BugJackBaron

What movie quote do you use, or really want to use, at home most regularly?

Mine; "GET OFF THE PHONE!" - Dumb and Dumber bad guy outside a call box.

Not at home but "don't make me angry, you woudn't like me when I'm angry"

- unfortunately the cultural reference is lost on Thais(and most Europeans)

Is that the plaza off second road with Patrick's Belgian restaurant in it ?

I see a Belgian flag in the top picture, half-way down, so Chaimai may just be on to something here.

How come nobody wants to admit they ever stay(ed) at Nirun, eh?

Yes the first one definitely is the plaza on second road next to the entertainment plaza and almost accross from Mike Shopping.

Why would I learn Thai? An irrelevant language, far less useful than Japanese (where I live) and I know I wil never ever learn Thai to some useful extent (running a business meeting, for example)

Much more benefit is that my wife and baby go with English, that's what is happening.

In Thailand, speaking English is a stand alone, money generating skill.

I am fluent in Japanese, 10yrs as a professional translator/interpreter in Japan, you could not be further from correct.

Yeah?

You may be either extraordinary talented or it is only you thinking (and believing) your Japanese is that good.

As soon as it gets more than plain chat, professional translators (I changed 3 of them) could most of the time give me about 60% of what is going on.

Japanese accept that as it is better than what they would have gathered themselves.

A Chinese guy in my company, mid 30s, in Japan since he was 12, high school here, Uni in Japan...once, when he spoke, one Japanese said - stop this crap Japanese and bring in interpreter!

Another guy, 30 years in Japan, JP wife, 2 daughters (married already), always speaks Japanese and I could hardly notice he had some accent. When I asked my Japanese colleagues what his Japanese was like - they said - rubbish, she should not be talking in Japanese, he's making asshol_e of himself.

To illustrate what he was saying an example they gave me was "I come over your house, grab you in and drive you in my car". And he dared talking in business meetings like that. No wonder he was booted after a year when it was obvious that his JP skills that brought him in were not only insufficient but rather annoying to all within hearing distance.

Well real interpretation requires a LOT of training , not just knowledge of your native and the target language - the best interpreters, like the ones heads of state use are paid well for their talent.

But to get back to the main point; I don't see why anyone would not make an effort to learn some

Thai. Even if your wife and her friends all speak good English(or German or whatever)

, I can gaurantee you that the average clerk does NOT - even when in a position where they should.

Like in a hotel. I have seen this happen many times in Korea...the expat is happy in their cocoon of "English Town" until things go wrong and they discover that the wife's English is not as fluent as they thought it would be...or that the family suddenly speaks to them only in Korean...or that the local doctor ...you get the picture. I accept that some people will never learn a second language well

and that some just aren't comfortable with speaking a second language. Fair enough.

But for those who arejust lazy it seems to me to be a waste ...why not empower yourself - I don't get it.

Yes it's too bad it closed - it had cheap and tasty lamb chops.

Good news: in Jomtien complex there is a new Russian-run European/Thai place

called Kalinkaya Malinkaya(sp?) two shops from Poissiden.

They have a chef that actually knows a thing or two and the prices are reasonable.

You can get Lamb and Mint sauce or Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud similar to like your mum use to make, not expensive at the Seasider Restaurent on Soi Chaipoon off Soi Bouakow - and before anyone jumps in and says the place is a load of rubbish, its not posh or luxury, but the Food is ok and there always seems to be customers in there. Its ok, tasty and value for money.

Agreed. Not quite as good as real Alberta meals, but a good first approximation.

I think Fatboy's Diner was the first casualty. I went by Saturday night and it was closed up. I heard the British owner had requested the landlord renegotiate his Bt120,000 lease due to low foot traffic. The landlord refused and the owner walked away from his investment. Blu-O bowling alley, Villa Market, Major Cineplex, WOW California, Shenanigans, McDonalds and Au Bon Pain seem to be the only businesses which will survive the first year.

 Having wasted a few hundred baht on their disgusting burgers, I can't say I'm not pleased that Fatboy's is  gone..

Ist casualty - one thinks not! To add yet another - the tea shop on the corner near the car park. Nice looking place , blue decor. Never ever seen a customer in the place - also gone!

Yes , I think it was called Witard on White ...there is a branch in Emporium in Bangkok but obviously

the clientelle just isnt' suffiecient here. 

 But more stores are "coming soon" it seems ,so there are still some bold souls out there.

Went for my weekly shopping expedition in Carrefour on Saturday and when the bill came to 3,500+ Baht I pointed out that this is <deleted> and in no way could be that much.

When the total was cancelled and everything re-scanned the correct bill was 650+ Baht but when I mentioned the store policy of if the bill is wrong then the items are fee the understanding of English ceased.

