BugJackBaron

Yep the one in Jomtien now open. Looked at the menu this morning and was hard pressed to find anything at 99 Baht., Breakfast will set you back from 120 to 200..

I cannot figure out who this is targeting. The ad targets cheap-charlies but the prices target rich Russian and norwegian condo owners - typical of that area of Jomtien.

Seems like Jomtien has yet to get it's version of Kiss and I can't see them lasting.

In other news Lovejoys has been closed by police order.

You would connect modem to wifi router. The router will also have lan ports, so you could have a ethernet connection. Which distro are you using? I think almost all should have pppoe software in the repository, if not you could always build one from another source.

I use Scientific Linux right now. Sure it and others have pppoe in the repository but obviously what you need

is to have it on the installation disk(or live dvd). Most won't so how could you connect to

the internet to download pppoe ?

Maybe I would have to use slackware as I remember they are one of the rare ones that do. Or go to a free wifi spot and download/install from there. But it is hardly a good solution.

It depends on the router given to you be the ISP. I have 3BB and the free router supplied handles the login. If the router is not capable regardless of the OS it will need to use PPPOE to login. Again this is not a problem in Linux. Another alternative, if the router is not capable of handling the login, is to buy a wifi router and let that handle the login.

Thanks for the reply. I wonder then if you can request such a router.

As for the wifi-router,how would it work? Woudn't that mean you are connected via wifi and not directly through cable? I would prefer not to use wifi all as it is prone to lag.

Yes most linux distros have a pppoe package but some of the smaller ones may not so distro testing may be limited(an occasional hobby); many live DVDs won't have the pppoe package included.

I remember 7 years ago in Korea they switched from pppoe to direct router configuration and it made life so much easier( don't need to be concerned about reinstallation of your OS, arbitrary devices can connect to router, live dvd testing possible)

I am considering getting a cable connection(cable is in the room) but the impression I am getting is that you need to set up a username and password in your computer and of course this is all designed for windows.

As a linux user I would like username and passord, if needed, to be set in the router so access to TOT or 3BB is transparent.

Does TOT or 3BB do it this way? Are there dumb software issues with running linux?

Do we need to use old pppoe technology?

Inquiring minds want to know...

I have never had to dial a connection in 6 months. Username and password is entered once and that's it.... exactly as with an adsl connection. It is not DUN. You can enter the user name and password in Windows if you want to use LAN, or in the wireless router if you want a wireless signal.

If you put the username and password for your connection into XP then it is being handled via DUN. That's just how it works.

This applies to regular analogue modems that dial a phone number and also to USB ADSL modems. The "dial" part of the name doesnt mean that it actually dials a phone number for all the connections.

The same XP software also handles other PPPOE connections, though in a slightly different way.

If you can programme the username and password into the modem or modem/router then you dont need to put it into XP at all.

I should hope that any good ISP will set usrname and password into the router itself so as to be OS system agnostic.Some people run macs and linux. You shouldn't need to enter any information into your computer at all to get connected.

All that should be transparent to the user.

By the way, I also recently moved from Bangkok to Jomtien, and really glad I did too, you won't regret it. It's much better down here.

Another congrats,u know it makes sense mate.Unless one has to work in Bangkok,i cannot comprehend how anyboy would want to live there and bring up kids in that pollution and stink.

the bloody rats are bigger than my cats

Yea, me too . Two years in Bangkok and glad to have moved back to Jomtien last year.

Only thing in Bangkok is more shopping choices

Ace Cafe was just a step up from street food prices anyway, so I don't see this new venture as an indicator of anything. I have noticed that in Jomtien Complex now most (except Thai food) places you're talking minimum price meals in the 300 - 500 range. That's more of tourist price range than for everyday expat market. The entire area is beginning to get gentrified to a degree, probably related to that horrible road construction actually getting FINISHED. Many businesses died because of that road construction.

Yes the road killed off a lot of businesses but the Thai eateries more or less remain. Meatpoint is gone(expensive farang food) and Papa David is up for sale. That is on the Jomtien Plaza side. As for Jomtien Complex, well some places have closed and it doesn't seem too healthy these days.

The Jomtien market is now where things are at in terms of bars and life but expensive farang places are not popping up even there.

