billdo2000

I don't have time to read this whole thread therefore I don't know if this place has been mentioned...Fatties. It's on second road and sells good burgers. I haven't had one in a while, but they were good two years ago.

Price wise ? depends on what but not over Bt1500 a day. Don't need breakfast.

Anyone got any recommendations for a hotel or decent condo around the middle of Pattaya ?

Will go up to BigC but not to Naklua.

Loads in the area - Sabai Resort does some cheaper rooms as well, if you can be motivated to move each day you could review one each day for future referance?

I always stay at Pattaya Bay Resort. It is located opposite the Villa Market (Avenue Shopping Mall). It is less than 1,000THB per day and very clean/nice. It has a very nice roof-top pool and the food is quite good from the restaurant. Speaking of the food, free breakfast each day. Given the hotels location, it is quite close to the 'action' and is still quiet.

I was on crutches for a while during an extended stay in Pattaya. One day, I was on the back of a baht-bus and the driver gassed the truck while pulling out into traffic. My crutches went flying out of the back of the bus. I immediately hit the buzzer for the driver to stop, at which time a Thai gentleman leaped out of our baht-bus and ran after my crutches (I guess he noticed my lack of mobility). It was a fairly dangerous move on his part because the crutches were literally in the middle of the road. He brought them back and gave me a huge smile. I tried to pay for his fare but he would not take anything for his good deed.

It really doesn't matter where you are in the world. There are those who "do" for others simply because they like helping out their fellow man.

Can anyone tell me if they know where to buy chewing tobacco in Pattaya ( Copenhagen, Skoal etc)

Thanks in advance

I chew Copenhagen and I've scoured the city; Can't find it anywhere - after years of searching.

Sweethears a go-go on Walking street sells Sweedish chewing tobacco called Snus. It's a really fine cut like Copenhagen (but even more fine). It pretty expensive stuff...but if you are in a pinch, it will do the job. (I couldn't help the pun: "....in a pinch....")

Looks like it is there to stay.

The Chonburi governor denied any compromise as mentioned above, 6 PM strictly it will remain

It does seem to be contained to soi 6 at the moment though...

Remember this is not some silly shady long forgotten law they are enforcing, the 6 PM till 2 AM opening is clearly noted on the entertainment license the soi 6 bars are operating under!

"It does seem to be contained to soi 6 at the moment though..."

I sure hope this crackdown (rule enforcement) stays confined to Soi 6. I hope it's not the beggining of a city-wide "plan." When I come to Thailand for my two-week holiday, I like to have the option of hitting a beer bar (or wherever) whenever I feel the need. I fear this action could very well be the phased implementation of a city-wide rule enforcement to inlude soi 7, soi8, soi new plaza, etc...that would be terrible.

All residents of Patters - keep us updated.

"Remember this is not some silly shady long forgotten law they are enforcing"

the few bars open daytime in the soi that can serve beer are back to the 11am to 2pm can serve beer then 2pm to 5pm cannot.

"I sure hope this crackdown (rule enforcement) stays confined to Soi 6. "

so do i, as i wouldnt wish this on any other bar or customers, having said that, rhoumour on soi 6 is its going everywhere, but speak to anyone else and they aint even heard of it, so as usual we have no idea, there is yet another meeting today, where i expect to be still none the wiser

as of now, the 4pm open 5pm sell beer, 6pm girls, was changed again yesterday to 6pm open???

chris

I really feel for you business owners/operators. Rules change day-by-day and if you're not in compliance with the latest version or interpretation of the "rules", you could get a hefty fine and/or closure.

Other regional forums frequently bring up burgers. How about a Pattaya burger thread? Where are there some decent ones here? I feel like this maybe once or twice a year, but so far, not happy with what I have found.

Great American Rib Company, meat not disgusting but not very good either, bun stale as a rock

Dicks Cafe Jomtien: overcooked dry meat like a dried cow patty, but I could tell that was a good thing because the meat quality was suspect, bun OK

Burger King: yes, I said no fast food, but I was curious about the local BK (Royal Garden) and found it very disgusting

I am guessing in the new central mall we will get at least one of the famous chains from Bangkok for burgers, but right now, I am wondering, is there a decent burger in town?

