Hobgoblin

I've tried calling 1103 again to "annoy" them, and it appears they're not answering phones. Is anyone able to get through to that number?

Press '9' for English and they continue in Thai....

Nope.... I can't even get to that point. I'm thinking they could be rejecting requests from my number because I insinuated this could be their fault? It would figure - dealing with Thais is like dealing with 8 year-old children.

I've tried calling 1103 again to "annoy" them, and it appears they're not answering phones. Is anyone able to get through to that number?

This seems to be the topic du jour... I've been getting this for the last hour. I've already contacted phone support, but of course, they don't acknowledge there is any problem at all.

I've heard of internet providers redirecting traffic from illegal sites (censorship), but I've never heard of one redirecting traffic from the world's most popular site and using it to advertise some stupid promotion.

Farang Rule # 1006592:

Never attempt to request a substitution or variation from what is offered on the menu.

Such requests are doomed to failure or disaster. Fluency in Thai will not help. It is just not the done thing here.

I find this rule to be false; I'm always asking for variations to dishes, such as no mushrooms or tomatoes, or substituting pork for chicken or beef. I even make it habit to request dishes that are not on the menu. They always meet my polite requests without question. On the flip side however, If you ask for something special, it will apply to everyone else with you. A friend of mine likes ice with his beer, and whenever he asks for it, I always get a glass with ice as well.

It may depend on the kind of restaurant. Sure at a small Mom and Pop place you don't even have to look at a menu, just order a Thai dish you want and they can usually make it, on the menu or not. I often order a large size phad krapow, no option on the menu and they never say no. However, at a big corporate chain where they probably have an assembly line accounting system for everything including reorders, they are not set up for kind of substitution I asked for. Realizing that, I asked about it before entering.

True. Case in point, Fuji. Fuji is not known for its flexibility. I have to pull teeth just to get a small plate of extra hot mustard to go with my gyoza.

Farang Rule # 1006592:

Never attempt to request a substitution or variation from what is offered on the menu.

Such requests are doomed to failure or disaster. Fluency in Thai will not help. It is just not the done thing here.

I find this rule to be false; I'm always asking for variations to dishes, such as no mushrooms or tomatoes, or substituting pork for chicken or beef. I even make it habit to request dishes that are not on the menu. They always meet my polite requests without question. On the flip side however, If you ask for something special, it will apply to everyone else with you. A friend of mine likes ice with his beer, and whenever he asks for it, I always get a glass with ice as well.

I'm surprised (and again, NOT surprised) that people here dislike the WSJ. I think it's great satire on Pattaya life - albeit mainly satire on the hetero life - still a great read. It's the only publication here that describes Pattaya like it is and not a watered-down, stale rag like the one Neils Colov gives us... honestly, does anyone care about some Deputy Mayor's assistant's son getting married? No. Give me satire and anecdotes relating to the countless personal tragedies manifested by too many Changs at a Soi 7 bar, a bar slag who's "different" than all the others, and her family's sick water buffalo in Nakhon Nowhere.

I'm amused and disheartened by the poster who is currently planning to "report" this paper to the authorities, citing its over-the-top sexual nature as the smoking gun. Has he ever stopped to think there are people out there that might enjoy something that he does not? Is he aware that he can simply bypass the paper at the newsstand, and thus, not become offended by its contents? Is he aware that the owner is another farang like him doing what they can to fill the hours? He must really despise freedom.

...of course you wouldn't have a clue because you're hiding "for the entire day" on the dark side. From there you're not even qualiifed to comment on Pattaya's Songkran.

Ahh, so only people living west of Sukhumvit are allowed to comment on Pattaya affairs. Thank you so much for clearing that up for us "Dark Side" hillbillies. I sincerely hope you get cancer.

Definitely a lot of rubbish in the OP's post. He doesn't actually spend Songkran in Pattaya but hides on the Dark Side away from the mayhem and then tell us how much he loves Songkran.

He must believe that young people enjoy dirty water being pumped at high pressure into the face.

Hearing the word "rubbish" instead of 'nonsense' or 'spazzatura' explains a lot.

Yes, the reason I "hide" on the Dark Side is to avoid what's become of this holiday at the hands of your (and my) countrymen acting like complete c*nts. Songkran as it is outside of "Beer Alley" is a truly fun day, and getting soaking wet during the hottest time of year is great.

I'm actually happy people like you barricade yourselves away for the entire day - it lets the rest of us have some enjoyment.

but I found that a good value considering the quality of the food and ambiance.

I gave the experience high marks, and will be going back there for sure.

You must eaten in some toilets in your time then.. .....its a fkcing food court in a shopping center, not the Ritz...

I have eaten at some "toilets", and they usually have good food, but the ambiance is lacking. But see, this is not any food "court" it is indeed, a food "loft". Lofts are very trendy. Very with-it. Very 'today'. I shall go there next time wearing my brick-red Juicy-Coutur pant-suit and matching Ann-Taylor wrap. My friends and I will sip a fine Chardonnay and discuss the goings-on at the local Opera Board. We will also voice our displeasure that the new shopping center does not have outlets of Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Orange Julius.