There used to be an all-you-can-eat for 99 Baht place over on 3rd Road a few years back, opposite Xcyte. I wonder if the same guy is having a second attempt? Good luck to whoever it is, anyway.

Actually the sign says "Dine from 99 Baht" so I doubt the 99 baht meal will be anything more than a couple of eggs and coffee . I believe the old Ace cafe had some items like that but most were more expensive.

Seems like the old stay Ace Cafe, across from the Jomtien Complex has finally been sold.

New place is called - well, I'm not sure but the sign says "Eat from 99 baht" and they are looking for cooks, etc .

It just gets worse every day. The prepared food selection is going down, the salad bar which used to have good tuna salad and a bunch of other tasty prepared items, is now filled with mayonnaise thickened fake hot dog parts and other mushy mixtures, and the downstairs food court area that used to have great sandwiches, cooked breakfasts, salads and more, is now completely gone.

Sounds like they are focusing on the Thai market...a large market in Thailand by the way

You are missing the point. Easy to be sarcastic though I guess.

The Pattaya Carrefour attracted a very large number of westerners. That is why it was catered more to that segment (prepared foods, english marking etc) compared to a Carrefour in a non-Farang location. I would bet a pretty penny that the Pattaya store revenues will slide, including all the other shops in the arcade.

Honesty, I was never impressed by the old Carrefour and even less so by Big C. For farang stuff why not try Foodland, Friendship or even Villa Market. The best stuff ,unfortunately, is still in Bangkok - check out the cheese selection in Emporium.

I don't hang around in bars anymore, so I have no idea what the other Pattaya lovers don't like about the new developments, so I can only give my opinion.

Large scale investment in hotels and malls like Central obviously attract upmarket clientel. That clientel includes women and families. Those people don't like seeing bars and the "naughty" side of Pattaya. They will complain. Because they have money, and the owners of the flash hotels and malls want to protect their investment ( which needs a continuous supply of women and families ), so they will put pressure on City Hall to restrict or even eliminate the bar scene. This happened in Manila when a mayor unilaterally closed all the bars in Makati.

Thailand has a large number of beach front towns, but there is no equivalent to Pattaya elsewhere.

Since big hotels started appearing in Pattaya, prices of accomodation have dramatically increased, and large numbers of upmarket hotels are replacing the cheaper ones. At this rate, Pattaya will cost as much as Patong to live in, and none of us want that.

My preference would be for all the people that want to move Pattaya upmarket to move to another town, like Hua Hin, and invest there. Failing that, they could take the submarine for a ride, with the hatch open.

Unfortunately the damage is done, and isn't going to change back. If City Hall was about development, rather than you know what, they could move the bars to a new area, and we could all be happy, but of course nothing is going to happen, till it all turns to poo, and we have a "spa" on every corner.

As I see it, the only thing that is going to save Pattaya is a world recession. The real Pattaya people will still come, but all the mucky mucks will have lost everything in the crash, and will be too poor to come and stuff the place up. HOORAH.

Very well put.

Ridiculous. Those "upscale russians" may driive prices up in some areas but as a cheap charlie I know that i can still find a 500 baht ot 600 baht clean and quiet room in soi bouacow and even in Jomtien. You just have to know where to look. This place is not Manila - a city in a catholic country by the way - and the mayor has no intention of shutting down squat(even politicians woudn't be that stupid).

Well, that's my 2 baht worth.

My point isn't that cheap places aren't available- I know where to get a room for 350 bht. My point is that as Pattaya moves upmarket prices rise and the cheap hotels are replaced with more expensive, leading to less choices for economy accomodations than used to be.

There's no saying what politicians will do, and many are incredibly stupid.

If all the companies that own upmarket property in Pattaya got together and offered City Hall a very large sum of money to close every bar in Pattaya, what do you think would happen??????

You might want to ask yourself why they haven't done so(aside from the fact that many hate each other) in Patters or upscale Phucket(plenty of seedy bars still there). Maybe you should look at the way some prices in those upscale establishments have PLUMMETED because, guess what, no high end customers want them. Check out the relatively new one next to the Jomtien market. Over less than a year, a drop from 17000 to 10000 a month. You may be surprised to find some of those high end real estate agents have hedged their bets and are actually contibuting to new entertainment complexes.

