Need a Thai expert for some advice... Retiring doctor looking to spend one to two months in Thailand next winter. What month is best? Phuket or Pattaya? Looking for luxury rental with cook for about $2-3000 a month. Wife will be joing me for several weeks........... All your suggestions will be appreciated!
Pattaya is mostly sleeze, which is why I love it, but the beaches aren't real nice. Phuket has much nicer beaches with less sleeze but still some action. As for a cook, I don't know why you would bother as there is food absolutely everywhere, from high end restos, to roadside restos where two people can feast for 5$, to food carts all over the streets. However I usually stay where the action is so food is usually close by, a high end apartment might be more remote. My guess is a cook would be anywhere from 4-600$ a month, just a guess. I was looking at monthly rentals when I was there earlier this year and 1000$ a month can get you a brand new condo with pool and the works, very nice, so 2 grand a month should get you a cook and very nice accomodations.
Remember your attire will be shorts, light shirt and sandals and will be outside most of the time so popping into a restaurant is very easy, all the thai people do is cook and eat. Can't answer your question on high end rentals but there is lots of them. Google pattaya or Phuket apartment rentals.
You could try staying on ko samui or ko phi phi for beautiful scenery, without the in your face sleeze, although I've never been to either. Jomtien beach near pattaya is fairly nice also, about ten minutes from pats.
For the record I've been to TL about 9 times, mostly pattaya.:eyebrows: Best months are jan, feb, imo.
It's funny to drive or walk past a gogo bar and see these scantily clad beautiful girls stuffing their faces, always a few out front.