Royal Approval for 23 Gambling Activities, Including Bull Races and Mahjong

[minders91]

Firstly, let me make it clear that I have been visiting Pattaya since an early visit with my parents in 1978. At university in the 1980's, Pattaya became one of my regular backpacking destinations. After I divorced in 2000, my visits became twice-yearly but usually bolted on to much longer stays in Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and particularly Phuket. I am now in my 50's, speak passable Thai and live in the south of England but have many Thai and ex-pat friends.

To me, Pattaya now represents aggressive ankle-biting traffic and extraordinary vehicular pollution. In one way sois, one must look both ways owing to the wretched driving, particularly by motorcyclists. Pedestrians are second class citizens. Meawhile, the Police busy themselves on lining their own pockets with low hanging fruit and quick-wins such as illegal gaming or no crash helmets. Serious crimes go unreported owing to lack of confidence by the community and/or uninvestigated owing to the lack of resolve or capability by the officers themselves.

The music in the bars is outrageously loud, tedious, repetitive and competitive with its neighbours. Increasingly, menacing ladyboys and pesky Indian tailors make ugly street furniture.

The tragedy of lost souls deciding that Pattaya is the place to end their life by jumping from on high continues apace. Pattaya was a crazy, beautiful place. It can be a great place to connect with other human beings but it can simultaneously be a most unedifying and loneliest of places when the money runs out.

The flooding is unchecked and disgusting. Who wants to paddle in a sewer and with rats and snakes?

I have accepted Thai police corruption and pollution as essentially an Asian phenomenon but the last few years, and especially on my recent visit, I noticed the domination of the white, usually UK, Neanderthal man. He can usually be seen drinking in the LK area or soi 13/1 or 13/2. Neanderthal also likes Soi Buakhao where he can drink with fellow Neanderthals for 50 baht all day.

Neanderthal has an empty, vacant look on his face.

Neanderthal is usually bald or shaven and likes to hang around bald or shaven men too much for my liking. Girls are rarely seen in their company as drinks can be expensive. Neanderthal if he has gone bald prematurely likes to shave it all off to make it look as if it’s his style. He feels comfortable with other baldies. Baldies like to hang out together. The look is completed by extensive tattooing, tight fitting T shirts, steroid induced physiques and a limited vocabulary.

Pattaya neandertals inhabit the 400 baht a night guest house range and 80% of their 1200 baht a day budget is spent on bottled beer. Their big night of course is football night when they meet and chant songs, often until 5am. They think they are the kings of the jungle, the Big Cheese. In fact most don’t ‘live’ in Pattaya, they merely exist. I met two Neanderthals last week at a sports bar in Buakhao. One admitted he was an ‘alcoholic’ the other one admitted he was an ‘alcoholic and wife beater’. Charming.

Neanderthal is in a rut. Usually they are running away from something and can’t go home for fear of arrest or facing up to other moral responsibilities. They act in packs in Pattaya and have violent, arrogant streaks.

So for me, the lunatics have taken over the asylum. Pattaya can be a cruel mistress, but for me it’s time to say goobye to her.

[cbrer]

I wouldn't spend one minute there.

The place really does say a lot about the people who choose to live there.

[Rimmer]

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