My Top Two Pattaya Pet Peeves...

[observer21]

weho you have hit the nail on the head

that whistle blowing drives me nuts ,,,,

i wonder if the attendent takes his whistle home with him and whistles orders at the wife ????

It's his freekin' job that he gets paid 4000 baht a month for, you think he wouldn't like the opportunties that you have had in your privilaged life ?

You try to belittle Thai people, why ?

You wanna swap places with him?

yeah, life can be tough.  I bet people take the p - -s out of you a lot> especially if

you look like your avatar.

lighten up man - yo sound like a thai wannabee

[tropo]

Have you seen the Thai guy with his whistle on Second Road at the rear of Mikes Department Store?

He assists large groups of Chinese tourists to cross the road in the pedestrian crossing.

He bravely walks out onto the crossing, blows his li'l whistle for all it is worth, waves the Chinese group onto the crossing and then somehow gets them across whilst cars and motor cycle scream every which way around them....none of them stopping.

It's amazing how so many pedestrian put so much faith into a li'l whistle.

That reminds me of a pet peeve I have here.

It's those tour guides with dozens of Chinese tourists in their flock (usually along Beach Road) putting their hands out to stop the traffic (me).

Most normal people will wait until there's a break in the traffic to cross. I don't usually stop for them.

[Kerryd]

A "holiday" back to their country of origin is probably the best way to bring things back into perspective.

Didn't take long for me to get things in perspective. I took a short trip back to Canada in late November '04. It was a sunny day, and I was wearing a t-shirt, sweat-shirt and heavy wool shirt. Nearly froze my butt off in the 200 meters I had to walk to the car rental agency. Drove up to the interior to see my dad. Woke up the next morning with 5 inches of snow on the ground. Had to buy food at the grocery store. Bought just enough to last 5 days. Cost over $300 Canadian (about 9,000 baht).

Just before going to Kandahar, I had to spend 6 weeks in Ontario. My first day there and I wanted to get on a plane back to LOS. 6 weeks later I was on a plane, but heading to AssCrackistan instead. Didn't matter, I was glad to get out of there.

I'm about to commit to another trip back to the Great White North. Looking at the costs involved (airfare, car rental, groceries, fuel), I'm probably looking at around 150,000 baht for a one week trip.

Probably be cheaper and better just to have dear old dad come visit me in LOS (but the amount of dynamite I'd need to pry him out of his house would probably cause earthquakes on neighbouring continents !).

Then of course, I spend a couple of months in DieInfidelistan, and getting back to LOS is like setting foot in Paradise (minus the virgins and hordes of suicide bombers that other "Paradise" is supposed to be filled with).

[tropo]

#1 Can't get a decent feed after a night out when returning to soi 2 at 7.00am in the morning. Only 7/11 crap. Sub-ways closed, Restaurant closed. KFC closed. Can't even get a Maccas happy meal. Go figure!!

You consider KFC and McDonalds to be decent food

I hear the food upstairs at Tops supermarket is quite nice and served 24 hours a day. Gotta be better than that American excrement.

I was going to start a thread about late night (early morning) restaurants but you've already started the topic.

As a nightowl, I'm always looking for food after midnight. I didn't know there was an upstairs restaurant at Tops. I've tried the one near the car park entrance and didn't like it. I'll have to look up there one night.

Here are some options I've found:

1. 24 hour Subway near the entrance of walking street.

2. 2 x 24 hour "Kiss" restaurants...not too bad on certain food selections and cheap.

3. Foodland's Took Lae Dee....my favourite after hours restaurant.

4. There are tons of Thai restaurants open 24 hours all the way up Pattaya Klang...not for me, but they look fine.

5. Pattaya Tai market area heading up to Hollywood. Tons of places to eat...This area never sleeps.

6. Burger King and McDonald's at Garden Plaza if you're into this type of food.

I would be interested to hear about other options......

PS. I tried "Highway Star" 24 hour restaurant along 2nd Road once only. I didn't like the food and expensive.

[bino]

3. Foodland's Took Lae Dee....my favourite after hours restaurant.

Mine also. Definitely live up to the translated name... Cheap and good!