Ha. I'm just saying, the Food Loft is much nicer than any food court in places like Carrefour or Royal Garden. It gives the "illusion" of the Ritz, in a Motel-6 town. A nice change of venue.

I knew this would happen.

I start a thread to bring some POSITIVITY to the board, in contrast to the constant bickering, fighting and complaining. Not four replies in, the negative-nellies chime in and try to hijack it into an exchange of flames. I voiced an opinion. You have the right to disagree, but not imply that *your* opinion is fact by calling mine "utter rubbish".

Am I so out of line as to suggest that there is actually something in Thailand that I like? Did I miss out on something? Is this board solely for the voicing and exercising of negativity and grievances?

Unique Holiday? Yes:

u⋅nique
  /yuˈnik/
–adjective
1. 	existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics: a unique copy of an ancient manuscript.
2. 	having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint.
3. 	limited in occurrence to a given class, situation, or area: a species unique to Australia.
4. 	limited to a single outcome or result; without alternative possibilities: Certain types of problems have unique solutions.
5. 	not typical; unusual: She has a very unique smile.

Sorry, are the English, Argentine or Nigerian Songkran festivals better for some reason?

... went to get a late dinner (21'00) at the Food Loft on the 3rd floor of the new Central Festival on Beach Road

Where did you eat exactly ? Name ??

I do not remember any "food loft" on the 3rd floor ?

I only remember a Food Court in floor 0 and many restaurant in floor 5 and 6.

It's called "Food Loft". It's on the end of the 3rd floor, on the beach side of the complex at the elevators. It's a bit difficult to find at the moment, as all the shops around it are not open yet.

Three friends and I went to get a late dinner (21'00) at the Food Loft on the 3rd floor of the new Central Festival on Beach Road, and we all give it an A+.

It's the same concept as the food court on the top floor of Royal Garden Plaza - different styles of food from which to choose, free seating and the "card". I had Chickin Tikka Masala with Naan bread from the Indian place, and it was much better than I had expected from a place with ready-made curries. The Naan was buttery and light, and the curry was flavorful with plenty of chicken. My friends had between them, a Ceasar Salad, some fried, breaded fish fillet, chinese kale and some teriyaki-chicken dish. We all enjoyed our respective meals.

For dessert, I had what I considered to be the best Tiramisù ever.

The staff were helpful, polite and most importantly, gave us space.

The seating area was great - clean and comfortable, with modern asian decor. It was very late (in fact, they closed up right as we were leaving), so the dining area was empty, quiet and a great place to have a conversation. It literally had the feeling of a five-star restaurant.

The prices were a bit higher than Royal Garden, my meal with a beer and dessert was 440 Baht, but I found that a good value considering the quality of the food and ambiance.

I gave the experience high marks, and will be going back there for sure.

i think you are talking a lot of rubbish.

not liking Songkhran has nothing to do with grumpy old men, or people who moan about everything.

I know PLENTY of YOUNG people, Thai as well as Farang who do NOT like what is SONGKHRAN nowadays. I am not GRUMPY nor OLD myself, In fact I like any kind of SANOOOK a lot. but not anarchy and violence, mixed with destroying other peoples property.

You SO missed the point of this post.

In contrast to all the threads initiated by grumpy old men who feel the need to complain about every little thing in Thailand, I'm starting a thread for people who like Songkran.

It's great fun, it's an opportunity to mingle and get to know some of the locals, most of whom are incredibly nice people who put income disparity aside to offer you a drink out of their whisky-and-soda-filled buckets. To goof off and put your serious side away for a day.

Sure, water-throwing is a bit unorthodox for western cultures, there are certain things that we do that are strange to them.

And for the record, I do not approve of the huge PVC-pipe guns that spray ice-water into the faces of passing motorists... it's mostly a Pattaya thing. I spend the 19th of April on the "dark side" where I live, and there are hardly any of those to be seen. For the real Songkran on the 13th last year, I went up with some friends to Roi Et, and it was fabulous, civilized and fun!

Let's hear from more people here who *like* this unique holiday...

Pattaya without Russians - one can dream...

I've dined at so many Indian places here that I've lost count. The best, however is the last place I've tried - and I shall look no further. Ravi Da Dhaba on Soi 16 just east of Second Road behind the school and next to the Sikh temple. It's a tiny place with five tables, outdoor kitchen right on a busy soi. It's the definition of "a hole in the wall", which in my experience, always has superior food.

It's affordable, delicious, not afraid to make food spicy, and unpretentious. Forget all those big name places that advertise, it's all the same tasteless dreck.

With all of the Avenue's faults related to the design and such I really don't see charging the party makers some baht to use they facility as a easy and safe way to park while they go off and spend god only knows how much on wine, women and song.

As for the extra charge to park after midnight? It's a business and they are in it to make money. If you choose to use their facility for the safety and convenience then you should pay. A few extra baht for a decent place to park? Why not?

I agree. If you shop at Villa or see a movie at Major, then you can get your ticket validated and pay a very small parking fee.... and yes, 20 Baht is a SMALL fee. Ever try parking in New York or London? Change that "Baht" to "Dollars" or "Pounds". If you're using up one of their spaces without patronizing any of the businesses there, than I think 100 Baht is more than fair. Parking in downtown Pattaya is at a premium, and to have a safe place to park when you're out doing whatever it is you do, is worth the money.

