InternationalTraveler

I have seen snake / scorpion whiskey in one of the Bangkok malls..this was a few years back .....cannot remember which one but definitely not Paragon. I have only ever seen these in Laos and China. From Luang Prabang on the Mekong .

I looked at Tuk com but decided to buy my Garmin from Central Festival 3rd floor for around 7500 baht around 15 months ago...you can now get them with the camera attachment which records your travel movements ...also can be good for accidents....proving liability when it's not your fault.

Having read all the recommendations on this topic (including one from an Italian) This week I found myself trying my very first pizza in Pattaya. It’s not that I don’t like pizza, normally this type of food is never even on my radar for an afternoon /evening meal in Thailand but when I am in other countries then that is a different matter. Tried the Hawaiian at 240 baht and washed it down with a 95 baht bottle of San Miguel. I am not saying it was my best ever pizza...lots of pineapple but it was good and I did eat it all even the crust. Pizza Big on Naklua Road will now be on my list of alternatives...let’s say every 2 or 3 months for a change. Previous to that, the best ever pizza I can remember was in a basement restaurant on O’Connell Street, Limerick, Ireland and was a sea food concoction of mussels, prawns and other delicacies. In 2005 it was €18 Euro then that is around 800 baht. I will always remember this because at the time it was the most expensive pizza I ever had and even now have never even come close to paying that kind of price.

Having installed these over the last few weeks, we now know they are bollards....very nice and shiny chrome plated posts but at the moment they do not serve any specific purpose other than catching out unsuspecting motor bike riders during the twilight hours or when the Chang has kicked in. Why they are placed in the centre of the walkway is anybody’s guess...there must be a reason which may become obvious over time. Maybe it could be to designate one side as a cycle lane..who knows what the deviants at City Hall are planning as a surprise. At last the lovely ladies will now have somewhere to sit during the evenings.....the street vendors will probably claim them during the day .....some fancy designed seats being bolted into the concrete.

Spent most of last week incarserated in my own home. Last Monday morning I was struck down with food poisoning whether it was from something I ate or drank I have yet to establish the cause….this time it will probably remain a mystery. The last time I determined it was from the mussels I consumed from a Bang Saray sea food restaurant….not once but on 2- different occasions…..i am a sucker for punishment. Normally my first reaction is to dive for my tried and trusted LOMOTIL… somewhere in the medicine cabinet or in my travel bag…..on this occasion panic set in as I only had one strip of pills left. Due to my traveling commitments anytime / anyplace /anywhere for the last 20- odd years I have made sure I had a copious supply of these pills. Also keeping my parents and the TGF with a supply. Anyone familiar with taking these knows they are very small white pills and only one is sufficient to stem the flow. Due to previous arrangements the Tuesday had been allocated for a round of golf at Mountain Shadow Golf Club. Not wanting to let down my partners and the last time I played there was 12-months ago carding a hole in one on the short 5th hole par three. Having taken 4- tabs….just a bit of overkill to be sure to be sure…. all was well as we set off for the day. Having played at a different venue the previous week and walking the course I was still raring to go after completing the 18- holes….this week was a little different. It dawned on me at the half way stage, that I was completely exhausted…the legs had gone and the body was weak….probably severely dehydrated. If I had been playing alone I would have paid off the caddy thrown the clubs in the car and headed for home. However, doggedly I stuck it out and completed the course, to make matters worse it was a slow day with a Thai 5-ball in front and around 5- hours later we were finally in the car heading back to Pattaya. That evening I was in bed by 8pm. Having slept for around 16- hours over the next few days…..running out of my favorite brand and resorting to the local concoction of Diarine seemed to do me no good. Having rejected the Imodium which was the only other poison of choice but this always gave me stomach ache each and every other time it was tried. Having consumed 4-boxes of crackers and a dozen or two bananas and no sign of respite the TGF came back from the garden and stuck some leaves in front of my face…saying don’t worry darling I am not trying to kill you…I want you to live till you are at least 80…well at least she was looking after her own interests….bless her. Not being a herbivore or goat, these did not exactly look appetizing to say the least…maybe with a spread of jam or marmalade…I may have given them a try but mushed up into a hot drink I succumbed….to be honest at this stage I would have tried anything…..4- cups of mush later… A day later I woke up feeling like a new man like it never happened. Being pretty disciplined in my ways, i gave the beer another days grace touring around at least 15 pharmacies all over town eventually finding that LOMOTIL is only available at the Hospital. Trying to buy this over the counter there was not possible without seeing the doctor….at a cost of 950 baht. Eventually tested the San Miguel in the evening 7-days later. Made a mental note to buy boxes of LOMOTIL the next time I am in another third world country. If anyone knows where you can get this over or under the counter in Thailand a nod is as good as a wink. PS , By the way…. those wanting to know how the 5th hole went …well I made the green in one and 3-putted for bogy. Also being the cautious type of guy…. I looked up a piece from Wikipedia. Guava leaves are used in folk medicine as a remedy for diarrhea and, as well as the bark, for their supposed antimicrobial properties and as an astringent. Guava leaves or bark are used in traditional treatments against diabetes. In Trinidad, a tea made from young leaves is used for diarrhea, dysentery and fever.