[Kerryd]

There's one place on # 3 Road (right-side, between Pattaya Center and Pattaya North roads). Thai food place by night, vehicle service center by day. It seems every time I go out after hours with my Thai friends, that's where we end up.

The market/shops along Pattaya Tai (between #2 Road and soi Hollywood) are always lively. Got to watch where you sit though, as some of the tables and stools are right next to the traffic (like eating on the centerline of a busy highway).

The Gossip Cafe (ground floor of the DayNight 2 hotel, couple blocks down from TukCom) is open 24/7. Nothing too fancy, but they used to have some excellent red and green curry dishes (not sure if they have a different cook now though).

I will often pop in and get a styro box of steamed rice (10 baht Weho !) to go with what ever I've picked up at the market on the way home.

[Meg_2003]

There's one place on # 3 Road (right-side, between Pattaya Center and Pattaya North roads). Thai food place by night, vehicle service center by day. It seems every time I go out after hours with my Thai friends, that's where we end up.

Agreed... The Thai food there is delicious.. If we are talking about the same place (Nearer pattaya Klang traffic lights on 3rd road) Its a carwash in the day Very cheap prices and lovely food...

[Weho]

Due to popular demand, I'll reveal pet peeve #4... I'm sure you've already guessed it but here goes:

#4. Frickin' wet salad, especially at the Sizzler salad bar. Haven't they heard of salad spinners? they are available at Homeworks, I think less than 200 baht. They pretend to clean the lettuce, by soaking it in water, then they make NO EFFORT to drain off the excess water... it's totally disgusting... And if someone puts on an (unhealthy) mayonaise/creamy type dressing/salad cream, it's revolting. There are still enough things to keep me happy from their salad bar, but the lettuce is never, NEVER dry. I recall on two occasions I asked the manager there about this, and I got the typical reaction: laughter, as if I was there to amuse them.

and another pet peeve, somewhat related to this, I'll call it:

#4a: the hot salad plates. almost all of the time, the Sizzler salad plates just came out of the dishwasher, with the final "heater" cycle. sometimes the plates are too hot to touch. You can almost never get a room-temperature plate. they are always at least in the "hot" category. then they expect you to put COLD things on that plate, which immediately heat up. nothing as tasty as wet lettuce, that was cool, that now is HOT WET LETTUCE. Yum. I always demand a NON hot plate, they always comply, but they usually respond to my request with... you guessed it: laughter, as if I'm there to amuse them.

Because so many of you have been supportive of my thoughts, I'll share this tip with you, which I use at my home... I always have salad plates in the FREEZER... so when you are preparing the salad, they don't immediately get warm, they stay cool for a while longer. Trust me, it works, and it's so simple, and costs nothing. Try it, and please, if you feel like it, reply back here and give your impressions... I even freeze cereal bowls, so when I put the milk in, it stays cool much longer...

[tropo]

Due to popular demand, I'll reveal pet peeve #4... I'm sure you've

Because so many of you have been supportive of my thoughts, I'll share this tip with you, which I use at my home... I always have salad plates in the FREEZER... so when you are preparing the salad, they don't immediately get warm, they stay cool for a while longer. Trust me, it works, and it's so simple, and costs nothing. Try it, and please, if you feel like it, reply back here and give your impressions... I even freeze cereal bowls, so when I put the milk in, it stays cool much longer...

You really should be on your way home. You're far to particular to live in a 3rd world country.

Edited June 16, 2007 by tropo

[Weho]

#1 Can't get a decent feed after a night out when returning to soi 2 at 7.00am in the morning. Only 7/11 crap. Sub-ways closed, Restaurant closed. KFC closed. Can't even get a Maccas happy meal. Go figure!!

You consider KFC and McDonalds to be decent food

I hear the food upstairs at Tops supermarket is quite nice and served 24 hours a day. Gotta be better than that American excrement.

I was going to start a thread about late night (early morning) restaurants but you've already started the topic.

As a nightowl, I'm always looking for food after midnight. I didn't know there was an upstairs restaurant at Tops. I've tried the one near the car park entrance and didn't like it. I'll have to look up there one night.

Here are some options I've found:

1. 24 hour Subway near the entrance of walking street.

