Pattaya Travel Guide - Cope

Airline offices

• Bangkok Airways , 75/8 Moo 9, Second Road , ☎ +66 3841 2382, +66 3836 1542 (pyxrrpg@bangkokair.com, fax : +66 3841 1965 ), [189]. 8AM-12PM, 1-5:30PM (ticketing closes at 5PM .  edit

• Thai Airways International , Dusit Resort Hotel, 240/2 Beach Road ( near the Dolphin Roundabout ), ☎ +66 3842 0995/97 (sales.pattaya@thaiairways.com, fax : +66 3842 0998 ), [190]. M-Sa 9AM-5PM .  edit

Various online and print resources give Pattaya addresses for Kuwait Airways (Marriott Resort), Orient Thai / Orient Express / One-Two-Go (116/7 Moo 9, Central Pattaya Road) and Thai Russian Air Service (Soi Town in Town) - however all these offices have now closed.

Embassies & consulates

• American - US Embassy local representatives for emergencies - Gary Hacker: dial 098030388 sanmyn@aol.com / Glenn Holthaus: dial 038424998 glenp@loxinfo.co.th

• British - honorary consul (Barry Kenyon): dial 0817827363

• Danish - consulate: 75/128-129 Soi Sukasem, Jomtien Beach Road; dial 038231630 dancon@adisti.com [191]

• French - honorary consul (Pierre de Brugerolle de Fraissinette): Espace Francophone La Fontaine, 280/3 Beach Road, South Pattaya (southern end of Walking Street); Wed+Fri 14:00-16:00 dial 038710800 /2 [192]

• Hungarian - consulate: 42/15 Sabaijai Village, Sukhumvit Road; dial 038373056

• Irish - contact British honorary consul, see above

• Indian - Address 46 Prasarnmitr Sukhumvit Soi 23 Bangkok – 10110 Telephone Numbers

(662) 2580300-5 Fax Numbers (662) 2584627, 2621740

• Norwegian - honorary consul for Chonburi, Chantaburi, Rayong and Trat (Stig Vagt Andersen): 75/128-29, Moo 12, Jomtien Beach Road; Mon-Fri 09.00-11.30 dial 038231630 [193]

• Swedish - honorary consul (Dr. Sunya Viravaydia): 391/69 Moo 10, Tabphya Road; Mon-Fri 09:00-15:00 dial 038364485 sugarhut@cnet.net.th [194]

Immigration

Pattaya Immigration Office [195] is now housed in new premises near the inland end of Soi 5, Jomtien Beach Road (most maps show the old Soi 8, Pattaya Beach Road location, which closed in December 2005). Opening hours are 08:30-16:30 weekdays, 08:30-12:00 (extentions/notifications only) on Saturdays (tel. +66-38252750 / fax. +66-38252751-111 / e-mail pattaya_imm@hotmail.com); casual but smart attire is OK, however entry in swimwear or without a shirt is not permitted.

Entry permit extensions are processed on a same day (if applied for before noon - collect after 15:00) or next working day (if applied for after noon) basis. On Saturdays, previous applications can be collected, and new applications can be submitted (for collection next working day). For most nationalities, a 30 day entry permit stamp will usually be extended to 45 days (whereas in Bangkok only an additional 10 days will be given) and a 60 day entry permit stamp will usually be extended to 90 days (further extensions beyond 90 days are also possible). In all cases, the entry permit extension fee is 1900 baht, and two passport photos must be supplied. Photocopies (5 baht) and photos (100 baht for two) are available from a shop inside the immigration office compound (these prices are about four times as much as can easily be found elsewhere). Note that entry permit extensions are discretionary, and must be applied for in person. Shorter extensions are likely to be issued to nationalities who do not qualify for "Visa Free" entry; longer extensions are issued in certain circumstances, such as bereavement, ill health (unable to travel), and for hospital patients (both inpatients and outpatients).

Pattaya Immigration staff also operate a temporary office at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (on Sukhumvit Road) from 13:00-14:00 on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month, which can be used by foreigners who meet certain requirements (essentially, for inpatients and outpatients and their immediate families and/or carers).

Laundry

Laundry is the least of your worries in Pattaya - small laundry services abound, charging something like 5 baht/underwear, 8 baht/shirt, 10 baht/pants, 15 baht/jeans. All hotels and guesthouses worth their salt also cater for this, although prices tend to be higher (often about double the above, although if you stay somewhere such as the Hilton or Marriot you'll pay just as much as you would in California). In smaller and more informally managed accommodation, the maid who cleans your room will probably welcome the opportunity to boost her meagre salary and do your laundry (by hand), typically for a few baht more than an outside laundry service. Usually it's a next day service, but might take a little longer if it rains.

Foreign language newspapers

• Pattaya Blatt [196] - in German - 25 baht, weekly
• Pattaya Mail [197] - in English - 25 baht, weekly
• Pattaya People (Pattaya Aktuell) [198] - mainly in English, some German, a little Thai - 25 baht, weekly
• Pattaya Today [199] - in English - 20 baht, fortnightly