Pinnacle Lumphini 500 bt joiners fee 1st July
 

It is for all joiners even if you book a double room or a suite.

There is getting to be precious little in the centrally located mid-lower price range that is not charging joiners fees. The Malaysia is always fully booked. Even the pricy Tarntawan Place is mostly full as well.

The obvious choice is the Tower Inn. Are there any other suggestions in the Bt1000 to 1500 price range in the Silom Suriwong area that does not charge joiners fees and does not specialise in short time rooms?

Hi

Where is this info posted? My friends are not aware of this. Will be bad for their business since most people stayed there because it does not charge joiner fees.

What about Regent Silom Service Apt? Any idea if it charges Joiners fees?

Regent Silom Appartments:

I have not read anything good about that place - poky stuffy rooms I seem to remember and gloomy staff.

Go to The Bawana Hotel...which is directly in front of The Suriwongse Hotel, on Suriwongse Road. Tell them you want a large room on the 6th or 7th floor. Floor 1 is reception, floor 2 is massage, floors 3, 4, and 5 are short-time rooms and floors 6 and 7 are large rooms...which should cost you between 1,200 and 1,400 THB per night....depending on your negotiating skills. The place is decent enough....and right in the middle of all of the action.....with NO joiner's fees. In fact, this place could care less who you take to your room....as long as you're happy.

what about the Rose Hotel-Suriwongse St.
 

Is the Rose Hotel perhaps more convenient? Was noisy due to the rebuilding, now new rooms and beds and construction work in front of the hotel - however never a problem "with guests"!

At the Rose, I think they'd be shocked if you DIDN'T bring in guests...

Pinnacle htl
 

Oh damn!! If Pinnacle hotel really implement the bht500 joiners fee, then I better start looking for another hotel. Imagine paying bht400 for off fees, bht1500 tip for boy and bht500 for hotel...and not considering the drinks....its getting too expensive to have sex in your hotel room!! Maybe should start cruising and have sex in saunas!!

Ps:..anyone knows if they have charged anyone for joiners fees yet?

That's a great idea! They could have a little set of scales. If your nuts weight less on check-out than at check-in, you have to pay 100 baht per mg for the difference. Someone ought to mention this to Khun Tak at Babylon. He could call it a "tissue tax", on all the tissue-wrapped loads his staff have to dispose of every night.

Any response?
 

May I take it that GPFUN knows the owners or at least the management of the Pinnacle and has informed them of this posting? If so, any response from the relevant parties?

I just got back from a one-night stay in BKK, will be back in a few weeks. I stayed at the Pinnacle for several nights, last June/July/August, and also in April this year.
Compared to past years, I have found the Pinnacle getting busier and also working its staff harder--the turnover is much higher than it used to be. The bedsheets are often NOT changed between guests--look for long hair when you get into the bed. I've found it 2x.
However, the location (especially now that the Subway has opened), reasonable price, and the ok breakfast has kept me going there for many years, especially once the Tarntawan got to be so expensive! Now, this brings a "deluxe room" at the Pinnacle up to almost 1800 baht--only 700 less than the Tarntawan, which is markedly better, IMHO.
Anyway, last week I stayed at the Tarntawan, and was impressed--probably 75% of the staff is the same as 3-5 years ago. Room service is still nice, 24-hour breakfast is wonderful (!) for those who get up late and/or have early flights, and, most surprisingly, they have FINALLY started to upgrade the rooms: mine had new furniture, flat-screen tv, etc. Still not really worth the 2500 baht, but at least I don't feel crazy for booking there! :)

Unless you come from someplace with very weak currency a 500baht joiners fee is not too painful.Depends how often you have company,but once in a while it's not too prohibitive.Thailand is still inexpensive but slowly things are creeping up.For me I am 50% off better currency wise compared to 1997.

I entertained a guest at 7pm and told reception he would leave by 11 (a worker).ID was still requested.All hotels allow guests till that time but because this receptionist is very obliging in most ways I didn't debate the issue and guest wasn't too put out.But I wonder what approach would be taken if a businessman and client were in the same situation.

What do posters think ?

What genuine businessmen and clients are doing in a hotel room at late night :D :D

What genuine businessman takes a client up to his room at all? The lobby, business center, a restaurant, etc. is the norm.

Hello, may I say something ?

The « norm”? Well, the norms, if there is such thing, is that if you know someone well enough, you might tell him/her come up and let’s talk!

Some guys will even go up to your room (Chinese folks would do that) and knock at your door.

That is my contribution for tonight, I will not elaborate on the joiner’s fee.

If on business and can afford it, then go to the Conrad or Sofitel….

It will have 2 advantages :
1) more comfortable stay
2) snub the hotels with joiner’s fees (stuff them)

am planning to stay in conrad. do they not charge joiners fee? i usually bring home the extra guest after midnight. so it will not be busy in the lobby. so it is very obvious, i'am just worried that they suddenly ask the guest to surrender his id.

Asking non-registered guests to surrender an ID card and charging joiners fees are two completely different matters. I can't see anyone having a problem with the first.

Quite right.

Plus, in a place like the Conrad, I doubt they would ask for ID during the day. If they do at night, then it should not be a big deal, should it?… Can not expect business visitors at midnight, can you?

Regarding charging a fee, my last experience there is that they could not care less about visitors, so charging a fee…

Actually, a 5* place that asks for ID for night time visitors (provided it is done with tact, same as Banyan Tree a few years back) is quite good for everyone safety, isn’t it?

