LOL

woke up a little later this AM...off to breakfast...packed up our stuff for the bellman to transport to our club room...read the bangkok post on our balcony for a while...then a quick swim and caught the hotel's 11AM shuttle into town...cost for shuttle is 50B per person and a reservation is suggested... i needed cash so we were able to be dropped off at an atm just past the new village marketplace mall which was our ultimate destination....the driver did not know that the mall has many atm's and a bank.... the mall is opposite the marriott hotel...mostly a western type mall with some interesting craft shops but really did not hold much interest for us....there are a number of restaurants however...

we ate at a chain restaurant -- fuji--sushi was delcious and quite reasonable...475B...

we spent an hour on the computer in a great shop at the top back of the mall...35B per hour...

took a tuk tuk back to the hotel...100B...the elephant fountain, which is at the center of the resort, was being power washed which was quite fun to watch...small thai men mounting this elephant and washing it...

we moved into the regency club area...we had not heard any consturuction noise from the new spa until we walked into our new room....i immediately told the hostess that this would not do....they found us another room away from the noise...incidently the room there was smaller than the regular hotel room we had...odd....we ended up in room 3125 which was quite nice on the ground floor and it looked out onto a small fountain in a lily pond and past that to the ocean...no balconies on the ground floor btw...instead you get a bigger room with a sofa and table in it...we liked this better...the bath was identical..

the regency club has its own private pool (s)--two levels and lots of lounges....the open air club house is comfortable for drinks or for reading the paper, and breakfast is served here...

we are not sure the extra $50 cost is worth the price for a club room and probably would not do it again....we actually preferred our regular room and the general pools... the breakfast is nice but limited in the club area and the cocktails are also nice as are the hors d'oeuvres, but they sort of wreck going on to dinner, which we would prefer to do....

this nite after the cocktails and hors. we decided that because the transportation to local restaurants was so difficult that we would just stay at the hotel and thus we returned to figs and had beer, pizza and salads...it was more than we needed after the hors....and several gin and tonics for me, which i also did not need...K enjoyed the wine however...

tuesday

we enjoyed our new room and the bed was very comfortable....over to the club for breakfast...if there was something that was not on offer that you wanted, all you had to do is ask for it and it would appear...like boiled eggs in K's case...K notes the people watching is not as great in the club--simply less people....

we put some towels on some lounges by the pool so i would be sure of shade, of which there was not too much, and returned to our room..

i went out first...when karen came out she brought nikki bodley with her, aka smeagol from fodors...we had planned a meeting with them here at the club...interestingly they had the room next to us where the noise was, and had just asked to be moved after noise contined until 8:30PM the nite before....btw, this construction should be about finished now as the spa must be in full operation i should think for the xmas holidays...?? when they moved they ended up above us...they wanted to have a balcony...its a status symbol in britian i gather....haha

we spent the AM at the pool and then went back to you and mee for some lunch...

i went into town to do some more internet and K stayed at the pool...

we met nikki and david at the club about 6 for drinks...we had earlier decided to try supatra restaurant for dinner together....we hired the hotel car to take us there...250 B...at least this time it was a couple of miles...

WHAT A FANTASTIC PLACE....from the time we entered the place we knew it must be quite special....we were escorted to a beach side table...it was a beautiful nite....the golden buddah is almost next door and is lite at nite...the restaurant is just below LA mer restaurant if you are familiar with that place up on the hill at the end of the beach...

we had a few drinks....we had the good fortune to have a fabulous waiter with whom we shared several laughs...he made some food suggestions, some of which we tried...we had a ton of food...THIS ENDED UP BEING THE BEST MEAL OF OUR TRIP I THINK, but it was closely followed, or lead by, the fish meal south of pattaya...the company also made it quite special...1600 B for the four of us...cheap!! K may have this price wrong...??

the restaurant has a large tuk tuk which took us back to the hotel for 150B....i suspect they would pick you up too if you so requested...

we all went into the bar for a nitecap and there was a duo singing and making music (american music) which was quite lovely....

david (aka MF) and nikki are fun people and we hope to catch up with them another time, probably in england where they live....and we have encouraged them to come to boston for the next GTG....hope they will come....we would later meet up in bkk as well...

breakfast in the club lounge....

spent the AM at the pool again...talked with david and nikki a bit...at noon we went to figs for lunch...

we checked out about 1:30 and caught the 2PM van shuttle back to bkk...this time there were several other passengers...we stopped along the way again....about 2 hours and 45 min back to bkk....taxi to the marriott by the dumbest driver we had on the whole trip...karen's words...

