January trip report

[paborn]

Having no claim to the skills of a Barbara Cartland there will be no novella here; just an attempt to overview what I found to be true or, at least, my personal impressions of my recent trip.

I flew over on Emirates and now recall while I hate the airport at Dubai. Doha is smaller, easier to navigate and run more efficiently.  I use a wheelchair these days and the system works very well on the US end and perfectly fine at Bangkok. Dubai is a nightmare. Arriving, outbound, on my connection there was no chair for any of the passengers. A confused but kindly attendant organized the chairs but this took some 40 minutes in my case. The same thing happened on the return putting Dubai on my no-fly list.

Perhaps because of the wheelchair situation, I was upgraded on the segment to Bangkok. I had almost forgotten what business class is like from my corporate days and I was impressed.  While enjoying the comfort and good food I heard some noise behind me and explored. I found a nice, comfortable bar with a bartended and seating around the sides. Assuming there is an even more lavish show in First I had to wonder what this volume of space, distributed over the coach area, would add to the comfort of lesser mortals forced to fly in a medieval torture device.

On arrival, the wheelchair whisked me through immigration and customs. Having exited customs I found, to no great surprise that the hotel car service I had arranged and reconfirmed was not there. Why do I bother as there are plenty of cabs? Well, it's almost a game now - I have NEVER had a car show up. Ever. I'm told, "it happens" - damn right. Each and every time.

A word about the cabs. Now, I may be doing something wrong and please correct me. But I trudge along to the little post and press the button and I'm assigned number 53 - all the way down the line. Now, why can't we just take the next car in line. This system seems to work to please the drivers, not the customers. Please tell me where I err.

I booked the Tarntawan with some trepidation as we have all read the mixed reviews of service and hard beds. Well, my room, at least, was very nice no stains, cigarette burns or the like. The hotel is still perfectly gay-friendly and positive. My only question is: are all the doorknobs set so close to the door frame that you bruise your knuckles unless you remember to use two extended fingers?  It's just so damn odd. The bed was, actually, very comfortable.

Breakfasts were OK, nothing spectacular. However, one day I felt very tired and decided to have a quick lunch in the hotel and ordered a club sandwich which was just nasty. One of the layers had meat I could not identify and don't care to know what it was but it was left uneaten. I would stay there again but never eat there - other than breakfast, again.

I took off, the first day, to Cutey and Beauty for my jetlag treatment of Shampoo, haircut, shave, facial, pedicure and manicure. Very nice. However, the place just does not appear as prosperous as it once did.  There was a day when they even took American Express - no more.

On leaving, I went to the restroom on that floor of Plaza Thaniya. I mention this only to highlight one other absurd feature of Thai buildings. There always seems to be steps up or down, odd placement of levels, etc. In this case, I walked in the door and promptly nearly fell on my face. As I caught myself memories flooded back of all the other times I did exactly the same thing. Why is there a sudden two-inch drop to the floor as you enter the door?
More tomorrow. I'm still jetlagged and sleepy.

[ggobkk]

Welcome Reporter Paborn

Sadly, I remember a Tarntawan club sandwich...

 

[gerefan]

Actually I don’t even eat the breakfast there any more....but this isn’t a Tarntawan thread.

[hank75]

Welcome back paborn, looking forward to hearing your adventures.

[fedssocr]

I only transited DXB one time, was connecting from business to first and am able-bodied. And I also hated that airport. Took forever to get from one place to another. Almost as much walking as JFK. Not a place I am interested in experiencing again.

[pong]

So you must write pretty early/very late, as its now 9.36 here in BKK.

About cattle in EK: Ive done it, as Ive also flewn such on EY, GF, KU, Oman and many more, and even in ''coach=Y'' its among the largest space any airline gives. I guess you were on an AB380? Well, even on LH the seatspace was more roomy as usual. Hope you enjoy the time here to the fullest!

