FarangBuddha

I don't think it's was based on skin colour but nationality/citizenship that was the deciding factor. This is common at many tourist attractions around the world...there is often a price differential between locals/citizens and visitors/foreigners. This happens at both private and public facilities and I wouldn't call it "racist." As an example, in San Francisco, there is a nice ornamental Japanese garden operated and maintained by the city parks department, which has differential pricing for "residents" and "non-residents." My understanding is that the qualification pertains to residents of San Francisco.

http://japaneseteagardensf.com/visit.php

But is good you posted this information so that those who for whatever reason feel that different prices for different classes of people are distasteful will not waste a trip out there.

Karma is a...well you know; don't drink and drive!

If you had searched the Pattaya forum re China Garden before you ordered, you could have saved yourself some money.

Fairtex Sports Club is a very well equipped and professional muay Thai gym in Pattaya. They have both stay-in boxing camp and group or individual lessons. There is also a full-service gym and sports club on-site if you want these features as well. All the information you want is on their informative website.

It'a all relative...anyone under 60 is considered "young" by Pattaya standards.

My best advice to meet younger expats is to get into sports. All fun and friendly. There's a weekly Saturday floor ball meet looking for more players. All levels welcome. No experience necessary. Free to play and equipment provided.

http://www.thaivisa....every-saturday/

There's a Sunday softball meet-up as well...some of the younger guys and family guys hang there as well. Check Pattaya Sports Club or Google for meeting information. Also checkout the gay bars...some younger guys there as well.

PITA to have to worry too much about which ATM to use or to stand in a long line to withdraw money from one's account...If one is concerned about possible theft, just use machines at bank branches and not free-standing ones and as a secondary precaution, use the two account method with one holding most of your money with no ATM card and the second with funds for a few weeks to a month and an ATM card...fund the second account either by in-branch transfers from account one or via online transfers...also set-up both accounts (but especially number two) for SMS notification of any ATM and/or account activity. Easy peasy.

It'a all relative...anyone under 60 is considered "young" by Pattaya standards.

I use the disposable one by McCormick available at Friendship and Foodland (they also have it in Sea Salt)

Good for the table...not so much for cooking...and a little pricey. The salt grinder does not make a fine enough grind for me and there is no way to adjust it and I find it makes my food too salty!

Index on Sukie, the kitchenwares shop next to foodland (with another branch on 2nd road opposite soi Pattayland 2), Central Department store on the beach as has been mentioned, Home Pro and Big C Extra both have kitchenwares depts., also, I was just in Villa Market yesterday picking up a baking pan and noticed that they too had a good selection of high-end imported pepper-grinders.

Nothing good can come from staying on soi 7...too young to be checking-out.

I was home last nite

They're improving the service

Due to forum rules, one often cannot speak one's mind, so I will just say "I dissent" from the opinions of the op re this restaurant.

Airlines charge people extra if their girth spills over into adjoining seats so I see no reason why they shouldn't pay more on baht busses as well...it's just physics...it uses more expensive energy to accelerate a large mass.

He's trying to save the earth!

The only alternative would be by bus...the airport to Pattaya bus service schedule should be online somewhere. I believe the last bus from the Ekamai station to Pattaya leaves around 9 so that would not be an option. Maybe consider sharing a taxi...usually not too hard to find someone going to Pattaya from Swampy...there are tell-tale clues

I had mine hacked as well when I first came here. You might have a hard time getting it all back.we had such a fight on our hands as the machine captured me speaking to a friend and they said I could have gave them the pin number and they did it. Despite them having atm photos of the culprits.

As for Thai bank cards not working ouside Thailand.I have used mine in Singapore and Malaysia to get money from the Atm no problems.

Well, none of my Thai ATM cards work outside LOS (ones from Bangkok Bank, Bank Ayudha, or Kasikorn). However, as I mentioned, these are the "basic" cards and there are "inter" cards one can get that will work outside Thailand. People can decide for themselves which type of card is appropriate for them.

