Pattaya_Fox

Why is this argument necessary? Can't those who love the bahtbusses just accept that there is place for metered taxis as well?

I think nobody is suggesting that we should get rid of baht busses, just cut down the 60% who does nothing but cruising empty around the Beach Road - Pattaya Tai - 2nd Rd circuit and instead offer metered taxis for those who prefer that.

Why is that so difficult to live with?

You hit it on the head!

We who want more choices, like Bangkok style taxi meters, just want MORE CHOICES to fill the gaps. Not to kill the baht buses. They work great as buses on the main beach side routes. But the pro baht buseratti on this board are against this free choice.

Goodness after all the disgusting names which you have called the baht bus drivers, and by the way there are quite a number of lady baht bus drivers, it is so reassuring that you don`t want to kill the baht buses. Also your praise that they work great as buses must be the biggest U turn of the day

I am sure that all the baht bus drivers will rest peacefully in their beds tonight (unless of course they are working very hard as usual)

As ever, polls and damned statistics can tell you whatever you want it to tell you.

But the way I look at it , so far 63 % reckon the drivers are either rough & bullies, or scum & lower than cockroaches. That's not exactly a vote of confidence.

Then we have 2 strange souls who think they are the "creme de la creme"

I wonder where the Fox voted

Percentages??...............funny thing percentages.......teke this one in this poll 73.46% of the voters so far do not agree with jingthing that the drivers are Scum as he called them.

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

Another user who only needs transport on the sex tourist circuit (between Beach Road and 3rd road).

I will ignore your inferences. It is nothing more than I would expect from you!

Excellent reply, explains exactly why you think the Baht bus system is so great. Not.

I repeat, I don't argue that the baht bus system should be demolished, just reduced to a third of what it is now and supplemented with proper metered taxis for those who either don't think riding in the back of a pickup is quaint or who live east of 2nd road. Why is that so difficult for you to accept?

Reduce the baht bus system by two thirds...........it won`t happen

As ever, polls and damned statistics can tell you whatever you want it to tell you.

But the way I look at it , so far 63 % reckon the drivers are either rough & bullies, or scum & lower than cockroaches. That's not exactly a vote of confidence.

Then we have 2 strange souls who think they are the "creme de la creme"

I wonder where the Fox voted

..............Why would it bother you where I voted?.............but for your information it was not creme de la creme.

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

Another user who only needs transport on the sex tourist circuit (between Beach Road and 3rd road).

I will ignore your inferences. It is nothing more than I would expect from you!

Excellent reply, explains exactly why you think the Baht bus system is so great. Not.

I repeat, I don't argue that the baht bus system should be demolished, just reduced to a third of what it is now and supplemented with proper metered taxis for those who either don't think riding in the back of a pickup is quaint or who live east of 2nd road. Why is that so difficult for you to accept?

Call me an old cynic, but I don't believe a word of it.

In Thailand the 'powers that be' seem to think that they can fix something by simply making a public announcement..

A bit like th Bangkok police chief announcing sharp drop in speeding after they introduced speed guns, with a pic of a well groomed officer aiming a gun at an errant motorist on one of the expressways. It turned out there were only 2 of these guns in the whole of Bangkok, (the rest of the budget probably went in corruption) and all reference to them has long since disappeared.

Or the statement that there are no cracks in the runways at Suvanabhumi.....

Need I go on?

I think it migtht be a case of appearance over substance. Good for business.

Time will tell

Guess crimminal activities will be available for the lazy now also.

.............and your point is ?

Come on by guys, (and misses Cubes). I open 5pm until 5am 7 days a week. I will be in BKK Monday and Tues, but should be back on Wednesday. I've got to see my agent about a movie.

Hope you get a BIG part

I still predict an attack on Beach rd. within 2 days...

Well that`s a good prediction Tony..............they were happening on a daily basis before

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

Another user who only needs transport on the sex tourist circuit (between Beach Road and 3rd road).

I will ignore your inferences. It is nothing more than I would expect from you!

Ah there you see..........................some good news

Well Pattaya Fox, might be something to it. I've noticed less bad news as of late, but the key is will the MIB keep it up?

Let us hope so brit.............certainly seems to be going in the right direction

A recent report in Pattaya Mail by a senior police Officer states that the local crime figures have been cut by 50% which would seem to be very good news if accurate......... achieved due to the increased use of the military and targeting crime hot spot areas such as Beach Road etc.

