Hobgoblin

Yes, definitely more than two hours of work - you have to account for his two naps and three food breaks. Better give 'em a day or two.

Carrer and profession are used interchangeably. Remember Thai has a much more limited vocabulary than English.

อาชีพ - aa·chêep - It means both career and profession.

งานการ - ngaan·gaan - Same thing....?

The complete lack of new Thai business owners who don't think outside the box. Laundry shop, small market, hair dresser/salon, postal service and internet cafe... Any new row of shophouses that are built will have only these types of businesses - even if there's a hair salon two doors down, someone will open up another hair salon. Here, and Thailand in general is the lack of small, family-owned specialty shops. You have to do to Carrefour, Index or Boonthavorn to find items like these when I would much rather spend a few extra baht and give the money to a small Thai business.

The farang cycling about on a push bike all in gold with a big hat who looks like hes lost emu, what's all that about?

I was wondering what happened to WEHO

I can assure you that Weho is alive and well, and still causing fits over the most petty of things. BUt we can't talk too much about Weho or this thread will be closed

Guys, can we please not discuss BGs, as the thread will just get terminated.

Buying two for one packs of stuff in the supermarket that costs more than two of the individual packs

Along these same lines - buying a case of Pepsi costs the same or five Baht more than 24 individual cans.

This is new to Pattaya I understand and would like to know if anyone has any experience with the school? They say they offer a one year Ed Visa with the one year program.

If anyone has used the school here or in Bangkok what were your results or opinions?

I've been attending the school in Bangkok for a year, and it's a good program, but not perfect.

Good Points:

1) Visa

2) Visa

3) Visa

4) No romanization - you are expected to learn to read Thai.

5) Patient and competent teaching staff

Bad Points:

1) The curriculum is rigorously controlled by the founder (farang). The teacher is expected to stick to the "script" (see below)

2) The books consist of question/answer format. Both the questions that the teacher asks and the answer you give are written down for you.

3) The above limits your ability to come up the answers yourself, which I feel is a fundamental aspect to learning a new language.

4) The method relies more on repetition (you go through each book 3-4 times) and reading than conversational situation where the teacher should go around and require each pupil to answer things on their own.

Overall it's good - the visa is really the only reason to go. I've learned a lot, because I ask a lot of questions in class and try to pick up grammar and word order.

Sometimes it is necessary to carry large amounts of cash. Judges, politicians and BIB don't like to take checks or master card.

No, but they will help you set up a convenient payment plan that suits your needs.

"Glitter"?

Sorry, it's tempting, but I won't go there.

If you need a good experienced lawyer in town, try DMC next to Tukcom. I used them for a house purchase a while back, and the rate was reasonable (I forget what it was). Their site is at www.pattaya-law.com.

I posted just the website address on a earlier response, but it was removed by the delete-happy moderation staff. Nary an explanation was given to me - the post just disappeared. Why is that? Does TV not allow non-advertisers to have links on the page? If an explanation was given to me, perhaps I would know what I did wrong.

I think they add charm.... like the mildew-covered building façades and overly abundant signage.

The undisputed way to improve Pattaya is remove every grumpy farang out there who picks apart this place like so many discarded chicken carcasses. Although Pattaya has its problems - we need to accept these issues as mere idiosyncrasies. The fact is, we are all guests here, and those who spend more time complaining about potholes and suit vendors than enjoying themselves should consider going back from where they came, where everything is picture-perfect. It will make them happy, and it will please those here who enjoy Pattaya for what it is. This should cull the farang population by 75%.

Sólo mis dos centavos.

Wow, what a good idea to remove 75% of the tourists! There would then only be 25% of the money coming in, most of the Thais would have to leave to find work elsewhere, and you could have the place to yourself. Be pretty boring though.

I'm amazed that you think rip off public transport, corrupt police, muggings, shootings, beatings, thefts, uncrossable streets, cons, garbage everywhere, broken infrastructure, obstructed and dangerous pavements, dangerous traffic, dangerous electrical wiring, getting burned to death in your hotel because the safety doors are chained, noise pollution and sewage smells are idiosyncrasies. Just how bad does it have to get before you call it a problem?

