Marc K

Willy, Pls be careful. If you diabetic and have an A1C >> 7, you need to have a full retina scan done by a qualified diabetic retinopathist. I think there is one (only one) at BPH (I've forgotten his name). You are potentially playing around with blindness here so please be careful.

On the other hand if all you need is the (more or less) common Comprehensive Eye Exam which includes a glaucoma check and a (cursory) retina check after dilation of your eyes, then any decent ophthalmologist found in any decent medical center fits the bill.

Hope this helps.

This course csn be completed online. I just finished my university's requirement to finish it. I am quite sure if you Google "Security Awareness Training Course online" you will find many firms which offer it. One is alphaprep.net. Hope this helps.

7 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I predict that WS will be bulldozed to the ground and Chinese bars and casinos will be built there.

Very likely that Pattaya will almost completely become a Chinese playground, and yes WS might be the first, but not the only, area to fall. For those who are skeptical of this, I point to Sihanoukville which within one year, two at the max, had become unrecognizable from its earlier state as a quiet seaside resort town catering to mostly Cambodian weekenders and a smattering of foreigners wishing to escape the hub-bub and heat of Phnom Penh. Substitute Pattaya, Thai, Bangkok in this last sentence and I think you get a pretty good idea of what Pattaya is to become. The writing is pretty much already on the wall.

So after all this chit-chat, still noone has the faintest ideas about the fate of that land parcel, right? That was the OP's original question. Let's hope it ends up being a Rabbit Resort-like low flung development. Keeping my fingers crossed. Obviously a parcel at this location will not remain undeveloped for long.

Well-aged beef at Arno's in Terminal 21. Take a look at their deli counter.

On 1/27/2018 at 11:46 PM, TunnelRat69 said:

Let him finish this term, re-elect him for the second, elect Pence after that - 12 years of Republican  rule is exactly what America needs - to hell with the rest of the world.

TunnelRat69: Sorry? Your tagline says "living the dream in Thailand, Vietnam and Hawaii"? And you say "to hell with the rest of the world"?? Isn't that just a tad bit hypocritical of you?

Trump is a crude, vile, bigoted and ego-maniacal person. He lashes out at everyone and everything which does not fit his own personal worldview. What I find most strange about this is that he is from New Yorker City, one of the epicenters of 'alternative lifestyles'. If he had grown up in Sibley, Iowa, I could almost understand this, but New York City??

I have come to the conclusion that many/most of his protestations (such as this ban) are only an act which he puts forward to appease his racist and homophobic (and mostly uneducated) base of voters. This makes his dishonesty doubly troubling. In 2016 Trump got 9.8% of the vote in Manhattan, 21.9% of the vote in Queens. 

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/numbers/clinton-trump-president-vice-president-every-neighborhood-map-election-results-voting-general-primary-nyc

If I might try to sum up this thread -- "home is where the heart is" -- of course.

I think a bigger question is what is the fate of the gay clubs overall? Do the go-go bars, for instance, play a role in a post-iPhone world? I have barely set foot in a gay club now for several years -- they appear boring, anachronistic and, did I say, boring? I presume one day, in Pattaya for example, we will see the closing of the last gay bar. Not to say there might not be some "clubbing" niteclubs remain open.

Here is my question: Why haven't the owners of the bars seen this revolution coming and changed their format to accommodate the new online reality/competition?? Nothing seems to have changed with them for the past 20 years! Why can't they dream up a more interesting format which maybe merges the technological with the in-person experience in some interesting way? The last big "revolution" seems to have been the opening of the friendly beer bars, now mostly in Jomtien Complex, while Sunee Plaza continues to whither away (no big loss there) and Boyztown becomes a shadow of its former self.

4 hours ago, seancbk said:

I suspect the OP means where are all the people?    For a seaside holiday town it looks dead.

 

I think this is the closest answer to the truth. The real truth is there is practically no "beach" left here on Dongtan BEACH. What an enormous pity that Pattaya's most peaceful and pastoral beach has been ruined by all that concrete. How very sad. WHAT are the city fathers thinking! Now it is gone forever.

