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I need to have a staff xmas party. Well, say need, I want to and they are going to go as well whether they like it or not. Money not as much a priority as a good feast, nice lively festive environment, where we would not look out of place dressed up a bit. Xmas eve or before - anyone know of something like this in Pattaya this year?

Got take out from your place tonight.

1) The dogs are lovely. Very friendly so leave them alone.

2) Burger very good as were the chips (seasoned properly). Probably best burger in SSC as it stands.

3) Sausages- you are going to have very big problems unless you explain to the girls the difference between the rubbish in 7/11 and European sausages. On the grill (not on, so cold) sat 30-40 HALF COOKED sausages. Now, you will know exactly how long they sat there in the hazard temp zone of 20-60 degree but if its more than an hour, they will all be rampant with bacteria. When I got the sausage after they had cooked it, it was still raw and tepid heat on the inside and only a little warm on the outside. It would look cooked to a Thai used to the rubber sausages usually found in Thailand, but it wasn't. Would have been nice I'm sure, I'll ask the dog as she ate it.

Great burger though - but if they are going to precook the sausages, cook them all the way through, then store in the fridge.

I get bored of this as well. I slide the change into my other hand before picking up what ever I have bought, fold the notes into my wallet, hand them back the receipt and walk out. If you go regularly to a shop like my local 7/11 they quickly get the message and don't do the receipt, notes first then change. I count the notes still though....

Drinks and Ice on the table first. If I see an umbrella on a table, I would push it to the side and carry on.

Makro always have them. Friendship usual does as well.

I drove past it last night. Easy enough to see, just before the now defunct darkside deli. No expense spared on the decor and signage I see..."Burger & Chips" in felt tip pen scrawled on the side of a serving counter

Winner - will give it a try

Same old same old. Job is priced up. 20-30% of the cash for the job is removed. Everyone takes their cut and they have to half the amount to pay for the materials. Therefore everything is not fit for purpose and substandard.

very true - go to see the general dentist who will then refer you onto the specialist. This was my experience at BHP as well. I thought they were very good actually.

Ahh well in that case, it far to subjective which is why you and your friends are having the conversation I guess. Nice conversation to have, and the answer would fall into two categories dependent upon the owner of a restaurant. If they know what they are doing they would put some thought into the house wine and price it accordingly. For those that have no idea about running a restaurant,, they will pick anything cheap, put it in the fridge, and over price it for what it is.

If you know nothing about wine, then select a good importer and go from there. There are quite a few in Pattaya already so go fish them out. For the price range it depends where your restaurant is, what food you will be serving and it's price etc. What is your definition of Mid Class restaurant? I'm of the type that I am not price conscious but very quality focused. If you serve me up a glass of the rubbish they sell in 7/11, you could be charging 20 baht a glass and I would still be peeved. However, you could be in the 200-400+ per glass range and as long as you are storing the wine correctly, using a decent clean glass, serving at a proper temperature for the wine, then I would be happy.

Serving size - I always prefer in the 125ML range. 6 glasses from a bottle basically.

If you are starting out, pick 2-3 wines and offer them all by the glass or bottle. Which ever sells best by the glass you will have your winner by letting the customers decide.

S+ V

As you might guess on the basis that I am the same suggesting other soi dogs, the puppies are soi dogs as well. Currently they look forward to a short life (30-40% survival rate for first few months) and then a short life of hardship. However, it sounds as if you are more interested in pedigree dogs, so might be best you get in touch with the shelters to find such a dog.

Good luck - and please do not buy a puppy - Adopt, don't shop.

We've got 3 puppies (6wks old) up there at the moment so if you want an actual puppy I know the mum and dad dogs of these puppies and they have great temperament. I doubt you are going to get a Labrador puppy for free and the only ones you are likely to get would be the older larger ones.

3bb 10 mg. Never misses a beat.

Mate - although not a pure labrador, I know of a homeless dog up near Mabprachan lake that looks like a golden retriever (blonde) cross. She is already neutered, about 8 months old, fantastic temperament, strong immune system (just survived the distemper outbreak which took her sister) and incredibly friendly. I have a Labrador (adopted many years ago) and the temperament is very similar. Since her sister died she's been rather lonely but still loves to play, cuddle, and joss about - why not pop up and say hi to her? Can't hurt. PM if interested.

Post up a picture of your results

Because dear chap, it is one of the buildings that is part of Bali Hai Plaza that is built on rented land that the actual owner of it.... does not own. It is public land that has been misappropriated basically. The owner of Mixx etc allegedly did not know the person they rented the land from did not own it and are trying for a 10 yr extension to avoid pulling it down. However, it might go.

^ No.

