losgrad

Thanks EP. Holidays have different personal meanings for each of us. For me, Thanksgiving means giving 'thanks' to native 'locals' and I find it timely this year it's the day after Loy Krathong. I hope you enjoyed yours.

Over the years here, I've tried Dicey Reilly's, Tequila Reef's, Tigglebitties, Kinnaree and a private party. That American restaurant in The Avenue is also advertising a special Thanksgiving meal. Many choices for a hefty turkey meal this Thursday after Loy Krathong and before the International Fireworks Festival. Maybe I'll try Kinnaree again....but I'll be sure not to go to a room just before they serve the food :).

Very Nice! Thank you for the excellent pictures. "The Last Samurai" is one of my favorite movies.

The last 20 minutes, it's been coming down pretty hard, but let's see how long.... Cleans the air and the dogshit on the sidewalks, but I won't be able to go for my walk until it slows (already rode my bicycle to the gym and back earlier today when it was dry). Enjoy the day.

With some morning fog and some afternoon breezes (sometimes a wind).....maybe Thai winter is approaching.

Yes, in my microclimate (near BCE), it started to pour after 1:00 am. I can often see storms from my balcony in other parts of town, but not at my location and visa versa; but I think last night's storm was pretty heavy as was this mornings at 6:20 am while I was at the gym. From my limited 6-7 years experience it looks like the usual Sept storms are here in October. You long-term residents may have more input into that assessment. I know it rained north of Bangkok last month, but we seem to miss those storms until now. Well, my home State of California in the USA could really use these storms. Another dry winter would make them look further than a hundred years into the record books. Enjoy the cleaner air, sidewalks and wet puddles instead of dust on 2nd Road.

Sad, very sad; but it was great golf that I could not turn away from as painful as it was to watch.... Congratulations to Team Europe! The European Team played significantly better as mathematically reported by Nick Faldo, it was something like 110 or so under par for the European Team vs. 70 something for the USA Team. During the first two days, too many putts came up short which puzzles me as in match play, a bogey or double bogey is usually still the loss of the hole... Since Jack Nicklaus recommended the Ryder Cup expand beyond England and Ireland to become a European team, the USA has had a tough time and/or the PGA Tour of America needs to modify their processes. Interestingly, for the "Royal Trophy" bi-annual matches between Europe and Asia, Asia has won one and tied one since it's inception in 2006 which you'd have to go back to 1999 to get two wins from USA. The European team members are definitely doing something right for match play and these team events. Well, in two years, I hope Team USA can make it more competitive. Enjoy.

Excellent thread. Reminds me of a book I read as a young man, "The Power of Positive Thinking." As long as I can afford to, I'll continue to maintain residences and vehicles in both my home country and here in LOS. Yes, double the property maintenance expenses including health insurance in the USA and self-insured here in LOS, but with double the options. Five years ago, I took early retirement with plans to live off savings and small annuities, but now can withdraw my retirement funds without penalties so my income has now increased 50% and it will increase again in another 5 years when I begin withdrawing Social Security. Like, 'teelack,' I also have family and lifetime friends back in my home country, but no grandkids, yet. I shall continue to enjoy my 'nightlife' lifestyle here in LOS where I visit around town until midnight and go to the gym before sunrise and my 'daytime' lifestyle when back in the States. "I think I can" have the best of both worlds :). Enjoy your choices!!!

It's unusual, but this past month I've left the patio doors open and the AC off leaving me to breathe the unfiltered 'free' air, yet I do NOT have the cough. The month before my electric bill was a whopping 3400 baht (usually around 1200) so I decided to turn the AC off this past month. In the past couple of years, I've had the cough and thought it better to filter my condo air through the AC and a standalone air filter. Since I walk 2-4 hours everyday I breathe a lot of the local air... So, for me perhaps it's not the AC and maybe it's just the Pattaya air. Maybe they've turned down some of the nearby factories and with the significantly less local tourist traffic this year, there's just less sh.. in our air. Just maybe... P.S. I visit agogos every other night, including the smoke filled ones like Bacarra and Happy (but didn't kiss the Misty's girl and sit in the non-smoking section in Kinnaree's), to where my hair and clothes smell of smoke, but my lungs don't seem to be clogged enough to create a cough. I am not complaining, but happy! Enjoying one of the slowest of low seasons of my limited experience!!!