My idea of an idiosyncrasy is walking down a street and having lovely young ladies calling me a "sexy man", when it is plain that I am not!

Why do people keep saying that we are "guests" here ( unless you make your guests pay to stay with you, and treat them badly )? We are PAYING CUSTOMERS. Have you ever heard the expression "The customer is always right"? As CUSTOMERS, we have EVERY RIGHT to complain if things are not up to an acceptable level. The TAT is ASKING us to go to Thailand and spend our money there. At an absolute minimum, it should be a pleasant experience.

At home, if customers get a bad deal from a shop, they complain, word gets around and people stop spending there. Then the shop closes. Those of us that love Pattaya don't want it to close, we want it to get better, so we can keep going back and enjoying it.

The day we are treated as guests in Pattaya is the day we will have no need to complain.

I said nothing about getting rid of the money-hemorrhaging tourist masses, but the permanent residents who sit on their derrières and complain non-stop about electrical wires and potholes while sitting in front of a small shop sucking on a Chang® at 10AM. In the west, the customer is always right - but this is not the west. Face politics come into play here, and we all know how effective complaining to management is here!

About Sunee Plaza, lets be adults about this.

Sunee Plaza is a GAY DISTRICT. The outskirts of it attract Arab tourists, but the actual plaza is without a doubt a GAY DISTRICT.

Evidence? Go there. Or visit suneeplazapattaya website. You will see listed about 30 totally GAY businesses, mostly beer and go go bars.

This is not a fantasy. This is the way it is. Sadly, Sunee Plaza is also the center in Pattaya for underage gay sex crimes and also it is well known (by the police) that many of the sex workers are taking YABA. This is real. This is mixed with legal activities but there is no doubt there is too much illegality going on there.

So when someone says, bring more women and close Sunee Plaza, they are saying CLOSE A MAJOR GAY DISTRICT and bring more playthings for heterosexuals. How else can that be read?

Now, I would like to say, CLEAN UP SUNEE PLAZA is a noble sentiment. But no need to close it. And do you REALLY need even more women in Pattaya?

BTW, I could give a fig if some other gay person disagrees with me. Do you think we all think alike? Jeez!!!

I agree with you. As a gay man and a gay journalist, I feel it would be discrimination to suggest closing SP. I like SP, and the open air beer bars that are there where I can still smoke a cigarette while drinking a beer. Honestly, having that - who needs safe electrical wiring and proper drains in the streets?

Wow. I come home from a night on the piss, and I get extra entertainment reading this thread. We need more people like Saudi and Weho who are not afraid to speak their minds, no matter how contoversial!

Note: I'm not condoning this at all, it's just funny to watch what happens when the entire mod staff seems to be down on Soi 7....

The undisputed way to improve Pattaya is remove every grumpy farang out there who picks apart this place like so many discarded chicken carcasses. Although Pattaya has its problems - we need to accept these issues as mere idiosyncrasies. The fact is, we are all guests here, and those who spend more time complaining about potholes and suit vendors than enjoying themselves should consider going back from where they came, where everything is picture-perfect. It will make them happy, and it will please those here who enjoy Pattaya for what it is. This should cull the farang population by 75%.

Sólo mis dos centavos.

Marijuana - no marijuana. All that needs to happen is a Thai to *say* you did something illegal, and you will be arrested and thrown in jail. The police will make no effort to verify an alibi (even ones as good as you weren't even in the COUNTRY at the time). The legal system of Thailand is a complete and utter joke, and it's a disgrace to this country.

I'd rather eat Bulgarian food than Sizzler. Overpriced food for people who prefer eating at familiar establishments... like jaansinatra.

On the bright side, there's always the chance of a fun confrontation with those Euro types who don't understand the concept of a salad bar, and the fact that one must start at the lettuce, then make your way to the toppings, finally dousing your concoction with your favorite processed, nitrate-laden salad dressing. Mmmmmm.

I've been there several times - I've forgotten to pay the water bill within the allotted 7 day period more often than I'd like to admit.

The office is on Soi Chaiyaporn Vidhi. From Sukkie, go up to Naklua (Sawang Fa, where the post office is - there's a school on the corner) and do a u-turn heading south again. The next street of consequence is the one you want. Head up that street for a spell, and right before you reach the railroad tracks, their office is on the right.

