1 hour ago, Olddaddy said:

Remember time is ticking away ...enjoy life whilst we can.💃🕺..doubt if we will be writing on this board in 25 years ...

I wonder who will be ?😳😳

Not really our problem then

13 hours ago, vinapu said:

On Sunday night I tried new Nishitetsu Croom hotel by soi 4. Ultra modern but minimalistic design. Window only in the bathroom. Very clever safety deposit box fitting drawer. I quite liked it but truth needs to be told , for half price I have room at Raya twice as big and everything is working as well so I guess I leave Nishitetsu to more affluent guests than poor , hand to mouth pensioners

The room looks nice but I can't stay in a room without a window, it feels suffocating and the one in the bathroom don't count...I rather walk a bit more to the bars than stay here haha

16 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Remember time is ticking away ...enjoy life whilst we can.💃🕺..doubt if we will be writing on this board in 25 years ...

I wonder who will be ?😳😳

I thought you are still a spring chicken in your early 60s, unlike quite a few who are, shall we say, more senior in age like me? If so, there is a good chance you will be one of the main contributors 🤣

On 11/9/2024 at 8:17 AM, fedssocr said:

Le Meridien is very good and the breakfast was great. 

I'd throw Crowne Plaza Lumpini into the mix. It's my go-to because I mainly stay at IHG hotels. Very good breakfast buffet and eggs cooked to order. Excellent location for BTS and MRT

I second crowne plaza. It is the one I go to every time.

6 hours ago, AsianExplorer said:

I second crowne plaza. It is the one I go to every time.

I second Le Meridien,  where I arrive on Friday, alas only for 3 days.

20 hours ago, AsianExplorer said:

I second crowne plaza. It is the one I go to every time.

Does the Crowne Plaza allow visitors?

1 minute ago, sydneyboy1 said:

Does the Crowne Plaza allow visitors?

I have no problems at all. I brought several.

2 minutes ago, sydneyboy1 said:

Does the Crowne Plaza allow visitors?

yes. It's a little odd though in that there is the main entrance lobby and then you take a lift up to the hotel lobby level (23rd floor I think). And then you go up another lift from there to your room. So you need to make sure you work out where you are meeting if you aren't bringing him home with you from a bar or elsewhere

Hi all, long time lurker here about to embark on my first trip to Asia from California and a hotel question came up for me. I had to add two days to the beginning of my journey and had Accor points to kill so booked two nights at the Banyon Tree, before I fly to Cambodia. My 5 star experience is pretty limited and I know that Thailand outside of the bars and massage isn’t a tipping culture but I was wondering if I should be tipping people like doormen and bellhops who are handling my luggage. I asked Gemini AI and got “not expected but appreciated” which was no help whatsoever. What do some of you more experienced Asia hands do at the swish places?

 

10 hours ago, fedssocr said:

yes. It's a little odd though in that there is the main entrance lobby and then you take a lift up to the hotel lobby level (23rd floor I think). And then you go up another lift from there to your room. So you need to make sure you work out where you are meeting if you aren't bringing him home with you from a bar or elsewhere

So if you are returning to your room from an outing, you need to take two lifts to get there, eg one to hotel lobby and then another one to your room?

Monsoon. I come from a country where tipping is not required.  However, when I am in Thailand I always tip the porters when they carry my luggage and I leave a tip in the room for the cleaning staff when checking out. I also will often leave a tip for the waiting staff when paying for a meal at a restaurant 

These people don't get paid well. I can afford 20 baht here and 50 baht there, and I do believe that the recipients are grateful.

1 hour ago, Kiwi306 said:

Monsoon. I come from a country where tipping is not required.  However, when I am in Thailand I always tip the porters when they carry my luggage and I leave a tip in the room for the cleaning staff when checking out. I also will often leave a tip for the waiting staff when paying for a meal at a restaurant 

These people don't get paid well. I can afford 20 baht here and 50 baht there, and I do believe that the recipients are grateful.

For sure they are gratefull.

I leave my 20 baht a day , sometimes more if there was mess left in the room, tip  for cleaning stuff on daily basis. Leaving it at end of trip is bad idea for two reasons and I got it from experienced hotel worker in family.

First, specially if you are leaving on weekend,  tip may be collected not by somebody who did a job for you day after day but by somebody who has part time weekend job.

Second, often checking room on check out may be done by staff from reception or somebody else , not actuall cleaner and that person may collect undeserved bounty.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

For sure they are gratefull.

