suiging

You are right " Backpackers" better term than Hippys.

Do it yourself and get deported for working without a Visa

You should be able to do it, but sadly any cheap holiday destination in the world with tourist sodden beaches, Is a no-go area at 0430.

I've been in and out since mid-eighties. I have bought and built in the area and have watched momentous changes almost every year.

Mid-eighties still dusty streets with the hippy brigade still in evidence and a lot of left over Asia hands from " Nam " ( well they all claimed to be ) and short term trippers from HK, Singapore and the like. In general a nice time, with locals and " workers" less hardened to the experience and everyone having a good time.

Early nineties brought ( sadly from my own country ) the hooligan brigade. Loud bare chested and violent. Locals first offended, and then cynical. Not a good time with the building boom spurred on by crooks from Europe as well as locals, with the infra-structure not addressed to keep pace with the rapid, unfounded expansion. Hence floods, droughts and a dumbing down of society which to my simple mind, was not pleasant. The crash came as a typhoon that destroyed the bubble and left unfinished lumps of concrete on almost every corner, but did not wash away all the dross.

Early 2000's optimism again. Talk of casinos, horse racing, and the arrival of Russian and Asian tourists by the bucketful. The crash, (this time self-generated) in the property market has thinned out the hoardes of Estate Agents that thronged every street, but surprisingly there is still a causious optimism for the future, if you talk to the sensible " older " Thai Pattaya families, who can see at least the start of proper development from City Hall and a realisation that when ( not if ) attitudes change about gambling, Pattaya is best placed to build a Thai " Macao " in the future.

Major Hotel chains and Thai business people do not build modern hotels and large shopping complexes if they feel " long term " the place is going to fail. Just like any stock exchange the small time investor always catches a cold. The bar owner ( singular ) will come and go, never really making any form of impact. What is telling is the slow " clearing " of the streets surrounding what will become the bar area ( the only major bar area ) in the future. Someone somewhere with a bigger picture view and more money than you or I, has a positive view on the future. Remember the hotels and shopping areas are not being built with Government hand-outs, they are being built with somebodies cash. The cynic will reply " Blah blah blah, rose tinted glasses no hope etc etc ". However, not all Thai businessmen are fools, far from it, and some of the smartest are quietly buying land and planning for a better future for the area. I for one hope they are right...............I like it here.

friend of mine used to carry a telescope truncheon when riding his bike. He called it "most efficient"...

This one works on violent drunks as well

I smidgeon of ammonia mixed with the water in a squeezy bottle ( and I mean the smallest drop no need to hurt or blind ) and the dogs will never chase you again. The smell does the job.

The new debt figures are truly staggering. No matter your point of view on Utd, to see a British institution being treated like this, is a disgrace.

It's fantastic to see you guys in the top flght. Good luck for the next season.

I bet you were swamped by West Brom fans. Any mention of Tesco and they just come a running..................

We've given you big Chris ( top man by the way ), you just give us Fletcher and I will love you lot forever........

Try Outlet Mall on Sukhumvit, a lot of the shops there now cater to the Russian market.........

True this

Sizes getting bigger to meet the new demand.

Supattaya Travel (3rd next to The Village or opp Prince of Wales Language School) . English fluency.

Tel: 038-426-226, 038-426-537

Fully agree, I have always had very good service from there, not actually opposite the Prince of Wales though a few 100 metres down, actually opposite the motorbike shop.

I also agree - they are excellent, and helpful even when you are abroad and need things sorting out.

Always get my vote...first class.

The Siam Bay group hotel at the end of Walkin Street has a fine restaurant complete with hanging Peking Duck.

How would that one be price-wise?

The owners of the hotel are Thai Chinese with the emphasis on Chinese. It is not cheap but if you know what you want, it's well prepared and worth the effort.

The Siam Bay group hotel at the end of Walkin Street has a fine restaurant complete with hanging Peking Duck.

Is this "Waz up" related to Pattaya ?

if it's a fishing issue, there is another sub-forum

With tempers and tensions as high as they are; perhaps in the very short term, not a bad idea. Over the next few hours there will be returning to town some very pissed off bully boys who will no doubt be hitting the bottle to drown their sorrows.

Best avoided for a while.

Two spam posts removed.

Quite right.

That disgusting stuff is in no way Italian

Over the last few years argued with some on here agreed with many more. Safe with my family at present here in Hong Kong, so would just like to wish all of you in Thailand the best of luck and stay safe.

Time to set aside the blame game and prey for peace..........

A country with magnificent potential coming to this........... Sad beyond belief.

Believe it or not, SB Furniture on the Suk have a reasonable selection out the back.

Congratulations to Oxford United on their return to the League. Sergeant Lewis will be very pleased.

Keep up man !!

He's an Inspector now

Nothing to do with homophobia, I would object in the same fashion and on the same grounds to a lecture tour by convicted Balkan War mass murderers.

Comparing Boy George to a war criminal, give him a break. That's so over the top its under the bottom.

Beg to differ it's simply the principle.

Don't give a fiddlers flying $%^& for his sexuality. However I do object to a place I actually like quite a lot, being dragged down yet again by people making a fast buck by bringing into town, a character who carries way too much baggage and will draw attention to the seedy side of town, which in general is doing it's best to make a change.

tough job, but someone has to do it...

what sort of thing happens at these parties anyway and do i need any special clothes or equipment and do arguments break out or what

No arguments, the trolls never actually turn up.

ok but how can you tell if they are trolls or not at a party-----------just so i know

Horns, green skin and warts.............

Certain sad events in the near future will trigger the birth of the gaming industry in the fair Patters. Add to that the golf and the inevitable race track and you will have the Asian invasion in spades.