2. 2 x 24 hour "Kiss" restaurants...not too bad on certain food selections and cheap.

3. Foodland's Took Lae Dee....my favourite after hours restaurant.

4. There are tons of Thai restaurants open 24 hours all the way up Pattaya Klang...not for me, but they look fine.

5. Pattaya Tai market area heading up to Hollywood. Tons of places to eat...This area never sleeps.

6. Burger King and McDonald's at Garden Plaza if you're into this type of food.

I would be interested to hear about other options......

PS. I tried "Highway Star" 24 hour restaurant along 2nd Road once only. I didn't like the food and expensive.

I think this idea is worth of it's own dedicated thread, but I'll respond here...

Maybe more expensive than the ones already listed, but the coffee shop inside the Royal Cliff Hotel, I think called "Panorama Cafe", is open 24 hours, and has some very reasonably priced items, considering the quality and ambiance... I think they even have some Thai dishes, around 100 baht, and you get all the great bread you want... I know it's not a bargain place, but the prices are fair for what it is... and there is free parking... and of course there's the gourmet stuff at 7-11, those hot-dog thingies that rotate on those faux grills... i'm sure they are riddled with nitrates and other preservatives and coloring agents... probably lots of MSG too...

And is the restaurant upstairs at TOPS (Klang and 2nd road location), called "COCA"? Sort of a coffee shop... I know they have Bangkok locations too... and in the "Boystown" homo area, I think the restaurants in the Ambiance Hotel, and the Le Cafe Royale Hotel are open 24 hours... not expensive... and around the corner, the sex-crazed PENTHOUSE HOTEL has a restaurant open 24 hours that is quite reasonable too... but i didn't care for their food... not really a culinary palace. I think Michelin only gave them 1 star... boo hoo.

[britmaveric]

Hmm u confront a moto-taxi driver because he laffs at you about not using his service because u want a basket? Personally these lot can be a tad dangerous especially u cross the wrong one. I think better not to agitate them before u get clipped by some rebar or 2X4.

[WISteve]

Hmm u confront a moto-taxi driver because he laffs at you about not using his service because u want a basket? Personally these lot can be a tad dangerous especially u cross the wrong one. I think better not to agitate them before u get clipped by some rebar or 2X4.

Agee heartily.

Motodops and bahtbus drivers are generally not the types I wish to get upset with me.

Back about 4 years ago I chartered a bahtbus when leaving Xzyte Disco and unfortunately my companion for the evening gave him faulty directions. He was wandering aimlessly up on Bhudda Hill for 5-10 minutes until I noticed the error of his ways and sent him off toward Jomtien. When we arrived I handed him the agreed upon price, paying no attention to his protestations. He came out of the cab with a baseball bat, fully intending me grievous bodily harm. My companion fortunately stepped between us and after a short discussion told me, "he want ten baht more for driving long way." The guy was ready to give me a concussion over ten extra baht.

These are not the kind of folks you want to exchange barbs with.

~WISteve

[whatchamacallit]

Tissue/napkin and Toilet Paper shortage in Thailand:

When you go to MacDonald's, KFC, Dairy Queen and they only give you 1 napkin.

Big C and Royal Plaza Theatre concession stand - bring your own napkin as they offer none at all.

5 baht public toilet - 1 tile of toilet paper to wipe :-).

and the list goes on....

[Alf Witt]

Weho, why are you living in Pattaya, if indeed you are?

All of your posts are negative in some way about the place, the food, the people in fact just about everything.

I agree Weho- all of your posts are compaints about almost every aspect of Thailand.

Is there anything indigenous to Thailand that you DO like? Besides Sizzler, Fuji and Roast Beef sandwiches, which you could find in your own country?

Pray tell- what was it about Thailand that made you decide to move here?

Could it have been the supermarket baskets in Carrefour?

[bino]

Could it have been the supermarket baskets in Carrefour?

Possible- but we know for sure that it was not the trolleys at the airport!

[Alf Witt]

Some people are taking this all a bit too seriously.

Weho............you are winning.

.....and he's making me chuckle too John. Keep it up Weho, you are right in what you've just said. Your comments are so apt and erudite.