I leave my 20 baht a day , sometimes more if there was mess left in the room, tip  for cleaning stuff on daily basis. Leaving it at end of trip is bad idea for two reasons and I got it from experienced hotel worker in family.

First, specially if you are leaving on weekend,  tip may be collected not by somebody who did a job for you day after day but by somebody who has part time weekend job.

Second, often checking room on check out may be done by staff from reception or somebody else , not actuall cleaner and that person may collect undeserved bounty.

 

 

 

Also, tip at beginning encourages the staff. As said, they  are badly paid, minimum wage Bt400 per day, most of us can afford to tip!

8 hours ago, Kiwi306 said:

Monsoon. I come from a country where tipping is not required.  However, when I am in Thailand I always tip the porters when they carry my luggage and I leave a tip in the room for the cleaning staff when checking out. I also will often leave a tip for the waiting staff when paying for a meal at a restaurant 

These people don't get paid well. I can afford 20 baht here and 50 baht there, and I do believe that the recipients are grateful.

 

7 hours ago, vinapu said:

For sure they are gratefull.

I leave my 20 baht a day , sometimes more if there was mess left in the room, tip  for cleaning stuff on daily basis. Leaving it at end of trip is bad idea for two reasons and I got it from experienced hotel worker in family.

First, specially if you are leaving on weekend,  tip may be collected not by somebody who did a job for you day after day but by somebody who has part time weekend job.

Second, often checking room on check out may be done by staff from reception or somebody else , not actuall cleaner and that person may collect undeserved bounty.

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Also, tip at beginning encourages the staff. As said, they  are badly paid, minimum wage Bt400 per day, most of us can afford to tip!

Thanks guys, just the information I needed.

On 6/26/2025 at 4:20 AM, khaolakguy said:

So if you are returning to your room from an outing, you need to take two lifts to get there, eg one to hotel lobby and then another one to your room?

yes. Hotel is 23rd floor and above. 

Thanks. Too much of a palaver every time you go in or out for me

On 6/27/2025 at 1:22 AM, monsoon said:

 

 

Thanks guys, just the information I needed.

I gave my room lady Bt200 on day one, and she was very pleased. 

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

I gave my room lady Bt200 on day one, and she was very pleased. 

That thr best way I think but on condition she takes care about the room daily. 

My last 5 nights in Bangkok I was in Raya and 3 different ladies were taking care of the room. 

58 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I was in Raya and 3 different ladies were taking care of the room. 

It took 3 of them.... that sounds like more than looking at stamp collections going on in there 😳

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

That thr best way I think but on condition she takes care about the room daily. 

My last 5 nights in Bangkok I was in Raya and 3 different ladies were taking care of the room. 

Yes, I did have same lady.

2 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Yes, I did have same lady.

I used to stay at Le Meridien but this year I have to cut costs so have to stay at cheaper hotels.

I remember the cleaning lady writes her name on a card and places it on table after he cleans the room. That's how I know her name.

Same cleaning lady for every floor if I remember correctly. On her off days, another will take over and this is reflected in the name on the card.

6 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Yes, I did have same lady.

Following floridarobs argument, sex must have been boring

44 minutes ago, 10tazione said:

Following floridarobs argument, sex must have been boring

Ho, Ho.

On 6/25/2025 at 3:17 PM, fedssocr said:

yes. It's a little odd though in that there is the main entrance lobby and then you take a lift up to the hotel lobby level (23rd floor I think). And then you go up another lift from there to your room. So you need to make sure you work out where you are meeting if you aren't bringing him home with you from a bar or elsewhere

All of those different lifts wore me down when I stayed there back when it was the Pan Pacific and had just opened. Plus, even though the construction noise was quite obvious, the front desk denied any construction was going on when I complained, so I checked out.

1 hour ago, Lucky said:

All of those different lifts wore me down when I stayed there back when it was the Pan Pacific and had just opened.

I also stayed there several times around that time. I found the double lifts slightly intimidating having to change at the lobby area and so never took a boy back. On my last morning as I was checking out, the desk clerk said a bathrobe was missing from the room. Had I any idea where it might be? On saying 'no', he asked if they could check my luggage in case I had "inadvertently" placed it there. I thought this was a disgraceful question, but let them open my case, whereafter they sincerely apologised. Even though they gave me a voucher for a one-night free stay, I never stayed with them again.