2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You do understand 'check bin' isn't Thai language, it's American with the final 'l' mispronounced as a 'n'.

Thais would say 'gep tang'.

I'm not Thai.  I don't try to be Thai.  I don't want to be Thai.  I will never be treated as a Thai.  I have no rights as a Thai.  I don't want a Thai tattoo to prove some sort of dedication to Thailand. 

 

I speak some Thai, and thought it was "kep teng."  Probably sounds the same to a Thai, coming from a farang.

 

My point being, when I say, "Check bin" the BS artists realizes I know he's full of BS, or just doesn't know any better.  Either way, I politely make an exit. 

9 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Of course not Malcom. As I've said previously, my then girlfriend and I visited Chiang Mai when I was looking for a permanent residence in Thailand. Had a great time. Actually fell in love with each other when visiting an elephant sanctuary some way outside the city. Very romantic, old city and will visit again some day.

 

However, my now wife and I both agree that we made the right choice in settling in the Pattaya that we know (and you don't) and love to raise our family. Cleaner air, more cosmopolitan, more activities for kids, better restaurants, better location and much more.

 

I genuinely admire your persistence in selling Chiang Mai, you're clearly happy there but in reality you're just pushing water up a hill with a fork.

 

I'm sure you did, you seem happy there and that's the main thing. Yah, it's the history here, the over 1000 years of culture, it gives off that Med vibe, like Spain or Italy, it's a bit strange. 'Then' girlfriend, what happened? She wanted to stay in Chiang Mai, didn't she?

 

In terms of cosmopolitan, did I mention we have an Israeli restaurant here? Americans, French, Burmese, Taiwanese, Spanish, Slovakians, Arabs, I don't think it's possible to be more cosmopolitan than Chiang Mai. Activities for kids are extremely well catered for here, do you have an ice rink with 10 lessons for 5000 baht only for toddlers to learn to ice skate? We do here.

 

But there is absolutely no way restaurants could be better. The restaurants in Chiang Mai are better than in London. A food critic from the Guardian, from India (!), said he's eaten better in Chiang Mai than anywhere else:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/feb/24/thai-street-food-chiang-mai-tour-thailand

 

Okay, the air is cleaner and you have a better location...it could be,...it could be...We can fly direct to Taiwan, Hanoi, SKorea, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Ko Samui, Mandalay, Hong Kong, Beijing, Saigon, Hanoi, Singapore....but okay...

9 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

However, my now wife and I both agree that we made the right choice in settling in the Pattaya that we know (and you don't) and love to raise our family. Cleaner air, more cosmopolitan, more activities for kids, better restaurants, better location and much more.

My kid just wants Xbox 360 and YouTube.

Hard to lever him away from the screen, he could be happy anywhere in the world.

My girl, 10, is glued to her smartphone 24/7. I'm raising a greater phone addict than any Thai girl ever could be.

 

I should take her to Pattaya to learn some self-defence.

24 minutes ago, Logosone said:

My girl, 10, is glued to her smartphone 24/7. I'm raising a greater phone addict than any Thai girl ever could be.

 

I should take her to Pattaya to learn some self-defence.

Get her a 55" smart TV ......... she'll never look at the phone again.

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Get her a 55" smart TV ......... she'll never look at the phone again.

But they are all smart Android TV's now.  It's a 55" phone.  ????

Not all, Samsung don't do Android, Philips do and a few others.

 

Samsung use their Smarthub thing.

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

The restaurants in Chiang Mai are better than in London.

...and the air is cleaner than on the swiss mountains.

 

Michelin stars restaurants in London: 70

Chiang Mai: None

10 minutes ago, Logosone said:

that's not to say that House by Ginger is not world class

 

As Indian by Nature in Pattaya is.

 

The discussion here is childish. Some like Pattaya and have good reasons, some prefer Chiang Mai and others like their life somewhere in the rice fields. To each his own.

I can believe it. I've also been in world class restaurants in Bangkok.

 

Food in Thailand is absolutely  top drawer.

 

Maybe it's a childish discussion, but it's fun to see others so keen on places that others don't like. I look at Pattaya with other eyes now.

Right now , Pattaya must be one of the safest places on the planet. No virus outbreak, just empty sois and you can do whatever you want.
The rest of us are stuck in Europe, all flights cancelled. 

2 minutes ago, balo said:

Right now , Pattaya must be one of the safest places on the planet. No virus outbreak, just empty sois and you can do whatever you want.
The rest of us are stuck in Europe, all flights cancelled. 

You may be right. You guys in Europe it may be better to get Corona early before hospitals can't cope any further. I hear people are holding corona parties to catch the virus (no beer) like they used to do with kids and measles

An off topic post about Chiang Mai removed also a commercial picture

Interesting thread.