Were all cheap accomadation from Soi Boucow to vanish you may have a case. But as of now, there is no evidence that much is changing beyond the normal seasonal fluctuations.

I don't hang around in bars anymore, so I have no idea what the other Pattaya lovers don't like about the new developments, so I can only give my opinion.

Large scale investment in hotels and malls like Central obviously attract upmarket clientel. That clientel includes women and families. Those people don't like seeing bars and the "naughty" side of Pattaya. They will complain. Because they have money, and the owners of the flash hotels and malls want to protect their investment ( which needs a continuous supply of women and families ), so they will put pressure on City Hall to restrict or even eliminate the bar scene. This happened in Manila when a mayor unilaterally closed all the bars in Makati.

Thailand has a large number of beach front towns, but there is no equivalent to Pattaya elsewhere.

Since big hotels started appearing in Pattaya, prices of accomodation have dramatically increased, and large numbers of upmarket hotels are replacing the cheaper ones. At this rate, Pattaya will cost as much as Patong to live in, and none of us want that.

My preference would be for all the people that want to move Pattaya upmarket to move to another town, like Hua Hin, and invest there. Failing that, they could take the submarine for a ride, with the hatch open.

Unfortunately the damage is done, and isn't going to change back. If City Hall was about development, rather than you know what, they could move the bars to a new area, and we could all be happy, but of course nothing is going to happen, till it all turns to poo, and we have a "spa" on every corner.

As I see it, the only thing that is going to save Pattaya is a world recession. The real Pattaya people will still come, but all the mucky mucks will have lost everything in the crash, and will be too poor to come and stuff the place up. HOORAH.

Very well put.

Ridiculous. Those "upscale russians" may driive prices up in some areas but as a cheap charlie I know that i can still find a 500 baht ot 600 baht clean and quiet room in soi bouacow and even in Jomtien. You just have to know where to look. This place is not Manila - a city in a catholic country by the way - and the mayor has no intention of shutting down squat(even politicians woudn't be that stupid).

Well, that's my 2 baht worth.

If you have wheels why not try Foodland on klang? They have a 24 hour restaurant(chok la dee) for coffee as well as a bakery inside.

This may not be good. Simon's is the best f&c in town.

All I can say is I hope it's a new cook. Tried it two years ago and it

was truly mediocre.

I just ran Thai Visa Speed checks to Singapore and Bkk, I have fiber optics through my TV cable, been happy with them for over a year. Now paying B840 on annual contract.

Speeds for Singapore are: 978 KPS down 491 up and ping 456 Bangkok 1003 down 450 up ping 289 and my IP is 119 XXXXXXXXX. Very happy with the performance and the price.

just curious.do they block or throttle torrents? have heard conflicting reports..

find where they are getting in - door or window, get some chinese chalk (foodland have it I think) and draw round the frame, they will not cross the line

I've used this chalk. It's useless - the ants soon find another way around it.

that really depends on where you live, the only way into my place is through widows or doors, if your place is old with poor walls etc then yes I would agree, the point being here is that they will not cross the line of chalk, I found it to be very effective indeed

I've had the whole house chalked up to no avail. The small sugar ants don't need much of a gap, so it really depends on what type of ants are coming in. Some species are much more troublesome than others.

If you find their point(s) of entry then chalk will work. But that can be hard to do if your home was poorly made. It is why I look very carefully at an apartment for any place they could "come out of the woodwork".

I ate there quite a few times back in March - April, but noticed it going downhill over the weeks. I could see they were looking for ways to reduce costs. For example they would bring out the smoked salmon slowly. The last time I was there they didn't even have lemon. That was a good way to stop people from eating too much smoked salmon. It's a pretty lousy trick if you ask me.

I noticed they were cutting back on salmon sushi too. When you've got so many cheapskates taking the salmon off the rice, you can't blame them. Cheap buffets attract a lot of people short on table manners.

The pizza on the Wednesday's "pasta and pizza" day was terrible. None of the pasta was particularly appealing either. That was a really bad effort considering the focus was on pizza. They don't have a clue how to make pizzas and they bring them out very slowly too.

The Asian noodle day was nothing to write home about. The "wrap 'n roll" day was my favourite along with Saturday's 'focus on dessert". I didn't enjoy Friday's Seafood day.

