BigStar

Jameson's Havana Bar, Holiday Inn Elephant Bar, Avani Pattaya Resort

D@mn good, enjoyed every bite. Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya. Walking by, I had noticed the promotion for B595 or thereabouts. The competition's brutal in that arcade, as Patrick's and Beefeater are right there, too. Now I'm getting hungry!

A solution needn't be universally applicable to be valid. (That excuse is often used here to reject any particular diet.) In fact, I don't really think it will be for the OP. He doesn't do anything he doesn't have to. If he learns that the desired farang ghetto does in fact exist, he won't bother to move there. My point is that the choice exists. A reclusive existence can also be rewarding rather than miserable, depending on what he makes of it. 'Course, now, he needn't be annoyed with Thais, either, though he thinks he does. As Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor, wrote, Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

Yes, there is. Instead of seeking a farang ghetto, seek a good psychiatrist.

This. So you have time to explore and develop the inner space. Reading writing, hobbies . . . .

Pattaya ain't the countryside, no. Wanna be a farmer in Isaan, you got to move to Isaan. Yup. I live a relaxed, peaceful life in Pattaya, as most retirees do, and don't deal with any broken or dumb farangs except on the forum. OK. You probably don't want to hold your 50th B'day party at a bar with a buffet promotion for balloon chasers, unless you're one yourself. What was wrong with the Hilton? We surely have a thread about buffets on the forum somewhere. Died with smiles on their faces during a bonk, hopefully, as approved by our ANF Poster Life Coaches. But farang live a wide variety of lifestyles in Pattaya, so that really excludes everyone. Now I'd feel the same should I happen to notice some farang out in the sticks of Isaan working in a rice field.

OK. Seems to me I had seen a table showing that SSO patients getting, basically, large discounts on medical coverage. A quick search can't locate it, however. I'm happy to stand corrected. Maybe in 2025 I'll get on the waiting list for Phyathai. :)

LOL. Burp!

That you're aware of, having seen little of Pattaya, but in fact there is, living in the upscale condos and the housing estates all around. Business owners, professionals, middle managers, etc. Kids going to private schools and later studying abroad, the whole bit. The dynamic growing economy built on international and domestic tourism and retirees has led to a surprisingly prosperous small city. The argument that the middle class isn't as large as Bangkok's is silly and irrelevant, given the respective sizes of the cities. The worry about "residency" is phony in any case. You don't have a credible argument.

No. Besides, you knew what carbs are, you'd see that it does indeed include carbs.

Can't even post without lying.

It was built on fishing, as my friend Lt. Col. Richard, former bomber pilot stationed at U-Tapao, has affirmed. Used to rent a boat with some guys and head out to Koh Larn. What's unreal is living in the past, with which you seem obsessed. With whose members you're unacquainted. So does Pattaya, actually, as you'd discover outside the only streets you know. On weekends a lot of the Bangkok middle class seems to invade Pattaya as well. Many own condos in Pattaya.

Dinnertime! Going on 75, great numbers, no meds needed.

True. Lot of the usual bashing from the utterly clueless. Sour grapes, mostly, but I can't fully account for the desperation. We've heard all the silly assumptions and generalizations countless times. They're still kinda funny. Yep, it's another great day to be in Pattaya. May I have a couple more decades here. Out of pity, lemme throw out this bone for our detractors to chew: the traffic situation isn't perfect, ha ha. But, man up and work around it. :)

My company's HR office set everything up and gave me the form to give my bank years ago. Automatic deduction like clockwork ever since. When I tried to login to the website, I couldn't. I went by the SSO office and got that sorted and also signed the form for changing my nominated hospital. Some years ago I went by when they had stopped sending out ID cards and the old number didn't work when I tried to use it--for the first time. Fortunately, I'd brought along my pink card, which is exactly what they wanted. They were quite nice and helpful both times. I have a new tool for use in large waiting rooms at government offices, when you're stuck at the back: a small pocket telescope for reading the number boards! LOL.

But the SSO coverage at a private hospital is actually only part coverage, right? At least that was the case when I looked into changing to Phyathai Sriricha. It's a good percentage. There was also a list of about 300 people waiting to get accepted into the quota.

Are these still limited to 5 floors up?

Yes. That was his old way of doing things. Now his topic is the new and easy way from within Windows.

I get a pleased response anywhere in Thailand I speak (basic) Thai, esp in Pattaya where it immediately signals I'm not one of the idiots. In your case, it probably has something to do with poor, annoying pronunciation, not to mention personality. Lot of ignorant farang around priding themselves on their mangled imitation of what they thought they heard bar girls speak.

No.

Best Supermarket may, or may not, have a sufficient supply.

No. But most of our Experts here have only known those who work in the sex industry, have got burned, and are known for their cynicism, misogyny, and sour grapes. So the OP has to consider the source of the advice he's getting.

Depends on how large the town is. Pattaya City is a big place now, though our mongers only know a small part of it, a few streets mainly, and are blind to the rest. Take a look at the modern Pattaya skyline. See all those hotels, condos, and malls? Ride around. See all those shops, offices, schools, markets, and large stores? See those banks and hospitals? OBVIOUSLY, there's a vast army of "normal" women working in them. Thank god; without them, it'd all collapse. Most of them don't interact with the public, so meeting them is the problem. You don't pick them up on the street, not in Pattaya. Most of them speak little to no English (you need basic Thai). You might get lucky, but otherwise, as I said, effort will be needed. Working, volunteering, making a good impression on those whom you do happen to meet, letting them know you're a serious guy looking for a real girlfriend (networking)--and going online and filtering out hundreds of ho's, gold diggers, scammers, escorts, and crazies. Online, you have access to ladies in nearby towns and Bangkok. Sometimes the office ladies do speak some English, 'cause they work with international hotels or have foreign clients, such as a professional accountant or condo management company. My gf I met when I volunteered at a small (now defunct) language school in Naklua. Her company had sent her over for a short English language course. She knew none then. She studied hard and learned fast. Me, I had started learning basic Thai from the time I arrived in Pattaya. We met for lunch a few times outside of class and started talking and messaging, and somehow the chemistry was just right. After I helped develop her potential, she turned out to be pretty remarkable. Who'd have thought? I wouldn't have.

Plenty of girls in Pattaya who don't work in the sex trade. Of course you can meet one if you make some effort. Speaking Thai, though, helps critically. Learn to speak Thai if you haven't. The problem for you in Pattaya is that the Thais may regard you as one of the idiots they've either encountered or heard about. They'll question your sincerity, and understandably so. Online can work, but you have to specify you're looking for someone with a respectable, normal job. BA degree a plus. Include nearby towns in your search--Sattahip, Rayong, Sriricha, Chonburi--and even Bangkok. You can manage a quasi-remote relationship with a Bangkok girl. Most here are only familiar with bar and massage girls, so they pay. The long-term girlfriend I met in Pattaya works in an office, has a degree (now two degrees), and earns her own money, so I never pay her anything. We exchange gifts. "Nice" girls aren't going to put up with any running around, however, so you'll have to play it straight and make a commitment. They're quite conventional.