several staff people welcomed us back as we entered the marriott lobby...this time we had room 566....the receptionist told karen they had a special room for us in the main building but at the last moment something was wrong with it and they hoped this room would be ok....it was just like all the other rooms we have ever had--just fine.. a nice fruit basket and an inivation to the manager's weekly reception greeted us...the reception was that nite...in fact it started in 20 minutes...we changed clothing quickly and dashed off to the reception....free drinks flowed freely and wonderful hors....we met some of the current management and several other guests...these are always fun...

back to the room and unpacked as we would be in this room for the next 14 nites....btw, early on in my planning i contacted the hotel directly and asked if they had a long term stay rate--usually 14 + days...they responded yes at $95++ per nite...i grabbed it quickly as the rate quoted even on the discount sites was significantly higher....later i learned that this rate included daily breakfast and two way airport limo transfers...a good deal...

a nice nites sleep...their beds at the marriott around the world are about the best hotel beds!!

Man, receptions with drinks flowing freely and wonderful whores? That marriott is one of a kind!!

:-)

I'm sitting here reading Bob's report and some of the replies and it occurs to me that this has to be one of the friendliest sites on the internet.

Rob

Certain large furry mammals excluded of course. LOL

lcuy

lol lol lol!!! Good one! As I was reading Bob's report, I wondered if someone would pick up on that...

In defense of LARGE furry mammals everywhere, I note that we are friendly, funny and festive. Horror movies always use reptiles as the villians in monster movies. The one large mammal movie was a poor primate torn from his habitat and sent to NYC. Also, it was a love story. We are universally loved, if sometimes misunderstood.

We stand corrected!!!

Lucy, Carol - given Bob's talent for spelling, any attempt at writing out "hors d'oeuvres" would certainly result in a major butchering of the term. Better to envision free-flowing drinks and ladies of the evening...LOL

Did you try the washrooms at Let's Sea ? Quiet a view!
Have they finished what I think was going to a a small boutique place next to the restaurant, same owners.

and you see, I just thought he didn't know how to spell whore!>:-)

love you Bob! and you too Andy. This forum wouldn't have as fun without the two of you!

Aw what the heck, love ALL you Asiatic Fodorites. And it was great in Boston to find so many of you to be nice in real life as well!

AW SHUCKS!!!

friendly, funny, informative...this site has it all...

our first trip to thailand followed bob and karen by a couple of weeks...and if we mentioned "bob"...everyone (people and restaurants alike) he had mentioned on this site, knew him, smiled at his name and threw their arms open in a big wide gesture of acknowledgment. too funny

james ...we did not use the washrooms at lets sea--well maybe karen did but she made no comment....karen was a bit put off by the men on the next lot who kept coming over towards lets sea to water the bushes after drinking tons of beer...odd situation next door?? this did not change our liking for the restaurant however...

we did not see any new building, just the restaurant...


nov 23 thanksgiving---at home

slept late...breakfast downstairs...the staff all wanted to know where we had been...

we took a cab up to the flower market...karen wanted flowers for our room and for the gpanda's room and for nikki's room--both of which we would deliver to their hotels....she got mounds of flowers--it took two of us to carry them.. she made our room into a florist shop...she cut and broke stems to the length she wanted and then filled three vessels with the beautiful orchids, mums, greenery, bamboo, fresha, daisys, etc....the arrangements were beautiful....ours lasted almost the two weeks...

next after delivering the flowers to the sheraton for the pandas we went over to river city shopping center to order 3 blouces from js thai silk...karen had two pieces of linen she had bought in india and from the shop she selected a versache (sp) knockoff black silk....two of the blouces would have tons of custom detailing for which js thai silk is known....karen has very good luck with them....

we took the new hilton boat from river city across to the hotel...the hotel has an office in river city which will call the boat for you....we have watched the abandoned building which has become the hilton for over 10 years after sofitel abandoned it in an unfinished state...now it is a stunning hotel....we walked around the public areas a bit and settled into the flow restaurant for some lunch....we had been told the food was not too good, but this was not our experience....

a new concept is in play here....there are several venues for eating on the ground floor and they all sort of flow together with minimal walls...there is a huge open kitchen and a unique buffet station...

after lunch we asked to see a couple of rooms...we were a bit disappointed...they were odd and quite small....the exec. room was just plain weird...we decided we had made a good decision to cancel our res there for loy krathang...the suite was fantastic i should point out however with full river front view...

we went to the top floor where the exec club lounge is...from there you have access to the upper top floor bar called 360...and it is 360 degrees around the complete top of the building...fantastic river views...i would love to visit there at nite...