This doesn't surprise me but it is disappointing. There is no good reason why they shouldn't be able to get a decent buffet in the 600 to 700 baht price range; in Bangkok you may know the King's duty-frees shopping complex in Victory Monument where they do a reasonable buffet for about that price(sometimes they even discount to 500).

I think we should start a thread highlighting some of the disgusting unclean areas of Pattaya.

Right off Soi Buakhao there is a dirt lot where consruction equipment and buses park. The lot is strewn with garbage and the buses release their toilet waste which flows right over the street into a drain; I've almost puked crossing it. I'll take some pics and start a new thread tomorrow.

I'm surprised Mr "keep pattaya clean" man and his crew hasn't cleansed the city yet

You know, the guy, with those "keep pattaya clean" and "this is not an ashtray" signs plastered all over Jomtien beach.

Why does everything that's good has to go in this dam_n city?

Becaue the common denominator in this city is the McDonald's crowd. Contrast Phucket, Chiang Mai or Bangkok.

It's Zazza's or something, isn't it?

I'm pretty sure that one is shut. It was Euro food.

Antz is another one, mostly Thai food. I find it overpriced for what it is, under par farangasized Thai food with flaky service. The last time I was there, only customer, ordered two dishes, one came, waiting for the other, it never came. Guess the waiter thought I was too fat.

Olivier, it's pretty good for the price but the general agreement of the people I've gone there with is that the buffet foods which are included in the set meals are over salted and don't taste as good as they look. (To sell more drinks?) Also, I recall the nam soda is something like 60 baht, a tad rude.

Yep, that is the nature of all the buffets I have tried in the Jomten complex. Oliver's was not good. There is a funny common sign in the window of many Cambodian restaurants "Food tastes better than it looks".(and the food there is generally excellent). In Jomtien "Food tastes worse than it looks" would be more appropriate.

In Jomtien I will now only go to "Rich man/ Poor man" for an occasional western meal.

"And if the ingredients in Poisedden weren't worst, I would hate to taste what "worst" is to you."

BJB, you're waaaaaay off here. Before, Poseidon's buffet (which did include bacon) priced at 165 baht, was definitely the best quality breakfast buffet spread available in the greater Pattaya area (GPA) under 200 baht; also best tasting & best selection, too- hands down. We are all, absolutely entitiled to our opinions and preferences but, in this case, you are definitely a member (leader?) of the local (and vocal) minority.

What do you mean by "best selection"? Most variety in breakfst food choice? If so, then that is clearly false as the Apex had far more on offer - both Western and Thai - than Posieden. Or do you mean "best taste", in which case you are being redundant. Your post reads as an advertisement for Posiedden though I am sure you have no connection to the owner

It just looks as if you have an axe to grind. No one is swallowing your 'story'.

The bacon is but one ingredient and I had no problem with their streaky bacon. In case you didn't know, that is traditional for breakfast. I popped outside and selected the rashers that I wanted, ordered freshly scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes. Heated up a croissant on the toaster and toasted some brown bread. Moved on to some fruit to clean the palate and then helped myself to some sliced meats and cheese. Finished up with a couple of desserts.

The quality of the food far outshines the crap at the APEX and any other similarly priced breakfast buffets.

In fact I simply won't eat at LEK or APEX. I enjoy eating, not just filling myself up with crap.

The brunch at Casa Pascal and formerly at Poseidon is excellent value for money. Of that there is no doubt. The service is impeccable. It is absolutely ridiculous that for the measly price of £3.30 or US$5.50 that you are kicking up a fuss about Canadian bacon.

I'm not Canadian, so why would I want Canadian bacon?? Maybe Danish, maybe Irish, but Canadian?? On which planet do you reside?

I'm happy to get decent Western food at such a low price. The quality of the western food at comparably priced buffets is abysmal. You are just a joker.

Who is kicking up a fuss? Seems you and your cronies are. I stand by my opinion that there was NO good buffet for the prices you mention in Jomtien in the past 2 years. . Please note that I am not giving any opinion on Casa Pascal as I have not tried it. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. However, the way you are throwing a hissy-fit makes me really wonder about you

Big sign on Foodland today. No alcohol will be sold after 6pm..