I don't know about "erudite", but its certainly some form of "..ite". But, hey, the whole interchange is funny. It's good to read through a whole thread with a smile on your face and sometimes a chuckle. It takes a special talent to have strong feelings about a basket on another individual's motor cycle. Yeh, keep them coming Wacko, sorry Weho. I'm a fan (that's an enthusiast by the way, not one of those round things that blow air at you).

P.S. I guess if you are a smoker you also look for a motorcycle with an ashtray?

[Alf Witt]

My pet peeve is sitting in a bar in Soi 7 and having a finger jabbed in my back by eiether a toothless shoe-shine bloke or 3 year old kid selling chewing gum every 10 minutes.

You're not the only one. How do you think he became toothless?

[Weho]

Tissue/napkin and Toilet Paper shortage in Thailand:

When you go to MacDonald's, KFC, Dairy Queen and they only give you 1 napkin.

Big C and Royal Plaza Theatre concession stand - bring your own napkin as they offer none at all.

5 baht public toilet - 1 tile of toilet paper to wipe :-).

and the list goes on....

But maybe it's 2-ply toilet paper... just a tip: if you ate more fiber, I'm certain you would require fewer sheets of toilet paper to do whatever job you're doing...

I am often amazed at the lack of trash cans... hardly any in sight. No wonder there is so much trash lying around, both inside and outside.

[Artisan]

Try it, and please, if you feel like it, reply back here and give your impressions... I even freeze cereal bowls, so when I put the milk in, it stays cool much longer...

Another little tip...............during those days when you can't stop "tipping the skip", stick some toilet rolls in the freezer. Oh what bliss!!! Sabai sabai.

[Weho]

Try it, and please, if you feel like it, reply back here and give your impressions... I even freeze cereal bowls, so when I put the milk in, it stays cool much longer...

Another little tip...............during those days when you can't stop "tipping the skip", stick some toilet rolls in the freezer. Oh what bliss!!! Sabai sabai.

I'm not sure frozen toilet paper would do anything for me... but i must admit I'm a bit fascinated by the idea.

[dantilley]

If you don,t like the place so much then ship out.

Ah, that classic meaningless response - hadn't read one of these for a while actually...

[dantilley]

Some people are taking this all a bit too seriously.

Weho............you are winning.

Completely agree. Very amusing thread, thanks Weho!

And I see what you mean about the whistle blowers - pointless, annoying and, as you pointed out, what does it mean and what is it supposed to achieve? Does more frantic whistle blowing mean "quick, stop immediately", or "accelerate, quickly"? And what do the quick, short blasts mean? All a lot of noise for no apparent reason as far as I can gather.

[chinthee]

Some people are taking this all a bit too seriously.

Weho............you are winning.

Completely agree. Very amusing thread, thanks Weho!

And I see what you mean about the whistle blowers - pointless, annoying and, as you pointed out, what does it mean and what is it supposed to achieve? Does more frantic whistle blowing mean "quick, stop immediately", or "accelerate, quickly"? And what do the quick, short blasts mean? All a lot of noise for no apparent reason as far as I can gather.

*sigh* Ok,, kids here is your primer on what the whistle blowing means. I have lived through years of this in the parking garages of BKK:

1. Acknowledgment. a sharp blast or two to let you know he is on the job and has your back.

2. The approach. intermittant short blasts with slightly longer blasts to let you know your have lined up your back up approach to the parking spot. If you have erred, he will blast hard and long to let you know to start over.

3. The insertion. After you have a good line of sight into the parking spot, he will first start with slow and low blasts in regular intervals.

4. The buildup to finish. As you approach nirvana, he will blow hard and fast regular blasts, increasing in speed until a continuous blast is sustained.

5. The finish. After you've reached the right point, he will quit the furious blasting, give you one friendly toot and extend white gloved hand as he opens your door.

Got it?

[bjsanook]

Some of mine, not just Pattaya:

#5- Thai Only Passport Counters.

#4- Public Officials/Admin, so slooooooooooow, and 10 different people have to look at it slooooooowly before completion.

#3- How the hotels in Pattaya don't want to follow the discounts they advertise they follow, like Pattaya Sports Club's discounts. "Sorry Sir, we not do now" " No have now".