But DBX is an enormous airport-nearly 100.000.000 pax/yr, vying with ATL and LHR to be the busiest in the world-as I just read. Theyre building an brand new and even larger airport in Dubai somewhere in the empty sands.

[PeterRS]

4 hours ago, paborn said:

A word about the cabs. Now, I may be doing something wrong and please correct me. But I trudge along to the little post and press the button and I'm assigned number 53 - all the way down the line. Now, why can't we just take the next car in line. This system seems to work to please the drivers, not the customers. Please tell me where I err.

I think the system is to avoid scams - or make it easier register a complaint about drivers who have doctored their meters.  If you look closely at the ticket, it not only gives you the bay number but also the name of the driver and the cab number. Even so, the system could easily be refined. Its nuts to have someone getting a ticket at the TG end of the airport having to walk the length of the airport to get  cab.

 

Re the Emirates A380, I once had to exit through first class and down the stairs. First has  individual suites with doors! But EK is changing the layout in some of its A380s. Its dropping First and about 20 biz class seats and adding 130 coach seats in their place. This increases capacity from around 500 passengers to 615! 

[vinapu]

welcome back , we were waiting patiently for you to get over your vacations and start reporting back. 

Hope following days brought better luck  than crappy airports, no-show cars, uneatable sandwiches , not to mention door knobs and other first day nuisances.

And even if Cutey and Beauty don't take AMEX any more I'm pretty sure they still take old fashioned cash.

Waiting impatiently for first boy to appear on your horizon

 

[anddy]

10 hours ago, paborn said:

A word about the cabs. Now, I may be doing something wrong and please correct me. But I trudge along to the little post and press the button and I'm assigned number 53 - all the way down the line. Now, why can't we just take the next car in line. This system seems to work to please the drivers, not the customers. Please tell me where I err.

well, it may just be that you DID get the next in line.

Note that there is no taxi LINE in front of the building, presumably to avoid congestion due to slowly departing taxis when passengers have lots of bags to load, for example. Instead, they have introduced the bay system, which makes sense IMO.

The cab's wait in a VERY long line on the side of the terminal building and then enter the bays as the bays become free and are allocated to them. So the cab in the first bay next to the ticket machine may have gotten there AFTER the one in the bay far away. Hence the far away cab is far away but still the NEXT IN LINE. 

Quote

Breakfasts were OK, nothing spectacular. However, one day I felt very tired and decided to have a quick lunch in the hotel and ordered a club sandwich which was just nasty. One of the layers had meat I could not identify and don't care to know what it was but it was left uneaten. I would stay there again but never eat there - other than breakfast, again.

pity, they used to actually have really good food in the lobby restaurant. The best feature of all FOR ME of Tarntawan of bygone days when I still used it as a visitor was the availability of a la carte breakfast 24 hours a day. Best invention ever for long sleepers.

[paborn]

4 hours ago, anddy said:

well, it may just be that you DID get the next in line.

Note that there is no taxi LINE in front of the building, presumably to avoid congestion due to slowly departing taxis when passengers have lots of bags to load, for example. Instead, they have introduced the bay system, which makes sense IMO.

The cab's wait in a VERY long line on the side of the terminal building and then enter the bays as the bays become free and are allocated to them. So the cab in the first bay next to the ticket machine may have gotten there AFTER the one in the bay far away. Hence the far away cab is far away but still the NEXT IN LINE. 

pity, they used to actually have really good food in the lobby restaurant. The best feature of all FOR ME of Tarntawan of bygone days when I still used it as a visitor was the availability of a la carte breakfast 24 hours a day. Best invention ever for long sleepers.

Andy. actually I do understand this. However, I have been to airports that have a dispatcher so you wait and the next in line comes to you and that works even better. The dispatcher can hold things up if a line is forming ( people with many bags ) or speed it up. 

[paborn]

10 hours ago, vinapu said:

welcome back , we were waiting patiently for you to get over your vacations and start reporting back. 