Right - here's the scoop. Cost 700 million baht to build. 20% of that figure went to a certain person because thats how things work here. The car park itself does not work and even when it does occasionally work it is so slow the general consensus is that people will not wait that long for their car to be returned (assuming it is) and will not use it twice. The projected price per hour to recoup the amount invested before it becomes obsolete is horrendous if it worked at full capacity 18 hours a day. Which it can not, because it does not work properly and needs more money to make it work. So, despite that it is being investigated, Pattaya City are now desperately trying to find some gullible idiot to rent it from them but the rates they are looking for (to recoup the 700m baht in 10 years) being a shade over 7m a month (they want a profit as well of course) is not finding any punters who are stupid enough to take it on. Do the sums. 407 car parking spaces to pay 84,000,0000 in yearly rent. It means that each parking bay has to make 565 baht every day just to pay the rent before any other costs are involved based upon 100% capacity 24/7 365 days a year.

Therefore, the future for the car park solution is now cast. It will either be pulled down citing building regulations violations meaning that its a win win for *************** the people who built the substandard car park in the first place because they got their money, or they will simply let it collapse into the ground, clear it away when no one is looking, build another car park and the merry go round starts again. Meanwhile, 500m baht is lost to the people of Pattaya.

Such is Thai Life.

Theres a new hi tech carpark at bali hai pier, dont think its had a car parked in it yet though.

One of my employees is married into the mob that owns Bali Hai, and they are in trouble with the very real possibility that they will have to pull it all down (Mixx night club building will be the first to go). I'm going to ask him today what the score is with that car park as I suspect it has something to do with them.*** (a defamatory statement deleted)

Make it yourself -incredibly easy to do. Google it.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513459

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fudge/

The Visa number that they tap on at immigration will show who and when the visa was given to... and the length and type. This would be to stop people trying to fake a visa etc I guess, and those that did would be in deepish water.

I saw this chap a couple of days ago; dark blue / black ambulance. Was wondering what his story is.

If you don't fancy paying to walk, then pop up to Mabprachan Reservoir.

http://goo.gl/2Ju7L0

Where the marker is on the map above you can turn in there and park either on the left by where there is no a motor cross mini mark (which annoys the crap out of me) or a bit further down. It's a lovely walk there where you can walk along the reservoir damn (all flat) road and then on the return walk below the damn on the dry side along a woodland path. Total 2-3km all in but you can go as far as you like with lots of walk ways down from the damn road to the lower path and the woodland.

Take some nibbly chicken bits for the soi dogs there - they are all very friendly. A lovely relaxing walk with shade in the woods if it is too hot.

I don't advise nong nouch - funding and supporting a typical thai animal cruelty center not my idea of a good day out.

Last weekend I had a Thai client and two of his friends come to Pattaya and I met them on Walking Street. Later in the evening, as the client was paying, I decided to take them into the Galaxy Show bar place safe in the knowledge that if we were ripped of, he was paying. However, we sat there, had a few drinks, and were never once approached by the girls and were able to sit and watch the in general very good pole dancing. The drink prices are a bit steep I think. However, I observed what the girls were doing which was walking up to people who were intently paying attention to their dance, straddling them, and asking for a tip or private dance, on the whole men of south asia descent. Now it was a tad daft of the girls because the Thai guys were mid 20's early 30's HiSo guys with daddies money oozing out of them, and they were highly interested in private dances.

So I would say if you can go with a Thai chap as I get the feeling they ignore you then and you can watch the show. Failing that, just go and watch the show but maybe camp it up a bit to make it obvious you will not be getting any private dances.

Now I will point out the bleeding obvious as well - these girls are dancing to make money, and tips are appreciated and make up part of their earnings. The sign on each table suggests 50 baht tips lol. But it is a small place inside and if you take up chair that could be filled with a tipping private dance taking customer, you can guess why you will be pushed out fairly quickly.

Other option is the night clubs where they have CIS dancers - Mixxxxxx is it? I don't know but won't take long to find out.

Have fun

Did they go topless?

When I was there. Boooring expensive...

About 50:50 - what happened a lot though was that their panties which all seemed to be clipped on at the side came unclipped and exposed the full works.

The thing is, as my Thai clients said when they came out, its not the same as a gogo. gogos are basically boring boring boring with farm girls jiggering with their baps out nervously, and I struggle to find how anyone could find that arousing or interesting unless that is the first time they have seen a naked lady. The CIS girls were proper pole dancers, and very good artists at this. It's a different experience and will suit different people. Of the 5 dancers I saw, 2 were on a par with top notch London pole dancers. I didn't have a lap dance there (3000 baht, no chance).

If you get your rocks off looking at issan mattress warriors moving ever so slightly on in a gogo then this is not for you. I actually prefer pole dancing and the fact that a couple of them were stunning fit girls was a complete bonus.