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atl
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Mags,
It is right across the street from the main beach at Patong...I mean 20 yards..you can see the waves when sitting at the pool..
I never took a BG back, as I was there with the wife and folks 1st time and pretty much crashed in my friends bungalow the other time...couldnt drive back to my house in Nai Harn 
But his buddy picked up a little cutie pie and took her back and she even hung out with us at the pool the next day...no problems..
and the first time I remember my mom making a comment about the beautiful young girl with the older guy at breakfast (dont you love LOS)...and so I dont think its an issue..but its not Nana Hotel lol!
MO, I would go for the deluxe bungalow on the rooftop...I got very sick after some bad seafood on the "James Bond Island" tour (which is boring and I dont recommend) and had a very nice day just chillin' in the room and looking out at the beach as my folks and mrs atl did there thing.
As a former resident of Phuket, I would be remissed not to tell you to check out Kata Noi beach...its the best beach on Phuket..
safe and fun travels man,
atl
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:50 am on Mar. 9, 2008
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magpie
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back from phuket... here are my hotel observations / advice:
i found many recommendations for Salathai on a different forum but they were booked out over songkran weekend so we went with 3 nights at Baan Laimai (thanks for the tip ATL) and then 3 nights at salathai.
*** Baan Laimai ***
its about 500-600m south of Bang La directly opposite the beach. There were both good and bad things at this hotel.
I will get the bad out of the way first:
When booking by email they insisted that US$100 = $3,500 baht when it should be B3,150. I had to email them screengrabs from a currency converter web site before they would change the booking form to B3150. This should have been a warning that this hotel is run by penny pinchers.
When we checked in and put down 2 PAX for each of our 2 rooms we were quizzed at length as to when our partners would arrive. We were then given our key cards which pointed out that there is a joiner fee for any unregistered guests found on hotel premises after 10pm.
When I arrived at the room there was another notice about the joiner policy in more detail.  There was also lots of notes as to how much I would be charged for each thing in the room should it go missing. I don't know about you, but I like people to assume I am not a thief when I meet them.
Food. We only had breakfast at the hotel (included in rate). It was pretty average and the service by the staff was about as bad as I have seen in thailand. Also strangely there was no drinks/food service by the pool - weird as I would have thought this would have been a great money earner for a hotel that seems to like to make a dollar, I mean 30baht, at any opportunity.
Noise. A loud band and/or DJ plays at the outside restaurant until about 1am every night. That didn't bother me too much but I am sure it would bother others who were looking for some early shut eye.
Finally. Check out.
We were attended to by a rather sour guy who "regret to inform that we charge 3% for credit card". Well I had to regret to inform him that it is not my policy to pay 3% when this has not been informed to me in advance. He was quite insistent but I politely informed him that there is no mention of cc surcharge on their web site, on their confirmation email or during their check-in process. Eventually he relented but it is a shame that he tries a scam like that and ends up giving his establishment a bad name.
OK - the good stuff....
On atl's advice we got two of the deluxe rooftop rooms. I got lucky and got one of the end rooms that has nice big openable windows on 3 sides for a good beach view and breezes. The rooms are a very good size... I would say about 40sqm or bigger. Big king size beds, soft linen and nicely decorated and lit. The bathrooms spacious with separate shower and bath. Electric safe. Obviously the minibar was jam packed with their stuff and the shelf inside the door removed so you could not add any of your own drinks (predictable).
The pool is nice. Not huge, but deep and clean cool water (not always the case in LOS).
So at this point you are probably wondering how did he handle the joiner fee?
With advance planning of course. Firstly I didn't fall for the leave key at reception when you go out thing. Secondly, I did a recce and noticed there was a service entrance for a group of hotels off the side street "Kum Sep". I figured there was nothing to lose trying that route. So at 2am I would walk down that driveway, right past the guard box with the guard who never looked up and entered the hotel from the rear of the property. My sweet thai girl caught on quick and took off her heels so her feet wouldn't make a noise - genius!
http://www.baanlaimai.com
**** on to Salathai ****
Sala is about 400m north of Bang La and less than 100m to the beach.
Sala is a great hotel for many reasons. Genuine thai friendliness, from check in to check out. Not a luxurious hotel, but what they do, they do well. Checking in for 2 pax with only one present was no issue and no joiner fee issues either when TGs hand over their ID to the nightguard.
The good stuff....
- quiet... Somehow this place is so quiet and peaceful once you walk through reception. - The pool area has nice grass areas, lots of lounges and umbrellas and a deceptively large pool with spa - clean cool water again too  They do a nice lunch menu to the pool area too.
The rooms are pretty good value for B2,600 in high season. All have nice large west facing balconies. The lighting was poor but the other amenities were all good. The bathroom was quite old and a bit of a disappointment, mainly because there was no shower base so after a shower the whole bathroom is flooded with about 3 inches of water.
Brekky was fresh and good (but I didn't get to taste their eggs). It appeared they do a nice dinner too (guests get 10% discount). There are 2 free internet terminals at reception which is always a nice touch.
Overall I preferred the location north of bang al rather than south. It seemed a bit quieter, less big hotels and therefore more small restaurants and lots more bars. The people in shops seemed friendlier too.
For a good (non-sexual) massage visit Ioma or Loma (spelling?) just around the corner on beach road north of salathai. There are a couple of cute girls there who also seem to hit the bars late at night. If only I had more time to follow up that particular lead!
http://www.phuketsalathai.com
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 5:51 am on April 22, 2008
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erik
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All in all, I think you should have gone to Baipho or Baithong for the following reasons:
1) The location is alright
2) The staff is friendly
3) The owner paid a lot of attention to the interior and it comes out very nice. It does not feel like "I wanna make fast bugs on you" but it feels much more like "I care about you"
4) No joiner fee, although you should always leave the ID at reception for your own comfort and security.
5) The price is very reasonable.
I stayed there myself and I like it. From a professional point of view.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:26 am on April 22, 2008
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Oz
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I second Erik on this, no better choice for quality & location than Baipho & Baithong.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:35 pm on April 22, 2008
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Scrog80
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stayed at Baipho and Baitong and both great choices
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 9:31 pm on April 22, 2008
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the greek
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Hello all,
I am going to Patong in a week and haven't decided yet on hotel, since I am looking something cheap and clean + girl friendly I ask your opinion about "Poppa Palace Hotel" and "Casa Jip hotel Phuket", anyone know anything about them?
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:26 am on July 6, 2008
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atl
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Mags,
thats dissapointing to hear about banlaimai...
They must be under new management because the service we had was not excellent but well above average....
From what I recall, we didnt experience all those hidden fee's...well maybe the 3% on CC, but my dad paid the first time and didnt mention anything...and the next time my buddies paid cash..so mai loo on that???
Yea, the breakfast is average but I am not big breakfast guy and never ate at the restaurant really....
I am glad that at least you did find the location and deluxe room quite nice (as did I) and the corner bungalows are the best...and the pool is pretty chill and as you say clean
so all in all, I hope my recommendation wasnt a bad experience!
cheers,
atl
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:18 pm on July 8, 2008
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poskat
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Poppa palace gets good reviews on phuket-info.com
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:04 pm on July 12, 2008
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