My Honda also runs at around 100 baht and my standard pitch is.. gao-nueng....nueng roi octane 91 ...100 baht and i only have that amount in my hand as the tank will not take much more. However up North sitting in my car... dtem tang...fill tank.... the last reading was 650...which i thought was unusual.... he took my 1000 baht note and never gave me any change. When i looked again at the meter it had been zeroed... so i was screwed and the bastard made more than a days pay in one transaction. Once scammed.....is another lesson in Thai culture and now i always get out the car and watch. Everyone is on the take....Its not just Pattaya....it's endemic.

Camera is nothing special.. probably 4-years old Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120 7.2 Mega Pixel if i recall around £100....5000 baht.

Finally this week i have been able to continue my regimental speed walk up and down beach road as the market stalls have finally been dismantled and taken away. It is amazing that even with 15 metres of paved promenade the stalls have to be placed so there is less than a metre between them. This must be a Thai trait intending to slow the walking traffic to a crawl….this can also be seen on the pavements. Having spent most of my time being careful not to tread on cut and frayed electric cables, ducking and diving to stop my eyes being pierced with the tubular sections of stalls, tents and staging and anyone over average height would be garroted with more cables and tent covers and ropes. The slowing down has the adverse effect on me as i have been retreating to the opposite side of the road and eventually changed my route to second and third road alternatives but this does not have the same attraction. On Beach Road the fairly level paving, open space, sea breeze and the curvaceous beach beauties in various stages of undress cannot be found elsewhere. The best undeniably are the Russians which can be singled out due to their hard ice face expression which must have been passed down through generations of repression. I am no sort of fitness freak...far from it ....the last time i was in a gym was during my school years...it is my way of shaking off the pounds without getting bored. My M.O. is the same as any year......never trust a fart... never waste an erection....continue to shag as much as possible, eat good quality food and to drink copious amounts of San Miguel in the evening until my body defense mechanism tells me i have had enough and it is time to get back to base. I recall a saying many many years ago whilst visiting Scotland that the guys painting the Forth railway bridge once they finished the mammoth task of all the steel work would go back to the other end of the bridge and start the process all over again. The beach road promenade is in the same state of address. Less than 12- months old and having almost finished down at the walking street end they can now go back up to the North end and repair the 60-metres which have been cordoned off that is falling into the sea. Over 2- years ago i remember hearing about a plan to bring millions of tons of sand from Rayong to stop the beach erosion. Somewhere down the line i guess this plan was shelved. Even down the road towards Rayong there are many beach barriers which would stop erosion and also increase the sanded beach area. As most regulars know the beach has been gradually disappearing for years and during the last few weeks there has been barely 3- rows of deck chairs at the widest part of the beach. The North end near the Dusit has been heavily sand bagged and now the vendors are encroaching onto the promenade. Where else would they leave no handrail The view from this side of the handrail is also good Poor construction Falling into the sea Now the vendors are encroaching onto the promenade. What are these for ? Having tripped on these studs once i wonder how many broken and lacerated toes these have claimed. I asked 6- engineers on the work what they were for and not one of them knew. They are equi-spaced in threes and could be for a seat a bollard or whatever.... who knows.

Just confirms again that the Pattaya 'BAD' Planning Department is totally incompetent. The brain dead cretins have not got a clue. It started off as a speed retarder /speed hump /sleeping policeman......and has now degenerated into a gentle incline so what was the point? No signs, warning or paint markings and now with the Evil Knievel stunt. A type of reverse engineering......dig a hole....wait for someone to fall in...then put a barrier around it....TIT

Returning on a Thai airways flight from Beijing last night I have never been on a flight that was so under occupancy. The Chinese are running scared. The capacity of the 747-400 is around 375 and only had around 85 seats taken. Bearing in mind I flew the same route, same airline and same time in August and I only saw one seat unused. It was not a case of pick your seat you could have picked your row. The aft section of the plane was completely empty. I read that Thai had just lost around 6 billion baht in revenue for the few preceding months and so this is not good news for the National Airline. I like to fly Thai due to the air crew’s relaxed approach and the smaller ladies are generally more attractive and friendly. If the demo continues after the holiday how many more besides the Chinese will be changing their travel plans. It looks bad news for the tourism industry. Pick your row. I wish immigration was like this all the time. Thought I was home and dry......then.