 

I'd written Pattaya off as a place to visit, now I'd like to take a look.

 

Getting ripped off by cabbies as soon as I'm out of the airport is still a major turnoff, though.

 

I assume there's no Grab there?

19 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Interesting thread.

 

I'd written Pattaya off as a place to visit, now I'd like to take a look.

 

Getting ripped off by cabbies as soon as I'm out of the airport is still a major turnoff, though.

 

I assume there's no Grab there?

Get the Bell bus service to your hotel, 250 baht or the other big bus service around 129 baht or pre-book with a taxi company like Mr T which is 1100 baht

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

Interesting thread.

 

I'd written Pattaya off as a place to visit, now I'd like to take a look.

 

Getting ripped off by cabbies as soon as I'm out of the airport is still a major turnoff, though.

 

I assume there's no Grab there?

Has Grab and have never been ripped off by public taxis at swampy. Just insist on "meter" before leaving the confines of the airport.

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Get her a 55" smart TV ......... she'll never look at the phone again.

Won't help much, got a 65" with True Vision, phone is always there.

To date I haven't driven in SEA.

I walk a lot and use Grab.

 

What about when I'm in Pattaya and it's too far to walk? 

Buses?

9 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

I assume there's no Grab there?

There is Grab, but it’s not cheap. For example I went from Ratanakorn Market to Oasis Spa (a five minute drive, 1.3 km) and it came to 170 baht.

 

Longer trips (e.g. from Central Pattaya to restaurants in Jomtien or Naklua) will easily be 3-500 baht.

 

So it’s generally cheaper to hire a car on the street, if you are able to negotiate with the driver, but of course a lot harder when you’re at some restaurant 15 km out of town and need a ride back.

Off topic removed

I live in Bangkok in Q condo and lots of short trips (at least three times a month) to Pattaya. I started liking Pattaya, specially after the Chinese tour buses are gone.  Recently bought a one-bedroom condo for week end trips. Seriously thinking of  buying a two bed room condo (Grand Solaire) in the next few years. Can drive to Sttahip in 30-min for a quite beach. 

15 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Has Grab and have never been ripped off by public taxis at swampy. Just insist on "meter" before leaving the confines of the airport.

not that easy. many wont answer or just nod, then when your moving resist using it, giving excuses like tollways fees etc.

 

most will back down if you simply refuse to pay a flat fare and risk your stuff in the trunk, but its only a matter of time until you get a bad apple who agrees then wont start it once your moving or makes some other excuse to get out of the agreement.

 

fact of the matter is, these jerks need to be tracked by a third party who has the power to issue refunds and record the route and spank these guys when they are bad. that means app reservations and grab.

10 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I live in Bangkok in Q condo and lots of short trips (at least three times a month) to Pattaya. I started liking Pattaya, specially after the Chinese tour buses are gone.  Recently bought a one-bedroom condo for week end trips. Seriously thinking of  buying a two bed room condo (Grand Solaire) in the next few years. Can drive to Sttahip in 30-min for a quite beach. 

To each their own but I wouldn't recommend buying a condo in Pattaya.  There's just a huge oversupply of them and has been for many years.  If it's time for you to sell up or the government decides/makes it to difficult to stay it will be difficult to unload them.

On 3/12/2020 at 9:53 PM, DannyCarlton said:

Worst thing you can do is to go for a Thai massage for a bad back. They have no skills as chiropractors or any awareness of the human anatomy. much more likely to damage your back than cure it.

 

Stick to using Thai massage shops for what they are intended for.

My friend confirmed after finding Amorn's massage shop that she knows absolutely nothing about backache. She does however have a few other tricks up her sleeve to take your mind off it. Maybe we should put it on tripadviser? My friend says thanks for the tip.

On 3/14/2020 at 11:04 AM, JimmyJ said:

To date I haven't driven in SEA.

I walk a lot and use Grab.

 

What about when I'm in Pattaya and it's too far to walk? 

Buses?

just take a bike taxi, or if you want to save yourself 30 baht,

take a baht bus. i recommend the former tho

On 3/14/2020 at 9:38 AM, JimmyJ said:

Interesting thread.

 

I'd written Pattaya off as a place to visit, now I'd like to take a look.

 

Getting ripped off by cabbies as soon as I'm out of the airport is still a major turnoff, though.

 

I assume there's no Grab there?

I'd assume there would be a thread running on taxi companies in Pattaya that do airport pick ups, if not start one. 1200-1500 would be fair, I'm sure others will chip in with recommendations and prices.