Patong - The Wake

[HighPriority]

I’m glad you’ve got some company xylo, I can’t imagine my ex coming to care for me though ! 🤣

 

[Olmate]

On 3/31/2024 at 12:48 PM, xylophone said:

A night of disappointments on Friday evening, which started with a visit to a restaurant called "West" in Soi Patong Tower, whereby previous visits had been enjoyable and I negotiated being able to bring my own bottle of wine along (because theirs was fruit wine) for a princely sum of 200 baht, which was okay by me.

 

Only this time (and I didn't find out until the bill came along) the charge was 400 baht +10% service charge, and the price of my meal had increased by about 100 baht!! I queried this with the serving guy and he just said that prices had increased everywhere, so they put their price up, or words to that effect. Now 400 baht charge for my own wine was too steep IMO, so I won't be going back to that restaurant, so they have lost my patronage plus the patronage of the other folks I introduced to it.

 

After leaving that restaurant my friend and I went along to another couple of bars in Bangla, but as I've mentioned before "the thrill has gone" and probably went a long time ago if I was truthful, so I don't much enjoy nights out in Bangla these days.

 

I decided to head for home at about 11 PM and as I was walking towards the motorbike taxi place, a group of about six burly guys in their mid-20s or thereabouts, surrounded me and got in my face, with one of them saying, "you dirty bastard, what are you doing here" with a couple of his mates chiming in with similar comments.

 

At the age of 76 I wasn't about to try and take any of these guys on, however I had overheard them in a bar down the road, mention to someone that they were from Nottinghamshire so I basically said to the ringleader what the "fark" are you on about? "You guys are from Nottinghamshire, so what are you playing at, as I was born in England too?".

 

To which he basically said they were only "playing around", but it certainly didn't feel like that although I wasn't unduly threatened, but it was uncomfortable enough. English louts is the best I can say about them.

 

But the worst was yet to come because I got on a motorbike taxi to go home and when we arrived at my Soi, I asked the motorbike taxi driver if his motorbike was strong enough to take me up my steep drive, mainly because my old football knee was playing up a little, to which he replied that it could. So he attempted to get up the drive with me on the back of his motorbike, but unfortunately about halfway up he lost control of it, and I did a backward somersault off the bike and was knocked out for a few minutes and I'm not quite sure what happened next, but I think maybe he picked me up and saw blood gushing out of a head wound so quickly left on his motorbike.

 

I don't remember walking up the remaining part of the drive or the steps to my apartment, but I do remember that the room/my head was spinning and I was in some pain from my back (pelvis area) and my head and I tried to lay down, but think I passed out for a while because I woke up three hours later with my pillow bloodied somewhat, and feeling not well at all.

 

I was feeling very unwell so decided to wait until a bit later when the owners of my apartments were awake to ask them if they could call me a taxi to take me to the hospital, because I was not in a good way and thought I might have fractured my skull. The owners husband decided to take me in their car and I had a CT scan of my head and an x-ray of my hips and chest and I told him to go home and I would get a taxi home, which I did, still feeling very fragile and unwell.

 

The outcome is that I have a couple of wounds on the back of my head, one on my heel, bruising on my shoulders and damage to my lower spine, which I have to go and see the orthopaedic surgeon about next week?

 

Today I went to get the dressing on my head changed and the nurse said that if this was the fault of the motorbike taxi driver, then they were insured and I should claim from him, but how do you claim from someone who decided to do a "runner" after the incident? Not to worry, I said because I had paid it anyway.

 

So an eventful but an unenjoyable evening, which has left me in some pain and questioning why I really need to go to Patong centre, a place I don't enjoy any more and run the risk of all sorts of unsavoury incidents.

 

Moving away from that, the small laundry which opened up about six months ago at the bottom of my drive has closed and somebody who knew the owner said that the woman had borrowed money all over the place and had done a runner. This being one of the small "one-room" like shops in a very small enclave, which also included a Greek restaurant which was recently sold to Russians, plus a café which wasn't doing any business at all and which was sold and bought by someone who has turned it into a coffee and cannabis café, which doesn't seem to be doing much better?

 

The turnover of these small "enterprises" is very high and the above would be typical of what I'm seeing around Patong these days, yet just the other day the ex-girlfriend of a friend of mine asked me if I knew where there were any shops available for rent because she and a friend wanted to rent one and start a little travel advice bureau in it – – this without any experience in the industry at all, but with the burning desire to "open a shop".

 

When I asked her whether she had been seeking out any places that she could use, she basically said she hadn't, but anywhere would do, to which I replied that she really needed to be in an area with a great deal of foot traffic, so that she could sell to the tourists, something which seemed to be alien to her. I would put good money on it that whatever she opens will be destined to fail.

 

Still feeling a little fragile so I will endeavour to get a bit of rest, with the help of a couple of anti-inflammatories plus the antibiotics that the hospital prescribed for my head wounds, hoping that the damage to the base of my spine is not serious.
 

Faaark Xylo, been missing your recent news, sorry to hear, keep battling pal! Used to live Nanai 8, often figured up that slope would kill me living there. As to the english hard talk, Pattaya bars are overflowing with such trash talkers, permanently......." dont sweat, She ll be right mate"! 