#2- Restaurants who claim they are so good but really they are just average, one such burger place on South Pattaya Road comes to mind. Totally dry, bad service, forgot the order, warm beer, then claim you ran out on a difference of 75 baht on the tab when the cashier wasn't coherent enough to get it right. I guess they rely on everyone being drunk in Pattaya so you'll think it's great.

#1- High season. It's a fight for everything. Beaches are filled with huge white sexy man and women, gag, and the parking goes from rotten to non-exsistent. Everyone tries to get that extra baht off you. Attitudes go from friendly to cut throat.

I still love a brief visit to Sin City, but I find I'm spending more time up north in the country having fun than spending it in Pats.

And Weho, "Love the suit"..

BJ

[Weho]

Some people are taking this all a bit too seriously.

Weho............you are winning.

Completely agree. Very amusing thread, thanks Weho!

And I see what you mean about the whistle blowers - pointless, annoying and, as you pointed out, what does it mean and what is it supposed to achieve? Does more frantic whistle blowing mean "quick, stop immediately", or "accelerate, quickly"? And what do the quick, short blasts mean? All a lot of noise for no apparent reason as far as I can gather.

*sigh* Ok,, kids here is your primer on what the whistle blowing means. I have lived through years of this in the parking garages of BKK:

1. Acknowledgment. a sharp blast or two to let you know he is on the job and has your back.

2. The approach. intermittant short blasts with slightly longer blasts to let you know your have lined up your back up approach to the parking spot. If you have erred, he will blast hard and long to let you know to start over.

3. The insertion. After you have a good line of sight into the parking spot, he will first start with slow and low blasts in regular intervals.

4. The buildup to finish. As you approach nirvana, he will blow hard and fast regular blasts, increasing in speed until a continuous blast is sustained.

5. The finish. After you've reached the right point, he will quit the furious blasting, give you one friendly toot and extend white gloved hand as he opens your door.

Got it?

That's a really great list... I'm going to print it out in, translated into Thai, to distribute to all the whistle dudes around town, so we can have some consistency in all parking lots. And I'm going to print it out, as written in English, and get it laminated, and keep it with me at all times, so I can reference it WHILE I'm parking. Hope I can tell the differecne between cadences/patterns.

[ThailandTony]

I read some of the moans on page 1 then had to read all the way past post #85....hahahaha....you guys kill me!...if you don't like something, forgetaboutit and move on, if it makes you laugh keep doing it!...now how many blows is that on a whistle!

[dantilley]

*sigh* Ok,, kids here is your primer on what the whistle blowing means. I have lived through years of this in the parking garages of BKK:

1. Acknowledgment. a sharp blast or two to let you know he is on the job and has your back.

2. The approach. intermittant short blasts with slightly longer blasts to let you know your have lined up your back up approach to the parking spot. If you have erred, he will blast hard and long to let you know to start over.

3. The insertion. After you have a good line of sight into the parking spot, he will first start with slow and low blasts in regular intervals.

4. The buildup to finish. As you approach nirvana, he will blow hard and fast regular blasts, increasing in speed until a continuous blast is sustained.

5. The finish. After you've reached the right point, he will quit the furious blasting, give you one friendly toot and extend white gloved hand as he opens your door.

Got it?

Thanks for the explanation!

What's the extending white gloved hand for in #5? Not expecting a tip, are they? Not sure I'd ever tip someone for annoying the hel_l out of me while I was trying to do a simple task like parking my car...

[Alf Witt]

*sigh* Ok,, kids here is your primer on what the whistle blowing means. I have lived through years of this in the parking garages of BKK:

1. Acknowledgment. a sharp blast or two to let you know he is on the job and has your back.

2. The approach. intermittant short blasts with slightly longer blasts to let you know your have lined up your back up approach to the parking spot. If you have erred, he will blast hard and long to let you know to start over.

3. The insertion. After you have a good line of sight into the parking spot, he will first start with slow and low blasts in regular intervals.

4. The buildup to finish. As you approach nirvana, he will blow hard and fast regular blasts, increasing in speed until a continuous blast is sustained.

5. The finish. After you've reached the right point, he will quit the furious blasting, give you one friendly toot and extend white gloved hand as he opens your door.

