Billions

I think people like hanging off the back....its not as precarious as it looks,there's a wide footplate,bars that wrap around your shoulders,back and legs,and a firm handle to grip on to.In fact,I prefer to ride upright. It might look dramatic,but is far from replicating the trains that criss-cross India with entire families holding on by their fingernails. I haven't found the detailed source I first read from which I made my original claim as yet. It related the history of the meter taxis being authorised set against the intimidation applied to stop them being used. The baht busses are so lucrative that any challenge to their earning potential is inflamatory to say the least.Which is why the competitive aspect has been strangled at birth,and the taxis are a sideshow,not the main event.

Its what I researched prior to a trip in March. Not sure of my original source,but just googled this from TV : "Had an interesting conversation with an English fluent taxi meter driver recently. No news really but interesting Here's the skinny -- 1. No they don't use the meters 2. Yes, they aren't allowed to use the meters. 3. Their role is not to be direct competition to the baht bus drivers 4. During low season, they drive a very small percentage of time, almost all waiting 5. High season busy enough 6. Agreed much of the town isn't covered by the baht buses so in those areas, they aren't really hurting baht buses 7. Clear that the big boss in this game is the baht bus collective 8. Agreed it would be a good thing if the system with taxis here was like Bangkok, that drivers would actually make more money that way, as they would be driving most of the time rather than sitting and waiting for overpriced fares 9. Seemed to indicate there was "fixed prices" for standard runs but that was kind of vague 10. Felt there was really no hope this situation would change, the big powers too strong, the little people including drivers mean nothing" Source http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/466010-a-pattaya-taxi-meter-driver-speaks/ I tried to hire a couple,they laughed when I asked for the meter to be used. I think they really want to work/earn,but can't. They don't plot up on Second Road outside Villa for hours on end because they want to,turning down work all day and every day. I'll have another look and try and find the "original" source I got the info from.

I heard they would like to,but the transport mafia aka the bahtbus drivers won't tolerate their moneymaking activities being compromised by any serious rivalry,and so they are frightened to turn them on...ever....consequences are floating the the sea or a klong with unexplained puncture wounds round the vital organs. So,they line up around supermarkets where shoppers with heavy parcels will pay a couple of hundred baht or more to ferry their provisions from store to refrigerator.

I've eaten just about everything on the bug carts in Bangkok,usually when seriously intoxicated and for reasons of bravado rather than hunger,but in Patts recently I noticed the bug vendors had black scorpions.Never seen these in Bangkok,so maybe its a regional thing? Question is...are they safe? What about the venom? I've never seen anyone chewing them....or walking round with a bagful...or,come to think of it,even buying them. Whats edible...not the shell,surely? And what do they taste like?

But these should be another thread,another day,methinks.

Haha...thanks...I have thousands more.

Thanx for the appreciation...it really means something! I will answer specific questions later tonight. when I have more time. The captions for the last photo are cool....keep 'em coming! As I'm on a roll,here's a couple more for you. Both taken in Bangkok in March 2012. The first one is in the famous Nana car park.....these girls have got their priorities wrong! How new technology has taken over! This is such a great picture!! And heres another.....these ladyboys were in for a treat.....

Ha! So,here's my favourite.....the one that for me sums up the essence of Pattaya! I could write so much about it,but hopefully you can see it too. Every picture tells a story.

Here's the second bonus pic.....taken in Soi 6. I like the colours,the simplicity of it all,but that pose.....when does a streetwalker ever stand like that?? Love it!

Thats the Pattaya I saw last month,been to Bangkok about thirty times,but this was my first trip to the seaside. I didn't go looking for photos,just took what was directly ahead. Hope it is of value. There are three photos left,which would have been buried in amongst all the others if I had posted them earlier. The first one is a scene in Soi LK Metro,at the back door of Sugar Sugar. If I'd have walked through the front door,I would have witnessed god knows what,but seeing a horny ass through an open door as she waited on the staircase was somehow more erotic,as it was a forbidden view,out of context,and therefore more valuable. Here's the photo :

Ten more,making 200 photos uploaded. #191 #192 #193 #194 #195 #196 #197 #198 #199 #200

Here's a few more....... Will load up 200....double the original claim....then three particular ones I'd like to comment on....and thats it! Anyway,here's another twenty. Some of the images of the huge guy at the end of this block aren't in focus. I was carrying a special,fixed focal length lens,and couldn't zoom in. I had to be a set distance away to compose a scene,and that meant having to deal with both car and streetlights on BR. It was dark too,a difficult environment to negotiate.The autofocus couldn't cope. But you get the story anyway. The second huge guy,in the last picture of this group,was probably the biggest punter I've ever seen. The mind,and probably a few other things,boggles. #171 #172 #173 #174 #175 #176 #177 #178 #179 #180 #181 #182 #183 #184 #185 #186 #187 #188 #189 #190

And.... #161 #162 #163 #164 #165 #166 #167 #168 #169 #170

And yet more! Soi 6... #151 #152 #153 #154 #155 #156 #157 #158 #159 #160

Onwards and onwards and onwards.... #141 #142 #143 #144 #145 #146 #147 #148 #149 #150

On and on..... #131 #132 #133 #134 #135 #136 #137 #138 #139 #140

Another clump.... #120 #121 #122 #123 #124 #125 #126 #127 #128 #129

More more more.... #110 #111 #112 #113 #114 #115 #116 #117 #118 #119

Here's another twenty..... #090 #091 #092 #093 #094 #095 #096 #097 #098 #099 #100 #101 #102 #103 #104 #105 #106 #107 #108 #109

I've got no idea how I can add just ten more pics to make the hundred promised in the title.....there's so many good 'uns still on my hard drive,so will post a few bonus ones to complete the report faithfully.But my favourite one will be the last one in this set,not yet posted and not now number #100,but I'll let you know when it's added. The reason its my fav is that it sums up the spirit of Patts totally....you'll agree when you see it. Haha! Its three in the morning here on the south coast of England,and I've gotta get up bright and early,so I'll finish this photo-report tomorrow.I had to find and resize every pic,it took ages,much longer than anticipated. Let me know what you think. Grazie!

I can't believe I'm still at it! Here's another ten for you..... #081 #082 #083 #084 #085 #086 #087 #088 #089 #090

It's getting late,but here's another batch : #071 #072 #073 #074 #075 #076 #077 #078 #079 #080

Still here? Good. More then : ##061 #062 #063 #064 #065 #066 #067 #068 #069 #070

One afternoon in delightful surroundings.... #051 #052 #053 #054 #055 #056 #057 #058 #059 #060

Here's the next haul....still stuck in Walking Street! I'll do Soi 6 after these. Half way there! There's been a lot of clicking to get this far.... #041 #042 #043 #044 #045 #046 #047 #048 #049 #050