Guess you should have gone for those Thai lessons after all

I feel so sorry for you. Pathetic.

Move on.

this topic has nothing to do with the amount of money involved.Just tell me what would have happened if I had taken the same bananas and passed the check out counter without paying for them?

The monkey would have been jealous? Silly human, free bananas are for monkeys.

May be you guys after fine dining. But if talk about home made food (I mean really home made!) then Tino's restaurant is beyond any others in Pattaya. It is here www.PattayaGlobus.com/?location=71

Good stuff. I coudn't care less about atmosphere - which is all a lot of these pricey places have to offer.

Quality of the food and price far more important.

Moderator: should this be cross posted (is that allowed?) in Thai language section?

Ok I am sure you have all heard the song in the bar; it goes

"Pattaya, dum dee dum, Pattaya, dum dee dum, tralalala,

Pattaya, dum dee dum...Phuket, dum dee"

For me only the words Pattay and Phuket were recognizable.

Anyone good at Thai want to offer a translation?

OK I admit to getting a little bored!! here.

What pub has a pleasent quiz night - preferably with happy hour prices

Unfortunately the baches in Pattaya and Jomtien seem to convert more and more into open sewerage.

I can observe in Jomtien several points where brown clouds emerge, probably outlets sewerage pipes.

In Pattaya only the north seems to be reasonably clean, where as from central road to walking street

the beach water at times actually turns black. Absolutely rubbish for a tourist, looking for a place to swim.

No money for sewerage treatment?

How about the area of beach in Jomtien that is close to the Alexander Hotel; past the end of Jomtien beach road?

Relatively unused by tourists and popular with a lot of paragliders(?) so maybe cleaner. You may need a bike for convenient

access though.

Do you speak Thai?? If not you will have a black eye, since it is yours, it will be private.

Somehow i got the feeling you donot mean a private eye like this.

But without knowledge of langauge and habbits........

As a certain Mr. Spock might have said: "logical, flawlessly logical". I suppose with sunglasses the black eye would be private. It would also help the spook look.

Seriously folks...

I speak Korean, French, some russkiy, and am now studying Thai.

While the tone of my post was facetious, I am truly curious about the dudes that do the

stuff like see if the bar-girl is really being faithful to her sugar-daddy/boyfriend.

Of course fluent Thai and knowledge of culture(as I am now learning firsthand) is essential

for this kind of work. Photography skills, surveillance operations,dead-letter box, safe-house, ninja train....

Oops got carried away again.

Yes I guess I should read more stickman..

How about that lady who gives the "one word a day" on pattaya people TV?

I really want to know how it is there....

Too bad there are no "free beginner lessons for language exchange" as in Japan or Korea.

Too money oriented here...

Depends on YOU!

Some people are more sensitive to dairy products than others.

Also depends on the yogurt..I would try a plain one of high quality

even though they are usually more expensive. Add fruit if you want.

So how does one become a private eye in Thailand? Are there any Farang ones?

Do you have to have your martini shaken and not stirred?

Woa!

I didn't see much difference when I went down a year ago;

some friendly, some not so friendly, like anywhere.

I have yet to sit through any, though I have heard Memory is good..

Others?

Wow. This is pathetic! Not a single movie buff on these forums?

Has Thai culture not penetrated the Western market at all?

Or maybe , unlike Japan, China or even Korea, Thailand has yet to reach

a decent level of filmography?

Honey, bring me my newspaper please.....and what shall we have for lunch ?

What's new pussycat? Woa, Woa!

I have yet to sit through any, though I have heard Memory is good..

Others?

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

<snip>

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

As someone who just finished 11 years of teaching in Korea, this gave me a laugh.

Sure to get legal work you need a degree. But English is like a religion there and the demand

is so great. There were a lot of illegal teachers in 97 and I bet there still are - working part time

and giving private lessons.

I heard that it was very difficult for someone over 30 years old to find legal work in Korea.

Is that true?

No.

If you have a pulse and are from an "English country" you are in.

If you look like Ken or Barby you will be in more quickly tis true.

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

<snip>

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

As someone who just finished 11 years of teaching in Korea, this gave me a laugh.

Sure to get legal work you need a degree. But English is like a religion there and the demand

is so great. There were a lot of illegal teachers in 97 and I bet there still are - working part time

and giving private lessons.

Opera rocks; unfortunately Firefox still has better compatibility with more websites...

Is this new link to HUa Hin been done by thailife on theprasit rd???.

I heard a while ago that the sea is very choppy and hard to navigate to hua hin and many boatmen would not do the journey.Also no jetty to disembark,but good news for the sea trip.

 It's too bad then that there is no hovercraft-like service as there is between Korea and Japan(Busan to Fukuoka

at about the same distance as Pattaya to Hua Hin)