Penangfreak

You are so right. This officer is super nice! In fact all of them. Recently lost my TM-card and was a bit worried going there. Barry, what a gentleman , told me not to worry, brought me back to an officer, which smiled and issued a new TM-card within seconds.

The same goes for the very friendly lady at the residence certificate desk, who even filled in the form for me!

I have lived in many countries and Pattaya immigration gives the best service I have experienced at any immigration office!

THANK YOU! PF.

Hi there:

Could anybody point me to a shop where I can get a reasonable priced weight bench with min. 200 pound weight set. Does not to be anything fancy, as only occasionally used. Can also be second hand. Any such shops around? Thank you.

1 week in Phuket. Have tried hard and watched every day! Patong & Kata Beaches NO Jet Ski scams, as far as I could observe.. Quite the opposite. The youngsters taking care of a busy jet & para-sailing business are friendly, funny and seem to be very helpful. Talked to a couple of them and they just smiled when I inquired about the scams. "We not do here, only Pattaya have, before have some bad guys here, but all stop long time."

Overall much friendlier people here, but also a much better clientele. Very few Indians or easy targets.

Just staying in Phuket for a week. Reasonably busy. Have not sen any scams going on, neither on Kata, nor Patong. The guys are friendly, helpful and busy renting jets and doing para-sailing with all nationalities. Not 1 problem in my week here, sitting right next to the busiest post.

I thought people were drowning because they had too much bratwurst sauerkraut and beer before going into the water

Great, for a change we have some positive and humorous people on board...Yeah, been swimming on Kata, Karon and Patong beach the last week. Rather rough and you better know swimming well if you wanna go through the breakers.

BTW. Been looking out for Jet-Ski Scams....Not seen any....Quite the opposite, the guys working for these outfits very friendly, funny and talkative. Overall I have met much friendlier Thais here than in Pattaya, without wanting to generalize.

Traffic police active and getting Farangs & Thais alike. Tourist police very low key, friendly, not" heavily" armed and not showing in large groups.

Sea & Beaches very clean, even Patong. Stil coral & fisglife between Karon & Kata. Defintely much better than Koh Chnag, which I know well. No broken glass, plastic and other rubbish. Still have not found a choice of decent, fair price restaurants. Bu surely they must be around.

Within 15 minutes bike ride some almost deserted bays and beaches.

Great! Coming back soon.

I think you did a great assessment. Not everybody will agree with it, but well done. One comment: you didn't see many condos here? Maybe you didn't make it into Naklua, Pratumnak or Jomtien. They're going up by the thousands.

PattayaPhom: If you compare the entire island, then you also need to add places like Bang Saray into the Pattaya mix. Otherwise, just compare Patong to Pattaya proper, right?

As far as beaches, Phuket wins hands down. It's got a great exposure to the open sea, which we don't have here. We're in a bay, which makes the water...well...not as nice. But head out to the islands off the coast of Pattaya and the water is quite clear. Even Koh Larn is pretty nice.

We spent a month looking at Phuket before deciding on Pattaya. One thing we didn't like was the general overall cost there. Much more expensive than here. Plus, in Pattaya, Bangkok is only 2 hours away if you want to do some real shopping or need serious medical attention. And swampy is only 90 minutes or so. Great if you travel a lot.

Plus, the roads there are quite bad. Driving around there would drive me nuts. I also think we do have better weather here. Not as hot, and not as much rain.

Just my humble opinion.

Thanks LOVETOTRAVEL...I stand corrected, mixup...Yes you are right, Pattaya offers a huge choice of condos, but could not find many in Phuket. Thanks for a positive and friendly feedback. and have a nice weekend.

I actually prefer the american style as Dominos / Little Cesar

urks!

Can't argue about taste...have a nice Sunday!

After a short visit in Patong here a quick comparison to Pattaya.

General:

Last been to Phuket about 15 yrs. ago. Overall the atmosphere still very similar as I remember from those days. Obviously the place is much more built up.

Very good mix of nationalities. Catching: No Indians, Pakistanis etc., Russian couples and families mostly on Kata & Karon Beaches. Few Arab nationals.

Really enjoyed the few days, especially the feeling of being in a holiday town and not in a retirement town mostly catering to old men looking for love and

many of them living on a tight budget, which is not meant negatively, but just somehow defines Pattaya.

Could it be an alternative to live? Not sure, everything is far apart and you will have to drive to enjoy it. The higher cost might be a factor too, for many.

Best fun we had, in the super brand new & HUGE Tiger entertainment complex. Amazingly well done with countless bars and several dance venues.

Phuket: Pattaya:

Beaches: Surprisingly clean and clear, despite rough seas Still terrible after all these years of city-panning and talking points

Hotels: About 25% higher, IMO better choice in Pattaya Great choices & values due to massive competition

Restaurants: 30% higher overall, IMO much better choice in Pattaya Tons of overprices seafood places, hard to find some good choice

without a lot of walking

Thai Staff: Definitely friendlier and more professional in Phuket, due Very mixed, probably due to the tons of Cheap Charlies

to better customer base..??

Beachfront: Patong also not very appealing (but several big projects under construction), IMO a disgrace for a resort town

All beach-fronts much cleaner than Pattaya

Traffic: More respectful, cars actually stop at crossovers, even without No need to talk about it. We all know.

signals, to let pedestrians cross. Overall much less aggressive

Walking Str.: Bangla, Real party atmosphere with great energy and MUCH Reminds more and more of Patpong with the guided tours and

younger crowd. By 3 am mostly closing. Police presence low and less exiting to watch. The holiday party atmosphere is just

key. But appear fast if need, during several minor fights not there. It is all about....you know what...

I have seen in the late party hours.

Girls: Plenty available, younger, prettier, friendlier, more expensive No need to talk about. Often not a nice sight, but often a good

and more picky, as also plenty of good looking guys around. match for their male counterparts.

The scene mostly on Bangna, but still less dominant as most

tourists don't participate.

Taxis: More money, but prices listed, some discussions, but not really Too many pickups...Taxis a rip-off...But what is the solution?

bad, maybe due to low season.

Weather: Probably more rain overall... Almost ideal if you like it hot..

Shopping: Much better in Pattaya. Thousands of shops selling the same rubbish

Condos: Much more choice Seen relatively few

What is your feedback maybe somebody who moved from Phuket to Pattaya....??

Thanks guys....PF.

Hi all:

Can anybody recommend a good Pizza place near Bangla/Patong please? I actually prefer the american style as Dominos / Little Cesars, but can live with a nice thin crust Italian too. Thank you very much.