Quietguy

I'm now retired and could afford to live in LOS, but I wouldn't want to live there permanently, or even for more than a couple of months. I'm planning to go there for 60 days in Jan-March. If that works out ok I will probably do that every winter just to get away from the cold and dark in London.

So that ass wiggling and pressing against someone's groin is called 'twerking'. I wonder if the ladyboys have a Thai word for it.

Just a reminder for the guys in Patts now that there is a party in Horny Bar tonight starting from 6pm (must be almost that time now in LOS) to celebrate the change of ownership. Wish I could be there.

And apparently you can get 50 Baht to the £ in Patts.  

Update on Horny Bar.

Laa Mok has posted on PA and LBP that his syndicate has now bought Horny Bar, and will be continuing to run it as a ladyboy bar. The girls presently there will be staying on, which will be a relief for them as I heard they were worried about their future, and there will be 4 new ladyboys starting next week.

There will be a party there on Tuesday 27 August to celebrate the change in ownership.

Why bring US$ cheques - your just doing a double conversion on currency. GBP T/C's are just as welcome and you do not have an exchange difference to factor in. (assuming Amex still issue GBP T/C's!!)

Yes they do GBP TCs. The reason I was thinking of taking US$ TCs is that there is no charge for foreign currency TCs (US$  and Euros). They must make their profit on the conversion rate. There is a 1.5% charge for GBP TCs, so £15 for every £1k.

You are probably right though, with 2 lots of conversion it might be just the same to take money in Sterling TCs and accept the 1.5% charge.

My only gripe is that I've got to that age when I have enough spare cash to indulge myself in faraway holidays and p4p, but no longer have the physical ability to make the most of it. 

A fucking scrounging farang tried to tap me for some money (100 Baht) on Soi Buckaroo a few days ago!!!!

 

Seriously dude, do you think I give a flying fuck if there is a 5 hour time delay on your ATM card and hence you haven't eaten for 2 days. If you can't afford to be in LOS, then fook aff home, nobody believes your bullshit story, and if they did you still have no chance!!

 

If you're talking about that South African guy on Soi Buakhow, I gave him some money - he only asked me for 30Baht.

What goes around comes around, Kharma and all that.

If one is an American Express card holder, I think you get order Amex Travelers checks for free.

It seems I can order Amex TCs online directly from American Express or from the Post Office for free - you don't need to be an Amex cardholder. But if I pay with debit card, the card provider charges 2% transaction fee. If I use a credit card there's a 3% transaction fee, even with an Amex card.

I rang the London American Express office and was told I can buy the TCs with cash at their London branch (in Haymarket SW1).

So this is what I'll probably do to avoid the card payment fees. That will save me over £100. It's probably possible to do that at Post Offices too, but you get a slightly lower rate of exchange for US$ TCs.

I will get the US $500 TCs, and take some cash in case I need to change smaller amounts towards the end of my trip.  

 For foreign account holders, the 150 baht withdrawal fee still applies."

Thanks for the heads up bb. It's a pity because the CIMB website shows a ATM in central Hua Hin,, which would have been handy. 

Still there is an Aeon ATM not too far away in the Market Village on Phetkaseam Road:

Market Village Hua Hin Branch #2

234/1 Market Village

Hua Hin Department

Room A 302, FL.3 rd

Phetkaseam Rd, Tambol

Hua Hin, Amber HuaHin, Prachuabkhirikhan

77110 3rd Floor next to Body Shape shop   

I see the shuttle flights from bkk to hua hin, which were 4,000Baht one way, are also suspended, so only way is taxi, minivan, or bus.  

Found the sign out bit above the f4f bit and tried that too, but now I can't seem to be able to sign out in either place.

I don't think the boat runs anymore.

I know the ferry doesn't run anymore bb, but I remember reading somewhere, I think it was on the PA forum, that the speedboat hire guys in HH would take you to Pattaya jetty for 1,500Baht. The guy who posted it might have been joking, he was suggesting that someone on holiday in hh with his wife could use one to escape to Patts for some p4p.

Not sure I like the idea of a speedboat though as I can't swim, but I will see if I can find out more about it as it might be an option.

You mention the Hua Hin bus is very nice and I wonder if you could confirm if it's something considerably larger than a mini van for this leg as I have a real phobia about travelling in them in LOS.

If you click on link to http://www.airporthuahinbus.com/ (see bb's post #66) there is a picture of the VIP bus from bkk airport to hua hin. It is a 24 seater, costs 305 Baht, and takes 3-4 hours depending on traffic. I believe it is not usually full so you have enough room, unlike the minivans which don't leave until they are full, so are going to be cramped. 

I will almost certainly be using it in January. The minivans also drive like maniacs apparently, and the train takes about 6 hours. 

I do use the sign out below the flirt for free (I can't see a sign out above the flirt for free) but I'm still getting premature logins.

I seem to be having the opposite of route67 - spontaneous login. When I log out I get the screen showing I am logged out. But when I come back to the forum I'm already logged in.

Will do pdogg.

Thanks pdogg. I see they are doing Ibis Hua Hin for £22pn in January which is less than Agoda I think. I have registered with the Accor site and will compare prices nearer to January. 

Edit: Just checked and booking through Agoda is £24.35pn for the Ibis in January atm.

Yeah I'd heard about their driving too Pdogg! So unless bb has any other suggestions I might do the VIP coach to bkk, maybe stay there for a night or two, then get the Bell Bus to Pattaya/Jomtien. Or possibly get a taxi from HH to Jomtien, I believe that's about 3,000Baht.

Thanks for all the great info on Hua Hin bumblebee. I think I will almost certainly be going there next January. Sounds more suitable for someone as old as me! I prefer walking the beaches during the day rather than drinking in bars and your beach pics look good.

I gather that the best way to get from BKK airport to Hua Hin is the VIP coach for 305 Baht.

But I would probably go back to Jomtien or Pattaya for the last few days, or maybe longer if I find Hua Hin too quiet.

You mention a minibus from Hua Hin to Pattaya. Would that be OK if I have a large (100L) suitcase? I've read elsewhere that the minibuses can be cramped. Are there other options for travelling back to Pattaya. I considered getting the VIP coach back to airport, then Bell Bus to Pattaya, but that looks like it would take 6 hours or more. 

I remember reading that you can get a speedboat to take you to Pattaya for 1,500 Baht. Any info on that?

Just as well he didn't have the chop.

Thanks for the advice guys. Seems the most secure and easiest way is to take large denomination Traveller Cheques. I think that's what I will do, plus a small amount of cash in smaller denomination notes. I do have a British Airways American Express credit card so I will check to see if they charge foreign transaction fees.

Depending on how this longer trip goes I might be going every year for 8 weeks in the winter now that I'm retired, so might look into opening a Kasikorn bank account.

I've been to LOS 4 times now. Each time I took cash (£) and changed as much as I needed at a currency exchange every couple of days. My hotels had been prepaid through Agoda before I went.

As I only went for 2-3 weeks I thought this was the best way to take my spending money. I left most of my cash in hotels' inroom safety boxes.

Now I'm planning to go for 8 weeks next January-March. I will probably only prebook a hotel for first few days, and look for other places to stay when I get there. I might be staying at guesthouses or hotels without inroom safety boxes. 

I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to be carrying wads of cash around, so what is the best way to take spending money. Are Travellers Cheques easy to change and a safe way to take cash. I have seen these preloaded cash cards. Are they a good way to take my money? 

What do you do?

Looks like UK £ is slowly going up again.

First hand experience ?

Not yet, but have been told it's better avoided!