Places to stay for 2 month vacation?

[uptoyou]

Hello! Haven't posted here before but I used to lurk on these forums on another account so I recognize many of the names posting. You guys have a fun crowd here, hehe.

I am planning a 2 month stay in Thailand and am trying to figure out where to stay. Bangkok is probably at the top of my list for the nightlife, but after doing some reading here I was wondering about Pattaya as well.

I plan on doing a little bit of adventuring around the country, as well as some mongering it's not the only thing I will be doing but I'm in my 20s and have a high libido so...  

Questions:
- BKK vs Pattaya for a home base, access to nightlife, bars etc. - pros and cons? Is either one better than the other?

- As I look for places to stay what are the ideal neighborhoods to be in for LB/girl access? I am pretty unfamiliar with the mechanics but I'm assuming I am best off staying close to where the action if I want to ST/LT a girl and take her back to my place... I want to make sure I don't accidentally end up renting an apartment in the middle of nowhere.

- Any suggestions about accommodation-hunting resources? I've done some poking around on Craigslist but most of the adverts for 'vacation housing' are priced exorbitantly. My budget is substantially larger than the average Thai monthly salary but I have little desire to spend US$100/night in a hotel or something as I'm sure there are better deals out there for a 2 month stay...

I did some reading before I posted and came across this thread, I'd be very interested to know how the hunt went as my needs are similar to perth_couple's!

Thanks in advance gents, look forward to participating here!

[perth_couple]

Despite the best efforts of a few people actually living in Thailand - the hunt for a short-term lease apartment in Bangkok wasnt all that fruitful.

While there are a lot of apartments that would be perfectly suitable in the area around NaNa, nearly all the leasing agents seem to want 6 month leases minimum.

There are more options for short term leases if you are happy to be a long way out of the NaNa area, or if you dont mind if the apartment has about as much allure as a public toilet...

Have a look at the Raja Hotel next door to Guess, that is one option for a monthly rental...

[Snick]

Soi 20 and Soi 22, have some places that rent by the week and by the month

[PigDogg]

(uptoyou @ Aug. 05 2008,22:34) - BKK vs Pattaya for a home base, access to nightlife, bars etc. - pros and cons? Is either one better than the other?

Welcome to the Forum uptoyou!

Pattaya is a cheaper home base. You can get a place for as little as 5K baht a month plus an extra 1K-2K for water and electric depending how often you use your aircon. But I recommend getting a somewhat nicer place for about 10K a month.

Kim who owns the Pattaya Bay Resort also owns Up 2 U Apartments and I think these rent for 6-7 K a month. Might be an appropriate place for a guy named uptoyou.

What your name mister?
uptpyou
Where you stay?
Up 2 U
Who's on first?
No he's in China

[uptoyou]

Thanks for such fast replies! I am assuming if it's by Guess the Raja's location must be ideal -- any idea how much the rates run?

This Kim individual has good taste in names! Does the 'Up 2 u' apartments rent by the month?

So, I am at the stage where I still need to get acquainted with the geography of these cities, the names of the neighborhoods, what is close to where, etc.

I have found a couple of deals online -- for instance there are some nice-looking, affordable places listed on Craigslist in the Jomtien Beach area of Pattaya, and I stumbled across the Bangkok City Suite in the Ratchathewi area of BKK which has affordable monthly rates (18,000 bht/mo), but I have no idea whether these places are out in the middle of nowhere or not.

Does anyone know of any BKK or Pattaya maps online that are designed for clueless farang like me? Like the type you'd usually find in a hotel lobby...

[PigDogg]

(uptoyou @ Aug. 06 2008,00:17) This Kim individual has good taste in names! Does the 'Up 2 u' apartments rent by the month?

It only rents by the month. Think it's 6,500 plus water and electric for an aircon room.

Good that you're researching on the internet. But don't rent any place from home before you see it. For the first few nights you can stay at a cheap hotel and look at lots of places.

Good luck!

[dummy_plug]

I think trolling through CL is probably not the best approach either. I have no idea how it works in Thailand, but I am guessing that the posters figure its a mostly farang base that is looking at those ads so you're likely to find higher-priced accomodations there. Just a thought!

[uptoyou]

Yeah you guys are right for sure--it would be unwise to commit to anything without a chance to look at the place and some face-to-face negotiation. Mostly I'm just trying to figure out price ranges, where the best area to base is, etc. From net research it looks like there are a number of places within 3-4 stops of the BTS line from Nana plaza that have monthly rates which start at 15k bht and go very high.