the pool is on maybe the 4th floor--its called the beach...it is an infinite pool concept with the water flowing over the edge towards the river....lounge chairs are positioned in shallow water in a part of the pool--another unique concept...there are not many of them however...very nice pool....there is sand up there as well and cabannas...

we took the hilton boat to taskim and the marriott boat back to our hotel...

swim time, of course...

visit to see jack for fittings again and to give him some indian cotton to make me a robe... also some indian cotton to make my father in law some pj's...

we began talks about some wool slacks for me as well....i knew all about the italian wool from stan kase...he is the expert on such matters...i chose the 303 wool, instead of what he purchases...

we took a taxi over to soi 29, sukhumvit for our first visit to MahaNaga....
we felt the restaurant was high on pretention and only medium on food quality....the setting is lovely, almost too much...i had by passed it in 2005 because i felt its prices were out of the normal bkk range...but after such favorable reviews we had to try it...we were underwhelmed...the food was ok but nothing special...the staff had an attitude problem...they thought they were in paris i gather...
1853B...

we made telephone contact with the gpandas who had arrived back in bkk that afternoon...we set a date for the following nite...

breakfast downstairs again...they do such a good job with this buffet...they never run out of anything or even let things run low...the waiters/waitresses are all so pleasant and keep your coffee cup full and dirty plates off of your table...they keep asking if there is anything you need...we always want water too and they remember from day to day...there is a huge staff for breakfast...we always eat inside for the a/c but you can eat on the patio out nearer to the river as well...on weekends and busy days they set up another buffet outside as well..

the pool of course...

we took a taxi to the jim thompson main store in the late morning...we took the tour around and looked at each department and then settled on the second floor for lunch in their excellent and very reasonable cafe...we did notice that prices are up slightly...

from there we walked two blocks to a shopping area called thaniya plaza which guenmai had spoken about....it is near to silom road on one of the cross streets near to patpong...guen had suggested two shops: legend shop (3rd floor) and one directly across from it...both had lovely merchandise and we bought quite a few things....if anyone is a golf nut, this is the mall for you...there must be 25 shops in here catering to the golfing crowd....the sala dang skytrain stop is about a one minute walk...

next we grabed a cab on silom and headed to the nei lert hotel, the former hilton, over by the british embassy...raffles group took it over last year and we wanted to have a look at it....it is on a very large piece of land...there is a nice garden area and the pool is quite large...we visited 3 rooms and they are all quite nice....some similar to the marriott rooms and some very modern...we would stay there another time to try it out...great location...

from there we took another taxi over to the pratanum market area--not too far, but it was hot...
we spent quite a while in the platimum fashion market...this is an mbk type building with hundreds of retailers in it...also a huge food hall...it is new and has great a/c...5 floors...huge...great buys...karen went nuts with shoe purchases...thanks carol for the tip on this place...many of the sizes are way to small for westerners but there is lots to choose from and plenty of accesories... we must have been there 2 hours...we much prefer it to mbk....

taxi to thai stone at soi 4, sukhumvit for an update with them...then skytrain back to the marriott...

we went out to further discuss pants for me with jack...decided on what i wanted and was measured...

quick change as we were short on time to meet the gpandas at le bouchon french restaurant on patpong II...taxi there...what a mistake...it was 5:30 and traffic was all hung up on silom and sathorn...we figured they would have left, but to our surprise they were sitting there waiting when we arrived at 7:05, one hour and five minutes late...taxi ride from hell!!!

this is the oldest, i believe, french restaurant in bkk...it is small and they never have taken reservations in the past but they may do so now....THEY DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 7PM HOWEVER...i had been told six when we called there...

the food was good and well cooked except for my stew dish...i hardly ate any and when the waitress took the plates away i said it was not good...she told the owner; he took it from her and went out into the kitchen and tried it for himself from my plate...he later told me it was terrible and that it was removed from our bill..even with that the bill was $61 per couple...so it is expensive but a respite from thai food...

we parted and K and i walked through patpong until we had had enough and took the skytrain back to the river to the boat back to the hotel...great to meet up with andy and beth...we would spend quite a bit of time with them for the next week...

Bob this is so great. Am enjoying it so much writing notes and beginning to get really excited about our return to Thailand on Jan 5th. I so love that you name all the places you ate and what they cost and how you liked it. Great info.

Thanks again, and I love the banter. Too bad I could not get to a BKK GTG.
Sue

Bob, I don't know if you've read my trip report yet, but we were not impressed by MahaNaga's food this time. The menu is ever-changing, and our assessment is that it has changed for the worse. When we ate there last year, the food was primarily Thai, this time it was primarily fusion, and not as interesting we thought.

kathie--i have sent you an e mail directly with more direct observations...haha