Slices isn't anything special - but it's good for a quick snack after a night on the piśś. The new store that opened up on Khao Noi a block up from the Cock Inn has served me well a couple times since it opened last week.

Nothing fancy, and after 10PM, it's all re-heated, but for a late-night snack, it serves its purpose.

This will be a tourist trap - but the tourists who are easily trapped. I expect this place will be a new stop for the bus loads of Chinese, Indian and Korean tourists to go and do more commissioned shopping for junk, so they can go home and tell stories about their unique and exquisite Thai experience - which is overpaying for "handmade" souvenirs made at some smokestack-laden factory in Rayong.

The American Rib Company on Thepprasit wanted to charge us a 300 corking charge last night - we refused and ordered beers instead. One place that does not charge any corking fee is the Sure Park Steakhouse out in the Dark Side.

Jaansinatra - you seem to me like the kind of person who I once witnessed here at an unnamed business. They flashed their American Express card and said in a very slow and patronizing voice I'm an American. I WANT BUDWEISER. Do you have Bud-wei-ser? Do you have - Fol-gers cof-fee?

I wrote this post just because I found it amusing that they would put a KFC and Starbucks at an attraction that's supposed to resemble centuries past, and the fact PPN totally did not notice that irony either. Is there anyone on this board who has an ample sense of humor to enjoy it? Sheesh, then you get this Jaansinatra who hijacks someone's post with irrelevant drivel.

In an effort to further gentrify Pattaya, a new floating market is to be built near Alankarn Theatre. This new attraction aims to afford visitors the ancient Thai experience, as does the original floating market in Ratchaburi. Like the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, however, the replica is just not the same as the original. I believe the attached file fully conveys the sarcastic nature of this post.

I suppose part of the ancient Thai experience involves the complete replicas of the original 13th-century Ayutthaya Kingdom KFC and Starbucks....

1) I agree with the bookstore idea. At the Emporium and Paragon in Bangkok, there is a great English bookstore (small Thai section too) called Kokiniku (or something like that).

2) Jewish Deli with real NY style rye bread and bagels

3) NY style pizzeria

Screw the Versace type stores - they're all over Bangkok... and people who can afford that crap can pay the 121 baht bus ride up there.

Hi.

How "modern" are you looking to go?

I'm picky on furniture too - after all, why buy it if you're not going to enjoy it fully?

Pattaya is really quite limited with furniture besides the usual cookie-cutter pieces you can find at Homepro and SB, and not to mention all those warehouses full of particle-board dreck. There is a contemporary furniture store in the same shopping center as HomeWorks on Sukhumvit just south of Pattaya Tai, but I went in there once and everything was very overpriced for what it was. You may want to try the Index on Sukhumvit's southbound side just north of Pattaya Klang. At times, they have decent modern stuff for fair prices. Index is where I went for my mattress - you can get the high end Sealy and Serta brands there.

You can also commission a local furniture builder to build you some things you want. I had a custom bed frame made out of teak, and it came out perfect, but for a steep price. I wanted it custom because Thai bed frames are all too low to the ground, and I needed something where I could utilize the space under the bed to store stuff.

Bangkok has a much larger choice of good furniture. In the Sukhumvit area, there are many stores featuring a wide range of choices, but the price tags will be fairly high. If money is no object, then you should check out the 4th floor of Siam Paragon, where there are numerous high-end furniture stores with matching price ranges. Also check the web for the occasional furniture fairs that occur in Bangkok. These fairs typically have good stuff, and at bargain prices. There is also this place at the Emporium (Prom Pong BTS) that has good contemporary furniture.

I've had MaxNet's 2048/512 Premier package for about six months here in East Pattaya (Khao Noi), and it's been great up until about a month ago. Recently, it's been disconnecting, and reconnecting at will, and has been struggling to reach even the 1Mbit speed threshold. To save money, I changed my plan to the new 2048/1024 (going from 2,700/month to 1,090/month), and have found speed is still extremely pitiful.

Has anyone else in this area been experiencing horrible Maxnet speeds recently?