As much as I love living here in Amsterdam and partaking in the pleasures available here, lately I've developed a taste for some Thai, so I'm thinking of taking a trip there.

Can anyone offer any tips on where to look for good airfare from AMS to Thailand? Any airlines that are cheaper than others? I'm thinking of going in Nov or Dec.

Of course, any other suggestions/recommendations/tips would be greatly appreciated.

And if anyone else here in A'dam is interested in going, the more the merrier!

Thanks in advance.

Deno, we're approaching high season in Thailand (December & January) and it becomes difficult finding budget air fares for that period. So I'd recommend trying to get out there as early as possible, November if possible. I usually get my best deals on opodo.com. Just booked a very reasonably priced flight to Manila through that website...departing end of this month.

Good luck with the travel planning.

If you are going to Thailand, you are leaving it in a little late… by now, the hotels and airlines will have begun to fill up for December and January, though you may get lucky and find some cancellations by wimps who had a knee-jerk reaction to the word “coup”.

The best airlines to try are EVA or Thai – I usually avoid European airlines, who seem to have this politically correct, “you are going to Thailand, so you must suffer, evil whoremonger!” attitude. Thais may be smaller than Europeans on average, but Thai still offers better legroom in economy than most European airlines do, and on an eleven/twelve hour flight, it matters!

I fly from Heathrow, not Schiphol, so I’m not sure a recommendation for a travel agent would make much sense, but for what its worth I book through WestEast Travel in London ( http://www.westeasttravel.com/user/default.asp ), who specialise in routes to SEA and always have good fares.

If you manage to book a flight, drop me a private mail off the board. I’ll be there from December 22nd to mid-January, and its always a pleasure to show a virgin around . . . I can also make a few hotel recommendations – you need to avoid “guest-unfriendly” hotels and other pitfalls.

Cheers,

Chok Di

When flying long haul airlines offer better prices if you are prepared to travel via their hub rather than direct e.g. from Amsterdam to Bangkok via London on BA may be cheaper than AMS-BKK on KLM direct.

Thanks for the good tips, guys!

I had never heard of opodo.com before, but it looks like a good site....although the only site in English is the UK one, and that's all in GBP, not Euros. On the French site, I found good airfare with China Airlines. I think I'm gonna try to book a flight tomorrow......going Nov. 13 thru Nov. 22.

Any suggestions on hotels? Especially "guest-friendly" ones....I'm thinking of hitting Bangkok and Pattaya.

One thing I've wondered about.....it seems that one common possibility it the long-term (overnight) stay with a girl......how risky is that? What's to stop the girl from robbing you blind in the middle of the night and taking off? Does that ever happen?

I'm psyched about going.........can't wait!

Hotels: wide range of choices, but in Bangkok (I’m not a fan of Pattaya, so I can’t comment) I would go for the Nana or Dynasty on Sukhumvit soi 4 (convenient for Nana Entertainment Plaza), both guest friendly and with no “joiner fee”.

Keeping a girl overnight (or longer) is rarely a problem – in more than twenty visits, and with more than a year in-country, I have never had a problem with anybody stealing from me anywhere! Obvious precautions should be taken – salaries in Thailand are low, so what may not seem like an excessive amount of money to you may be a tremendous temptation to a Thai. Ask yourself: if someone left three months salary casually lying about on a table, and you were never going to see them again . . ?

A good site for background is Bangkok Bob ( http://www.bangkokbob.net/ ). Another good site is Stickman ( http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/ ). Spend a few hours browsing . . . it will pay back tenfold!

Chok Di

PS Definition of terms:

“Guest Friendly” – permit late night/overnight guests in your room (some hotels won’t)

“Joiner Fee” – an additional fee required by some guest friendly hotels to bring a guest back to your room, on top of the room charge, ranging from THB500 – THB1,500 (US$14 – US$40)

I second ChokDi's recommendation of the Sukhumvit area, which I much prefer to Patpong or the mega-brothels along Ratchadapisek. In BKK I am lucky enough to stay in some of the more expensive places there which I am guessing are not what you looking for.

