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eyeswideopen
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Great site Mr. Alan!
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:56 pm on Sep. 15, 2003
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haam sup
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Bucks,
Everybody knows someone who has a great 2 bedroom for under 10K/mo, close to everything, etc. ÝThe fact is that they GUARANTEED did not find it in advance of arrival, especially on a website.
For a stay of 6 months, I would find a nice serviced apartment in the approximate area you like, even if it's a bit more than you would like to spend. ÝThen use it as a base to explore the surrounding area for a REAL apartment, if, and only if you decide to stay for a year or more. ÝSix months is just a bit too short to make a regular apartment worth the trouble, IMO (deposit/linen/furnishings/etc.). ÝHowever, you can stay month-to-month at your serviced apt., and move into something better when you decide to stay.
Walk the 'hood, check out where your friends are staying, ask fellow foreigners as well as Thais. ÝYou'll end up with a MUCH better deal than you are likely to find on the 'net.
good luck,
haam sup
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 5:46 pm on Sep. 15, 2003
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bucksfun
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Haam
Thanks for this it sounds like good advice, and was the way I was thinking when I first started considering serviced apartments. ÝThe more I look into the practicalities of language study and think things through, the more I end up at the conclusion that I will probably be spending a minimum of 8-12 months in BKK, which is why the idea of a REAL apartment started to appeal.
It is beginning to seem like I have unintentionally picked a fairly expensive area as my target location (story of my life there). ÝEven using the internet as a somewhat imperfect search tool, it seems that there is a vast difference between the floor space I can get in a decent serviced apartment and that in a regular apartment at similar or lower cost, this is an appealing factor given that I am used to lots of space at home, so cutting down to a studio or smallish 1 bed serviced apartment has limited appeal, although financially it makes most sense.
One thing I have noticed about serviced apartments though is that so few of them provide full kitchen facilities which I would define as hob, oven, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and maybe washing machine (although with fairly cheap laundry services this is less of an issue).
The only serviced place near my target location which hits the kitchen equipment requirement as well as my other desirables of good modern furniture, reasonable floor plan etc. is the new Marriot Mayfair. ÝDoes anyone know of anywhere else which comes with a well equipped kitchen?
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:37 pm on Sep. 15, 2003
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haam sup
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Bucks,
There is a reason why kitchens are skimpy in serviced apts.: very few find it cost or time effective to cook in Bangkok. ÝEven Thais cook mostly on special occasions. ÝFood is cheap, plentiful, and convenient. ÝUnless you are someone who cooks as a hobby, you will not need more than a refrigerator and a microwave, maybe a coffee pot, and a rice cooker.
Likewise, as you deduced about laundry, dishes can be washed by help. ÝI don't like to leave dirty dishes about, either, but in a serviced apt., the maid usually washes them.
Labor intensive stuff is best left to those who earn their living from it. More time for you to study 
haam sup
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 6:50 pm on Sep. 15, 2003
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ringthebells
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bucks.
will check that name and get back to you by end of next week latest.
but man, if you have emporium suites in your budget??
would be a no brainer for me. it is top notch.
rtb.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 8:54 pm on Sep. 15, 2003
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Eddy
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I'm a VERY anal kind of guy who cant stand dirtiness nor living in a pig sty. ÝBut at the same time, I live like a pig and dont like cleaning up.
I stayed at Chin House Serviced Apartments (on Sala Deang 1) for 3 months earlier this year on a business consultancy job (yes, I'm a bean counter and proud of it) . Ý Its a short walk out to Silom Rd and the Sala Deang Skytrain station.
I sincerely loved my stay there and therefore I confidently recommend it.
My wife and 3 year old stayed with me for the last month....so you can imagine the kiddie mayhem of strewn toys and all that shit that comes with raising a terror on 2 little legs.
What I liked about Chin House:
-By lunch EVERYDAY, the apartment was back in A-1 shape
-I told them my wife and kid were arriving the next day and tipped the housekeeper 100B.....a sweep and clean-out Ýof the place that would do the U.S. Secret Service proud was done....twice....once that day and once more 3hrs before wifey and kid arrived! ÝThey retrieved a pack of condoms I stashed away secretly as emergency and 2 joints which were extremely well hidden.
-after Day 2, they greeted me by my name....every day....I returned last month just to bring some candies for them from back home after being away from Bkk for 4 months and they still remembered my name!
-Broadband Internet is avaliable from the apartment for 2000B a month, but I didnt use it.