As to your problem, can you describe it more specifically? You state that apparently you lost money from a Thai bank account from someone using your ATM card and/or PIN code...I understand there are many ways the card's number can be stolen without one's knowledge during ordinary use of the card but how did someone get your PIN code as well? Money cannot be taken out of an ATM without the PIN and it is the cardholders responsibility to guard this code with their life! I don't blame the banks for taking a tough stand with these type of theft claims...otherwise everyone would be out there claiming money stolen from their accounts.

A few questions:

Are these Thai bank ATM or credit cards?

Are they foreign bank ATM or credt cards?

If Thai, at least for the basic ATM cards, they don't work on foreign ATM or POS networks, so no danger to holders of these type of cards. I would imagine it's much the same for Thai credit cards as well.

Does (did) anyone other than yourself have access to the card and PIN recently? Especially in Pattaya, where there are many short-term relationships, this is where much of the problem occurs.

Accidentaly went off twice. How unlucky was that?

Very

What will the friends and family in Surin think of all this...she better hope they don't have internet up there yet

I ended up getting a pretty choc fudge cake from S&P in Central, a bit boring on the inside but well decorated on the outside (400 baht).

I looked at Sweet/Secret Recipe on the 4th floor (not on a lower level as previously posted). They have no cakes available for takeaway, they only have large sizes @1300 baht, and they looked fairly boring compared to the highly decorated and much cheaper S&P.

I'll have to check out that place on North road sometime.

If they have a whole cake they will sell it to you...if you want to be sure to get the cake you want it's best to order in advance. Yes, they aren't the cheapest in town...just the best (also much larger than a typical S&P cake and the S-R cakes use dairy-cream fillings/frostings and not the icky butter-cream (margarine) base ones.

They may be bigger and have quality ingredients but they have no WoW factor. The cake decoration is very poor for the high price they're asking, the cakes all look the same from the outside.

Sorry my bad...I thought you were going to eat the cake...not just look at it; but I guess like everything in LOS...it's form over substance...flash over quality...I hope the kids enjoyed it.

I ended up getting a pretty choc fudge cake from S&P in Central, a bit boring on the inside but well decorated on the outside (400 baht).

I looked at Sweet/Secret Recipe on the 4th floor (not on a lower level as previously posted). They have no cakes available for takeaway, they only have large sizes @1300 baht, and they looked fairly boring compared to the highly decorated and much cheaper S&P.

I'll have to check out that place on North road sometime.

If they have a whole cake they will sell it to you...if you want to be sure to get the cake you want it's best to order in advance. Yes, they aren't the cheapest in town...just the best (also much larger than a typical S&P cake and the S-R cakes use dairy-cream fillings/frostings and not the icky butter-cream (margarine) base ones.

The hospital used implants that were approved by many jurisdictions around the world as safe, and both you and the hospital agreed to the PIP implants. I do not see why the hospital is under any obligation to replace them free of charge.

Your beef is with the manufacturers, who unfortunately are going to be bankrupt.

quote "They should be replaced without charge immediately " (my emphasis)

I am amazed that you or your wife want to have them replaced, I would not trust any plastic bag being implanted after this.

That said still hope nothing untoward happens to op's wife

Agree, this was a medical device approved for use in humans by many supposedly sophisticated Western governments. As stated, your beef is with the product's manufacturer and not the local hospital and/or the MD who implanted them. I assume you were provided with documentation about the implants prior to the surgery. If any fraud/misrepresentations re the product's safety were made, it was likely by the manufacturer. Maybe return to farangland and join-up with or file your own lawsuit against the manufacturer. In the meantime, if you are concerned re your wife's health, just pay the couple thousand dollars to get them removed or replaced. Just hope you got some good use out of them while they were in there

^ Secret Recipe, I think you mean. You can order ahead, the actual cakes are made in bangkok and delivered there daily.

Y...my bad.

Sweet Recipe bakery at Central Beach mall (4th floor and basement). Best cakes in Pattaya/thailand IMO.