Icon, the only ones I see having a problem with that are those who want to go ith under 18’s…

Am I particularly thin skinned? I don't like being asked to leave my 'friend's' ID. I know that it's sensible and for safety but it says to me "You are taking a prostitute to your room and these people are dangerous" not only to me but to others in the lobby. And that's when it is discreetly done which is far from often in my experience.

If I am staying in a place where ID is required then I ask my 'friend' for his ID and go and leave it at reception to save all embarassment.

Yes I Know I'm kidding myself and anyone who sees a fat old fart like me with a devastatingly handsome muscleman know the situation. But I prefer to stay on Planet TP in my comfortable fantasy

My visitor arrived at 7pm not after hours.I take it from the replies that surrendering an ID at this time is ok and I also made no issue of it.Let's forget the businessman hypothetical and say it is an international or local friend,purpose of visit private.What is the etiquette,and, what happens if it occurs mid-afternoon?Are we now in an era of voluntarily submitting to control.

My 30y.o old guest who on another occasion arrived at 3pm, alone,surrendered his ID before taking the lift.Yes it was to have fun with me.

It is not a big deal for me.I know Tarntawan have a guard at the lift processing visitors at all times and I suppose it gives me and other guests some security.But it is not universally done this way before 11pm and I have a nagging sense of some liberty being surrendered as well as the ID.

I think you are too thin-skinned.

For security reasons, hotels should know who is staying on their premises overnight apart from registered guests. It may even be a legal requirement.

There is no reason to be embarassed. People hook up in Bangkok all the time, whether with prostitutes or non-commercial guys/girls. I'm sure your boy is accustomed to it and not embarassed. If he's not embarassed, there's no reason you should be.

Hey Icon,our posts were processed same time so it appears you are replying to me and not TP.So fellow CFS members read the previous three.

The Tarntawn is the only hotel I know behaving this way (guard + log book), furthemore, all day. All other hotels I know, if and when they take visitor's ID would do so only in the evening/at night and it would be in a less "formal" manner, no log book at the lift. The ID would be left at reception.

Security
 

We are comfortable with differing levels of security.

While some are affronted at the measures taken by the Tarntawan, many appreciate them. Would that such safeguards were available at all hotels. Perhaps they could be made optional, according to the wishes of the guests.

At the Pinnicle (not that it matters anymore) a farang can place the boy’s ID in a safe deposit box at reception, and retreve it when the boy departs.

I don't think it would be a good idea to allow the guest to choose the level of security they are comfortable with. It is not just your security at stake when you bring someone in from outside, but that of all the other guests of the hotel -- and the hotel owners for that matter -- as well. It makes good sense for a hotel to have the ID of anyone who goes beyond their public areas.

it would be completely okay for me to have the man guest i am bringing to my room leave his id when the lobby size is lets say that of suriwongse hotel. But if its gonna be sprawling like that of conrad's thats a different matter. :eek:

the only way to be discreet is what khun TP has mentioned. i.e. have the registered guest leave the unregistered guest's id at the reception. and hopefully everyone in of the hotel employee are discreet enough and not have that knowing smile in the morning when they greet you "good morning mr xxx".:p

Security is certainly desirable but anyone intent on subverting it,especally at Pinnacle,would have little trouble.Not all guests hand keys to reception for later pick-up.On a couple of occasions I have been harassed in the lobby TV area by young guys on the make.Wonder what Malaysia Hotel's level of scrutiny is.Tarntawan backs up their procedure with security patrols of the corridors.

This debate is another under the heading T.I.T. - This is Thailand.For better or worse very little of it applies elsewhere.apart from the after 11pm aspect.

Somewhat Surprisingly, I've never been asked to pay a "joiners fee" or had admission of a late night guest questioned or refused - even walking right past security guards and front desk staff -- when staying at 4 or 5 star properties in BKK, including the Conrad, Westin, Sheraton Grande and JW Marriott. These hotels are relatively far from the action, so maybe the number of joiners isn't that high and policing it is just not worth the hassle.

That may be true. Also, I think most sex tourists do not stay at these very expensive high-end hotels. The hotels don't have Thai joiners walking in and out all the time, so they are not too serious about ID check if the joiners dress decently.

In the past i have usauly stayed at the Pinnacle, but on my latest visit in April i stayed at Sofitel Silom wish i would recommend. No problem with guests any time of day or night.

On the debate of handing in ID cards, i would agree that it is for your own safety that your guest hand in their card, but i would also go far as to say that you should ensure that the hotel keeps a copy of the ID. On a recent visit to Peru, i had a mobile phone that i was charging and a pair of trainers stolen, my guest left while i was sleeping. Although the hotel had kept the guests ID they only kept a copy of female guests IDs.

I will not cry over the Pinnacle. I will simply have to get out of my rut when I am in Bangkok and try something different :)

Prior to this joiners fee episode, I had resolved to try the Bangkok Centre Hotel on Rama IV again. Primarily to escape from my visits to Jimmy Firsts room which became increasingly frustrating. The hotels ideal location about 50 yards from the MRT enterance is also very appealing.

Not stayed there for about 3 years so am curious if any of you have had recent experience. The rooms were tired looking and food was not exceptional but joiners were carded at reception with out a fee.

Where
 

Where is Bangkok Centre Hotel? Any webside?

Google Bangkok Center Hotel and the first to pop up is
http://www.bangkokcentrehotel.com/

It seems to be opposite Hualompong Station. A little outside my preferred area to stay.

Hi guys

Any idea if the Montien Hotel in Surawong area charges Joiners Fees? Thanks.

Montien hotel in Suriwong is well known to charge joiners fees, or ban a joiner from entering all togther.