[xylophone]

14 hours ago, HighPriority said:

I’m glad you’ve got some company xylo, I can’t imagine my ex coming to care for me though ! 🤣

 

Thanks HP, and as regards the ex/gf coming to look after me, well when we parted company many years ago I made the decision to ensure that both her and her daughter (now my unofficially adopted daughter) would not want for anything. So I provided them with a small business to run, and helped with building a house for her up in Phitsanulok, and of course have supported my daughter financially for all of these years, so we have been on good terms and they have been only too pleased to be able to repay my kindness by coming down to take care of me.

 

My daughter has moved down to Phuket and wants to stay here, so she will be close by in the future, which is a bonus.

 

I have got to say that I'm still in a great deal of pain and just about immobile, but the back pain I can put up with, however damage to my heel is extremely painful and the room spins don't seem to be getting any better, so I'm just hoping that time will be the healer!

 

Thanks for your concern HP, it is much appreciated.

[xylophone]

I thought I'd try and post something whilst sitting uncomfortably in my computer chair, although I haven't been out in the evenings in Patong, I have been out a few times to Bangkok Phuket hospital, accompanied by my daughter and her mother and also been to Big C here in Patong on about three or four occasions, clinging onto their shoulders whilst I shuffled along, trying hard not to fall over. And they have been great.

 

As regards Big C, I went along today and the long queues at the checkouts have disappeared, almost as if by magic, and many of those folk in those queues were Russians, with a few Chinese thrown in, so it would seem there has been an exodus, and coupled with the fact that the traffic has improved somewhat, I would appear to be right?

 

On that subject, whilst coming out of Big C there is a machine in which you put your parking card, and pay a fee so that you can exit the car parking area, but things were not going smoothly for a Russian woman this time! She was shouting at an employee, who I have to say handled himself very well, suggesting that the amount of 120 baht which was showing on the machine for her to pay to retrieve her card, was wrong and it wasn't her card!!

 

No matter how much she shouted at this guy, he basically said they could review the camera in the area and that would show if she had inserted her card and what the time of it was, therefore showing if the card was hers or not. He handled it well, and I had left before it was solved, but kudos to the Thai guy in this situation because he tried to explain what happens and she just wouldn't listen.

 

Staying on that nationality, the restaurant at the entrance to Nanai 6, "Santorini on Nanai" which was bought by Russians about three months ago, is now back on the market at a quite remarkable price of 2 million baht!!!! For this one gets a small restaurant type place which would seat probably eight people at best, and two chefs and a helper, according to the advertisement on Facebook!

 

It is being marketed by Russian estate agent and at 2 million baht is far and away in cloud cuckoo land, especially seeing that it is in a row of about five similar sized "shops" in which one would be lucky to be able to "swing a cat", one of which was a laundry and has been closed because of lack of business, but is now open again and bought by some other Thai lady hopefuls, and the only price point is that one of the shops of the same size sold for around 250,000 baht a short while ago, so the asking price for Santorini is either a joke, or they are hoping another desperate Russian will buy it?

 

Not only that, the recently refurbished and renamed hotel and restaurant just metres across the road from this, offers a substantial menu with different cuisines available, whereas Santorini has just Greek food. It will be interesting to see what happens to this.

 

Whilst my Thai daughter and her Thai mother (my ex-GF) were taking care of me, we would often discuss current events around the dinner table and according to them, the "word out on the streets" from the Thai community was not very favourable for the Russians here, with a number of instances being that the Russians ordered the Thai food in a café, ate a great deal of it and then suggested that it was no good or too spicy and refused to pay for it. This as well as a few of these folk doing a "runner" before paying the bill did not endear them to the Thai community in general by the sounds of it.

 

As I have not been out and about much at all, the above is all I have as regards the latest news in Patong!

[Agusts]

It's nice to hear you're recovering well, and it's so good to have some help..., I doubt any of my ex-gf would even call me in such circumstances...! 

 

As for Big C I have never used those parking machines, I always buy something and then take the receipt to the girl sitting next to the machine and get free parking, I should think most people qualify for that...! 

 

I noticed mention of a lot of bars and restaurants bought and sold at fairytale prices or even operated with no clients here, this is all to do with money laundering, I've seen it in some other Banana Republic countries, even at 25% loss cleaning of illegal money is big business, cash is used for buying or as daily revenue in legal businesses and then cleaned into legal bank account, very common practice..., don't be surprised...! 

 

[Olmate]

3 hours ago, Agusts said:

It's nice to hear you're recovering well, and it's so good to have some help..., I doubt any of my ex-gf would even call me in such circumstances...! 

 

As for Big C I have never used those parking machines, I always buy something and then take the receipt to the girl sitting next to the machine and get free parking, I should think most people qualify for that...! 

 

I noticed mention of a lot of bars and restaurants bought and sold at fairytale prices or even operated with no clients here, this is all to do with money laundering, I've seen it in some other Banana Republic countries, even at 25% loss cleaning of illegal money is big business, cash is used for buying or as daily revenue in legal businesses and then cleaned into legal bank account, very common practice..., don't be surprised...! 