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

just been checking flights from manchester to bkk for june through to september, crazy prices, £480+132 taxes. i have never paid this sort of money in my 17 years of visiting thailand this is an exorbitant rip off by the airlines. bearing in mind this is the low season in thailand i think its time for pastures new.

Problem with MAN, you only have Emirates, Etihad & Turkish as viable options to BKK (Turkish usually the cheapest)

Why not visit dial-a-flight and subsitute MAN for LHR (ok, u hav to travel down there but whats 20 quid on Nat' Xpress?) then u will open up all the airlines and maybe drop on a 350 quider (inc taxes, royal jordanian) like i did quite recently...

chok di

There are other airlines out of Manchester such as Qatar, China via Amsterdam, Lufthanza via Frankfurt Air France etc.

Out of interest I got a quote from Dial a flight as I usually do the rounds and their price with Etihad was £60 dearer than ebookers.

I also enquired with Dial a Flight for business class with Qatar via Doha and they quoted me £3324 for two tickets whereas ebookers quoted £2760 for 2 tickets.

In the end I decided to try Etihad for the first time as they seemed to have decent reviews.

I have no facts and figures, only experiences and observations. Sorry to disappoint. What do you expect me to do, commission a research project?

Did I mention the drivers comprise a mafia?

No facts and figures eh jingthing...........just outlandish statements possibly based on a few personal incidents or hearsay.

So your statement that MANY are thugs thieves and are bruitish and violent is a figment of your shall we say `embroidered` imagination.

Thank goodness that we have now established that this is a load of old cobblers and that infact the many hundreds of drivers can now go about their business and carry on doing such a fine job in Pattaya.

You are a good story writer I`ll grant you that..............when are you publishing the novel?

Yeah he is, it isn't often i will stick with a post as long as that but in this one.....i was left wanting more

Hang fire Mr bo...I am sure that the next thrilling episode is being dictated at we sit here in anxious anticipation of what will be revealed

Big Brother has nothing on this

I respect honest workers. Many baht bus drivers are indeed thugs, thieves, and are brutish and violent. What I ask you is to respect in that?

You are correct, certainly not all of them are this way. But a large enough percentage to earn scorn.

You say that MANY are thugs, thieves and are bruitish and violent.

Where are your statistics for such an incredible statement?

I put it to you jingthing that you are exagerating greatly and trying to validate your nasty name calling of these workers with these outlandish accusations.

Facts and figures please to back up your statement.

Some people care more about how food tastes is all. For many people, eating is about ALOT more than just being hungry. Are we animals? Well, yes, but very sophisticated ones. And cheap street food can taste wonderful. There are many fantastic food experiences to be had in Pattaya. So far, not in the burrito department.

It sounds like you totally agree with me that there is no resemblance between good Mexican food in Laguna Beach and Big Al's, right? Well, I take that back. They both are food and fill your stomach.

I just got hungry, I gotta go now and boil up some gruel.

Are so you`ll settle for gruel eh?.........Would that be spicey gruel? and which country would you base your cooking on?..........you could start a whole new thread telling everyone that your gruel is the only gruel to be had.

Most baht bus drivers are rather pleasant and amicable sort.

I suppose if you're pissed enough.

You will be surprised when you treat someone with respect rather than contempt, what benefits it brings.

You mean pay what they ask with a smile even if its four times the local price? That kind of respect?

I DO respect them. I have seen the swinging BASEBALL BATS. Really.

Here we go again..................as brit says treat with respect and they will treat you with respect.

Strange jingthing that you do not report any good deeds that we have seen the baht bus drivers do......but as you are just looking on the negative side you wouldn`t would you?

You just class then all the same with your childish collective name of scum............how pathetic and short sighted of you.

Many of these workers work very hard to earn a living in order to support their families....and I would think that at the end of their shift that they are sick to death of pandering to drunken yobbish farang.

Would you like to do their job for 5 baht or 10 baht a throw working very unsociable hours?........I think not.

Respect commands respect, but I doubt that you would even understand that.

what are the odds on crazyjoey being related to BigAl?????

No relation. Just another satisfied customer

Great that you are getting all this free publicity.

For the new people that try Big Als (people who know what Mexican food should be) please report back on your honest impressions.

I'm not "new" but i've eaten BigAls food lots of times and i've never had a bad experience, The big C stall always seemed to be the best but the others weren't bad either.

Best burrito's i've had in Pattaya so far.

