anon8

So if the question is............would I approve of cameras in toilets to catch paedophiles? You better believe it.

I'm quite happy to lose a little bit of privacy if it helps catch and convict these sick b*stards.

This is not 'little' bit of privacy. It is insane to allow cameras in toilet rooms. There has got to be better ways to protect kids than having cams in toilet rooms

But you don't tend to see many of those older guys tossing furniture over the balcony and generally wrecking the joint?

Maybe with age people tend to mellow out, and most don't toss furniture over balcony. As people age they show their rage less and less, they keep it inside, so they are less likely to wreck furniture. Anger isn't going anywhere tho. Anger and disappointment turn into bitterness and resentment, sometimes towards younger folk. If not careful, this resentment towards fellow expats can settle in, and without any proof you start suspecting fellow residents being criminals.. cos 'Look, he is 30, how come he isn't a postman in town of Llanddewi Brefi, like I was, until old age retirement'

The majority (most but there are a few exceptions) I would guess are managing to stay in Thailand by bending the laws and hoping no one will notice or care about they`re activities here.

That's the thing, as you said, you are guessing. You don't know.

He's Russian - never passive or jai yen yen. If he mixed it up with drugs, booze - enough said. And Robblok - are you on roids or sumfink? Why are you so defensive of this <deleted>? He smashed up his condo - again, enough said.

how is he a <deleted>? cos he isn't old and fat?

besides, if the guy decides to smash up his condo, that's his right, isn't it?

I hope it is just renovations, and they open again soon. Really nice place to sit, have a latte and watch people walk by. Very friendly and professional staff.. and best coffee, at least latte is best in Pattaya

Naam, just saying they are not Estonians, many readers here may not know it. Am I wrong?

I would like to point out that these 2 guys are Russians, NOT Estonians

of all the silly 'Pattaya Sucks' topics and threads, this one is weakest in long time

CGW,

after thinking about your question if I live here or take extended vacations, I honestly can't tell you. I spend about 8 months out of the year here, I'd like to think that I live here.. but since I leave Thailand to enjoy short summers of Eastern Europe, maybe I don't really live here.

As for 'pottering' around downtown every day, I don't know what that word is, but it sounds like a bad thing, something that a real Pattaya resident shouldn't do. But I'm retired, what do you suggest I should fill my days with?

I must now say good bye to you guys at Pattaya Thaivisa. Having mean spirited exchanges can get a person feel down, and theres no need for that. Be well all!

Yes, Tropo, I have no income in Thailand and the pathetic exchange rate affects me too,

Still, I would argue that it isn't Pattaya that has become a more costly place to live, it isn't Pattaya what keeps both dollar and euro so low. Dollar doesn't buy us what it used to few years back, but it does not mean cost of living here has increased.

Dollar has droped about 30% against Euro since 2006, you'd have to get more cash out of ATM in Barcelona as well

Pattaya is as cheap as it was in 2003, cost of living here has not risen at all, it is still a super cheap to live here..

You are being serious? we obviously have Very different lifestyles, EVERYTHING has gone up in price, I live in my own home electric prices have risen vastly, gasoline prices have doubled, gas prices are up 70%, I thought I had seen some ridiculous statements made on this forum but yours has jumped to #1

Yes it is still afordable, but prices have risen, maybe it is cheaper or more expensive than other places in the world, I dont know as have lived here for the past 22 years..............

We all have different lifestyles, but we live in the same town, so costs are same for you and me, no matter what the lifestyle is.

Why did I argue that Pattaya hasn't gotten more expensive in years..

in 2003 I took about 10.000 baht from ATM once a week. That covered eating out 3 times a day (best khao pad gai across from Tuckom, big fat guy, he also does amazing snails), ice latte at Starbucks or a cup of coffee at Le Cafe Royale in the evening (best Carbonara in town in Le Cafe btw), maybe a day at Jomtien beach, watching every new release at movie theatre.. basically daily pocket money. That hasn't changed in 2011, I still spend my days wondering around town with headphones on, hanging with few friends, and I it does not cost me more than it it did in 2003.

Now this does not include rent, of course. A studio at The Monaco Residence was 15.000 per month in 2003, it still is in 2011. Electricity was 7 baht per unit in 2003, it still is. This 10k a week walking around money also does not include almost weekly few day trips to Bangkok, shopping for clothes, replacing a laptop, other gadgets etc.

So I fail to see why you gave me the much coveted 'Most Ridiculous Statements Made On This Forum' award

I suppose the biggest difference for the cost of living in Pattaya between me and you is that you own property here, and I do not. It is my choice not to own property here, I much prefer to drop the keys to building manager just before Songkran, and fly to Europe for the summer.

I also don't drive here, why own a car if the cost of taxi from Pattaya to Bangkok is 800 baht plus toll, same as it was in 2003. Baht bus is 10 baht, same as it ever was, motor bike boys still take you anywhere for 50 baht. I see no reason to own a car here, it is much nicer to sit in a back seat in Thailand and especially in Pattaya.