 

Re the cleaning cash.Whole lot easier to become Chinese and visit Sydney Crown casino with suitcases stuffed with cash, no questions asked! 

Edited Friday at 07:50 AM by Olmate
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[Patong2]

Glad to see you getting out and coming back to normal.

 

There is definitely lower numbers in Patong than the last few weeks. Traffic and pedestrians show that.

The piers for the cruise boats have gone and so have all the boat tenders to bring the passengers on shore.

Looks a little bare up that end now.

 

Still lots of crazy driving and I avoided a head on coming back to Patong on Friday night. Two crowded lanes of traffic heading up the hill and a lunatic pulled out on the blind corner and overtook as I was coming sedately down the other side. Completely on my side of the road and unusually I had nothing beside me so managed to squeeze off to the left and he missed by a hairsbreadth. We never miss honking the horn for luck at the temple at the top. With Patong Hill you need all the help you can get and something has managed to save us for many years.

 

During the day I was pulled in at Kathu at the police check and the cop actually had a careful look at my Thai licence for the first time ever.

 

As my wife is having temporary mobility problems we have been eating at restaurants that we can park very close to and in Patong there is not that many. Last night we felt like something different and went down to a Kazakhstan restaurant in Chalong. Great decor and it was very busy with only traditional Kazakstani dishes which are very meat based. Generous portions and good service. I think nearly everyone other than us were Russian and some of the ladies were very smartly dressed.

 

Have enjoyed both the tiny Mexican Taco place and also Le Bistrot at the south end of Nanai Rd a few times but have lost my easy parking at Santorini now the Hotel opposite has reopened. Shame because I enjoy the Greek food. 

 

Looking forward to a quieter time for a few months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, Patong2 said:

Glad to see you getting out and coming back to normal.

 

There is definitely lower numbers in Patong than the last few weeks. Traffic and pedestrians show that.

The piers for the cruise boats have gone and so have all the boat tenders to bring the passengers on shore.

Looks a little bare up that end now.

 

Still lots of crazy driving and I avoided a head on coming back to Patong on Friday night. Two crowded lanes of traffic heading up the hill and a lunatic pulled out on the blind corner and overtook as I was coming sedately down the other side. Completely on my side of the road and unusually I had nothing beside me so managed to squeeze off to the left and he missed by a hairsbreadth. We never miss honking the horn for luck at the temple at the top. With Patong Hill you need all the help you can get and something has managed to save us for many years.

 

During the day I was pulled in at Kathu at the police check and the cop actually had a careful look at my Thai licence for the first time ever.

 

As my wife is having temporary mobility problems we have been eating at restaurants that we can park very close to and in Patong there is not that many. Last night we felt like something different and went down to a Kazakhstan restaurant in Chalong. Great decor and it was very busy with only traditional Kazakstani dishes which are very meat based. Generous portions and good service. I think nearly everyone other than us were Russian and some of the ladies were very smartly dressed.

 

Have enjoyed both the tiny Mexican Taco place and also Le Bistrot at the south end of Nanai Rd a few times but have lost my easy parking at Santorini now the Hotel opposite has reopened. Shame because I enjoy the Greek food. 

 

Looking forward to a quieter time for a few months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your kind words and I think "normal" is quite a long way off yet what with the painful coccyx and the spinning/falling over sensations – – but time is a great healer.

 

I totally agree with your "lots of crazy driving" and I don't think I've ever experienced driving quite like this now and whether it is the locals going crazy or the Russians/dark Frenchies/Arabs of all descriptions just ignoring the basics of sane driving or just plain stupidity?

 

As regards the Greek restaurant, "Santorini on Nanai", well I did visit it a few times early on in the piece and thought the food was good, however it seemed to go downhill a while before it was sold, so maybe that was a portent to the final event?

 

I did manage to get a pizza from Da Mareno the other evening, and whether it is because they knew me, or "whatever", it was enormous and even though I cut it in half, I could barely get through the two halves over two days!!

 

I hope your wife's mobility problems are improving and please pass on my best regards to her.
 

[London Lowf]

11 hours ago, xylophone said:

I did manage to get a pizza from Da Mareno the other evening, and whether it is because they knew me, or "whatever", it was enormous and even though I cut it in half, I could barely get through the two halves over two days!!

 

Da Moreno is superb but, like you, I can barely manage half of their (Universale) pizza - maybe I need a girlfriend to share it with? I don't use doggy bags and it saddens me a little to abandon good food, but I always get over it with a few beers on Bangla afterwards although I struggle to get them down on a bloated belly!

 

Due to family commitments I will not be back on Phuket until mid-September. I am not enjoying my time back in cold, windy, wet Blighty.

 

 

[zzzzz]

Rode thru Patong yesterday from Jung Ceylon down to circle and up beach road,

FULL on traffic jam around 2 pm>

that Dam  "boxing, boxing" truck creates all the trouble
glad i dont live there

Edited yesterday at 03:05 AM by zzzzz