Thanks to the OP for sharing his fresh impressions. It is always interesting to look through the eyes of a first-time visitor. I think we would all agree that there is much to like about Pattaya and also much to find revolting as well. As the French say "chacun a son goût" each to his own taste. I'm glad the OP spent the time to write a relatively elaborate review as he sees things. Sharing our frank views should be what TV is all about, don't you think? It's the value of participating here.

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The origin of Pho is French beef pot au feu.

Pho is not pronounced "foo". It is interesting to speculate that the word comes from the French "feu" because, come to think of it, the word does sound very much like the French word (for fire). Best English transliteration might be "fuhh" or simply "fuh".

Vietnamese food is great! When last working in Hanoi I got introduced to "bun cha" which also quickly became one of my favorites, but rather hard to find good renditions outside Vietnam. The closest I have come is a great French-Vietnamese place on Street 136 in Phnom Penh just a few doors away from the riverfront.

On 12/21/2017 at 11:41 AM, webfact said:

The project is also meant to be connected with China’s high-speed train system as part of the One Belt, One Road cross-border development programme recently launched by China based on the ancient Silk Road, covering more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and other continents.

So many silly comments here. Of course the geopolitical implication is the crucial one. I wonder, given that Thailand has been able to stave off most attempts at colonization during its history, whether its finally met its match with China, and if it is not playing directly into her hands. What does this imply for any remaining shreds of democracy left in Thailand?

Ah reading all these attempted rationalizations for smoking has been interesting. And yes addiction is a difficult thing to overcome. Although I find cigarette smoke highly irritating and offensive, I do have some mercy for the 70+yo's who grew up with commercials on television having doctors say how smoking soothes the throat and is good for your health!

But I have no mercy for the 30-somethings who have been handed a world in which the full dangers of smoking, second-hand smoke, even third-hand smoke are known. Why they would pick up such a stupid, expensive and stinking habit continues to allude me.

I hope that when I return to Dongtan Beach next time I will find a smoke-free area so that I won't have to spend time identifying the smokers and which way the wind is blowing in order to avoid their gasses.

oh ma gosh, i must have 25 TVEs (and 5 or so TVs) over the past 10 years or so. if there is no time period for the alarm, i guess i will get questioned every time, and, no, i have never worked in Thailand. it makes life very uncomfortable though to be challenged by the IMO.

No invoice at all. No "estimate" of damage. Car rental firms in Thailand run by the seat of their pants and make up the rules apparently as they go along. I really don't know how one protects oneself against arbitrary rulings (some might call it "scams") like this. My only defense will be never ever to do business with them again. And I would encourage you to look elsewhere. Maybe you can try the international chains at BKK airport who probably follow more sane business practices, I don't know, the costs might be prohibitive. Good luck. Be careful. They are not trust-worthy.

11 hours ago, electric said:

Even the 60 day Tourist Visa is silly simple to get from a Thai Consulate in farang land.

I wish that were true. My experience last time at the consulate in Hawaii (May 2017) was anything but "silly simple", requiring income statements, and cost $40 and a second trip across town to pick up the completed visa.

And the extension (to 90 days) process in Jomtien was anything but simple, and certainly not cheap. My landlord had apparently not reported my residency a second time (after I interrupted the stay in Thailand to go to Cambodia for a week or so) and so I had to use the "fixers" who stand outside the coffee kiosk at the immigration office who ended up charging me 4,000B to grease the extension, and was told that that was a "special price". In fact one "agent" had quoted me 5,500B. Oh my.

Well I don't know if my comment is exactly germane but... I have just spent a few weeks in Delhi and I first thought I was misreading the fares -- on Uber/Ola (both of which are more or less accepted now as part of the scenery, they even have a designated pickup spot at the DEL airport!) my fares were $1.97, $1.11, $1.55, $1.57... -- for an approximately 25 min ride from my hotel (where they picked me up at the front portico) to the office each day.

I found Indian taxi fares astonishingly low even compared to the taxi-meter fares in Bangkok much less the ridiculous stupidity of the taxi-no-meter fares in Pattaya, and even in comparison to Uber/Grab fares in Pattaya.