Bob's BBQ, soi LK metro off soi Diana has the best burgers, in my opinion.

Looks like it is there to stay.

The Chonburi governor denied any compromise as mentioned above, 6 PM strictly it will remain

It does seem to be contained to soi 6 at the moment though...

Remember this is not some silly shady long forgotten law they are enforcing, the 6 PM till 2 AM opening is clearly noted on the entertainment license the soi 6 bars are operating under!

"It does seem to be contained to soi 6 at the moment though..."

I sure hope this crackdown (rule enforcement) stays confined to Soi 6. I hope it's not the beggining of a city-wide "plan." When I come to Thailand for my two-week holiday, I like to have the option of hitting a beer bar (or wherever) whenever I feel the need. I fear this action could very well be the phased implementation of a city-wide rule enforcement to inlude soi 7, soi8, soi new plaza, etc...that would be terrible.

All residents of Patters - keep us updated.

I really don't see any reason to panic. The market goes down today, then it rebounds and stabilizes. This is what happens. Just watch it go back up again tomorrow.

Exactly. Once the US government announces an agreement on the rescue package, the market will rebound nicely.

However, these liquidity issues are not a short-term hiccup we are experiencing. The sub-prime mess is not over. I wish I could tell the future...

Cheers.

Seems to be a lot of people here willing or wishing to believe that it is a roaring success because they like cheap beer it sounds like ?

Now unless you sell pussy or food you only get one income stream and that is beer (and other drinks). Now some bars which own the building or the land even and don't pay rent or are small places where the owners are Thai and only need Thai wages can survive eking out a few baht profit on bottles of beer. Now the ROI is rubbish but way over their head.

Presuming rent being paid with key money or even using a reasonable internal ROI if outright purchase, then nowhere and I mean nowhere can survive on any number of cheap charlies supping Bt40 beers. Sorry, Carrefour can.

Even on this 1000 bottles which takes a heck of a lot of chilling I'll tell you (I think the max I sold in one day was about 500) and the big fridges can hold a maximum of about 150-180 bottles then you have logistics problems because if you were selling 1000 a day you'd have to chill say 1200 to 1500 to cover daily intra product volatility. Ice is the only realistic quick method or run some massive cold room or perhaps 6 fridges.

Even with say 10 baht GP on a bottle that makes Bt10,000 a day. Now a/c burns money as do staff and the other 100+ costs punters never see. Even if his costs are 5k and he makes 5k or 150k a month then it is a very poor return on the size of the place.

Of course we don't know the real numbers but wishful thinking and talk like "he's doing alright" are just the words of optimists. Now sell 5000 bottles a day and we are talking.

I was in Fantasy with a larger group earlier this month. I was drinking wine (higher margin) and eating food (higher margin). If everyone drank beer at 40THB he obviously wouldn't make money. I was drinking Black/Water, one other friend was drinking 100/water. We bought a few drinks for the ladies, etc., etc ...

Basically, if it wasn't in the owners interests (financial or otherwise) he wouldn't be in business like he is. Since it's been there for years, it would seem to reason that he's at least breaking even or it is providing him some benefit. One thing is for sure; it is a great place.

About two years ago, I set up a Thai bank in my own name. It was very easy and it was actually quite an experience (I made friends with the bank manager). I also have an online investment account (in my name) which allows me to complete international wire transfers. Whenever I am coming over for holiday, I will wire myself some money to my Thai bank and it's available for me when I get there. In addition, my lady keeps the ATM card and knows the PIN. If she needs money, I can complete the wire and it's available for her generally within one week (but sometimes two days!!) Regardless of the wire transfer amount, It costs me $25USD. Obviously, I base the wire amount on when I am coming and what I have budgeted for her financial responsibilities.

I don't know what the current rules are regarding a farang setting up a bank account. I guess things have changed in this regard since I opened up my account...

LOL.

I always love it when the girls order Tom Yung Goong or Sum Tum pizza from Pizza Hut (or whatever compnay). They always ask me to try it...I refuse. To see squid and shrimp on a pizza (with no sauce) really puts me off.