Thorough review with great pictures, but I miss the background in the pics of your other restaurant reviews :). Occasionally I walk this Soi, but didn't know the new restaurant opened. Thanks for the info and keep it going!

RhinoTusk, Great pictures and thanks for posting. Many beauties that fit my tastes, but probably not my budget. That's ok, the semi-starved 1k baht yabba girls have their place too. Sometimes, you feel like a great buffet, other times some 7-11 noodles. Most of the time, i enjoy the healthy meals. Pattaya serves all tastes. Thanks again for taking the time to share.

Evil - good review and fantastic pictures. Sorry, I startled you the other evening. I hadn't seen you in awhile and just wanted to make sure you didn't just walk by . Anyway, I like the PBG when meeting up with other people - guys or girls. The long wait time for food is fine when with others, but too long when alone waiting for the gogos to open :). Yes, I know about the drink coasters showing availability, but for many reasons Pattaya Beergarden never gave me the same vibe as Bangkok's Biergarten. Yes, agree with all of the above and the location makes it a good place to meet up before going on a mini-gogo bar crawl on Walking Street or on evenings of major holidays to watch the fireworks in the bay. It is a positive to this area of Pattaya.

Agree. Evil - Good review with pictures. I like Fuji Restaurant when I want Japanese food, but not starving. When starving, I visit one of a few Asian food buffets with Japanese foods like Shabushi (320 baht) in CF or Big C North and Oishi (500 baht) in The Avenue. Enjoy your selections - both food and company :)

As others have mentioned, the cost of living anywhere varies, but here's some data points to help you. My utilization is based on double occupancy. Electricity: ------------- For two years, we lived in a 35 sq meter apartment (they charged higher electrical rates), rarely used the Air Cond, but used fans in the main room and in the enclosed patio where we had a refrigerator, hot plates, microwave, hot water maker, laptops, etc. and a 32" LCD TV (returned the units free tube TV); our monthly electric bill was 500 baht per month. For the last three years In my 80 m condo with AC, multiple big screen TVs, 3-4 laptops running, 2 ISP modems, 2 refrigerators, various kitchen appliances, etc..; when we run the AC regularly, our electric bill is 2000 baht per month and when AC used infrequently it's 1200 baht per month at the "Provincial Electric Authority" rate, but had to buy the meter (1900 baht). Our neighbors indicate higher electrical utilization and bills as they run their AC during the night. Water -------- In the apt, we paid 300 baht per month without a washing machine. In our two bathroom condo (one bathroom is a laundry room with washing machine), it's only 200 baht per month. Cable TV ----------- Included in Apt rent and in Condo HOA. WiFI ------ For 3BB we pay 631 baht per month includes taxes For our Sophon cable internet we paid by the year so about the same rate per month as 3BB, but with higher speeds. It's interesting as these expenses are minimal when we examine our daily habits. For example when I was drinking coffee every morning at two local coffee shops, I was spending 60-100 baht x 2 per day or 120-200 baht per day times 30 days or 3600-6000 baht per month, just for coffee for myself. At home, it's maybe 5 baht per cup. There are other daily habits like walking or riding my bicycle vs. riding the motorbike or taking taxis, etc... but they are more for lifestyle and health than for the budget. Good luck with your budget, CPI projections and lifestyle adjustments. Enjoy. P.S. For the past 5 years, I have been "on" budget so with my income and available funds increasing as I age, it'll accommodate increasing costs and/or lifestyle changes.

I don't like to overpay :), but in Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay Area, I regularly eat in a lot of Japanese restaurants, sushi bistors, etc... In Pattaya, if I only want Japanese foods, I like the "Japanese Restaurant" on Pattaya Klang next to the sports stadium. Otherwise, I regularly eat at Oishi Buffet in The Aveneue mall which has Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc.... Depending on what part of Japan, you're going to get different 'real' Japanese foods, but I understand what you mean as not being Westernized or overly Thai influenced. Thanks MM, I'm going to try that place, "Osaka."

EP, Excellent pics! I concur with your review. I've had their Sunday buffet a few times and also the weekly specials on other days of the week. Nice, clean, AC environment along with many televisions to watch sporting events. Friendly service staff that don't bother you unnecessarily. Not for bargain hunters, but good value.