Wherever you stay, make sure that the room has a safe and keep all valuables in there. Do that and you should have no problems with overnight stays, which I always find to be more pleasant than "short-time" sessions. But beware, when the beer wears off your companion may not look so good in the morning (I know that I don't).

Just back from a month in Pattaya, What a place you wont regret it. Heading back in January for 3 weeks. If your on a budget Pattaya is a lot cheaper than bangkok. If you want to stay in the heart of the action try Bella vista soi7 850 bhat a night guest friendly or sunshine soi8. China airlines fly direct from amsterdam and are quite cheap. Get yer arse to Pattaya asap mate its superb. check out this site www.pattaya-chat.com you need to register but its free, heres another one www.pattayapages.com. Im no expert but if youve any questions pm me and i'll try and help.

Again, thanks for all the good tips, guys....

Well, today I did it. I booked a flight.....leave Nov. 13, return Nov. 22......China Airlines......707 Euros round trip, direct....

I haven't figured out my agenda yet....that is, how much time to split between Bangkok and Pattaya.....but I have time to work on it....

Found some good references about Sandy Spring in Pattaya, so I think I will stay there at least a few days....anyone have any comments?

I can't believe I'll be there in about a month.......I loooovvvveeee Asian women......(and I must admit a fascination about ladyboys too).....so this will be a sweet time.......

Anyone else gonna be there during that time? Let me know!

Congrats on booking your flight,

Dynasty and Nana Hotels are budget level hotels, if you want something slightly more upscale in the same area consider Majestic Suites, Majestic Grande, Dynasty Grande, Landmark or the JW Marriott. Both the JW and Landmark have several very good food options including 24 hour room service.

Make sure to hit at least one or two massage parlors in Bangkok. The closest to Nana Plaza is Darling on Soi 12- opens at 4 PM. Select your lady from the fishbowl, pay the house fee, go upstairs- 30 mins in the tub with a BJ- ok to cum if you can re-charge quickly, 30- 45 minutes of traditional thai massage then 30 minutes of boom boom. Tip the girl 500 baht average up to 1000 baht for excellent service. Now you have just enough time to eat and hit the go go bars by 7 PM.

Other massage parlors you might consider- Mona Lisa, Cupidy, or Poseidon. You will need to taxi there. Other daytime options- New Wave Pool Hall on Soi 7 has some freelancers so does Gullivers on the same street. Lolitas BJ bar- short time rooms on site- they have a web site. Eden Club soi 7-1 three ways with many extras- marginal quality in looks IMO- they have no web site.

Make sure to check out the go go bars on Soi Cowboy at least one night. There are hostess bars on Soi 33- more expensive and slightly more complicated- YMMV. Emporium Mall is a great spot to people watch and soak up some air- con, lots of places to eat too.

For Bangkok at a minium I would suggest one full night for Soi Cowboy and two full nights at Nana Plaza. Don't count one of these nights as the first night you arrive- you will probably be tired your first night in country.

Pattaya- Sandy Springs is a good bet in a good location. Other hotels on the same street are Dynasty Inn and Whitehouse Condotel. Marriott has a killer pool. Flipper Lodge and Flipper House are good spots on Soi 7 and Soi 8.

Check out the new Secrets Bar during the daytime for take away. Make sure to hit the two main massage parlors in Pattaya- Sabailand and Sabai Dee.

www.bahtbus.com

www.pattayagogoguide.com

Please post a report when you return.

Have a blast !!

I tried to send you this in a PM but I think the internet ate my post!!!

Check out this web site for info www.ukbkk.com lots of practical - first hand info and experience from guys who actually do go to LOS!! (Land of Smiles - Yim Siam)

Read the bar girls 10 commandments - have a good laugh at it, yes it is funny, then print it off and take it with you. Read it again on day 3 and all of a sudden you will see how real it is!