Curious where you had burritos before outside Thailand to consider these good burritos? Taco Bell?

jingthing............most people who wish to eat a particular type of food are not all like you looking for perfection............... and at the same time almost mocking other people who have tried these foods just because you feel that they know nothing about food.

I go to eat primarily because I am hungry.

The food does not have to be a clone of a dish found in Mexico or anywhere else.

My wife for example who lived in Laguna Beach for many years ate what most would consider to be fine Mexican food on a regular basis.

We have both eaten at Big Al`s food stall opposite the Big C on numerous occasions when we have been hungry and fancied a bite to eat and we have both enjoyed it. It is quick clean and tasty and served by friendly staff at a reasonable price.

We have also eaten at Pattaya`s finest restaurants when we fancied to do this.

You can carry on my friend looking for what you perceive to be perfection in a certain type of food in food outlets.......but I guarantee that if you have that attitude you will be more disappointed than not.

Judging things by high standards in life and expecting other people to be the same leads to many sad moments........I will say no more.

First I would like to say I really appreciate all of the information and opinions I have received here. Even all of the negative ones. I appreciate the time you took to write them and the thought you put into them.

But lets have a reality check here.

I did not ask for relationship advice I asked if it was easy to put a Farang in Jail in Pattaya.

I am not married.

I don’t have a stepdaughter.

I have four daughters in the US, all raised and educated and doing well.

I am in a monetary relationship with a Thai woman. She does not love me and I do not love her. I like her and treat her with respect as she did with me until we moved to Pattaya. She has a daughter whom I treat as her daughter. She is not my daughter. She does not call me father. I was kind enough to let her have a room free out of charge so she could work as a cashier at Big C and not have to be a bar girl (that lasted one week). When I first became aware of her working as a bar girl I told her mother to ship her back North. She told me her daughter was a grown woman and could do as she pleased.

I have never had sex with anyone who lives with me except my GF and that was only on her request.

Two years ago, my GF was tired. She had been a Go Go dancer in Bangkok and worker in the short time houses in Singapore for 10 years. She said her legs were tired she said other parts of her body were tired, she begged me to take her out of her life. She had purchased a bar that had gone broke and she was down on her luck and contemplating suicide.

She changed from a whore to a devout Buddhist and good woman in Chiang Mai. We went to the Wat daily and asked for forgiveness for out past discretions.

I am not really afraid of an semi illiterate Thai Go Go dancer. My original question was “ is it that easy to put a Farang in jail who has done nothing wrong in Pattaya.”

I got a couple of responses to that question.

Should I leave the country because a 40 year old hooker is upset with me? Hardly.

Should I change my residence because she is upset with me?

Yea right.

A couple of people have mentioned my military background. The only thing I was afraid of in Vietnam was having my balls blown off by a land mine. Honest that was the only thing I was afraid of.

Now, what am I afraid of? A stroke or some other health problem that would leave me alive but incapacitate me.

For those that have suggested that for my benevolent behavior and my paying of all of the household expenses to include rent, electricity and water that I should be compensated with a beer or two I agree. But these are hard core hookers. Even with 100,000 baht in the bank and 5000 baht in their purse they ask me for motorcycle taxi fare when they go to work.

For those who inferred I was a pimp. A pimp gets money, I think. I never get a cent.

There are 70,000 people directly involved in the P4P business in Pattaya. Most of their parents live in Issan. Does that mean there are 140,000 pimps in Issan? Because a substantial amount of the money earned in Pattaya goes to Issan.

In addition to the people involved in the structured P4P business in Pattaya there is every one else. Visit a 7/11 at 5 AM and with a pleasant smile you won’t go home alone.

For the poster who told me to hang out with a different class of people I have this answer. A couple of years ago I was involved with a Thai woman with two masters degrees. She was also a virgin at 35. I found that hard to believe so I checked. I did not take it but I checked. Sure enough she was a virgin. She spoke in addition to Thai, English and French fluently. Not bar fluent but college fluent. She had a great job. Not much cash in the present but a brilliant future. She offered me a home in her house, knowing that would have damaged her reputation permanently I refused. Then she tried to steal 10,000 baht from me. She got 5000 and I left.

I don’t see much difference between Molly O’Grady and the Captains lady.

If you have a good woman whether bar lady or good lady you are lucky. You are not smart nor are you wise. You are lucky.

There are some differences between a bar lady and a good lady in Thailand. The major one being the good lady has patience.

