seasia

Nothing on the Nok Air page yet.

The gf is from Surin. This is my last excuse for not meeting the family gone.

Same here.

Often used the long bus journey as an excuse not to visit although have done so before.

Thanks, will look at your photos later,have seen some of your others before, very good.

Was just looking at Sri Lanka as I want to go UK at Christmas. So, thinking lets see if I can stopover somewhere I've never been on the way. Columbo, Sri Lanka came up for just £600 (30k baht) return including 4 days to discover Columbo. So quite the adventure being hatched for me .... I've flown Sri Lanka before, (cant recall where to where). it was a nice full service airline with modern aircraft and stewardesses with dazzling big eyes, charm and grace.

If you just want the cheapest flight, doing the layover is often the cheapest way...

Thanks for the info, I have never flown with them but was thinking of doing similar to you, RTN to UK with a break in Columbo just to see what it is like.

Early next year rather than Xmas so guess might get an even better price.

Hope you enjoy the break

I don`t think i`d have any trouble fitting in back in the UK, main problem for me would be the weather, really dislike the cold.

I went for a visit last year and will go again next year, maybe just for a couple of weeks.

All the Best to you, hope you get sorted out OK.

Enjoyed your posts and did notice by a couple of bar names you mentioned think we have probably been in some of the same music bars in Pattaya.

I guess it will be quite a wrench after 9 years.

Take care.

Hi

I am obviously missing something here but am trying to book 2 return flights BKK - Chiang Mai online.

For some reason it is automatically adding 20 kg baggage charge which I do not need.( and is more than the flight itself )

I need 1 x 10 kg, carry on only for me, some hold baggage for GF.

Call centre not much help.

I have flown previously with them and do believe paid for either 15 or 20 kg hold baggage.

Is it somehow remembering this, if so how do I change this please ?

Any simple sensible answer appreciated.

Thanks.

For those who like Valentino's pizza, you may want to try this place:

http://pattayamail.com/diningout/la-bruschetta-22905

On 2nd road not far from Royal Garden.

Owned by the same people as Valentinos.

IGNORE the review in the paper. They have totally scrapped the menu referred to in the review, which I LOVED and was very unique for Pattaya, and now appear to have the same menu as Valentinos. Which is good news for Valentinos fans, yes?

It's interesting to me about why they stopped the original menu. I don't know the whole story, but if it's what I guess, just too unusual and sophisticated to be commercially viable in Pattaya, that might be telling about the local market. San Francisco, it ain't.

JT

Thank You, was unaware of it, more convenient location( for me) and later opening times suits me, will give it a try.

Purely my personal favourites and I like thin crust pizza :

Valentinos, Pattaya Klang, next to Foodland, prosciutto approx 380 baht I think

La Grotta soi 33 naklua , as above about 280 baht.

Casa Nostra ( it has had a name change, maybe it is " Rickys " now), just off soi 7 towards pattaya klang, about 280 baht I think.

The settings/location of the restaurants also in same order of preference.

If someone who also likes thin crust has tried either of the first two and has found better at similar or better prices, I`d happily try.

best supermarkethv good sausages well frozen packs

Bought some from them recently, quite good.

Telephoned sausage king with an enquiry, very helpful on the phone,may give them a try so Thanks to those that mentioned them, good prices.

There is no pizza anywhere in Thailand. What passes for pizza here are dribbles on some low quality doah.

Being from NYC I think I can speak about pizza - NY pizza is only available in NYC, even crossing the Hudson River to NJ you lose that NYC quality. One slice of an authentic NY pizza contains more food than a whole pizza in Thailand.

Pizzas origin is not Italian it's from Coney Island boardwalk in the 1940's after the war. Italian immigrants working the boardwalk baked lasagne and other deep dish Southern Italian foods. They tossed some thickened doah onto the bottom of the ovens to catch the drips from the deep dish items - that's what they ate for themselves. Someone eventually started to sell the dripped sauce fallen onto the doah and wella pizza was born. Pizza became a bar-food, an easy way to get a liquor permit as NY law then had it that to sell booze you had to also offer food and pizza was easy and fast. Up until the mid 50's pizza was only available in NYC but gradually it worked it's way to NJ and then westward ho. and eventually found it's way to Italy and 'round the world but the NY recipe was never quite the same outside of NYC.

I guess history not your strong point.

Hi

I live in naklua but have to admit not familiar with your address, I pay 10 baht on a baht bus to get in to central pattaya.

This from soi 27 or soi Wong Amat to sois 7/8 Pattaya Beach Road, would be same cost to go to Walking Street.

Not sure if this is the info you`re after but thought I`d post in case you`re not aware.

If you want a Private charter on a bahtbus they`ll likely ask for 150 baht.

Meter taxis I`ve no idea.

A friend from Phuket visited recently and commented how much cheaper the baht buses were here.

Hope that helps a bit.

Best Supermarket, Dolphin roundabout, naklua/pattaya nua stock it.

Open from about 8.00 AM to 1.00 AM.

.

"head towards the fish market/ Lan Pho"

Thanks, but I don't know anything about Naklua.

I seem to remember a tree somewhere in the middle of the road - is it before or after that? Any other landmarks?

.

Hi

Just after the sacred tree in the middle of the road, you will notice the fish market on your left, keep to your left, road narrows in to a small shopping street, it`s under 200 metres from that tree , shop on your left.

Same distance from Lan Pho park, here`s a little map to get to the park, might help.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=214200371837853669567.0004a978ecba8cd235446

Hi

Might be worth a try, sorry my directions a little vague but there is a " old fashioned " shoe shop in north naklua, from Dolphin roundabout, head towards the fish market/ Lan Pho ( park).

