theseveredhead

Yeah -

be careful what you wish for, toss on a dingy singlet or a 'good guys go to heaven t-shirt'

SHOO-wah

Whenever I see some dopey guy like this - England just pops in my head, don't know why... :-)

Even at an outdoor cafe at the beach in California this guy would not be given a table.

It's what Pattaya has become, haven for miscreants not merely eccentrics.

I rather like Cambodia and had lived there in 93, 94 and 96. Food though is marginal. I don't like that the digs are so far from the beach in SNK. Snooky is a bit slow and teh motodops are schemey.

The largest reason I am not there are the high HIV rates and lack of ANY health care.

Supposedly the insurance is worth having.

Been living/coming to pattaya nearly a decade - Never been, that's what I think of it and Neils Cocklove. Does this man ever get tired hearing himself speak?

there is another club with a similar name.

I often thought I should start an expat club - Youd have to be living on less than b30k a month, 2 yrs min in pattaya and have info to contribute 'secrets' of pattaya we all have aquired and allow people hook up - as pattayas nutjobs increase it's as though I dont want to talk to anyone in the street anymore.

As for charity - I might think more about my tiem and money when Thai govt is more charitable w/ visas!!!!!!!!!!

My vote is for a rapidshare account (one time) and download all you want.

I have 20k songs - no lie.up to you if you want to play with p2p toys. I have had a number of problems.

That said - if youre really not into music and need enough to fill a few GB it's fine.

gee having traveled in asia for 15 yrs and frequent trips in my teens to mexico i never had a clue.

just returned from India on the 19th. wow youre the picture of the enlightened buddha.

as i stated - there are LOTS of rats (a nest), they were not there before the cans went in and it is a real problem but whatever... spare me the lecture.

Tue/Fri Mkt or try 2nd floor Big C mall, export shop.

Mike's sucks and so does Amazing Thailand.

I'm thinking this and a bag storage + saftey box is a good business.

swan has the shop up for sale - poor value

jeremys [cum canterbury] -had rude shopgirl last time was in, loads of pulp fiction

there is another on 2nd road in the gay area - not very good

a NEW book shop just opened - looks pathetic on soi diana near diana inn

there is another PBB on soi bukhao near the bend - 2 flrs

you do have to think about this ... if the owners did not charge you something and allowed exchanges, even poor ones. and ... bought books even at cheap prices they could not possibly stay open. not a library at some point they need MONEE

If you marry a bar girl - you may gain her respect, never her love.

i saw a used bike b15k posted in carrefour - check it.

Limewire sucks, waste of time.

virus, spyware, corrupt files, lack of what you are really after, only one off files...

You have no complaint. Thailand's POOR and uneducated that serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner for the nation in the dirty streets do a GREAT job of keeping things clean. I am rarely sick and if so - just a bit of the trots once. There is loads of cheap ice and plastic everywhere.

This is a third world country I do not hesitate to eat fresh vegetables in local eateries

You really ought to go to India, Indonesia or Cambodia and then let me know how you feel.

now pass me that masaman curry!

Everyone has it about right. They are shunned by society, few job opptys

Most are just men that look feminine so they dress like women, makeup... for money. Don't tell the guys at Pattaya-Chat they all seem to have major woodies for the creatures.

Real transexuals have real jobs and they work, live as women. The guys trolling Beach road and the few clubs are just trouble.

Every bar girl I know who has anything to do with them ends up ripped off. Steal everything from the room, steal phone, borrow money...

You will be looked at as a freak if you drag one about with you. Dont believe me? Ask any Thai what they think of them.

Having said that .... saw a stunner last night. 2nd road/Soi 9 (ladyboy bar I pass on way up to Soi 7-8). It was hot. ;-)

This was a really bad idea that has become increasingly worse over the last five years due to: too many bars, lisc issues, rent rises and visa issues.

I am constantly astonished at the prices people want for their bars. In fact selling buying 99% of teh bars here to me seems insane. a fraction of one % could produce any sort of good will on the books and its all luck anyway according to sucess of that tourist season. In the end their bar is a few used tv's, a pool table and some glassware. Often ask millions of baht. It does often include their key money which they would otherwise never, ever get back.

Give me your money. I will return half of it in three years. You now think I am a mad con artist. You will thank me in three years and think me your best mate for life.

Put your money in a timed deposit, come and enjoy

Teaching English sucks, you must buy a certy to teach (B40k+)

Food - very bad margins, nearly as many restaurants as bars and personally at b20 and b25 a dish - I never eat in farang restaurants and neither do any of the locals I know personally.

In the years I have been here, these are best ideas I have come up with:

Bag storage and CHEAP saftey boxes in Central Pattaya (cheap and ez to run)

Consignment Shop for bar owners to dump their crap when the close their bars

Remember - Pattaya is for cheap charlie's so never do anything really nice or clever you won't win as we don't want to pay for it. This is Thailand and Thai's can make it work on their expectations. Farang come here and expect a small beer bar to pay for farang splash life incl girlfriend and it won't.

