gerefan

A SWAMPY RECORD!! Landed yesterday at Swampy at 1615. The aircraft parked right next to Immigration and there was nobody there. The total elapsed time from disembarking, walking to immigration and doing the visa stuff was, in total, less than 5 minutes! It didn’t do me any good though as I had to wait about 40 minutes for my bags to arrive. Added to which the Eva Air flight from London was 30 minutes late…. as it always is.

I believe the Arabs come in their high summer to escape the heat in the Middle East. Hopefully they have gone home for now.

Agreed, but isn’t it supposed to keep them away or phone ahead of a visit? If not, what are bars “paying” for?

I find TT Exchange in Pattaya the same. If you offer ID they photocopy it. If you just hand over your foreign money, and nothing else, they just change it. No questions asked!

And the rate is generally worse...

I’m visiting Cambodia this trip. what are the requirements for visa on arrival in terms of paperwork?

Agreed with vinapu , if going straight to Pattaya then use TT Exchange in Pattaya. They have many branches all over Pattaya and Jomtien. There is one right outside Boyztown and another a few minutes walk from Jomtien Complex. https://ttexchange.com/

That’s a different matter. It would have to be a massive saving to be worth going through Bangkok traffic if travelling to Pattaya...and if after a 10 hour flight.

Maybe quick out of the airport, but an extra hour or more to get to Pattaya. No thanks!

For those interested in this event, don’t forget the recent Halloween crush in Korea (156 killed) the August Mountain B nightclub fire near Pattaya (25 killed, so far) and the Santika Club New Years eve disaster in BKK that killed 66....

Baan Souy, but it’s position is not ideal. Midway between Boyztown and Jomtien.

As said above. Keep to the extreme right as you go up the ramp into immigration. When you get to the top go FURTHER right as it is hidden behind some desks/furniture. There is usually someone there checking you qualify....just show them your passport and bate of birth. Keithambrose.....you shouldn’t have to argue about being over 70 to use fast track on departure. It is quite clearly sign posted. I have used it many times without any questions. Maybe you ran into a newbie!

Don’t forget over 70’s are entitled to use Fast Track regardless of whether you are flying Business or Economy. Keep to the far right as you approach Immigration. There aren’t many signs!

I agree entirely with macaroni. It’s all about escaping the dreadful European winter. In the past I also used to visit in low season and far preferred it for many reasons. Less people, less queueing, cheaper flights, cheaper accommodation etc. etc. However at the moment there is no real difference as there are so few tourists there anyway.

I visited Sunee in August and it was deserted. Waste of time. Anyway, didn’t a Winner Bar reopen properly tonight Tuesday 1 November as advertised?

That’s peak season, so it will be high. I’ve just checked Eva who, I am using this time, and see that if you return early January it’s an amazing £920....just for the return flight. That’s high season for you. You don’t say how long you are staying but if it’s for 90 days then the full return fare with Eva, departing 1 December and returning 1 March, is still only £800.

Certainly was the price when I was there in August/September. However the beer “stalls” were much cheaper. I used to be able to buy a large bottle of beer at the first bar, next to Adonis, ( The Point?) for only 80 baht!

I too thought this was always the case. I don’t see how you can open the machine without a card!

Sansuk has reopened. See the thread on here and the one on Sawatdee.

The TT Exchange opposite Boyztown is still operational and offers the best rates. During Covid the one on the same side of the road to BT was closed. I’m not sure if it reopened. I also use the one in Jomtien which offers exactly the same rates. Not sure about BKK exchanges

Quite right, it’s Voluntary, except in certain circumstances where it’s mandatory. Another example is helmets. They are mandatory but many many Thais don’t bother. So should we also copy their example?! Do what seems right. If you feel the need wear one. I rarely do except when it’s mandatory.

I left my Condo a few weeks ago to visit a bar in Jomtien. It had just started to rain. The walk to the bar takes 4 minutes and 24 seconds, so I was not too concerned. Then the monsoon deluge fell. I was half way there with nowhere to shelter. By the time I arrived I was soaked from head to foot. Luckily the bar does accommodation so the landlord lent me a dressing gown while he put my clothes in a dryer. Half an hour later I was able to get dressed again. The following night the rains came again and lasted for about 4 hours. Don’t believe any of the people who tell you it’s all over in an hour! And so it continued for he rest of my trIp, I never saw the sun at all! So that’s the last time I ever visit Thailand in September. I wouldn’t have this time but was stuck with the dates and thought I would give it a try. Wrong.

I doubt that. There is no easy access for a Shopping Mall and it is off the beaten track. The narrow roads would not support the traffic. As regards a condo development, again no chance. The whole area can only be regarded as a slum and any condos wouldn’t sell. Again difficult for car access. If there was going to be any development in the area it would have started a long time ago. I think Madame Sunee, if she really exists and actually owns the area, is stuck with a dead duck.

Nope. No restaurants in Boyztown. Try Jomtien if you want to eat in a gay area. It has at least 5 full blown restaurants and many bars which do food as well as drinks. Times have certainly changed.

The Pink Pound...