неплохо, но не на 4 звезды (троечка!) good, but not 4 stars

A week ago we returned with friends from Thailand. At first it was just a shock! I have never seen such dirt and stench in any resort! I consider myself a fairly demanding client, but I never find fault with minor details. I have experience of holidays in Turkey, I often travel to the cities of Ukraine and stay in different hotels. I want to say that hotels in Ukraine are now much cooler! We were told that Long Beach is 4 stars. Nothing like this! Who has something to compare with, he will confirm. However, we were told by vacationers from other hotels that Long Beach is pretty good. I can imagine what other hotels! The buffet was quite good, menu for different tastes. But I want to warn tea and coffee lovers: neither in this hotel nor in restaurants (even expensive ones) there is neither tea nor coffee. Maximum - Lipton in bags and instant Nescafe. Bangkok had Lavazza coffee. So advice: take it with you! I love seafood, fruits, vegetables and juices.
All this shaft! Meat breakfast was chicken, beef, good (by the way! ) sausages and ham. so the men won't go hungry : ) The local beer is very good. Seafood can be bought at the supermarket (they will cook it there) - it's cheaper. But I agree with other reviews, in general it turns out not so cheap. About the numbers. Towels were changed every day, but they were not sparkling clean. The bed was changed once in 10 days, the bathrobes never. The slippers in the room are rubber flip flops worn by I don't know how many people before us. We did not dare to wear them. The rooms have not been renovated for a long time. But this is not the main thing. There was a feeling of homelessness. Dust everywhere, ingrained in places, cobwebs on the ceilings and walls, rusty faucets. I can’t say that it’s completely scary, but when you were promised 4 stars (even with a plus), there was a moment of disappointment. I can’t imagine how they travel with preschool children (everywhere I saw children from 2 months and older).
The baby herself is 2 years old, we left him at home. It seems to me that children should not be subjected to such stress - a flight, a sharp change in climate, a high risk of catching some kind of infection (I myself caught a very bad cold on the second day, or maybe a virus). And food, although varied, but not for children! Thai food is all very spicy, seafood is not allowed for kids in such quantities, and an abundance of fruits can cause allergies. I also saw a lot of babies in Thailand. I have no idea what their moms eat? The staff is friendly, but you can say they don’t know English, only on-duty phrases. We tried to figure out what floor we would have, so no one understood the word floor. The room had a safe. Everything was in order with the security at the hotel, nothing was missing from anyone, neither from us nor from others. Although theft in Thailand is rampant! Advice: be on the lookout, it is better to leave the main amount of money, passports, tickets in the safe right away.

Our guide said that his colleague was robbed of a wallet with a large amount (something around 13 thousand dollars - revenue from excursions) when she was conducting a tour in the temple. The beach is unimportant. We spend the whole summer relaxing on the Sea of ​ ​ Azov and the Black Sea, a household chore, so we appreciate not only the presence of the beach, but also its quality. Here the beach is small, cramped and very dirty. Of course there are a lot of people, but no one ever cleans the beach, even finding a trash can is a problem. There, in general, instead of an urn, there was a large plastic bag, which was periodically changed. There are few sun loungers and even fewer umbrellas. The hotel is not very conveniently located. When we just arrived and were waiting for the settlement, we decided to go to change money. All guides warned that it is better not to change at the hotel, they say, the rate is low. My friends! We walked back and forth under the scorching sun for an hour and a half to the nearest bank and saved 50 baht on a hundred dollars ($ 1 = approx. 30 baht) It was like idiocy : ) I advise at least $ 100.
change immediately at the airport. The drive from the airport to the hotel is approx. 1.5 hours and you will not be accommodated immediately. And I'm sure you'll want to drink. To be honest, the tuk-tuk was used extremely rarely. I think if you are at least 4 people, then a taxi is better. So it is more reliable, faster and safer. Shopping is better done in Bangkok - I really liked MBK (it seems to be called that). A good shopping center in Pattaya is Central Festival and Outlet Mall. There are sales.
What I didn’t like very much in Pattaya was the excursions. They are all commercial in nature and take away your valuable time, which can be spent on the beach, relaxing ...and excursions! Crocodile farm - primitivism. If you have never seen crocodiles in your life and came to Thailand for this, then you are welcome. By the way, there is a very beautiful garden of ancient stones, where you could walk and take beautiful photos.
And we were quickly taken to where tourists should spend money - to be photographed with elephants, bears, tigers and crocodiles (for additional payment! ) And buy souvenirs. After the crocodile show it was 10 minutes to get back to the bus. We took pictures wherever we could to capture this beauty. But the most interesting was then! We were taken to a latex factory, where we were given a lecture that they produce pillows and mattresses that are unique in the world, offered to lie on dirty exhibition items and buy products. Pillow on average 100 dollars. Then we went to the jewelry factory, where we also spent a lot of time. Products are very expensive, although the skill of jewelers deserves attention. But it is unlikely that most of the tourists planned to spend several thousand dollars on jewelry during their vacation. Question: why do the organizers steal our time?

After visiting the tropical garden, we were also taken to the pharmacy, where there was another lecture on the benefits of their preparations from ginseng and creams with pearl powder and gold (those who do not remember chemistry probably do not know that gold does not react with the human body in any way). enters and therefore will not bring any benefit or harm to your cream, but will only increase the cost at times). The most natural divorce can be considered a trip after an excursion to the Lukdod leather store. Primitive product design and no discounts! A chic selection of bags and a wallet was in Bangkok, where, by the way, the sellers bargained! On Walking Street, of course, you need to visit at least once. By the way, the second time is not so interesting and the motley audience begins to irritate, prostitutes who stand in rows, and an abundance of perverts from all over the world who want to get a lot of sex almost for nothing. In Bangkok, I liked the Siam Niramit Theater. Great show, costumes and staging.
I also advise you to take not just an excursion to the Royal Palace, but the whole of Bangkok in 1 day. Very interesting, although tiring, but you will see a lot of interesting things.
Despite the many disadvantages of the trip, we want to return to Thailand more than once! There is something to see. Shopping can also be done well, if wisely. You can go there with a small bag and buy everything you need there. Suitcases, by the way, the choice is large and inexpensive.
I wish you all a good holiday!