The rent alone is a killer. The chinese landlords are absolute gouger's - I always feel sorry when I see Thai's open a new business I know wil lfail miserably.

...I think I figured once that youd need to sell a ten beers an hour to break even or somethng like that...(?). Sound ez? what about low season which is now really, really low - DEAD. This means if you don't keep that pace you need to make it up so like.... 30 an hour, every hour in high season. Many bars have no customers even in high season.

One bar on my block... owner talking to person in my apt, makes about b300 (net/gross I don't know?) A NIGHT at present. Not surprised if she only has 2-3 cust and they have a beer or two and move on.

B20k (all in save for medical/dental and airpline tix to usa 1x yr)

rent/util

5 btls whisky

visa runs

5 st

food

toiletries

internet

...

I do wish I could see a few more girls and I'd love to start playing golf again but that's all I have :-((

Pathetic

Never seen so much junk in my life.

This is so typical of this site. Someone asks how to do something on the cheap and many (not all ;-) tell him everything he did not ask and nothing of what he did.

Currently, you can easily get a room for B500 a night. A really nice place for B700. My place is B400 on a nightly but we have had some thefts (really ugly situation) and there is construction near.

Try Lucky Court on Soi Bukhao near Pattaya Klang. The rooms are spartan but clean, nice. I do not know about visitation policy so ask 1ppl 2ppl? The other LC near the Tues/Fri market tolerates theft.

There are also some dives on Soi Bukhao @ entrance to LK Metro. There are some ST hotels one on 2nd (s. of Soi Diana), One near the dives above and two on Soi Chaiyapoon B200 (used to be 160 low seas). These will have theft sure and DON'T use the lockers.

There are also a bunch of cheapies over the bars in the soi's such as Yamoto and soi 6.

You can also try Diana on soi Bukhao running specials on windowless rooms.

The foul smelling green garbage cans have yet another problem - appear to have attracted rats. No, not just a few but dozens. Appears to be esp acute at Soi 10.

Be very careful sitting in this area, they scamper everywhere -

I had a few hours to kill waiting for the shuttle so I had a walk and tried not to cry thinking of my fondness for crappy little Don Muang. No, not a love affair same as KaiTak sure but the memories of 15 years returning to Thailand at DM...

I will never be in love with Suvarnabhumi or give it high marks on anything but the place is not so bad (Non Secure Area). Family Mart with cheap beer and I had noticed some months back the food court on bottom floor. Not very good place to sleep overnight on 2nd (I think it was).

I still think it looks like a really bad bar from the 80s with that really bad industrial look- or an updtaed rip-off of Chas DeGaulle.

Finally - (Inside) If you need a cheap beer there is a news stand with a cooler. They have Chang (no Tiger) for B40.

I found a sign not only stating More toilets being installed but listed how many were in. I thought that sort of funny, I'm sure to blunt the criticism.

It honestly depends. I bought a liter on Johnny Red for B500, not bad although Friendship SM has Balantines now for B549. I saw JWR in Delhi for US15, even better. Cambo border B440.

Of course though - when has duty free been a good deal. Most stuff is more expensive than retail in USA save for ciggies and booze.

BRING A MAP.

I always forget which bus and have to ask each time but I think 7 sounds familiar. It's sort of tricky in that its on a back streets. Ask the bus driver to let you down at the cons and they will. Don't count on the locals to point the way though, esp if you get lost and have walked the wrong way. Dont get there too early, won't do any good.

I find most people in Malaysia straight-up, I don't think youll have problems w/ taxi driver esp if you they are waiting.

Don't take the bus back - walk. for whatever reason it never seems to come.

Salamat Sian - Saya Mau Pergi ke ___________

Good (early) Afternoon, I want to go to _____________

...everyone speaks english.

btw: the buses are really crappy, esp for fairly developed Malaysia. It's only 30min ride (< 15min by car).

Here in Pattaya the 25-35+ crowd of English (generally drunken, shirtless and tattoed) seem to be a growing headache (pattaya-chat anyone?).

Hate to say it, as I have mostly Brittish friends - but they agree and are embarrassed.

Padkapow: I am American and loathe military. You make some sweeping conclusions although I have honestly been taken for CIA contractor by co-workers in Indonesia and a for a spy by Viet police on Phu Quoc island.

LuckyDog - I will agree with you. I live in Pattaya. It's full on here.

SO often it's not funny, it's just stupid. If you can be funny - everyone enjoys a laugh. Silly is debatable at best.

When an old college friend came to visit from Dubai I ended up laying down 'ground rules'.

But I will say this - best way to a (Thai) woman's heart is to make her smile.

Personally, for me ... silly gets a chuckle but not respect and once you lose respect, youll never regain it.

Often times when these people are attempting to get attention (thats what it really is about) they offend. I think thats where the OP is going with this. I see it here not daily but hourly.

Guys should spend more time with their eyes open and mouths shut their first few trips to Asia, learn some language and esp about culture.

Telling you what you want to hear - This is the Thai way so why would you think otherwise when you need an Atty?

I agree - if you really need consul or whatever, go to a big, int'l firm. I would never use anyone in their office for anything personally.