I am in China now...returning to Patts in a few days. You can get a 30- day tourist visa from Bangkok Consulate in a day if you have all the documentation. Guangzhou immigration is not much different to Bangkok and sometimes can take up to 1-hour. The big cities in China are civilized..... smaller places have a tendency to deal only in cash which can also give you a problem and English language can also be limited....it still is a third world country and the driving is worse than Thailand. Bank of China is one of the few banks i can withdraw cash with my UK card and never been able to withdraw more than 2000 Yuan from an ATM...approx £200 Also be prepared to be stared at...out of the big cities not many have seen European faces and you feel like you are in a zoo. Best if you can take a Chinese bar girl with you as the menus are a bitch... I am in China now and return to Patts in a

If the Japs and Koreans all go there then all the better...the last thing you want is to be in the group behind ....they can take almost 6-hours to play a round. I always liked playing at Phoenix because it is so easy to get to and only 30 minutes away. Walking the course is more important to me than the price as the exercise is one of the main reasons i play.....compulsory buggy is just another rip off. But to double the price...it is not worth it...the course is good... but nothing special. Still ..the good news is that there are another 20- odd courses nearby and reduced green fees if you are a PSC member. Sorry.... but Phoenix is now off my must play again list.

I am also strictly a cash man......I alway thought cash was king. Playing with plastic is like chips at vegas.... i like the feel of real money when it passes through my hands i can see it. I have only ever used my Kasikorn card for... Extracting 20,000 baht from the ATM Or paying for an expensive item such as a laptop or washing machine. Even so.... sometimes within 5-seconds of withdrawing cash or buying something my Thai phone has a message telling me how much has been withdrawn and then how much my balance is....that gives me peace of mind.

Just to finalize. After reading the small print. 7. Our free vehicle lifting-towing service can be used for no more than 35 kilometers from where the vehicle breakdown. If the distance is more than 35 kilometers, the company will charge a service fee of 10 baht per kilometer or a lump sum fee. I guess i got charged the lump sum fee. live and learn.

Never had a problem either.....the last time i was there the girl could not speak a word of English...now thats not being fussy. Been Krabi twice taking a taxi from Phuket. Stayed Best Western...good pool and also Beach Terrace..which has restaurant on the beach which was nice view during breakfast. Hired motorbike but for only one day as there was not much to see. ...A ride into Krabi town and towards the other end of the beach...thats about it. Couple of girly areas as indicated on the map...If you follow the Tsunami signs out of town to higher ground there is an Irish pub up a side street on the left hand side before you reach the girly bars on the right...good for a guinness, steak pie and live football. Take the long tail boat taxi around the bays, see the limestone rock formations and get dropped off at Railey and Tonsai beaches to explore...see them rock climbing and find a quiet bar. Also took the bigger boat from Krabi to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and back to Phuket...worth a thought if you have time and the sea is calm. Few photos.

Mymads, I guess you had an unforgettable experience in Pattaya. Met a lovely girl who suckered you in and blew you out in bubbles. Ten out of ten for the temptress.... her acting skills need rewarding. Send her at least 50,000 baht a month to keep her out of the discos so she can make her mother happy and keep her brother supplied with SangSom....just a suggestion.

Ban Chang, Ban Phe and Mae Phim have some lovely beaches down there but too quiet for me ...you would also have to speak decent Thai or take a friend! Koh Samet is for families. Koh Chang is a better choice..it has more action...but again another hour on a boat.

I am with PP on this one....the b.i.b. are getting smart...it is just another 'cash cow' The other month on my m/c took a sneaky look round the corner before turning left off Pattaya Tai onto 3rd Road towards Tony's Gym..the b'stard jumped out of the shadows. It was not the 400 baht that hurt... it was the 1- hours wait in the Soi 9 Station waiting to pay my fine...pick a number and join the queue. White writing on a blue background sign just before the turn...blue is mandatory. Now i always wait for green.

The only difference between the UK and USA International driving licence (IDP) is that USA licence costs a little more. $20 against £5.50 They are almost identical page for page as i was comparing my UK with an Amercian friend only the other day. Before getting my Thai licences producing the IDP at many checkpoints was sufficient to get waived on without having to grease their palm with silver...

Stoke...don't be silly ducky..Nottingham has much better nightlife...but not as good as Pattaya. Seriously Hua Hin has enough of everything to be my 2nd choice due to its proximity to Bangkok. There are much nicer places like Phi Phi, Koh Chang, Samui and Krabi, but another flight and hours in boat and taxi would be too much.

Typical......i read the Captain did a runner..TIT or in this case a dam good swimmer. And the ferry company was insured....300,000 baht for a death. That's not even enough to send you home in a box.