Treat the girls well, make them smile and laugh and they will make you feel like a king! Always pay them fairly but never pay up front always in the morning!

And never tell them this is your first trip to LOS! Just act confidently, you will get full info on bar fines and current ST / LT rates on the above web site fot both Pattaya and BKK.

If you go to Nana Plaza and I hope you do, unless you like katoeys avoid the following bars! Casanova, Obsessions, Cascades, please also note that there are ladyboys (post op) working in Mandarin, Lolipop and Temptations! That just about covers half the ago go bars in NEP! Angelwitch is a big and very busy ago go which has a good show but the girls all seem to think they are superstars and like 3000 baht LT!!! Try the very small ago near it called Sexy Nites, the girls are great and you will have 1 or 2 cute girls on your knee within a minute of you walking through the curtains! Oh yeah and the girls use the mens toilet to change in which adds to the fun of the place!

Do you like noodles? Great noodles with beef, pork or chicken in Sukhumvit soi 3/1! If you need more info go to www.ukbkk.com and ask there!!!

Have a great trip but......................

Be prepared for your life to change forever, mine did and am addicted to the girls and the country!!!! :-)

My favourite go-gos are G-Spot and Hollywood.

I've made some friends frim G-Spot who act as my guides and get me free drinks around the place. I generally prefer the drink servers to the stage girls. They seem less hardened and more appreciative of a shag...

Bangkok bar and restaurant reviwews:

http://ukbkk.com/forum/index.php?s=67a3 ... ct=reviews

Bar girls 10 Commandment

http://ukbkk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=32

"be prepared for your life to change forever, mine did and am addicted to the girls and the country" How true is that statement, never a truer word spoken, the place gets right under your skin.
The prices in Pattaya in sept were
Bar fine
Beer bar 200-300 bhat.long time 1000 bhat, short time 500-1000 bhat up to you :-)
Gogo 500-1000 bhat , long time 1-1500 bhat ,short time fuck knows

Must say i prefered the beer bar girls, much more down to earth imo.Give me a bar girl any day.

Whatever you do, dont fall in love lol, but you prob will i know i did easy done.

Great replies, guys!

I'm really looking forward to the trip.....and with boards like this, I'll be prepared :-)

I never knew there were so many other boards dedicated to Thailand and Bangkok......I see I'm definitely not alone in my journey.....

If any of you are here in Amsterdam and wanna talk some more about Thailand (or Amsterdam too) over a beer, send me a message.

Thanks for the advice!

"be prepared for your life to change forever, mine did and am addicted to the girls and the country" How true is that statement, never a truer word spoken, the place gets right under your skin.
The prices in Pattaya in sept were
Bar fine
Beer bar 200-300 bhat.long time 1000 bhat, short time 500-1000 bhat up to you :-)
Gogo 500-1000 bhat , long time 1-1500 bhat ,short time fuck knows

Must say i prefered the beer bar girls, much more down to earth imo.Give me a bar girl any day.

Whatever you do, dont fall in love lol, but you prob will i know i did easy done."

.......................................................................

Hi Stuarty, it is good to see a fellow Glaswegian getting out and about! :-)

I was told on a Thai board before my first trip that LOS would change my life and i didn't believe it until my second trip. I was standing at the top of the stairs in NEP beside Cathouse just having paid bar for a very cute - farm fresh - BG from Sexy Nites ago go and I stopped looked all around me, taking in the sights and sounds of NEP and said out loud "Man, I love this place"! I was hooked from then on.

Don't fall in love is good advice! But it is impossible not to! I can sit at the street rail in Big Dogs and will fall in love a dozen time in an hour! Seriously though, If a newbie visiting Thailand is inclined to fall in love, they better be prepared for the emotional roller coaster that the BG will put them through and invest in my patent "Sick Buffalo" detector. Orders can be placed at www.ukbkk.co (incorporating sickbuffalo.com!)

Falling in love with a Thai BG will put you through the emotional wringer and then some, just don't even think about it!