Hope following days brought better luck  than crappy airports, no-show cars, uneatable sandwiches , not to mention door knobs and other first day nuisances.

And even if Cutey and Beauty don't take AMEX any more I'm pretty sure they still take old fashioned cash.

Waiting impatiently for first boy to appear on your horizon

 

Yes, they take cash. My point is that when you can no longer absorb the discount rate then things are tightert than they were finacialy. Still, good service and a staff of only two rather than the former three or four.

[hank75]

I don’t mean to pry paborn, but just trying to understand your report better - do you use a wheelchair generally, or only in airport situations?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the fine report Paborn.

Cutey and Beauty is my favourite barbours shop anywhere, but it probably should be that good when they charge 400 baht in country where you can get your hair cut for 60-100 baht.   This time I tried UP2 following a mention here.   300baht.   Cutey and Beauty is better, maybe >33% better.  

You are right to pick up on the floor levels issue.   They just don't get it.    Brand new high end tower blocks and yet there is a 2 inch random step in the floor where none should be necessary if the place is surveyed and constructed properly.    

[paborn]

Having made it by "first-day nuisances"  that attended my arrival I realized that I had forgotten a medication. For newbies, many Thai Pharmacies do not carry a lot of western brands you might know. However, while there are many that do, you can head to a Boots ( UK firm ) which carries, depending on the branch, most everything. There is one located in the gay area - take Thaniya from Suriwongse straight through to Silom, make a left and it's about a block down.

Armed with my medication I headed to Maxi's to recoup with a good drink and an early dinner. I think the food at Maxi's is quite good, at least I think so, as I was so taken by one of the waiters that I could have been eating cardboard and would have smiled at Jack.

Ah Jack, whoever owns the place should be staffing a go-go bar. I showed his photo to a friend who only likes Hispanics and he said, "wow, so cute." But, I digress, I settled in and enjoyed my first rum and coke of the day. By the way, for years I was frustrated in getting this drink as no one ever seemed to know what I wanted. One day, I pointed to a bottle of Bacardi rum on the shelf and I told them to put some of that in a coke, " oh, Bacardi Coke." Mystery solved - God the power of advertising - there are other brands! 

Still, a drink brought by Jack is a better drink than one by any other name. Forgive my butchering of Shakespeare and to avoid controversy I will not mention the tips I gave for this service - you can assume far north of 20 Bhat. Before anyone pounces, we've all been there: the pretty face has greater earning power.

I took the advice of our own gregarious Paulsf and selected a seat that gave me monitoring ability of the bars and massage places across the street.  Great advice as I spotted a guy at Bonney that was tall, light and handsome. Just my cup of Jasmine scented tea.

Quickly deciding that dinner could wait an hour I headed to Bonney Massage. Fixing on his handsome face I made the arrangements and then blanched in shock as I saw the steep rise of stairs in front of me. Deciding my cane would have to do as an alpine staff I headed up the escarpment. Yes, wordy I know but the damn thing is tall and steep.

Booney is far from a fancy place and very basic. Still, I found it clean and this guy was sweet and attentive. Like the bars, there has to be only one you'd like. It's always a search.

Back to Maxi's - all kidding aside, the food is good and they have excellent fries.  There is, frankly, no better place to observe the life of the soi. I will say, that there was not that much to observe. Maxi's was busy but there was a day when Maxi's and Dick's were packed and there was a crowd walking in the soi.  In my experience, this is not so today. But, then I'm an early bird and usually have my off by 10 PM.

After Maxi's excellent burger I was off to The bars. Both Fresh Boys and X Boys had about 12 to 15 good looking guys and the staff was not pushy. In fact, I spent most of my time with the cute and engaging Vietnamese waiters. They were loads of fun for me with no off involved. But, there comes a time to take care of business and I decided to make a Screwboys run.