Be careful folks. I had a very poor experience using this car-rental firm. An invisible scratch, on the chassis of the car, visible only if you get on your hands and knees and push yourself under the car, cost me a cool B2,000 penalty. All I can say is take pictures not only of the car body but of the undercarriage as well if you rent from these folks.

Their methods are reminiscent of the jetski scams -- they will find SOME way to ding you when you return the car.

Needless to say I would NEVER EVER rent from them again. Beware!

16 hours ago, burgdawg said:

Thailand is a Nation of Children, get used to it.

Oh my goodness, what a demeaning and rude thing to say to your hosts!

I have noticed however that young and middle-aged folks in Cambodia and Vietnam do, in general, speak much better English (and some French, and some Chinese) far more than the average Thai. Thailand  has been a far less "colonized" country than any of those of "Indochina" but that may not account for the whole reason that Thailand lags in language skills. I would agree that it is most likely linked to an educational system which has not kept up with modern times, involving not only language skills but STEM education as well.

I must say though that I am equally shocked by the number of Thailand's long-term guests who speak little or no Thai, even after having been here many years, even decades. What about that lack of language skills? It needs to be attended to as well. Hit the books, folks!

Wow great to see such a nice happy couple. He's so handsome and she's so pretty. I wish them many years of happiness together.

The thing to remember is that (private) healthcare costs in Thailand are no longer "cheap". I've been watching the costs at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital spiral out of control. Yes, sure, they are still cheaper than in the USA for sure, but if you have to pay everything out of your own pocket, given you have no insurance, it is becoming more more a concern.

Case in point -- routine dental cleaning used to be B800, then it was B1000 for some years, and yesterday it was B1690. That's quite an increase! Same doctor. Same service. I asked the dentist about it (who I love dearly) and she replied "well the extra money is not going to staff!"

I think Thailand may quickly lose its "medical tourism" edge, in favor of India where services are still much cheaper and English is spoken as a more or less native language. This makes communicating about more complex and perhaps personal problems easier.

I have gone to government hospitals on a couple of occasions and yes they are cheaper but English can be a bit spotty (yes, I am studying Thai and perhaps in 15 years I will be fluent! Hehe. That is another story!) and they are pleasant (for the most part) and try their best, but for complex problems I don't have the greatest confidence that you can get competent advice and treatment.

One more thing, I end up throwing out most of the drugs which are given to me in Thailand hospitals. The practice of over-prescribing is really out of control (and yes that is yet another story!)

I guess a bigger question is how this whole cycle ends -- if/when elections are held, if they are fair, it is  highly likely the "red-shirts" will win again -- they are clearly beloved in Isaan and elsewhere in rural Thailand -- so another "red-shirt" PM will come into office and this whole cycle of retribution and counter-retribution will happen again and again. Let's face it the "red-shirts" have the sympathy and heart of the majority of the Thai people. A few people are happy with the current junta, sure, for creating some sense of peace and order, but the underlying problems still remain. Not sure how Thailand ever gets out of this pickle.

1 hour ago, CeeGee said:

I looked at this site, however,unlike most other rental sites, I cannot get an actual price only a "from" price without e mailing my details(which I am reluctant to do)

 

Be careful, the website and their brochure are filled with half-truths. “All prices are negotiable.” Just try. You are told no way. And I was charged 200B/day more than the brochure quoted price. When asked about the discrepancy, the very unfriendly clerk said “oh brochure is old!”. Oh my, it is the brochure sitting on the desk near their entrance. Bottom line is be careful. 

FYI I had a very bad experience with this firm. Company kept 2,000B deposit because of a supposed scratch on the underside of the car, in no way visible unless you literally crawl under the car. There was no way on the inspection form to even indicate there was any prior damage.

Oh my, the whole esperience reminded me of the famous Jomtien jet-ski scams. Be very careful and take a microscope with you when checking out the car, and be prepared to battle to get your 5,000B cash deposit back again! And good luck in doing so! I cannot recommend this firm at all. Pls be extra careful!!!!!!!!!!