-Telephone calls are local rates plus 30% which I thought was fair compared to other places where the tariff is about 57% extra
-Kitchen is not HUGE but big enough and well equipped to cook up a small storm. ÝThey have microwave, kettle, glasses, silver ware, crockery etc etc ....the 2 works
- 24-hr front desk
- almost everyone spoke English except the housekeepers (all darlings that were more like my favorite always-happy aunts than house cleaners)
-Guest/Girl friendly.
-Great view (ask for a high floor)
- the 7-11 is a short 300m walk away
- lots of great expats non-tourist restraunts just outside the compound but still near to the Patpong area (wonder how many have actually tried checking out the area ACROSS the road from Patpong I & II area on Silom Rd at night? ÝIts HAPPENING....read CONVENT ROAD )
-Taxis and motos were abundant all day and night. After a tiring day I sometimes hop on the back of a moto at the Skytrain station for a 1 minute zip back to Chin House...20B....thats me....physically lazy.
- I guess the most important thing to me was that they all made me feel at home and part of the family (despite my many girlfriends that spent the night). ÝBelieve me, it does get lonely sometimes after a while when you look beyond the bargirls. ÝThe old hens (housekeepers) gave me a big hug when I checked out on the last day, which I thought was very unusual for conservative Thais. ÝIt got personal and that touched me deeply.
They didnt have a fax machine that they could install in the apartment but the couple of rare occassions I needed stuff faxed out, I just popped over to the lobby and the manager (Jun) did it for me for free (local destination)
They didnt rat on me to my wife and TGF about one another. ÝNor did they show any disrespect to my family, my TGF and myself. ÝIn fact their warmth glowed irregardless of our backgrounds or what 1 dragged home in the evenings. ÝThat earned top marks in my books.
Most of my neighbors in the block were Japanese, Korean and American..... half seemed to be in finance/banking while the other half seemed mostly ÝIT types.
I had a 2 bedroom apartment for 80,000B a month (daily breakfast for up to 4 included). ÝI just called the manager (we've gotten close in the 3 months I was staying there) just now and he said that the same apartment now costs 70,000B a month.
His name is Jun and he mentioned that a 1 bedroom will run 51,000 (w/o breakfast) or 53,000 (with breakfast) and that to give it a try for a night or two (they do rent out on a daily basis, sorry didnt check the price) before deciding if this was a place you wanted to call home for half a year.
There is also internet connection in lobby area for short stay guests but its expensive (150B per half hr including a drink) Ýand I did not ask for a connection in the room (prefer to just pop into one of the Internet cafes that dot Silom Rd every couple of days....best place to pick up TGs sending emails to their tiraks)
Best of luck.
p/s its a 5-8 minute walk to the Sala Deang Skytrain Station and add another 3 more minutes to get to the heart of Patpong.
Their website is at:
http://www.chinhouse.com
If you need Jun's mobile number, pls email me. ÝI'll stop here before I start sounding like a f_cking agent.
- I've also stayed at Oakwood....EXTREMELY nice and ultra-modern rooms with huge bathrooms...but it was in the middle of nothing and I could never pronounce the full name of the street it was on.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:40 am on Sep. 16, 2003
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bucksfun
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Eddy thanks for this
The Oakwood was on my shortlist, since it seems to be very good value, but seems to be a distance to anywhere, and I was worried about major traffic hassles everytime I went out. ÝI will probably still check it out, but you seem to confirm my suspicions.
Chin House had also popped up on my radar, and you do a great sales job  ÝSeriously I am surprised by the rates you were talking about, the ones I had seen were far more expensive (made it seem pricier than Emporium Suites). ÝI would be grateful for the number (PM me if you like), and will check out the place when I am back in BKK next month.
Bucks
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:35 pm on Sep. 16, 2003
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Eddy
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I just wish Oakwood had an easy to pronounce street name because I do actually like the quiet and green surrounds of the establishment.
Try saying..... Soi Narathiwas Rajanagarindra 24 New Sathorn Road, Chong Nonsi..........either sober or when drunk. I failed.
You cant imagine the number of times I forgot to bring out or lost Oakwood's address card and the taxi driver had NO idea how to get me and pu ying back at 2.30am.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:27 pm on Sep. 16, 2003
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Billy Houston
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Quote: from Eddy on 9:27 am on Sep. 17, 2003
Try saying..... Soi Narathiwas Rajanagarindra 24 New Sathorn Road, Chong Nonsi..........either sober or when drunk. ÝI failed.
Also known as Soi Wat Phoman
or Sathupradit Soi 19,
either of which is easier to pronounce.
Billy
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 4:37 pm on Sep. 17, 2003
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Eddy
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Billy, u r my life saver. ÝTHANK U!
Oakwood is back on my short list of places to stay.
Jackie Chan and his crew stayed there last year when shooting in Bkk.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:56 pm on Sep. 17, 2003
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