Good ladies and bar ladies are equally distributed between bad and good. Money being the main distribution factor. You’re money. Of course there are exceptions to this.

For the poster who suggested I take a good look at myself and my morals I did that before I moved to Thailand.

My children are raised and happy. My ex wife is happy. She divorced me and married a well known plastic surgeon. I had cared for my invalid mother at home for 2 years at a cost of $250,000 then my mother died a peaceful death. I had a lot of friends and my business was doing OK. Then I had my third mid life crisis. I looked back on my life and wondered where and when and why I had been happy. Thailand and Vietnam were both places where I had been very happy so I sold everything and returned to find out why I had been so content here in the 60’s.

I have thought a lot about what makes a good mother in Thailand. From the first time I got here in 1968 up to now.

I watched my wife train my daughters in the US to get a wealthy husband which most of them did. The girls started studying French in 2 grade. They were given dancing and singing lessons. They learned how to dress like the ladies in Town and Country magazine. They traveled to Europe in the summer. I taught them to ski and sail. My wife was in almost complete control of who their friends were and who they dated and where they went. They were debuted and introduced to polite society.

My GF’s daughter was raised by her grandparents as were a lot of Thai children who’s mothers worked in the P4P business. When I met her for the first time she did not get along with her mother at all. They would sit on the floor and eat and stare at each other for a couple of hours and the daughter would leave.

At 16 her grandparents tried to sell her for 2 million baht as a Mia Noi to a wealthy Thai married man in Issan.

Now mother and daughter talk to one another. They laugh together. Go shopping and out to eat with one another every day. The daughter speaks no English so our communication is limited to my Thai, which is maybe 600 words. She seems happier than any of the other times I met the woman.

What happens when I go to the club. I walk in and order a bottle of beer and Gf comes over with a big smile and points me out to the other dancers as her Farang. The daughter happily skips over and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

GF is the best dancer in the club and when I walk in she turns it on. The other customers begin to notice her even though she is 15 years older than any other woman in the place. Daughter is not much of a dancer and usually is seen sitting with a young good looking Farang because she is very partial to young men.

The English women who frequent the club (there a lot of them) seem to be attracted to GF. She daily gets presents from them (yes I have been there to watch the gift giving).

They are normally blonde and 50 pounds overweight and like the fact that GF has a proficiency in English.

Is what I am doing normal? There are 6 other dancers in the club who have Farang men at home. So it is not that unusual. I have met a couple of the guys they are English teachers. As for the risk? The girls are tested weekly at a local clinic.

Is it unusual for mother and daughter to work together at a club in Pattaya? No it is not. If you get to know the employees they will tell you without hesitation who is related to whom.

Old Farang takes early retirement and runs out of money as one poster wrote and becomes redundant as a breadwinner and partner. That is actually close. The real story is the dollar took a tumble. The coup and following changes in the immigration and banking have sent tourists and ex pats running. I was going to purchase a bar and or restaurant to employ said GF. She is really good with customers. But now some things have changed my mind. I have spoken to many successful bar owners who are barely breaking even. For sale signs are everywhere and the fact that she drinks a lot more than I had imagined and I simply no longer trust her or the Thai government. Also her monetary demands went from 10 to 50,000 baht per month.

One would have to be nuts to buy a business catering to tourists in Thailand this year. Maybe next year or even this summer if the absence of tourists in the low season is what I expect. In terms of total numbers of tourists I don’t see much change with the Asian tourists steadily increasing but the Chinese don’t really go to Farang restaurants and bars.

I talked to my landlord a week ago. He related a story to me of his Thai wife ruining substantial amounts of home furnishings. I won’t go into the details but it is as bad if not worse than my situation so he is aware of the problem.

He offered me another home at less money for next month.

My plans for Chiang Mai were to go back to college and continue my Thai language studies that I started there last year. The poster that said Chiang Mai is a big place is correct I could get lost in a couple of minutes but I have friends there who I would like to keep in touch with who know both myself and my GF. Not bar people, just regular people who I like and who like me. Nothing romantic.

I did not come to Thailand looking for a wife. I had all the woman I wanted in the States. Some of them even in their 20’s, attractive and well spoken. I came to Thailand because of the quality medical care, inexpensive living costs and some other things that do not involve relationships.

The issue of me not minding her going with customers is a financial one. I was giving her 3,000 baht per week for expenses but if she is going with customers then she is on her own. She can’t have it both ways. I can deal with her as a friend with no romantic involvement but I am not going to be paying her money if she is making 10,000 baht per week. I am not having sex with her anyway. That stopped when she started working.