Total newbie mongering question -- if you are barfining a girl for ST, is it expected that you'll be taking her to a place within walking distance of the bar? Or will they be willing to hop in a taxi or on the BTS with you? I'd guessed that for LT they'd be willing to travel a bit but wasn't sure about ST....

[Snick]

Depends on the girl, time-of-night, etc...
Usually they like to do ST in the neighborhood (so they can get back to work for a round two), but most will go with you if you want them to - you should take a taxi, and give them extra for cab fare after.

[perth_couple]

Good advice especially so on the taxi thing.. While economically sound, we dont think the BTS would go down that well with the 'ladies'....

[Naang Faa]

Have a look at the Raja Hotel next door to Guess

Don't know how many time i got to say this-the Raja hotel is HAUNTED!!

x

[PanzerPorn]

Yes hunted by the ghosts of russians hookers dissolved in acid there by their pimps or german sex tourist ghosts from the 70s stumbling drunk wearing socks and sandals.

Love the scary huge lobby with nobody in there,
you had to scream to have somebody attention and the only sound that gets back to you is the echo of your voice.

Stayed at Raja apartments (Not Raja hotel) when they just opened a couple of years ago.......I was supposed to stay for a month but i left after not even one week.
The place was ok for the price ,everything brand new but nothing fancy, the only problem i was visited by thai police 3 times , i just opened the door, showed my pale farang face and they apologized not even asking me for anything.

Seems the place was a base for russian dirty business.

[newatthis]

Uptoyou

I have some thoughts on finding a long term room rental in Pattaya. I  would not recommend Jomtien Beach for 2 reasons 1) It will cost you about 100b or so for a Baht bus taxi ride each way  to get into South Pattaya where most of the bars and nightlife are and that will add up quickly - enough that you could have just spent the money on a nicer room in South Pattaya  2) I think the road from South Pattaya to Jomtien is a dangerous drive at night since many drivers will be drunk when you are returning to your room - this applies if you have a motorcycle as well.

I think the best way would be to have a hotel room rented for a day or two prior to your arrival and then rent a MC ( or a car) and drive around and check various hotels and apartments for prices and location. You can cover a lot of ground in a day or so.If you feel comfortable riding a MC (and don't get too drunk at night) and then rent one on a monthly basis. I have found this gives me a lot choices in where to stay since I don't have to be on the usual Baht Bus taxi route.  There are a number of reasonably priced rooms available if you get off Beach and  Second Rd.  Soi AR and Soi Bukow have quite a few. You could check out the Dang Apartment on Soi 4 and Soi AR across from the Lelawadee Hotel, it looked okay but I never stayed there.

I would also suggest renting the room for a day or two first and making sure you like it. It may turn out to be noisy from traffic, nearby construction or residents playing music, water flow could be poor in the shower, the AC doesn't work well, any number things. If all is well then get the weekly or monthly rate. Also I have looked at places that seemed okay until I noticed way too many young farangs(18 to 23 years old) guests on a limited budget hanging around during the day, to me that means noisy nights when they come home from a night of drinking, arguing with their GF's, and increased chances of theft. This also applies if you are in a place where you are the only farang. Remember Thais like their music loud because to a Thai loud means fun....  

A condo is an option for a little more money but most owners want a 3 month lease. You could always check with a few real estate offices and see what is available when you first arrive.

Again all this advice is based on my experiences and you may have a great time in a 4000b per month room in Jomtien.  I hope you have a great trip.

Cheers

[jimslim]

(Naang Faa @ Aug. 06 2008,21:37)  Don't know how many time i got to say this-the Raja hotel is HAUNTED!!
                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                             

No , apparently the white made up face is the style for ladyboys at the moment , don't worry they're not real ghosts , just trying to look like them

[baroncarlton]

I stay here www.sathornterrace.com short term lease available and 2 minutes walk from Saphan Taksin BTS/Skytrain stop. It's a little more pricey than a long term lease but i rent a studio room for 20,000 per month.
Taxi back from Nana takes about 10 minutes depending on traffic.
Supermarket, food vendors, 7 eleven and Mc Donalds/KFC 2 minutes walk.
The only downside being it's a little on the noisy side due to it's close proximity to the highway.