Just come back from Pattaya, where I went with the wife for 3 days.

We were both impressed with the city the life and the people we met.

A complete contrast to the life we have now, living in rural Issan.

Enough of me trying to integrate to the village way of life for the past 8 years.

Life is in Pattaya.

Where can I start from?

The walks on the seafront of South Pattaya and Jomtien?

The clean sea breeze from the gulf of Thailand?

The plethora of restaurants and variety of food?

Yes, more expensive than here, but you pay according to the quality, the variety and the service you receive.

The feeling of not being an outsider in Thailand, not a farang anymore, pointed by every Thai as being a member of some wildlife species?

There are more foreigners living there than Thais.

And the Thais have adjusted and treat you with respect and friendliness.

The amount of shopping malls around?

Everything you need, it’s a short distance away.

The beautiful coffee shops, overlooking the sea with the facility of being inside with the air-condition or outside enjoying your cigarette?

And the most important for me, lots and lots of people around you.

Doesn’t matter ethnic or nationality……I just love people.

Have to admit that traffic is usually bad……but I have all the time in my hands.

Night life and bar girls are not so important for me.

I saw Walking Street once and that is enough.

Saying that……….when she is working………I can sneak out……just for some extra leisure……..but please don’t tell her that.

So the decision has been made.

The wife will be applying for a position in a Pattaya hospital.

With her qualifications, experience and command of the English language, probably she will get a job with at least double her current salary.

With my income also, it’s more than enough to enjoy a comfortable life.

We will rent a house or a condo and if she feels homesick we can always come and stay for some time in our house in the sticks.

What do you think members?

A good decision or just a nice dream?

Great idea different Women will keep one young. I thought I might move to Chiang Mai but after staying their a week I miss all the women in Pattaya

I am 85 and have a 36 year old Thai Wife But the women of Pattaya are great for my heart.

Hope to see you for a drink on Sol 6

Shhh!

Don't let the secret out or it might be spoiled by the riff raff!

Great idea Costas!

Now I'm definitely coming to visit!

Seriously why not do the move? You sound revitalized and ready to go now.

Shhh!

Don't let the secret out or it might be spoiled by the riff raff!

That would be about 30 years too late

Great idea different Women will keep one young. I thought I might move to Chiang Mai but after staying their a week I miss all the women in Pattaya

I am 85 and have a 36 year old Thai Wife But the women of Pattaya are great for my heart.

Hope to see you for a drink on Sol 6

85 and 36 and you still like a drink!

Jeez Harry good for you mate!

As if we need more bloody gerbil farmers. The place is overrun with them.

'I saw Walking Street once and that is enough.

Saying that……….when she is working………I can sneak out……just for some extra leisure……..but please don’t tell her that.

So the decision has been made.'

Sounds like a recipe for divorce!

Sadly, I predict a tumultuous time for this thread, but costas has been here long enough to know that. To those who will inevitably give Pattaya a serve, I would ask that you do so on the basis of having spent at least a week here. There are many things that need to be fixed - starting with the traffic and the Police - but telling us that you'd like to see central Pattaya bulldozed simply because it's 'not Thailand' is a waste of keystrokes : please try to come up with something original if that's how you feel.

costas, the only point I'd like to discuss is your claim that there are more Farang here than Thais. It's probably only when you get away from central Pattaya and Jomtien that you begin to realise just how many Thais actually live in Pattaya. The last census put the number of full-time Thai residents at 100,000 - the majority Chinese-Thai - and my best guesstimate is that there are at least that many Isaan Thais living and working here until they can go back to the province. That's 200K+ Thais in a city where the population can swell to 500K in the highest of high seasons, but is normally closer to 300K. Unless you count Chinese, Koreans and Russians as 'Farang', I have trouble believing there are more Farang than Thai, particularly with tourist numbers at their current low ebb. Throw in the Bangkok exodus on weekends and you'll see plenty of Thais in central Pattaya and the aforementioned traffic issues.

I'm glad you and your wife enjoyed your trip to Pattaya and I wish you both every success with the move - just dont be deterred by the naysayers.

Envy you, Costas... I need another 7 month to finally arrive and settle in Pattaya...

'I saw Walking Street once and that is enough.

Saying that……….when she is working………I can sneak out……just for some extra leisure……..but please don’t tell her that.

So the decision has been made.'

Sounds like a recipe for divorce!

Agreed.

Costas this is going to be a disaster.

Costas !! You forgot to take your medicine !!

Pattaya holy hell what are you thinking?

If you feel it's right "Go for it"......,,,

Life is too short.....

I could imagine Costas running a traditional kafaneio on the beach front there.

Don't listen to the doubters Costas, you go for it mate!

Costas, regarding your wife, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, always look for nurses, I know they start nurses on about 20K per month.

You will enjoy living in Pattaya, foreign tv, papers, variety of foods, vibrant life all around.

Get a house on the the dark side, peaceful and nice and only mins to the city.

I am 85 and have a 36 year old Thai Wife But the women of Pattaya are great for my heart.