I've been in a few bar girls, FLs (disco and coconut bar) and massage girl's rooms who paid 3,500 baht per month off/on Soi Buakow, Soi Excyte, S. Pattaya Road, 2nd Road and Jomtien with ensuite bathrooms and some who paid much less off Soi 7 Beach and near Hollywood disco w shared washing facilities. Some share their rooms, some do not. Most indicate they do not need nor want AC (5k baht per month) nor a nicer room whether they could afford it or not. Plus doing regular LTs means they only use their rooms for storage or eating som tam in the afternoons and early evenings :). In regards to the OPs original question about how quickly he can move-in, often these rooms or the better ones in this price range are only available for a few days before someone rents them. Often they are not advertised, but by word of mouth or periodic door-to-door inquiries. Please also note a Farang may be quoted a different price than a Thai female. There are also some that only allow Thai ladies to enter to reduce problems with Thai boyfriends. Enjoy your experiences. P.s. Electric and water rates are often negotiated.

Nice bikes! My bikes have kickstands and knobby tires so definitely a different caliber than those pictured :). Re: Security For my two bikes that are expensive to me, I carry upstairs into my condo (7th floor with plenty of room), but the cheaper bikes ( Last year or was it the year before, some guys with guns south of Pattaya on motorbikes with other guys in waiting were taking expensive bikes directly from the riders - not lone riders. According to my bike shop owner, the Thai police caught them, but if like the pickpockets on the baht bus, they'll be back. I don't know if it's cultural or less easy, but I worry more in the USA about my locked bike being stolen or parts removed - seats, components, tool bag, lights, etc...as the Thai girls always laugh at me while I'm locking my bike...hmm, or is it because I also lock my helmet to the bike and look for something secure to anchor my locks :). I like to make the girls laugh! Yes, now I try not to ride at night or before sunrise as some motorbike riders seem to go faster when their visibility is less? So, I walk the 45 minutes back from Walking Street with multiple stops on the way - Beach Road, Soi Honey, LK Metro, Soi Chaiyapoon and maybe a Thai karaoke bar on 3rd Road :) sometimes, making it a 2-3 hour walk home.

For the past five years, my main transportation in Pattaya has been to either walk or ride one of my mountain bikes through the streets of Pattaya, Jomtien and sometimes beyond. I live in Central Pattaya and I regularly walk or ride to afternoon Gentlemen clubs in Jomtien and to the Darkside bars, Walking Street, Soi 6, Naklua, etc.. A walk can take hours (45 min to WS) where on the bicycle it is under 20 minutes, but I am retired from work so it is less about time and more about how I feel. Some months, I ride daily multiple times a day - pre-dawn to the gym, coffeeshop, lunch, a massage and then at night park/lock in a central location like "The Avenue" while bar hopping. In Pattaya, i had a motorcycle and now a motorbike, but use them infrequently as I "feel" safer during the day here on the bicycle. In the States, i was an avid motorcyclist riding hundreds of thousands of miles commuting and trips from coast to coast in all weather except snow. In Pattaya, on my bicycles i try to emulate the movie, "Premium Rush." I recently stopped riding the bicycle at night as i tired of carrying my lights with me into bars. Now, if i go to the gym before sunrise i take my motorbike or wait for the sunrise to ride a bicycle. On the bicycle, i can easily pass traffic and motorbikes on Beach or 2nd Road and stay to the far left on 3rd Road and Sukhumvit except the first 100-200 yards sprint after a green light :). A bicycle can split lanes where a motorbike cannot. I can hop on and off the sidewalks to circumvent backed up traffic. Normally, I do not ride on the sidewalks as I am also a walker and the sidewalks are full of debris, holes, hanging electical wires, sunshades and pedestrians :). I see many ladies slowly and safely riding to/from work on their 'suburban' bicycles whereas I also see others carelessly and at high speed unsafely riding motorbikes. Drive or ride what feels right for you. Since they were 5 years old, my three kids rode motorcycles on the farm and bicycles in town so they understand that one day I may make a fatal error or get hit by another rider or driver. My choice. We choose our risks and enjoy life. P.S. I have more trouble with Soi dogs while walking very late at night east of 3rd Road, than from bicycle riding during the day (too hot for them). In the bars and restaurants, I always wash up in the hong nam after a long walk or ride. The girls say 'roam,' but I also know they call everyone handsome :), so after a drink, I use a ST room for a good shower.

