Why the English Fry Up is so symbolic of the Western Expat in Pattaya

By Dan Cheeseman 

 

 

Now this blog runs a very real risk of turning into a series of rambles, you see when you mention Pattaya this is often what happens. It is one of those areas that truly defines a love-hate relationship and there are reasons for this.

 

I live in Pattaya a whopping 9,624km from where I used to work and live in London. So much distance but yet my social network news feeds are more likely to be filled with expat debates on where to get the best English fry up in town than where to eat the best Som Tam. If any of you have been to Spain you will know just how beautiful a country it is, yet if you stumble into the tourist retreat of Benidorm it is, in my humble opinion, horrendous.

 

You are more likely to see a greasy spoon English cafe than a Spanish tapas bar. You can draw parallels between Benidorm and Pattaya. When I put this spin on Pattaya I cannot help but ask myself how the hell I have tolerated this city, let alone lived here for over a decade.

 

But then I stop and think again and suddenly I love Pattaya again. Now, this blog is not for me to beat the drum on all the restaurants and attractions in the city, it is after all a tourist resort, nor is it to talk about the year round sunshine and access to nearby Bangkok, airport and islands. We all know about this, maybe we don’t always appreciate it, but we do know about it.

 

My question is what causes such a misunderstanding on the city. I think the answer comes down to the expats and Thais living in the region. It is a mixed bag of the good, the bad and the very ugly, and unfortunately the good are the minority.

 

British Fry Up as much a symbol of Pattaya as it is in Benidorm

 

What encapsulates Pattaya for me is the 99 baht breakfast debate that rumbles on the social networks, it is hot topic everyday, every month. Koh Larn, Koh Samet, Koh Chang all within easy reach of Pattaya, so why do I never hear debate on the social networks about where is the best places to stay, what can you do on the islands and the likes; no my feeds are filled with debate on which venue serves the best sausage or why are they so tight on how many baked beans they serve, or maybe they are not even Heinz? It beggars belief. Where else in the world would there be such debate? London, Paris, New York maybe a Dubai, of course not. You know where? And there we are back to the Benidorm again. I am quite sure they share such life changing discussion.

 

It is examples like this that cloud the appreciation for Pattaya. I am always torn between relocating to Bangkok for business, but when you review Pattaya it ticks so many boxes and that includes for my family too. It is the small things that can go under the radar too. Grocery shopping for example is excellent for expats from choices such as Big C Extra, Foodland to Villa Supermarket. 

 

Full story:  https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/05/29/british-fry-up-pattaya/

 

-- DAN ABOUT THAILAND 2018-05-29

 

"Grocery shopping for example is excellent for expats from choices such as Big C Extra, Foodland to Villa Supermarket."

 

Strange comment when you have real and much more affordable expat choices such as Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart??? 

Strange comment when you have real and much more affordable expat choices such as Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart???

"Dan the man" is too HiSo for that sort of place.

Where is Hua Yai corner store?....I guess Hua Yai but where from Suk

What encapsulates Pattaya for me is the 99 baht breakfast debate that rumbles on the social networks, it is hot topic everyday, every month. Koh Larn, Koh Samet, Koh Chang all within easy reach of Pattaya, so why do I never hear debate on the social networks about where is the best places to stay, what can you do on the islands and the likes;

Because once you've been to a Thai island, that's it. You are unlikely to go back again unless you like watching hordes of Chinese battling with hordes of Russians for a spot on the beach that isn't covered in rubbish. Personally I had my fill of islands 40 years ago, when the Russians and Chinese were still living in holes in the ground.

As for the best place to stay: that's in my condo. Many farangs here actually live here, and they dont need hotel accommodation here.

And dont forget that most farangs here dont work either: they are retired and so are not interested in the same things that working people are interested in.

But all that aside, breakfast is a daily event and can be discussed to great advantage indefinitely. So that's what people do.

I wonder if other nationalities are so concerned about finding what they left behind when they emigrate? Somehow I doubt it! Brits are a weird lot!

2 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

I wonder if other nationalities are so concerned about finding what they left behind when they emigrate? Somehow I doubt it! Brits are a weird lot!

Pattaya is full of Russian, Korean and Chinese restaurants catering to their countrymen on holiday. 

Just now, baansgr said:

Pattaya is full of Russian, Korean and Chinese restaurants catering to their countrymen on holiday. 

I wasnt talking about people on holiday

 

19 minutes ago, LennyW said:

"Grocery shopping for example is excellent for expats from choices such as Big C Extra, Foodland to Villa Supermarket."

 

Strange comment when you have real and much more affordable expat choices such as Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart??? 

in case this isnt some sort of joke i dont get:

in 13 years i have never heard of Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart

7 hours ago, poanoi said:

in case this isnt some sort of joke i dont get:

in 13 years i have never heard of Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart

You should get out more then.......

that dish is only representative of english i think,

i eat neither beans nor sausage

36 minutes ago, LennyW said:

"Grocery shopping for example is excellent for expats from choices such as Big C Extra, Foodland to Villa Supermarket."

 

Strange comment when you have real and much more affordable expat choices such as Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart??? 

Last July I had my first trip back to the UK in 5 years.

 

In the supermarkets there I'm like "a kid in a sweet shop", just about everything 1/2 or 1/3 the price.

 

It would be in the ballpark to say if you substitute pennies for Baht, that's  a fairly good estimate.

