Craig

I booked a car to pick me up on 1 May at the airport. The driver was waiting for me with my name on a placard...he had to wait a bit as my plane was late and the lineups at immigration were longer than I've usually encountered. The trip was disaster. Not the fault of the driver or the company but that every Thai in Bangkok was on the road to Pattaya on this holiday weekend. It was bumper to bumper from BKK to Pattaya. Five hours later we arrived at my bungalow in Jomtien. The driver was polite and I felt safe. He did ask if he could smoke four hours into the trip...I agreed and he thankfully puffed away with the window rolled down as we crept along the road. I've used this company several times and had no problems...I see their point of view if they did indeed send a car and the person they were to pick up did not use the service, after all they do need to be paid...maybe not the entire amount but something...just my 2 cents worth. I will never attempt travel from BKK to Pattaya on May Day again.

This morning after I parked my motorbike along Beach Road near Natural Beach Hotel a woman with an ID reading Department of Revenue (in English) and handful of tickets told me I had to pay 5 baht to park. Did I miss something? I said no. She spoke no English and I moved on. I saw another woman a short ways away with the same handful of tickets...about half an hour later I drove slowly down beach road and there were no parking maids in sight. So, is this for real or a scam? Also, there are new traffic lights on the intersection of second and central Pattaya roads...do not attempt a left turn even if there is no traffic without the green arrow or it will cost you 200 baht...I was caught today...the policeman was polite...I had no ID with me. He told me I could give a motorbike driver the 200 baht and 40 baht for his trouble and the motorbike boy would go to the station and pay my fine...I did this and the cop gave me back my keys and off went 200 baht lighter.

Thank you both Gabor and Gammon. I am presently renting an apartment in Pattaya and will probably move to Jomtien in a month or so. Craig

OK, this has probably been answered BUT....how late do the baht buses run going from and to Pattaya from Jomtien? I am contemplating renting a condo in Jomtien and still want to enjoy the nightlife in P. Craig

There are no new places on Soi Diana. The huge complex is far from being done. I walk past it daily. They seemed to be trying to fix the drains in this soi as it has been under water daily for the last week.

I'm large size and sure do appreciate Evergreen Deluxe class. I ask for an aisle seat and always seem to be on the portside which is fine.

I spent several days at the Ban Chiang. Excellent hotel and friendly staff.

This keeps popping up. If the only way to get rid of it is to subscribe to it, I guess I will.

I arrive on EVA at 11:15 am from Seattle. Does anyone want to share a taxi to Pattaya?

I've been planning on retirieng in Thailand now for a number of years and have talked with expats on this issue and read as much about it as I can. I my opinion, for what it is worth, I am going to rent. Fewer headaches and financial worries this way for me.

I like this time of the year the best. Fewer people, lower prices and the rain cools things down some.