Screwboys is a bit dark and has not seen a decorator in many a year. But, the boys are damn good looking and that's all that matters. The coyote boys in leather briefs give a synchronized dance show that is amusing and sweet as they smile and laugh. Number 80 is a gorgeous doll and, well, did what we agreed on. Enough said. Your need and preferences may differ so don't sell the place short - lovely, handsome lads.

 

[paborn]

51 minutes ago, hank75 said:

I don’t mean to pry paborn, but just trying to understand your report better - do you use a wheelchair generally, or only in airport situations?

 

Only in airports and only in large ones. Dubai is crazy large and IMHO organized around shopping rather than quick access to gates.

[paborn]

42 minutes ago, z909 said:

Thanks for the fine report Paborn.

Cutey and Beauty is my favourite barbours shop anywhere, but it probably should be that good when they charge 400 baht in country where you can get your hair cut for 60-100 baht.   This time I tried UP2 following a mention here.   300baht.   Cutey and Beauty is better, maybe >33% better.  

You are right to pick up on the floor levels issue.   They just don't get it.    Brand new high end tower blocks and yet there is a 2 inch random step in the floor where none should be necessary if the place is surveyed and constructed properly.    

Yes, I should have mentionmed that it is my favorite as well. I never get my hair cut before a trip as I plan to have it cut there. I'll run over there for a shave in the morning. When I'm on vacation I like a little pampering. I don't mean to demean it in any way. It's just that so much is changing so fast that I'm sensitive to seeing something that looks to be on the down side rather than flying high. It's still very nice.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, z909 said:

Thanks for the fine report Paborn.

Cutey and Beauty is my favourite barbours shop anywhere, but it probably should be that good when they charge 400 baht in country where you can get your hair cut for 60-100 baht.   This time I tried UP2 following a mention here.   300baht.   Cutey and Beauty is better, maybe >33% better.  

You are right to pick up on the floor levels issue.   They just don't get it.    Brand new high end tower blocks and yet there is a 2 inch random step in the floor where none should be necessary if the place is surveyed and constructed properly.    

I have tripped on that step a few times. I never thought to look if there was a lack of drains in the main bathroom thus if there was a leak some protection for the main mall. I'll have to look next time.

[anddy]

3 hours ago, paborn said:

Andy. actually I do understand this. However, I have been to airports that have a dispatcher so you wait and the next in line comes to you and that works even better. The dispatcher can hold things up if a line is forming ( people with many bags ) or speed it up. 

gotcha. True, a dispatcher might be helpful. With labor  being as heap as it is they could easily afford to pay for that from their takings of the 50B airport surcharge. 

[paborn]

2 hours ago, Scooby said:

I have tripped on that step a few times. I never thought to look if there was a lack of drains in the main bathroom thus if there was a leak some protection for the main mall. I'll have to look next time.

Please look, but the Romans and drains. They built this in the age of elevators!

[DivineMadman]

6 hours ago, Scooby said:

I have tripped on that step a few times. I never thought to look if there was a lack of drains in the main bathroom thus if there was a leak some protection for the main mall. I'll have to look next time.

My brand-new condo building has that sort of odd little step up at the entry to each apartment.  The explanation that I got for why it was done was that it protects the apartments from when the meebaan does the heavy floor washing out in the hallways.  And this was presented as the rather obvious explanation.  So these treacherous barriers around a bathroom would also prevent the water from sloshing out of the bathroom as the meebaans give the bathrooms their frequent mopping.  Not sure I'ld make tha particular safety tradeoff, but TIT.

 

[DivineMadman]

6 hours ago, anddy said:

gotcha. True, a dispatcher might be helpful. With labor  being as heap as it is they could easily afford to pay for that from their takings of the 50B airport surcharge. 

I think the current system is probably overall faster than it would be if a smaller number of passengers were getting loaded into a smaller space near the "dispatcher", but certainly it is a little disheartening after 18hr flight to have to schlepp luggage another 50 meters.