Tom Yum and Som Tum Pizza? Ive never heard of those before!

But yes..... the 'seafood' pizza's..

Yes, totally disgusting. It's actually Tom Yum Kung pizza and the picture is attached.

i have known charlie and lek for about 20 odd years both here and in the uk ,i must say that i have never found charlie rude ,or for that matter drinking heavilly ,lek is one of the nicest people you could meet and will sit and chat for hours .my wife and i rarely go to bars but if we go for a meal at tequila reef or are walking up beach road of an afternoon ,we always pop in to have a chat and a beer .

if your looking for a wild time with girls on tap its not for you ,but if your with a girl or on your own and just want a friendly place to sit for a while then its leks bar on soi7.

I have a bar that I frequent on soi new plaza (opposite side of second road between soi 7 and soi 8) where I have gotten to know the owner and his wife. I spend most evenings in there while I'm on holiday. Nice comfortable, relaxing place without any pressure to buy drinks and good conversation with the owner. It's a perfect place for me and my lady. I'm an old man now. Tony's or Lucifer was the place for me to hang out 5 years ago but I'll take a small, quiet, relaxing place anytime.

Coincidentally, it is also called Lek's .

While I'm a big fan of pizza, I stay away from anything in Thailand purported to be American-style pizza. It's always awful, if not downright bizarre. (Does Pizza Hut still have its fish stick crust pizza?) When I need a pizza fix in Pattaya, I go to one of the ubiquitous Italian-owned places and am seldom disappointed.

LOL.

I always love it when the girls order Tom Yung Goong or Sum Tum pizza from Pizza Hut (or whatever compnay). They always ask me to try it...I refuse. To see squid and shrimp on a pizza (with no sauce) really puts me off.

"Wow, what a difference one little preposition can make -- totally changes the meaning."

And in Thailand you fret over something so trivial?

Thai journalists may not have your high standard of English.

I'm sorry you were so offended by my post.

I felt that by using the wrong prepostion in the headline of the story, the meaning changed greatly making their mistake quite funny (not something I was fretting over). Obviously you didn't see it that way and didn't hesitate to let me know. I must admit that I thought twice about making that post but hoped that others might see the humor.

I guess your harsh reply is the last straw for me and has certainly turned me off making any further posts here at TV forum. I hope that those who are brave enough to continue here meet your standards and don't prompt you to get too nasty with them. There are enough challenges and problems everyday in my life that I certainly don't need to log into TV forum to make me feel worse about things.

Adios,

Beacher

dont go ! there are @ssholes everywhere, just ignore them, and be sorry for them as "they know not what they do "

One doesn't make a forum

Here-here. I was not offended by the original OP in any way. Don't go...TV can be quite a good source of entertainment.

I'll support 1st Class Visa runs as being excellent. They are now running from The Queen Vic in Soi 6, although I think you can still book your run at Witherspoons until the end of September - sorry don't have a number to hand.

I've used a couple of other firms and for last 3 runs been with 1st Class.

Plus points for me are that they set off, on time, from The Queen Vic, without having a trip around Pattaya picking up passengers. Every driver so far has been safe (certainly by Thai standards). They show a couple of DVDs each way, with a short pee/fag/coffee break half way. The movie soundtracks play through personal wireless headsets, so you don't have to listen to a movie that you're not interested in. There are 6 large comfortable seats, so really no worries about being cramped, wherever you sit. The breakfast before and meal on return are added bonuses, that I don't use. I reckon it is worth paying the extra few hundred baht over some other companies to go with them.

1st Class Visa Runs is exactly that...1st class.

I came to thailand for surgery in '07 and stayed there for six months. I was concerned about the effects of the 30 day VOA rule that was starting to be enforced in October '06 (only 90 days allowed in any 180 day period). I thought I had to go to Malaysia for a 60 day tourist since I had already gone 86 days on my VOA (and extentions). I even went into Witherspoons asking to go to Malaysia for the 60 day tourist visa (I was not totally aware of the exact rules). The wonderful girl with 1st Class set me strait (on the rules) and told me that I was able to make a normal Cambodian visa run.

