jacko

I think Mistys did it and Penthouse.

Oh and just to show how out-of-touch I am with all this shopping that has arrived in Pattaya: on Tuesday I decided I was going to do a couple of Malls looking at phones. I was wary as I knew it was Asatha Bucha day so town would be filled with tourists, many of who were Bangkok drivers who seem to come to town with 'kill a falang on a motorbike' on their 'to do' list, but I had little else to do! Days like this there is not much parking...... Central Festival Beach Rd does not open until 11am, they don't even let you into the parking area.... you can get into the car park ... but not the parking spaces for bikes! So I exited and went to Tops, parking behind there was always easy and quite convenient. They have taped it all off, during a time when parking is sorely needed, they tape a major piece of it off. Only in Thailand. Managed to shuffle up a couple of bikes at the side of the Cool House and walked back towards the mall, had to wait outside with 20-30 others for 11am, when they opened. It is packed with shoppy types, so you never know, this new direction for Pattaya may well work out! The most pleasant thing, was leaving, and getting over to the dark side of Sukhumvit where I felt safer on the bike, away from the red-light jumpers and sods who think they own the roads. Today the 5 day holiday is over, it looks cloudy and may rain, good.

Good report, thanks.

No 'Manchester' comes up yet on their booking engine. I believe it will start April 2017.

They Shoot Horses Don't They.

Coincidentally I visited the new Harbor Mall the same day...... didn't really spend much time there and was wondering why that had been built. Too far out from the Beach to really attract the tourists, blocked off from people on the other side of Sukhumvit by the tunnel construction, yet the motorcycle parking seemed full. That was my main complaint really, parking the bike you had to go a long way. BigC-X is the best, park on the access road close to the exit from the food court. Plenty of parking at the new HomePro on Sukhumvit , the guard always wants me to park the bike in the allocated spot a good walk in the sun from the shop! I come in from soi Yume, and drive into the underground 'car park' all the way in and park close to the entrance, I am the only vehicle in there. Sometimes a security guy tries to get me to move to the allocated parking area, that just makes me put my disc lock on.

I think you describe the one in The Avenue. I came out of the cinema there to be assaulted by noise from the karaoke once.

The Looking Glass war.

This old Tops is more central than South, being on Klang. They have a place in the newish and nearby Central Festival Beach Rd Mall. As to other supermarkets, bigger and better at Big-CX, on Klang just after 3rs Rd, BIg C again, just North down 2nd Rs and Tesco on Nua. I am not thinking this will be an all you can-eat Asian restaurant ala USA style, more aimed at Chinese tourists who travel in tour groups. Plenty of selection here now for wines and prices aren't so bad. Certainly wouldn't bring any over, only allowed 1 bottle anyhow for duty free.

Well no Muslim prayer times about then!.... Perhaps a 'please forgive me for what I am about to do' Buddhist one?

Perhaps it was an early sunset session, or you got back just about daybreak or sunrise? Did she bring her own mat?

I arrived in town a little early yesterday for a dentist appointment and decided to cool down somewhere else rather than the discomforting waiting room. So I went on into TOPS, the building on the corner of 2nd and Klang.. Now this is a place that years gone by, and I was staying on the main drag, (Between Beach Rd, Tai, Second and Klang), was my get out of the heat and do a bit of shopping place. A carton of juice and some bakery items for the room. Go back far enough and there were not many other places to shop proper, Friendship on Tai.... but the big one was too far away, there was a small Friendship located opposite Fra Pattaya on Tai, another up Thrappaya near Marina which supported my Residence Gardens stays, Best supermarket never seemed to be on my radar. But TOPS was good, A large place with a good stock, well run, good service, and providing you had no perishables there was the food court to grab a bite, or pop just outside to The Cool House. I often recall there was one place up against the wall that had waiter service and you didn't have to endure the queue 3 times silliness of vouchers where they served up some real good duck dishes, freshly cooked in front of you. That place may still even be there. A few tables close to the alcohol stocks always used to have a gang of Europeans having an afternoon drinking session in the cool, easy to pop around the corner to get the next round in. But in modern times, I am not sure what the old Tops wants to be, it is a sad empty space. The shops up the escalator are still there, I wonder how they survive, and I believe the bowling alley is too... I thought the old supermarket was just being refurbished, but it appears not. They are in the new Mall aren't they. I had also heard this building, and a few around it had been purchased and another big Mall was planned. But we have enough Malls don't we. This was TOPS ground floor yesterday.....what is it to become? Looks like a place for eating. The old restuarant to the left.....where the white guys eat? Enclosed area. That last pic suggests a Chinese feeding station, anyone who gets around town will know quite a few of these places have appeared in odd locations, where 3-4 huge coaches block the roads meal times as the tourists chomp it down! (For example one near the new Route 99 Bar, other side of Sukhumvit, behind Numchai and the Tesco shop. The changing face of our dear old Pattaya.......

Perhaps Pattaya City Hospital, handy for Soi Buakhao and an ever improving reputation. Memorial has a better reputation for gunshot and knife wounds!

Just saw this guy in an episode of Heartbeat....also known for Porridge appearances as Harry Grout. Peter Vaughan

Well if you cannot get a tourist visa, which would be my recommendation, you may have to bring evidence of a throwaway ticket/booking with you. It is possible you may be asked to show travel bookings out of Thailand prior to the expiration of the 30 day visa exempt stamp to check-in for your flight. It is also possible (slim chance) immigration in Thailand would want to see something similar. I suggest something you could cancel and get a refund for... then a 1800 baht extension at immigration becomes an easier option than the flight in and out.. (or a land crossing). Note a land crossing will only get you 15 days.

Lots of names in that last film......I can't respond to my own post. Still on... Around the World in 80 days.

Pity Qatar do not offer a limo to the airport for Biz Class. At 70 miles limit (Manchester) would you qualify for that? Allowance irrelevant to me, normally exit LOS with an empty suitcase. I bet your missus could fill a container.

On my laptop we are into page #77 of this thread, the easy ones are nearly all gone!

Used already..... do you see that little search box ?

Around the World in 80 days.

About time, I bought my house with less preamble!

That would be eeeh-ek! Farley Granger

It is at least 3 years ago but the room I had did have an in-room safe. It also says here that they have safes.