But does viagra is great for your heart?

Unless you count Chinese, Koreans and Russians as 'Farang',

How can Russians be in the same boat with Chinese and Koreans? Russians are Caucasians, aren't they?

Unless you count Chinese, Koreans and Russians as 'Farang',

How can Russians be in the same boat with Chinese and Koreans? Russians are Caucasians, aren't they?

Some are, some aren't. Many Russian Asians in Pattaya especially from Siberia/Eastern Russia.

Costas, regarding your wife, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, always look for nurses, I know they start nurses on about 20K per month.

You will enjoy living in Pattaya, foreign tv, papers, variety of foods, vibrant life all around.

Get a house on the the dark side, peaceful and nice and only mins to the city.

Thank you, but you are a little out of touch.

She is earning 30K a month at the moment and we are sure she can double that in Pattaya.

After all she's got 20 years experience as an ER nurse.

Don't know which is the dark side of Pattaya, but we are more thinking of a condo in South Pattaya and from what we've seen it will be about 40k rent per month, for a 2 bedroom one.

But we will be more aware of everything on our next trip in April.

Costas, regarding your wife, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, always look for nurses, I know they start nurses on about 20K per month.

You will enjoy living in Pattaya, foreign tv, papers, variety of foods, vibrant life all around.

Get a house on the the dark side, peaceful and nice and only mins to the city.

Thank you, but you are a little out of touch.

She is earning 30K a month at the moment and we are sure she can double that in Pattaya.

After all she's got 20 years experience as an ER nurse.

Don't know which is the dark side of Pattaya, but we are more thinking of a condo in South Pattaya and from what we've seen it will be about 40k rent per month, for a 2 bedroom one.

But we will be more aware of everything on our next trip in April.

Costas, sadly what she is earning now, she will not get at a new job.

While her experience will count, she will not get top paying job as a start.

The dark side is East Pattaya, ie the other side of Sukhumvit Road.

40k per month is an over the top rentals.

You can get a nice 2 bedroom for 25 k if a condo or 15k on the dark side for a house.

Walking Street?

That's for tourists.

Look at a map of the region.

It's a tiny speck on it.

Next ...

Frankly, I can't believe that I am the only one who can see through Costas' bluster.

He is simply pandering to the masses of Pattaya in a blatant act of sycophancy to attempt to secure more votes in the 2015 Poster of the Year awards.

Costas - remember, most of the unwashed in Pattaya can't write their own name, let alone sign on to Thai Visa.com. Focus on the few literate. hiso Pattaya Farangs that are already represented on here....

Costas moving to Pattaya???

NO!!

I'd better start looking for somewhere else to live.

Shhh!

Don't let the secret out or it might be spoiled by the riff raff!

That would be about 30 years too late

Actually the visible riff raff in Pattaya are all on salary, assigned to maintain an outer ring of defense against a mass influx of actual riff raff who might attempt to wander away from designated riff raff zones such as Walking Street, Beach Road and Soi Bua Khow. Costas has obviously undermined our long term security measures both by blabbing about the Real Pattaya and by threatening to take up residence here. Meetings are being held as we speak, I can assure you.

In the photo below, one of our Riff Raff Risk Reduction agents has even confused a policeman. The RRRR agent spotted a tourist about to cross out of the designated riff raff zone and immediately assumed a horizontal defensive position that distracted the tourist and allowed actual residents of Pattaya to remain safe in their homes. Is that a bottle of Courvoisier?

That photo doesn't look like Soi Buakhau or Walking Street.

Maybe the ring of steel is working!

We only go there for some shopping, beer at Hopf and an occasional birthday party at friends.

It's growing ever more in to a congested and deteriorated slum...

costas, I'm sure you're aware of two things that come to Pattaya in April - heat and the horde that arrives for 10 days of madness beginning April 19. Some love it but many who live here loathe it - up to you. Personally, I'm thinking Cambodia is looking good for the bulk of this year's Songkran. Enjoy your stay.

Unless you count Chinese, Koreans and Russians as 'Farang',

How can Russians be in the same boat with Chinese and Koreans? Russians are Caucasians, aren't they?

Some are, some aren't. Many Russian Asians in Pattaya especially from Siberia/Eastern Russia.

That's right. I know lots of Russia's in Australia that look full Chinese. In fact after a certain time in Russian history, lots walked into China. They then had children who married Chinese people and today's generation it's not uncommon to find Russians who can speak fluent Chinese.

Unless you count Chinese, Koreans and Russians as 'Farang',

How can Russians be in the same boat with Chinese and Koreans? Russians are Caucasians, aren't they?

Some are, some aren't. Many Russian Asians in Pattaya especially from Siberia/Eastern Russia.

That's right. I know lots of Russia's in Australia that look full Chinese. In fact after a certain time in Russian history, lots walked into China. They then had children who married Chinese people and today's generation it's not uncommon to find Russians who can speak fluent Chinese.

Putting aside Mongols occupied Russia for over 300 years, people from Kazakstan and Tartars are Asian looking