The ride from Sisaket back to Pat's cost me 15,000 baht...I had to transfer 6,000 baht to a Kasikorn account over the internet before the rescue truck would even leave Chachoengsao to come over to Sisaket.....we also got stopped at a checkpoint by the police on the way home and the b.i.b. gave the driver a ticket for a faded white light at the top of his cab that should have been green...1000 baht fine. Of course he did not have that kind of money on him so i had to bail him out before we could continue the journey....sometimes you couldn't make it up. The girlfriend dealt with all the calls as the competency of the English speaker was poor....(i wish my Thai was as good) but what with the hassle of all the phone calls, i only got the second hand translation ...and the extra nights at hotels that were booked on the run it was......emotional to say the least. But at the end of the day i was pretty cool....i got the dribs and drabs of the story but when the penny dropped i wanted to strangle her but that would have lost face and we have been through that situation a few times. I did give her a good rogering in the morning to vent ...i heard her grunt a few times but i am sure she did not wake up. C'est La Vie.

24- Hour 7- Days a week Vehicle Breakdown Recovery......but not on this occasion. When i got my 1st Class car insurance at AA next to Big C near South Pattaya Road I chose a policy from LMG that included a 24-hour 7- days a week vehicle breakdown recovery as the difference in the price of policies was minimal. Maybe I was under some illusion that it was like the AA /RAC (Automobile Association) that takes your car to any dealer or garage of your choice for free when it breaks down. When my car broke down last week in the North Eastern province of Thailand I was not too concerned. Picture the situation..... Friday night in a small town, 8pm, dark, pissing down with rain, car turns over but would not start. The ignition lights are on and the battery is good. Ring this special phone number for assistance.....sorry can’t send recovery tonight as it is too late but we will send someone tomorrow. Saturday, the rains have stopped and the car still will not start. Ring this special number for assistance.....sorry can’t send recovery today because everyone is closed as it is an election day. We will send someone Sunday. This was indeed an election day in this area as my other half had just voted and received 700 baht for her troubles. The Sunday recovery could either take me to the local dealer in Sisaket which was 60km away @ 5,000 baht or back the 450km back to Pattaya @ 17,000 baht. For some reason I had this thing in my head that it was free..... noooooow!!! Then I remembered nothing in Thailand is free. It was 10-months ago when I insured my car and I could not remember the fine details....the fine details probably got lost in translation. Anyway I chose the local option as I was not in any great hurry and wanted to tour around other places. Sunday there were no mechanics available only salesmen. Monday afternoon the service centre was in jubilant mood as they had found the problem and told me it was not the car but the key. This I could not believe, the bloody key, I definitely thought their Thai service guys were on Yabba.... but for some reason my girlfriend also agreed it must be the key. Was told they could program keys at a cost of around 2,600 baht but had to get them sent from Bangkok and it would take around 4- days. I walked down to the dealers as it was only 2km away to pay their 3- hours of labour @ 400Baht /hour. They showed me my key which would open/close the door locks and set the alarm. But....it was missing the micro chip from inside, this is also the immobiliser. I suggested it could be on the floor of the car but my girlfriend insisted it was probably washed away with the rain.....what!!!! Tuesday ordered the car transporter to take me back to Pattaya. Was picked up from the hotel, loaded up the car at the dealers and 11- hours in a car transporter later with very little air con I can assure you is the ride from hell. I am still trying to recover from the ordeal. Eventually pulled the truck up outside the house and got my spare car keys from the safe. The car started first time. After a cold shower and a shed load of Sam Miguel’s later the facts of the story came together and suddenly hit me like a Tyson uppercut..... I was in 7-Eleven, the girlfriend grabbed the keys from the ignition, what with fiddling with the car door, the umbrella, her bag and my keys.... must have dropped them on the road in the pouring rain....the key split open and the micro chip was lost. Being a smart arse that she is, popped the key back into place and then handed them to me without saying a word. I will put this episode down as another ‘Thailand experience’

Passed this hotel a gazillion times...best paintwork job on the sea front....thought the car was a cadillac not a roller.

Stayed in Woraburi a few years ago...think they had a free tuk tuk but never available and a fair walk. Found myself always lathered in sweat by the time i got to Nana. Have also stayed in the Nana.. best location but prices have creeped up and could never get in on short notice. Was in Bangkok a few months ago and stayed in the Unico Express which is in the other direction oposite Nana over the lights and in my estimate less of a walk. Also got a good deal with B/F Superior for less than a 1000 baht....booked direct with hotel. Also at the back of the hotel is the Saen Seab canal and i used it for one of Stickman's boat trips through Pratanum to the golden mount and then tuk tuk onto Wat Pho and Wat Arun.