 

BTW, and back on-topic,  IMHO there's a certain expat bar in Soi Lengkee Pattaya that does a superb english brekkie for 99 Baht, a refreshing change from paying 269 Baht for the same thing in BKK!

''Where else in the world would there be such debate? London, Paris, New York maybe a Dubai, of course not''

 

 

Like you say, of course not, as those people living in those cities actually have lifes, instead of discussing the price of a fry up on 'social media news feeds'

 

What a day to be alive!

43 minutes ago, poanoi said:

in case this isnt some sort of joke i dont get:

in 13 years i have never heard of Siamburis, Siam Expat Foods, Huay Yai Corner store and Ban Chang Expat Mart

Not a joke, you really need to get out more!!

24 minutes ago, poanoi said:

that dish is only representative of english i think,

i eat neither beans nor sausage

Thats why it says "English fry up" in the title!!

7 hours ago, poanoi said:

that dish is only representative of english i think,

i eat neither beans nor sausage

let me know if you are going to try one....I,ll gladly take the beans and sausage from you...p.s. how bout the fried bread also

''It is the small things that can go under the radar too. Grocery shopping for example is excellent for expats''

 

 

I'd hardly describe food shopping as a 'small thing' it's an integral part of one's daily life. 

45 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

I wasnt talking about people on holiday

 

Also Russians, Indians and Chinese working in Pattaya, all have their own outlets for goodies from home.

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

Where is Hua Yai corner store?....I guess Hua Yai but where from Suk

Take the Huay Yai road from Sukhumvit all the way past Wat Huay Yai, about 200m further on your right, more or less opposite the K9 turn off.

2 minutes ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

''Where else in the world would there be such debate? London, Paris, New York maybe a Dubai, of course not''

 

 

Like you say, of course, not, as those people living in those cities actually have lifes, instead of discussing the price of a fry up on 'social media news feeds'

 

What a day to be alive!

Many people in London, Paris, New York maybe Dubai, have never 'bean' to Pattaya, so there wouldn't be mucsh-room for discussions on english fry-ups, they'd probably be left with 'egg on their faces', unable to 'bring home the bacon', 'they'd be 'toast' in Sin-City!!??

6 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Also Russians, Indians and Chinese working in Pattaya, all have their own outlets for goodies from home.

perhaps but I have never known any nationality so obsessed with their previous home as the Brits

 

 

7 hours ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

''Where else in the world would there be such debate? London, Paris, New York maybe a Dubai, of course not''

 

 

Like you say, of course not, as those people living in those cities actually have lifes, instead of discussing the price of a fry up on 'social media news feeds'

 

What a day to be alive!

Pat

And don,t let anyone twist your arm to reply to pointless posts....

1 minute ago, petermik said:

Pat

And don,t let anyone twist your arm to reply to pointless posts....

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS FEEDS....that is where it's all at, peter

What's the difference between a "Full" English and a mere English breakfast, which suggests it is something less than Full version. 

 

I no longer perk up with delightful anticipation when a place offers an  "American" breakfast.  An under or well over cooked egg fried in a puddle of boiling oil, an inexpensive cocktail hot dog held together by a plastic condom and/or thin slice of a substance rumored to be ham doing the backstroke in a vat of luke warm tap water.  Coffee filtered through a gym sock, and a warm glass of orange "drink" that'll put you in a Diabetic coma.  It is also quite effective at removing corrosion from your car's battery terminals.

 

Thais don't seem to get too worked about time related dishes.  I like a bit of krapow moo for quick 'n' easy lunch or light evening meal.  Putting a kai dao on top doesn't make it "breakfast".  ?

2 minutes ago, LennyW said:

Dan is English and the story is about English breakfasts.

but he is suggesting that the english fry up is symbolic of WESTERN expats!  As far as I know the term western means more than just England

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

What's the difference between a "Full" English and a mere English breakfast, which suggests it is something less than Full version. 

 

I no longer perk up with delightful anticipation when a place offers an  "American" breakfast.  An under or well over cooked egg fried in a puddle of boiling oil, an inexpensive cocktail hot dog held together by a plastic condom and/or thin slice of a substance rumored to be ham doing the backstroke in a vat of luke warm tap water.  Coffee filtered through a gym sock, and a warm glass of orange "drink" that'll put you in a Diabetic coma.  It is also quite effective at removing corrosion from your car's battery terminals.

 

Thais don't seem to get too worked about time related dishes.  I like a bit of krapow moo for quick 'n' easy lunch or light evening meal.  Putting a kai dao on top doesn't make it "breakfast".  ?

 

A full English. "The Worcester Widowmaker"!?

More rambling nonsense from dan cheedar.

 

Admin can you please place his posts in the in your face forum so at least im warned not to click through?

Just now, Andrew65 said:

 

A full English. "The Worcester Widowmaker"!?

Yee Haw!  In Murica, we might call that a "gutt buster"!  Looks great.... for 2 people!  ?

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Yee Haw!  In Murica, we might call that a "gutt buster"!  Looks great.... for 2 people!  ?

No, in the UK this is, strictly speaking, a one man "fat-bastard" brekkie. If you can polish it off in less than an hour you get it for free!

 

Plus a free dessert!!??

30 minutes ago, LennyW said:

Dan is English and the story is about English breakfasts.

Didn't you read the headline?  

"western expat" he does not speak for all of us!