Thank You for the pictures. The streets look clean and well kept, except for that love hotel building and burned up truck. In Saigon, I had met a few Filipino lawyers from CDO who shared their business cards and kept asking me to visit them. We were on a day tour together and everything we saw on the River Tour, they kept saying they also had in Mindano. I've been to Cebu a couple of times, but never further south. Looking forward to your reports. P.S. Yes, shopping malls....for me in Manila and Cebu, except for during contracted taxi rides of all or half-day rides to various tourist spots, I spent most daylight hours in various shopping malls where I learned why singing is a favorite pasttime... seems like weekly or more frequently they have singing contests in the malls for small children and teenagers (whereas Thais have 'beauty' contests :).

A lot will depend on how much you intend to ride. A few years ago, I bought one of the best mountain style bikes at Big C and in less than a month most of the moving parts became wobbly from wear. Now I just use that bike as a shield in the motorcycle parking lot of my condo to protect my better bikes. There are a couple of bike shops on Thepprasit Road that sell good quality new and used bikes. If you intend to ride regularly and want to have a decent bike, I'd recommend buying a used bike at one of these shops and then reselling it to them at the end of your trip. Within the purchase price they will fit and maintain for free for the lifetime you own the bike (except for new tires and tube replacement). Enjoy the ride and be safe.

After a few visits to that ripoff place on Pattaya Tai, I started using the pre-pay automated pumps located in many small subsois (insert cash and shows credit before you self-serve). Hardly ever a line like that busy big station on Pattaya Tai and whether these automated pump machines are calibrated correctly or rate competitive is of minimal concern in exchange for the convenience and control. I switched from a motorcycle to a small motorbike anyway, so expense in minimal. By the way, as traffic ensnarls between Jomtien and Pattaya, especally during late afternoon rushhour, I can often save 5 minutes each way on my bicycle vs. motorbike as the smaller bicycle can more easily split cars and jump on/off sidewalks :). Yeah, I know...

I've used the VIP Express bus on 3rd Road that goes from Pattaya to Korat Bus Station. It's 350 baht and stops a few times depending on the passengers, but they also have a non-VIP non-express that has many stops and smaller seats for a lower fare. The VIP bus takes the 'mountain' route and I'd recommend you only take a daytime bus as there seems to be more accidents with buses traveling this route at night with possibly drivers that are more tired. I've also taken the Pattaya to Bangkok MoChit station bus and then Bangkok to Korat bus that totals about the same fare (350 baht total), but takes a little longer as it goes a different (some consider a safer route). It gives you a little break changing buses and/or if you want to spend time in Bangkok. Another option I've used is to hire one of the local Pattaya Taxi services. A year or two ago, this was 3000 baht, but now some ask 4-5,000 baht. If you have two or more people, significant luggage and/or taking something bigger with you than this is a good option. It will save you at least an hour as the taxi can take you door-to-door as you may have to use another taxi or bus service to/fr bus stations at both ends. If your friend does not live within the city, then you may have to take another village bus which may be another 45 minutes or more from the Korat bus station, but this will give you another cultural experience :). This city to the village bus may stop frequently, but not as much as the buses within some Thai villages that go into "town" carrying chickens, kitchen stoves, sacks of rice, etc.. being picked up by the bus driver (he's like an errand runner for the locals). Enjoy the journey :).

Four years ago by U.S. mail I renewed my USA passport (with fees) for another 10 years and this year through online and a required interview appointment, I renewed my Global Entry Card for another 5 years (no additional fees since my original Sentri Card fees). My experience was similar to 'Nkped.' This pre-screening trusted traveler program helps them manage resources, but they still indicate they may do an occasional check and if you violate any rules or laws, penalties are doubled and you will be removed from the program. There is no indication on your passport, but upon scanning your passport at the kiosk at the airport, it has your flight information, takes your picture and prints out a "receipt" that you carry along with your passport in lieu of your declaration form. Your microchipped card does not have to be carried except for land border crossings, but the agent advised me to write the Global Entry number on one of my passport pages. If you lose the card, you will have to reapply and repay the fees. An excellent program with improving procedures and many U.S. C&I agents are now educated.

They're a fun team to watch, especially their amazing setter, Nootsara. I've seen them play a few times atop THE MALL in Korat against Kasetstan, Taiwan, China, et al. Wish them continued success.