Keep to your left past said fish market, within 200 metres there is a small single front shoe shop on your left.

Chinese Thai owner, speaks excellent English, has ready made shoes but also does tailor made.

I`ve not used him but he was most helpful and informative when I enquired about having some made( lightweight leather shoes rather than running shoes )

Possibly worth a visit/chat if not far out of your way.

He has a workshop at the back where I assume he makes the shoes.

Sliced beef you BBQ yourself on a heavy cast iron plate at Khor Khun beside FairTex on Pattaya Nua.

The meat is from a single ranch that makes quality Thai beef (I know - a non-sequitur) . Plates run from 120-180 baht each and two should do it for a good appetite. The paleron is the best cut, melts in your mouth. I'll be there this weekend again now that you made me think about it.

I have taken literally dozens of people there, farang from all over and Thais and every one has raved about it. It has good Isaan food as well for the non beef lovers. It is my "go to spot" when I want to entertain someone or just treat myself

Thanks for that review, been past it a few times, never tried, does seem to have a good rep and notice plenty of Thais eating there.

Do you happen to know what time it stays open until ?

Hi

Over the years I`ve invested a fair amount in shares, mostly UK based.

One area I am considering is SE Asia based REITs ( Real Estate Investment Trusts), partly as a currency hedge.

A REIT may own shops/ shopping centres/offices/warehouses etc, rents them out and after deducting expenses, pays out an income in the form of dividends.

There are REITs.based in several countries, I already hold some UK ones but there are Thai and, of more interest to me, Singapore based REITS.

I believe the average annual return on Sing based REITs is approx 5.5 % plus the potential for some capital growth, hopefully in line with inflation.

There is of course the risk of capital depreciation should property prices fall or if a particular REIT has many properties with void/empty periods.

Many other alternatives but just thought I`d mention an area I am looking in to.

If you google REITs and/or Singapore REITs you will find plenty of free info on line.

Still doing research myself but some things to look for would be the amount of debt the REIT has and also the spread of properties/tenants.

Not risk free but fairly low risk( and low reward) IMO.

Try Swiss Canadian Meat Stuff Company Limited. They are located on Thep Prasit soi 8, just south of the Eden Hotel, look for the big Swiss Flag. They have Alberta grain fed beef, T-Bone, Rib Eye and even Canadian style smokies. This is where I buy all my beef now, nothing compairs to a good grain fed Alberta chunk of beef....http://old.pattayapeople.com/default.asp?Folder=16&IdArticle=26112

Thanks for that, hadn`t heard of it, sounds good.

Another thumbs up for Jings from me, stayed earlier this year, paid 800 baht for a nice size room, everything worked, air con wifi etc.

Not noisy at night, excellent location.

They had both slightly cheaper and slightly more expensive rooms.

I`d be tempted by Puangpen Villa hotel mentioned here, not stayed there but good location.

 

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"Indian/Thai restaurant somewhat across from Big C but further north"
  
Which Big-C???  -- North, Central, or South Pattaya?
.
 

North. 2nd road.

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

Hi JT

There is an Indian/Thai restaurant slightly north of Big C but on the same side of 2nd Road as Big C, rather than across/opposite.

Quite large, been past it, never tried, tempted, trying to figure out if it is the place you mean.

Very near and same side as  Drinking Street/JJ market

I`ll try to catch the name next time I pass although I think the sign merely said " Indian/Thai restaurant and bar "

Hi

You could possibly try SS Sausage in naklua, on the main naklua road, left hand side about 15 mins walking distance from the Dolphin roundabout.

I have bought some products from them which were OK, although not actually hot dogs, they do stock them.

Not particularly cheap.

Open 6 days a week to about 8.00PM I think ( closed Sundays)

Link to a google photo and you`ll be able to get their phone number on a search( I live near so have never had need to phone them)

https://plus.google.com/photos/115144063929033171791/albums/5260423672577706577

There must be some redevelopment going on as quite a few of the businesses in that area have either closed or relocated.

Looks to be more than a refurb.

The cocktail bar on the corner has relocated to near Moon River Pub, 5 minutes walk up pattaya nua.

Next time I`m passing I`ll try to see if W of S have relocated and if so to where.

Antons, roughly another 5 minutes walk in to naklua( same side of the road and about opposite soi 18 was Ok for breakfast last time I went in there albeit some time ago, not cheap but the food was OK and it is fairly busy currently so has it`s regulars.

I first tried beer Lao when I went to Vientiane, liked it and chose to drink it whilst there.

I sometimes drink it in Thailand, feel there is some truth in it not tasting the same here.

I usually drink Tiger but if beer Lao available I do drink it from time to time, at a small premium cost

I prefer the standard one, lager rather than the dark.

I prefer it to any of Chang, Leo or Singha.

Beer Lao OK in my opinion.

JT

Just for your info, I go to Best Supermarket naklua which was mentioned earlier, I like their bread but I eat white bread.

30 minutes or so ago, they only had one " dark " type bread, a " rye " roll at about 19 baht.

Perhaps selection a little low due to it being a Monday.

They do seem to do a fair turnover of their bread and I find what I buy to be of a decent/good quality.

Hi

Not sure about the Thai language books part but guess you are aware of Canterbury Tales bookshop on soi chaiyapoon ( sp ) , gives 50 % credit on exchanged books and JK books on soi pothisan naklua( very near Tops Extra)

I only look at English language books but might be worth a try ?