tomcat]

(Buddy @ Sep. 13 2008,10:53) I'm not having success with reservations in Pattaya right now anyway and it's only mid Sept.

Thats because you should book for Pattaya around 6 months in advance for the Xmas- New year Week.
It does get very busy and i would think places like Bay resort are probably sold out now.

If any other guys here aint booked a Hotel yet you had better get your skates on

[mardhi]

Weird as it may seem, but Christmas and New Year in Bangkok is busy but not as busy as you would expect. Partly because business travel drops right down, and many tourists tend to head to places like Pattaya and Phuket. Therefore, you can often find, extremely good deals on business orientated hotels (i.e the 5* guys) and bars while busy are not packed out. Personally I hate Pattaya on new year because of all the total idiots who seem to plan their 2 trips a year around Songkrang and new years eve and choose to let fireworks go off in peoples faces but then maybe I am becoming a jaded old fart . BKK is very different to Pattaya over this period - not saying its what you would consider better or worse but they are different.

Certainly last 2 years in Guess Bar have been a good night on New Years Eve and Christmas Day and barfines have remained at the same level as normal - they had not increased but I dont know what Jay is planning for this year as last year, she got annoyed that too many staff had barfined themselves.

Cheers
Mardhi