No it is with a signed lease. I got it through an agent though so I am probably being overcharged 2000 baht. I looked at about 11 different places before settling on this one. Decent view and the location works really well for me. 3 mins from sky train platform. The interior furnishings were more my style than other places.

For visa runs in Bangkok the price is about 1800-2000 baht. They leave from around the sukhemvit area early in the morning and get back from Cambodia around 3pm if I remember correctly.

There are a few companies. Check how much they agents want because they might offer you the same price and leave right from your hotel. If they want more then 2000 baht then goto 7/11 buy the bangkok post and look in the classifieds to find several phone numbers of visa runs. I have used Jack Gold visa runs several times.

you missed bangkok? wow I hated that place.Since you are heading in that direction, I would recommend checking out cambodia and angkor wat.

Yeah, Jack GOLF,I cant type.

What did you hate about bangkok? I mean, yeah its got bad traffic and smog but its a pretty fun city and I really enjoyed my time there. Were you there for just a short trip or something?

Just travelled around thailand and was in and out of bangkok for, well pretty much everywhere we went. I'm sure you know what I mean. We were on a pretty tight budget so we were staying in places w/o AC and it was hot and dare I say, there wasn't much to do during the day? I mean we went to mbk, on the skytrain, hung out on top of the d & d a lot (didn't stay there usually though) or played pool. So basically, when i say bangkok i mean koh san road. I guess it just didn't compare to the islands or beaches.

Well if you sit on KSR all day then ya bangkok sucks.

KSR sucks.

But its a whole different game when you are actually living in Thailand so I can def understand.

nana plaza at noon? Holy [censored]

I was in BKK a few months ago, I'll probably go again soon. I am pretty used to the 'negotiating for everything' type of culture that is there (been to BKK and other similar places many times). There was one thing I was stuck on however. When I wanted to take a taxi for a relatively long distance (e.g. Sukumvit to Chatuchak market or Chinatown) I could never get a taxi to do it for the metered fares, they would always try to negotiate a set price (they'd start at 250-300 and I'd negotiate it to about half). Sometimes I'd try four or five cabs, but no luck. I know the difference I'm talking about is not a lot of money, I just hate getting ripped off.

Anyway, did I just suck at negotiating or is what I encountered (i.e.,it being impossible sometimes to get a metered fare) standard?

My friend and I made up a bunch of these stickers and bombed BKK about a year ago. We got chased by a katoey down in Silom one night putting the stickers up. LOL



PS. This is one of the most convincing Katoeys I ever saw. Doing an impromptu striptease in front of the Coffee World on Sukumvit. Be careful out there boys...

I have used jack golf visa runs in the past and they are ok, but there is a newer (better) one in my opinion. They leave Bangkok later (9:30am) and arrive back at the same time as the jack golf bus (which leaves at 7:30am!)

Here is the info. The bus is brand new and they played better movies than Jack golf too.

www.thaivisarun.com

Refuse all taxis that wont put the meter on. If you are insistant then they will turn it on.

It helps if you know a little thai. When they try that [censored] with me I put them in their place and tell them I know whats up and the meter either goes right on or I get in the next one.

Speaking of Buddha, when in Bangkok, you have to see the Wat Trimit Golden Buddha in person. 3 meters tall - Solid Gold. It is sick. It's in Chinatown.

Great picture. What are your other favorite spots in bangkok

Lumpinee Park, Golf Courses, Ball in Hand Pool Halls (either one), Qbar and Bed Club (back when I was clubbin).

The view from State Tower (Sirocco Sky Bar) is also pretty sweet.



Short Shorts at the pool hall:

Sirrocco [censored] ROCKS! My favorite bar in Bangkok. Shhhhh, keep this place quiet!

Which pool hall is that? The old Brunswick zone on Soi nana?

I agree with you about racism in Thailand.

Thais are, in general, very nationalist also and don't have much respect for any foreigner, american, german or whatever. You are just a guest here, nothing more ...

I think a lot of people get fooled by the "smiling" nature of thai people, the reality is that they have their dark sides too but it can be difficult to spot them for us, westerners.

Sounds like Koreans.

It is the "Ball in Hand" at the original location off of soi nana. Down nana about 500 meters on the right above/behind the 7-11.

Ball in Hand 2 is near the Asok BTS. Both have great tables and are the best pool halls in Bangkok. I liked the old Brunswick, too bad it closed. (that's what I heard at least)

Thanks man, where were you staying? Chaidee mansion? I thought I recognized something in a pic I saw on your blog. Some of the furnished apts I looked at were really cool but there would be one really wack thing that ruined it! One was nice, had stainless fridge, black granite counters in kitchen, modern style and then... a big ass stained glass divider between the bedroom and living room. WTF! It looked like the Church lady's house.

Last I saw they were renovating brunswick. Or maybe they were making it into a hotel and ditching the tables.

I usually play at 'The Factory' between soi 3-5. Gotta love the sexy little skirts they wear in there.

i know someone mentioned something about dec – feb being the most bearable months, in terms of temperature. is it still hot? can you still enjoy beaches? what temps are we talking about?

is A/C pretty much everywhere you go in the major cities and islands?

during the rest of the year, does everyone just sweat?

It is pretty much always hot. It just gets really really hot in march-april. That coincides with the world's biggest waterfight (songkran festival) so that keeps the heat down for that week.

Today it is the rainy season and no rain today but it was probably around 88. Yesterday I golfed and it rained a bit in the morning but by afternoon it was over 90 degrees. In the hottest part of the year it is always over 90. Over 100 on some days. Yeah, you just go from A/C to A/C on those days or hangout in the pool.

A/C is pretty much everywhere in the city. On islands if you want a bungalow, you will pay more for one with A/C. Others probably have a fan, but I never stayed in the non A/C ones.

what's the temperature during the cool seasons? comfortable at least?