I do, however, have a few of my own gripes with the Avenue:

1) The parking places directly adjacent to Villa are always occupied by some rental car company. It would make much more sense for them to store their cars in the garage than blocking access to convenient parking to what is arguably the mall's flagship establishment.

2) The stones they use for the walkway in the front - they're very slippery during the rain, and the mud in between them is awful... this should have been made from cement or non-slip tile, forgetting about the stones and little white pebbles.

3) The rear entrance/exit. As stated by the OP. All they need to do is to tear out the concrete lip in front of where the exit booth is, then there would be a separate entrance and exit.

That being said, I still use the place often because of the Villa. I've also heard a rumor about a second Villa being built in the shopping center that's being planned at Sukumvit and Khao Talo. Whether or not this is accurate, only time will tell.

For the first time in six years, I'm staying home for new years. My friend and I brought about 50kgs of fireworks down from Chiang Mai, and we're planning to set them off tonight in our village, drinking store-bought Tiger beer.

We're very close friends with many of our neighbors, and I'm sure the kids will enjoy setting off some of the bangers we've brought down... it seems to be a much better idea than going into town, driving home on the most dangerous night of the year on arguably the most dangerous streets (under any conditions).

Why anyone would consciously use IE instead of Firefox is beyond me. It's like having a Mercedes and a Datsun in your garage and choosing the Datsun.

It seems that nearly every high-season in recent years has had some crisis that's affected the Thai tourism industry...

2003/2004 - SARS

2004/2005 - Tsunami

2005/2006 - Avian Flu

2006/2007 - Coup + Bombings in Bangkok

2007/2008 - Still Under Military Rule, Post-election riot concerns

2008/2009 - THIS + Economic Crisis

I take little to no interest in this.

But what I do enjoy is the thought of tens/hundreds of thousands of ignorants seething because they think that their new president is an Arabic Muslim Terrorist.

Well done Obama.

You mean "Obama" as in Barak Hussein Obama? Personally, I can't believe someone with that name was elected to the US presidency, just a few years after focusing all the anger and might of the USA's military on a murderous tyrant of nearly exactly the same name in Iraq. So much for being tainted by name-association. Or, maybe McCain's middle name was "Hitler" and we just elected the lesser of the evils?

Electing a black man with a Muslim name shows how America has grown up. You should follow suit.

Lock him up and throw away the key. Scumbag!!!

Ahh, so this cliché of a response is appropriate for someone selling people a little happiness? Honestly, why people like you conflate pot dealers and heroin dealers is beyond me. Sure he's in a foreign country and should have known the laws, but does he not deserve a fair trial (in Thailand, read: deserve the chance to stuff a few stacks of 1000 baht notes down the pockets of the chief of police or prosecutor).

It's for the same reason that Thais put their refrigerators in the living room - so people who come to visit see it, and see that they are affluent. Thais, you see are insecure about wealth, so if they have anything that can give people the illusion that they are wealthy, they will flaunt it. Same with the LCD or Plasma TV. These businesses don't really need them, but they want them to be seen so it appears they run a successful business.

Has anyone else noticed the latest LCD TV WASTE Phenomena??

I have recently noticed that it has become trendy for every thai company,office,shop,Bank etc etc to have a large LCD tv installed on the wall and then NEVER TURN IT ON!!

TOT (new office south pattaya road) has aprox 12 expensive new LCD TV screens that are always OFF)

Pattaya Imigration Soi 5 Jomtien, also has LCD TVS OFF, and public computers for free internet also OFF and free water bottle despenser with NO CUPS.

Every Bank also has new LCD TVs that are always OFF

Some shops in the phone section (second floor Tukom) have now put expensive LCDs in. yes, youve guessed it. always OFF

take a look your self you will see this Phenomena everywhere in Thai owned places,

Every Dentist now has LCDs also turned off.

Does anyone know why they dont bother to turn the TVs on?

Is it something similar to the "lets keep the Selophane on everything forever"

Is it just to show off a display of wealth and look modern?

I was in TOT last week, I really wanted to ask the Manager, Why have you got half a million bahts of new TVs that you never turn on?

what I found my self wondering, why is it only me who has noticed, isnt there another person who HAS A lOGICAL BRAIN in here.

has no one wondered why they are not on.

Why buy them if they wont turn them on?

Index on Sukhumvit. They have Meyer and Tefal (what I buy).

The best Indian food hands down is on Soi 17 off of 2nd Road heading to 3rd, next to the Sikh temple and the "Ravi" Indian supermarket. It's small and cheap. It's not the fanciest place, but the best eateries I've found are always holes in the wall. Give it a try and you'll never go for Indian anywhere else.

If you're like me, and expect your Indian to be spicy as hel_l, they will oblige. Too many Indian restaurants will not make it spicy if they see a farang, even if they request it. There was this new place on Soi Khao Talo where I had to send my Vindaloo back three times to get it to about 20% of the spiciness I wanted.