Welcome to the land of confusion.

Kow Pat Goong, or Fried Rice w/Shrimp, is available at most local restaurants for 40 baht...

Yeah. But then you don't know how old is that goong. Do you know what spoiled shrimp will do to you? I do and will never, ever forget it.

And the cooking oil and wash water have been re-used a hundred times already and there's no aircon--cheaper water and power bills, cheaper food.

True, some iron stomachs have no problems with Thai street food. But I always have. And I've never had the runs after eating at Foodland's Took Lae Dee or at Kiss, so it's worth it for me to eat there if I want a cheap, convenient bite. Why take chances? Now, Foodland is of course by far the better of the two. It's hard to find a seat at lunchtime.

In general, the sit-down restaurants are more sanitary than the street stalls. Over time, you learn which work for you and which don't.

Take the Thai restaurant at the end of one of the Soi Pattaylands at 2nd Rd.--that one never caused me any unwanted after effects; I'd eat there again.

I haven't eaten out in a long while, though, except for the Hilton buffet recently (excellent). A lot of Thai food is too salty, oily, sweet, hot, or overcooked. Half or more of it is just empty calories--sugar and white rice. Of course it tastes good, but it is not a particularly healthy cuisine, as reflected in the stats for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease among Thais. http://www.ncbi.nlm....es/PMC2885317/. I know the Thaier-than-thou crowd are now gnashing their teeth. But facts are facts.

So it's really healthier to cook at home if you want to follow a healthy diet, as I certainly do. I haven't been sick in years, my numbers are great (no meds needed), and my weight is ideal. I want to keep things that way as long as possible.

A very wise post. I keep it simple when I do eat steet food - Isaan sausages are a tasty light meal and there is no rice(I am biased towards Isaan food). And I also don't mind silkworms in limited amounts.The other day I was sitting with a friend at Jomtien Market when we noticed that our regular coffee lady had bag of garbage with hundreds of flies swarming around. She didn't seem to notice or care that flies were landing on her pouring cups. We passed on the coffee that day. Cooking at home is best if you are lucky enough to have a kitchen(apartments with kitchen go way up in price though)

"And if the ingredients in Poisedden weren't worst, I would hate to taste what "worst" is to you."

BJB, you're waaaaaay off here. Before, Poseidon's buffet (which did include bacon) priced at 165 baht, was definitely the best quality breakfast buffet spread available in the greater Pattaya area (GPA) under 200 baht; also best tasting & best selection, too- hands down. We are all, absolutely entitiled to our opinions and preferences but, in this case, you are definitely a member (leader?) of the local (and vocal) minority.

What do you mean by "best selection"? Most variety in breakfst food choice? If so, then that is clearly false as the Apex had far more on offer - both Western and Thai - than Posieden. Or do you mean "best taste", in which case you are being redundant. Your post reads as an advertisement for Posiedden though I am sure you have no connection to the owner

I wnt to Poseidon once, the last time before the closed. I strongly disagree with your comments. I think the products are of a decent enough quality. Of course if they were to supply free range organic bacon and a glass of champagne with breakfast, they might feel the need to increase the price of the buffet significantly.

To be blunt, I think perhaps you have an axe to grind.

A freshly cooked to order breakfast, decent bread and a variety of side dishes including desserts and you are complaining about the quality of the food??

I stayed at the APEX a very long time ago. Went down for breakfast and didn't eat a single item. Perhaps the quality has improved since. To try to suggested that Poseidon used the worst of ingredients is just crap.

Instead of free-range organic bacon why not some decent Canadian back-bacon? I have no axe to grind except to post my honest opinion. - I even thought the decor and service was good and really, really wanted this place to be different. I'm not sure why you mention Apex as I stopped going there a long time ago.

But Pattaya has better choice for breakfast than Apex and certainly better than Jomtien.

Canadian bacon in Thailand? At what cost? I mentioned APEX as it's at a similar price point. Would you prefer Lek? My point is your post is just nonsense. There is no way that they used the worst of ingredients. Not even close to it.

I've had canadian bacon in Bangkok at Nana - cost 150 Baht with egss, toast and coffee. So your post is nonsense. And if the ingredients in Poisedden weren't worst, I would hate to taste what "worst" is to you.