To make a long story short, they saved me at least 10k THB and helped me get my visa sorted quickly and correctly.

Knowledgeable on the rules, excellent experience. I will do my visa business with no other service.

are the people who still eat slices pizza unaware that its made from the back of a motocycle shop on third road, good combo oil,gresse and pizza,then left for hours in a counter of the shop in all that heat, left to go cold then reheated no wonder food hygine is lax in thailand you never get away with it otherwise

I'm pretty sure the motorbike mechanics are not making pizza in their spare time; in-between bike repairs. I would also venture a guess that the motorbike shop and pizza kitchen are segregated and not one space. They might share one building but they can't be in the same room...I hope

I remember the pizza joints in the US. It was the same setup...the pizza was sitting out on the counter until you ordered one, at which time they would heat it up in an oven. Just like at slices.

I've been eating there since they opened in mid-2007 and have NEVER had a problem. Very good deal for the price.

This bear walks into a bar. Then he sits down and orders a beer.

Another bear walks into a bar, and says............................................................................

............................................................................. bottle of heineken please.

Bartender says.. why the big pause? (Paws)

According to the cover story in the latest Pattaya People, apparently this "Wayne," the bar owner, is another one of the plaugue of Brits behaving badly that have decended on Pattaya over the past few years. Apparently, a 31 year old man-child who gets his kicks attacking ladies 1/3rd his size.

Well as a 35 yr old expat Brit, I have never behaved badly in this country, and I am more childish than most. Please don't make such ridiculous sweeping statements.

Aside from the above, I do hope 'Wayne' gets his comuppence, if he hasn't already. No excuse for this kind of sickening behaviour, and hopefully he won't be able to buy himself out.

I agree and hope this guy, Wayne, doesn't get off easily...

Could someone tell me more info on who the victim is? I think I may know her. Did she actually work at Scooby'?

She is called Pooky she runs the El Coyote Bar just a few doors away from Scooby bar ,where Wayne is the owner ,

She used to be married to a English guy called Ray who used to run Cosy bar and now the kineree place ,

She's been about for a while ,i've seen chucking bottles about and threatening people ,she can be nasty

i dont condone anyone hitting anyone with a pool cue though !

i heard that wayne is on the run ,he offered her a million baht but she wants blood !!

Man, I thought so. I heard it was her but wanted a confirmation. I've know her for about four years. I've drank in her bar many, many times (while on vacation) at Pooky bar and then at Coyote and I've only one time seen her in a foul mood. She has always been very good to me and my group of friends - bought me drinks even. Someone that I know saw her in the hospital and said she was really beaten severly...I hope this guy gets what he deserves .

Thanks for the info cableguy.

Could someone tell me more info on who the victim is? I think I may know her. Did she actually work at Scooby'?

About two years ago I was vacationing in Pattaya. I was on the back of a baht-bus, sharing it with a farang couple from some western country. The woman was actually quite attractive. We came upon a motorbike taxi stand and were stopped for traffic for a minute. It was mid-afternoon and we were on a busy street. When the motorbike taxi drivers saw this farang woman (w/male companion) they started calling out to her like she was literally at their discression. They were very agressively motioning to her (pointing at her and grabbing certain parts of their body). I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I could tell by the tone of their voice and look on their faces what they had in mind.

I saw the wild, alcohol/drug induced look on their faces (I was close enough to see their eyes). I'll tell you; It was scarey. Those guys looked totally out of control. They gave the impression of being caged, wild animals. I had the feeling that these guys were going to jump on their bikes and give chase. This woman was fully dressed and didn't provoke these guys in ANY WAY!!!

If my sister or any other female friend was planning a trip to Thailand, I would strongly urge them not to go.

I lived in a building directly across Beach Road from where the Russian girls were shot in Jomtien in Feb 2007. My building is usually filled with tourists from Russia and I would frequently see them strolling along Beach Road at night and early morning. Since the shooting of those two Russians, I have seen many more tourist police in the area...for the last year. At least they are trying.