Got it?

I almost had an orgasm reading this explanation. Are you sure you get out enough, Chinthee?

[geriatrickid]

#5- Thai Only Passport Counters.

Sort of like in the USA where there are US citizen only lines? Or in the EU?

#4- Public Officials/Admin, so slooooooooooow, and 10 different people have to look at it slooooooowly before completion.

Gee,you just described the civil service in most Western countries.

#3- How the hotels in Pattaya don't want to follow the discounts they advertise they follow

Try some of the hotels in southern France or Florida. They have disappearing confirmed reservations, but will find room for you at the "rack rate".

#2- Restaurants who claim they are so good but really they are just average, one such burger place on South Pattaya Road comes to mind. Totally dry, bad service,

Sounds like McDonalds, Burger King etc. in North America and the EU. Instead of a dry burger though you get something slathered in greasy goop.

#1- High season. It's a fight for everything. Beaches are filled with huge white sexy man and women, gag, and the parking goes from rotten to non-exsistent. Everyone tries to get that extra baht off you. Attitudes go from friendly to cut throat.

Try high season in the Carribean or the mediteranean. Rooms in moldy roach palaces go for $300US/night. If you are lucky and aren't too far from Marseilles, you are guaranteed a visit from a junkie burglar jumping on to your balcon while you are trying to sleep.

Edited June 18, 2007 by geriatrickid

[Weho]

#5- Thai Only Passport Counters.

Sort of like in the USA where there are US citizen only lines? Or in the EU?

#4- Public Officials/Admin, so slooooooooooow, and 10 different people have to look at it slooooooowly before completion.

Gee,you just described the civil service in most Western countries.

#3- How the hotels in Pattaya don't want to follow the discounts they advertise they follow

Try some of the hotels in southern France or Florida. They have disappearing confirmed reservations, but will find room for you at the "rack rate".

#2- Restaurants who claim they are so good but really they are just average, one such burger place on South Pattaya Road comes to mind. Totally dry, bad service,

Sounds like McDonalds, Burger King etc. in North America and the EU. Instead of a dry burger though you get something slathered in greasy goop.

#1- High season. It's a fight for everything. Beaches are filled with huge white sexy man and women, gag, and the parking goes from rotten to non-exsistent. Everyone tries to get that extra baht off you. Attitudes go from friendly to cut throat.

Try high season in the Carribean or the mediteranean. Rooms in moldy roach palaces go for $300US/night. If you are lucky and aren't too far from Marseilles, you are guaranteed a visit from a junkie burglar jumping on to your balcon while you are trying to sleep.

5. I'm not troubled by "Thai Only" passport lines... they are usually well-staffed, and the wait times are reasonable. I am however, troubled by Thais paying one price on a baht bus, or for some entrance fee, and non-Thais paying ten or twenty times the fee... but this happens in many other countries too... I'm troubled by that as well.

4. public administration here I would rate somewhat better than in "western countries"... when I have to do that kind of "business", and they tell me to pick up the documents say "tomorrow", and I complain, they ALWAYS get it for me RIGHT AWAY. in a "western country", I wouldn't even try to ask to speed anything up.. in Thailand, gawd forbid you ever have to return something to like BIG C or Tesco or Carrefour... you will have to deal with at least ten or twenty employees, committees, etc. It's a nightmare.

3. discounts here: no better, no worse than anywhere else... but my complaint here is that the discounts are usually so little, it's almost insulting. and if some hotel advertises say "50% off the rack rate", which say is 50% off $150, which is $75, they will usually have some "promo" rate on their website for 1/2 that. I've given up ever trying to get discounts using coupons here.

2. i have seen many outrageous claims for "best food" all over Thailand... with no verification or documentation to support the fradulent claim. In "western countries", that doesn't happen as much... I know over in Ameirgay, they would get sued for that.

1. There's a reason high season has more people: it's freezing in much of the rest of the world, the weather is pretty good hear, and it's still a good value. i've never had a problem finding a beach chair, masseuse, restaurant etc. You may have to park an extra minute away from where you normally would. Try the south of France in August... $500 a night in a hotel that might cost $100 a night in high season here.