Chanchao, this is the funniest part of my post. If I knew how to highlight it I would. I said she looked good in her skirt and she exploded saying I should not say that when she was going working. At extreme personal risk I asked her today what she meant because I did not think your jealousy explanation was correct, although to a Western person it makes sense.

The reason she got angry with me for telling her she looked pretty was THAT IT IS BAD LUCK IN THAILAND TO TELL A BAR GIRL SHE IS PRETTY WHEN GOING TO WORK. IT MEANS SHE WILL HAVE NO CUSTOMERS THAT NIGHT AND GET NO TIPS OR NO LONG TIME OR SHORT TIME.

Chanchao your post could be a stand alone piece in a magazine it has so many interesting points in it.

I had three wives. Two of them beauty queens. If I had been a jealous man I would have gone crazy. Both of the women were performers of a kind. Both internationally known on stage and screen. They dressed sexy every day. It was part of their jobs to be beautiful and sexy. One was a singer and dancer the other in the fashion industry.

When we would go out to a bar for a drink men would come up to both of them and start a conversation with “You aren’t with this guy are you? Meaning me.” They were so beautiful no one could imagine they were with me.

Perhaps that shaped my personality but I am not a jealous man. I have told all of my wives if they wanted someone else it was no problem just let me know so I am not embarrassed. I am not much of a caveman type. I think leaving the cage door open is the best way to keep a bird.

I never was in love with GF and I really don’t want her back but doing the caveman thing in her club would get me killed before I got three feet dragging her by the hair (big bouncer). Plus she is as big as me and I don’t think I could drag her far. Plus I might hurt her if I dropped her.

As far as honesty it has been my experience that if a Thai woman drops you there is no problem. The problem comes when you drop them. I am trying to get her to say I am a cheap Charlie and she wants to work in a bar rather than stay with me.

That way when her friends in Chiang Mai call her up and say “Kerry is here, she can say, yes I know he cheap Charlie I drop him and I dancing in bar.”

Then everybody is happy.

If I drop her she is angry. If she drops me I’ll pretend to be hurt. If we drop each other she is a little angry and I am a little hurt. It is all good as long at is not the first alternative.

I did a runner on my first wife. What an unpleasant experience. She had detective looking for me for a year until they finally found me.

My second wife divorced me. My lawyer told me, “You better hope she is not angry with you she is being represented by the Rose Law firm (Hillary Clinton among others)”

I pleaded with my third wife not to divorce me for the same reason. She got the house and car but she could have got 50% of my business is she was really upset.

Thanks Chachao, when I get to Chiang Mai I owe you a beer. 3AM at Spicy is good for me.

Mobi I was going to use the deposit as a bargaining chip if things get rough. As in, “OK honey you can keep the TV, microwave, dishes and other stuff and if the place is clean and not damaged you can have the deposit.”

You are a good story writer I`ll grant you that..............when are you publishing the novel?

The Songtaews have been particularly annoying over the last month.

Many have tried to drive away without giving change from 20 baht...i tryto have right change but not always possible....latest gimmick is to try closing the window on your hand as you are waiting for the change...and laughing about it...

Many have been turning off the usual routes for whatever reason and of course no come back

All of this not to mention the erratic driving with no concern for their human cargo....

If it were easier to walk around i would never catch one.....lowlifes most of them

Oh come on Tolley How Many?? 10 20 30............methinks you may be overexaggerating somewhat?

.............and surely if you were being ripped off (arm & change not literaly I hope) you would have had the commonsense to give them the correct fare............wouldn`t you?

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus

Naka.

Just ring the Cliff Naka and they will dispense forthwith one of their super clean beautiful empty shiny white Mercedes to you and you can enter the steps of the Royal emporium in the manner in which you feel befits your ego..........250 ish should do it

just been checking flights from manchester to bkk for june through to september, crazy prices, £480+132 taxes. i have never paid this sort of money in my 17 years of visiting thailand this is an exorbitant rip off by the airlines. bearing in mind this is the low season in thailand i think its time for pastures new.

The last 5 bookings I have done with ebookers who have been the cheapest. They supply e tickets where they can at no extra cost and charge only 1.5% extra for credit card payment.

Booked yesterday for later this month Man to Bangkok with Etihad £421 including taxes.............well worth a try.