Even before they introduced the current system you often would have to walk a bit to get to your taxi, but at least the taxi driver came to you and could help with luggage.  But more important, I think when they got rid of the the human people assigning taxis it became that much easier for unscrupulous taxis drivers to try to go off-meter.  

[ggobkk]

Ah, Jack at Maxi’s. I remember him very well. He was brand new to Maxi’s when I first had him be my waiter in Mid-November. Pat and the other waiters were very protective of their newbie co-worker. 

[hank75]

1 hour ago, DivineMadman said:

I think the current system is probably overall faster than it would be if a smaller number of passengers were getting loaded into a smaller space near the "dispatcher", but certainly it is a little disheartening after 18hr flight to have to schlepp luggage another 50 meters.

Also very frustrating when you are hoping for an English speaking driver with basic recognition of international hotel names, and instead you’re assigned a ramshackle car with a Thai-only driver and the other drivers have to help explain to him exactly where you want to go to! I also see lone female passengers hoping for a strong male driver to assist with luggage and end up with female drivers.

[paborn]

exactly, Hank. This is better handled with dispatchers and the volume of business coupled with cheap labor would warrant it.

[paborn]

After a fun evening with Mr. Scewboy, truly a doll and finely made. Next morning I feast   ( facetiously ) on the smallish breakfast at Tarntawan; Making a mental note that there is a large hotel across the street where I could buy a better breakfast. Perhaps next trip, the omelet is not that bad.

This day is dedicated to the newish Ganymede spa recommended by the estimable Divine Madman. To get there I use my new T-mobile phone and data plan ( recommended to me by this board ) and make my first use of Grab, recommended by Paulsf. Where would I be without everyone's help? 

Grab works fantastically well. Not only is it easy to use, charges to your credit card removing the need for the driver to have changed and it provides the driver with a google maps set of directions. Behind me are the days when I would ask for the "Grand Palace" and be taken to the Royal Palace. Being forced to tell the driver that I was "alas, not dining with the King" will no longer be a source of embarrassment. 

Ganymede is located on a soi before a resort and is gated. The driver followed along carefully and found it. I believe this would not have been as seamless without the app. I have no Thai and invite you to imagine communicating this to the average taxi driver.

The spa is new, well appointed and very inviting.  The "massage therapist"  I selected from their Line account timeline is named Kevin. Actually, I made the appointment before leaving the US and was delighted when it all worked out. He's Vietnamese and gorgeous. We had so much fun I booked him to come to me at the hotel the next day. No problem, he showed up the next day 15 minutes early and was a delight, we lunched together. I humbly thank Divinemadman for his excellent blog.

Lunch was at Madrid Tavern, everyone likes pizza, even the Vietnamese. Frankly, I wondered how good this would be. When I say pizza I'm thinking of the New York ( New Jersey ) style and this Madrid's is not. It is, however, a very good thin sliced Neopolitan type. I appreciated the ability to order a small which is perfect for one.

Until I leave for Pattaya you can assume dinner, drinks and teasing chatter with Jack at Maxi's every night. Now, off to Moonlight.

Ah! The legendary Moonlight. I remember it when it was the brand new Jupiter 2000 named to welcome the millennium. I also remember when that area housed a room I shared for a week with a lovely lad from Issan, one of Barbiery's best.

Frankly, I enjoyed it better when it was my room. No, that's not fair. It's a nice place just too much hype for me. I've never been a Vegas guy. The "models" are just not my type. I recognize their good looks and obvious attraction to others; however, the "floor models" are more my speed. Still, I return to Scewboy for the evening and choose a doll from Chiang Mai. Who makes a fine end to a very nice day.

In summary, I was only three nights in Bangkok which I regret as I enjoyed it and ( sigh ) still miss the delightful Jack. But, I supposed you guessed that. The crowds were not large for high season, Maxi's is good. Madrid is good and the Tarntawan is perfectly fine and the endless speculation seems unjustified.

Tomorrow I'm off to Pattaya and my first visit to Jomtien.