Guenmai

Has anyone actually STAYED at the following serviced apartments and how was it...what was the monthly rate...and how far of a walk was it to the skytrain? Thanks..1)President Park 2)Mayfair Marriot Executive apartments 3)President Solitaire 4)Centre Point Sukhumvit 5)The Ascott Sathorn ....I know Bangkok quite well as I vacation there often, but am thinking of renting an apartment for a month or two in July/August....Thanks all...Happy Travels!

rhkkmk

i have4 only visited 3...centre points on both silom and the one across the street from the marriott mayfair...and the mayfair...

mayfair was by far the superior in evey way...they are a few minutes walk to the skytrain across from the 4 seasons or to plenochit station...great locations....silom is right next to the taskim station and behind the shangri-la hotel...have not stayed on did tours..

Guenmai

Thanks Rhkkmk...So I interpret that to mean to look into the Mayfair Marriot and to skip the Center Point? The one that looks interesting,too, is the Ascott Sathorn which is on South Sathorn Road just a 7-minute walk from Chong Nonsi BTS.I was at the Metroplitan Hotel on either north or south Sathorn Road...next to the Sukothai Hotel... which wasn't a bad area as long as the BTS is accessible...since that street is bumper-to-bumper traffic.Plus I'll probably be eating a lot at the Four Seasons so an apartment close by would be good.Happy Travels!

hobbes

I know 2 others Guenmai- Emporium and Somerset Spts, Soi Tonson. Emporim I stayed at for a couple of months - great acco, large room with 1.5 baths, drawing/dining/kitchen/pantry - huge. Think it is tough nowadays to get a decent rate for a short stay as people stay for years! Somerset on Soi Ton Son was very nice as well and reasonably close to your fav the Four Seasons as it is the road before Soi Lungsuan - very nice, smaller 1 b/r apt but quite comfortable.

rhkkmk

for me it would be the marriott mayfair...if you are to be at 4 seasons often then you could walk from there...i much prefer it to sathorn...

Guenmai

Thanks Hobbes and Rhkkmh for the info. Do you remember how much you paid per month? The Somerset is also on my moveandstay.com computer list. It's great to have gotten feedback on it.Thanks.I first thought I'd stay at the Grand President since it's across the street from a Thai language school...the one Orgy 7 goes to. But, as I started researching other apartments, I decided to stay in an area I really want to stay in and then if I end up in Thai language school for 1 or 2 months, then I'll take the skytrain or taxi to school. I'll have two months for vacation and haven't decided if I'll take one month in Bangkok and one in Singapore...which I love...or 6 weeks in Bangkok and two weeks in Singapore.This will probably be summer 2006 since I'll probably only be able to afford two weeks in summer 2005 in Bk due to me taking about 4 overseas vacations a year. But, I'm doing my research now and planning a budget. How far in advance does one need to book an apartment? What agency did you guys use and it just hit me...will I need a visa if I stay more than 30 days? I hold a US passport.Thanks again! Happy Travels!

rhkkmk

i did not stay there i only went to look...www.huahin.20m.com has some prices for these places but i think it is only daily rates....e-mail the propery directly and they will send you monthly prices....they may have some on their web-sites as well...prices will change as we go forward as well..

the area around the marriott is lovely and very convenient...so are some of the areas off of sukhumvit say around soi 23 and higher sois...

Guenmai

Thanks for the info! Happy Travels!

hobbes

The rate we paid is prob no indication as my partners MNC has a negotiated rate for expats who come in to work. I know tho that Emporium became very exp hence the co started using Somerset. I love the Somerset location as it is right across the road from Central Chitlom and down the road from Gaysorn, Four Seasons, parallel to Soi Lungsuan with tis amazing repertoire of restaurants - we stayed on Soi Somkid when we lived in Bkk and I am missing it just writing this reply!

rhkkmk

this is in the same neighborhood as the marriott and one centre point

Guenmai

Thanks folks. I think I'll stay at one of the ones you mentioned that's near the Four Seasons so that I can eat well daily! It's good to be near great western food. I eat Thai food all the time at home. There are tons of Thai restaurants where I live and two friends own two separate well-known restaurants here... where I eat regulary. So on vacation I try to locate hotels and restaurants with great western food...for when I tire of Thai food. Happy Travels!

orgy7

I finaly found the web site I ment too give ya it has what seems like hundreds of listing. the site shows just about all the apartment I've heard of unlide movestay/sabai. which has only a hand full of properties that most likely sponcer the site.

http://www.roominbangkok.com/apar-sukhum.html

rhkkmk

i could not get this address to work, but i did get it from: www.roominbangkok.com

Guenmai

Thanks you two! Now...do you know how long one can stay in Thailand without having to apply for a visa?I can't remember. Is it 30/60/ or 90 days? I'm in so many countries until I get it all mixed up. Thanks. Happy Travels!

rhkkmk

i think it is only 30...hop over to some other near-by country for a couple of days and you will get 60..

Guenmai

Thanks Rhkkmh for the info. I just read your reply. Happy Travels!

IsisMnroe

http://www.granddiamondbkk.com/price.html

orgy7

IF your an american citizen.. you can get a tourist visa in the USA. It gives you 60 days. and you can have it extended for another 30 days at the imigration office at Soi suan phuu for 1900 baht. (TIP>>. when you give the officer your passport he/she will return it too you and hand you a form.. then you have too leave the office cross the street and make 3 coppies/3 photos. I usually have my pic and everything done for about 100 baht. since thing change and they know whats up.. when your done with this task return everything too imigration officer and you should get an extensian fairly quickly.. )
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You can choose too take a visa run bus tour too cambodia. it cost 2000 baht and all you need is your passport and 1 pic. all you do is fallow your group eat at a buffet or gamble at a boder casina and head off back too bkk..
www.jackgolf.com

for a 30 day visa all you need too do is leave the counrie and return. so you could take a cheep asiaair flight too singapore for 2 days and get another 30 day stamp on airval..
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For another tourist 60 dat visa. you must go/stay in another countrie for a couple of days and send the passport too a thai counsulate/embassey.. the eesiest place tends too be Penang, malaysia/ Vientian is said too be not that bad.. most hotels guesthouses have visa services.
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Your last option is on the shady side.. they involve going too a bangkok travel agency and asking if they offer visa services. and see if they offer a 1 year (i forget which type) these visas are gathered by sending your passport illigaly into Malaysia and getting a real stamp... Unfortunatly I've read on expoat sites that... thai authorities have been clamping down on the trade and some tour/travel agencies have been stamping totally fraudulant stamps themselves.

Guenmai

Thanks to the above posters.Yes, I have a U.S. passport... Orgy 7, I kind of figured I could just leave the country and return and get a new stamp.I was thinking of going up to Laos for a few days and then return back to Bangkok. As for Singapore, when I leave BK, at the end of my BK stay, then I'll go to Singapore and stay for some time and fly back to L.A. from Singapore. So it'll probably be my last stop. Thanks again for the info. Happy Travels!