You see, it is your choice to own property and bear the cost, it your choice to drive and accept the increasing gasoline prices.. strangely enough taxi fares haven't changed over the years. But gasoline prices have no place in a thread titled 'Pattaya Cost Of Living Getting Higher', since gasoline prices are going up everywhere in the world, it isn't a Pattaya issue. Same goes for cigarettes, alcohol etc. Beer price has nothing to do with cost of living, we may as well complain that truffle prices have become outrageous in last few years.

Cost of living in Pattaya has not changed for me since 2003

edit:

rgs2001uk, after reading your post I am at a loss for words.

Sounds like the Belgian was a real jerk...

What makes the Belgian guy a jerk?

Looking at the pictures, it seems he left quite a large amount of his blood on the sidewalk. Do you think he is a 'real jerk' cos he didn't have a good sense to bleed in some place more private?

If u pay 3 baht per unit, it should be same as it ever was. If u renting, sure, they are asking 10baht per unit now. Just rent where they still ask 7 baht unit, as they try to charge u in most rental places. There is this disturbing trend to charge 10baht per unit, kindly ask them to fukc off at those places with their 10 baht unit, and insist on 7, 7 is farang rental rate per unit

After being away for few months this year, I can't say Pattaya has become more expensive. I always rent, so sure, right now property owners are cashing in since lots of Bangkok residents rented the whole town few weeks ago. But that's over now, bkk peeps are returning home and things are back to normal.

Pattaya is as cheap as it was in 2003, cost of living here has not risen at all, it is still a super cheap to live here.. I cant think of a single thing that has gone up in price in 8 years, condo prices excluded

Is it any wonder I avoid Pattaya like the plague!!

Surely you are aware you are at Pattaya forum?

Most posters and readers here consider Pattaya their home. I guess what I'd like to know is, why are you lowering yourself by posting here, to our home town forum, if you dispise our town.

On topic,

didn't city hall plan a major beach char 'revolution' at Jomtien 3 years ago? Every section on Jomtien beach was to have only handful of chairs, instead of wall of chairs. What happened to that radical plan?

[

Bright lights, loud music, outdoor TV screen [ snip ] may suit the brain-dead facebook generation..

the ' facebook generation' is very particular when it comes to coffee shops.

I take it by ' facebook generation' you mean all people under 72. So I'm gonna take it upon myself to speak for my whole brain dead generation, and we would like you to know that we like nice quiet coffee shops, Darrel!

Doesn't beat the Ambiance on a bench on beach Rd outside a 7/11

agreed. There are no good coffee shops for people watching in South Pattaya, best spot to watch people passing by was Starbucks on Beach Road, opposite of McDonalds, it is closed now. The other one On Beach Rd is useless, alltho it has a very nice balcony, there is nothing to see, the one at Mixx and at Central are both completely hopeless. Starbucks at Central is like a concrete jail cell

personally, i think mac-books are a load of crap because i use notebooks in real life opposed to spinning and flipping pictures....

spinning and flipping pictures

iStudio is staffed by untrained monkeys and is a complete waste of space. Avoid them when at all possible for anything of substance or importance.

By 'by untrained monkeys' do you mean the shop staff isn't capable of operating the cash register and printing out the receipt after you make your purchase? All their stock is out on the tables.. play with each and every machine as long as you like.. what do you want the staff to do exactly, other than be polite and swipe the credit card

I got 13 inch MB Pro with English only keyboard at the Mac dealer at Central World or WTC or World Trade Centre or what's the latest incarnation. Of course this isn't going to help you much cos it was 2 years ago, before the place got torched. But Bangkok shops do sell English only versions.

and it isn't just about the cute apple btw. It is nice and shiny also!

The article in 'Pattaya News Clipping' suggests 20 000 new arrivals daily. How do they come up with such number.. That would mean in last 10 days Pattaya has grown by 200 000 people

these double, triple, quadruple quotes make it very difficult to follow who you are actually answering or replying to, MAJIC

if I owned ThaiVisa, I would do away with quote/replay button in a nano second. Miles and miles and miles of quotes, 90% of content is just quotes

/end offtopic/

looking at the map, it is all going to be blue.. Silom, Suriwong, all of it. This is gonna be bad, really bad

The perceived incompetence and misinformation isnt only a Thai thing.

sure, it isn't only Thai thing! But we have mastered it..

also, corruption as a way of life doesn't help

yes, Nikster, need to replace it with exactly same part number.

and I got a very fast email reply from Unlimitmac.com guys:

'Yes we have itprice for 2.26 around 12.000-13.000 it new logic boardand u can upgrade to 2.4 price 15.500'

he also added that they are closed right now because of the flood.

this is about the same price the HongKong Ebay sellers are asking, except at Unlimitmac shop they will replace it in their shop, you are guaranteed to walk out with laptop that works.. from Ebay you just get a board, and if there is an issue with it, you out of luck, I suppose.

Besides, HK sellers at Ebay.com are actually based in mainland China, but they list themselves as in HK.. one of the HK sellers asked me to ship the laptop to him for board repair, and then gave an address of some province in mainland China. I can also imagine the surprise fee/duty from Thai Customs when Macbook gets shipped back from China, or from HK for that matter. It looks shiny and not cheap, surely Customs people will want their cut