Billions

I don't think many do....it was empty on my visit there,a couple of miserable banshees in the doorway being the only signs of life. Maybe the regulars were down the hospital after a session of bottling each other?

....and you need to stop smoking....... I'll pop in on my next trip,and we can compare cardiologists. Stents,statins,nitrates,aspirins,diet,exercise......30 more years surely!

BM,no....European property and a spread of banks is my way. I'm not going to take any risk.....I built up a big company over the last 25 years,have just sold it for the health reasons mentioned above, and those revenues are for my future medical bills and children's inheritance. I don't need to try and increase it,just ring fence it now. No woman is ever going to get their claws on it either. It's the single life,now and forever. **edited for spelling error.....iPad keeps changing my content**

No,that ship has sailed now. I was looking at investments to hand to my children,as I was having heart problems and wasn't sure how long I had left on the planet.

I looked into buying bullion a couple of years ago. The dealers would only take bank transfer payments,with personal identification,on any transaction. The bars were VAT zero rated,if declared as for investment purposes,and I believe the revenue/treasury departments would be notified. Silver bullion was VAT rated....that was 17.5% added on to the sale price....making it a disincentive for investment purposes. They dealers still wanted personal information from the buyer,and needed money transferred bank to bank. No cash purchase possible. These purchasing restrictions/regulations here in the UK have affected the way the market operates! If it is the same for gold coins,I imagine the gangsters are keeping well clear and therefore the market isn't as fluid as it once was.

Villains used to buy them,to store their ill-gotten gains in a portable and convertible form. In these days of money laundering regulations,precious metal dealers have to report transactions to government agencies and so demand ain't what it used to be.

A medic once told me that adding selenium and lycopene to your daily diet will increase the output. Two brazil nuts and a processed tomato product (ketchup,soup,pasata) per day should do the trick. Or a couple of supplements.

JG,Teelack,thank you!

Here's a few pics of the Magician,who lurks late at night on Walking Street,playing with cards and cigarettes. He's quite good,and when he passes the hat around it seems to be nicely loaded with green notes.He reminds me a bit of a young David Bowie.....

The building visible in the first photo above is the Aya hotel,seen through the cave decorations. The cave is spectacular,but not particularly spacious. Will be very interesting to see what its next incarnation will be.It seems too quirky,too specialized,for standard applications. The project must be suited to the building,rather than the other way round. The Italian restaurant at the Beach Road end of PCW has closed down,as have many of the other businesses housed opposite. Theres an interesting looking semicircular building about half way down too,with fantastic curved glass frontage (below the huge TV monitor),also abandoned and unloved. Is Pattaya City Walk the most useless piece of real estate in the city?? Trading volume there is miniscule. ** edited to correct a terrible spelling error**

The no longer Reggae Cave,Pattaya City Walk....I think it was a puppet theatre once upon a time.......now abandoned,as is so much commercial property in PCW.

A quick update on my Aya review above. I stayed there again,for 14 days,at the end of July,start of August. The Reggae club,called the Reggae Cave,and housed in the spectacular building opposite,has now closed down and the venue is deserted. Good news for hotel guests,bad news for whoever invested in the project. The Aya was very quiet,it was low season. I got "upgraded" to a front room.....good view,no balcony. Room adequate. Sink too small and no place to store toiletries,but otherwise the "designer" touches are tolerable. Internet connection was a struggle. I planned on uploaded a photo report to PT but couldn't hold a strong enough connection,so abandoned that idea. Also had to call reception two or three times a day to renew the Internet log on,which was frustrating but no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Hotel staff were spot on,particularly the door/security blokes....always holding the door open,calling the lift as I approached from outside and being polite at all times. Hotel was ultra quiet....sometimes I didnt see any other guests for a day or two. Those I did see were Indian or Korean,no westerners. The stands out front do sell pure garbage,or overpriced tourist lines. I attempted to buy a couple of Ts one afternoon,to be asked to pay three times the going rate,then got verbally abused when I refused to overpay. These vendors sell fuck all,and it gets to them. They are miserable and nasty,and if I can discourage anyone from every buying anything there I will consider it a job well done. Also,staying for longer than on previous visits,I noticed how weak the choice of English language tv channels was. Still,it is a good hotel,and a good location. Safe and secure. I didn't have breakfast there,but could see it was a nice looking buffet. Often I made the short walk to Palmers in Pattayaland and filled my boots there. Palmers is looking jaded and dreary,but the food is bang on. I used the taxi booth at the junction of Pattaya City Walk and Second Road to book a car to the airport,I think it was called Moms. Got a super spacious town car for 1000......better than a taxi for 800 as the extra space was wonderful.....and the driver was early,polite,sober and drove carefully,all of which were appreciated. Last time I asked the hotel to book a car.....they charged 1600....and probably used the same booth at the end of the road. Hotel is ok. Not outrageously special,but quirky and reasonable. I doubt I would use it again in high season,as the noise from slamming doors and adjoining rooms is disturbing,but it was ok this time round as the place was virtually empty.

...and,of course,a protective body suit to absorb the blows from the violent kicking courtesy of the sycophant neanderthal drunks that slither around in there,trying so hard to please their boss,leader and lifestyle guru (they worship him!) who thinks smashing bottles over customers heads is only the first course! Words fail me...... What a great place,eh?!

Do you get a bottleproof headguard too?

Hehehe.....