jambo

Including the one (supposedly) on my side! Oh! The shame! Plus we were distracted from our gameplan!

O.K. It looks as though the European Captain is not going to PM me and beg me to play! I am, nevertheless, available for selection. Handicap 26 Shirt size: F B Full expectation of adding to my 1/2 point total from 2007!

I didn't think anyone has seen him since he took 2 shots in a bunker?

Having enjoyed the soft opening night on Friday (every dodgy character in Town in attendance ) I called in again yesterday. Everything's looking great now with the inevitable minor problems from day one gone/fixed. The major change I noticed was the large number of new girls. Some real lookers have turned up with several excellent "dirty dancers" performing for our entertainment. Thank God the S/time rooms aren't ready yet!

Come on, be nice guys! Time and a place and all that! We held the Party at Catz because Robin and Robert are my friends and they offered. We also do a lot of socialising in Catz and the food for parties is superb! We had the wedding reception up in Mae Sot - this was to be (and was) a fun Party. Simple as that! As it happens, when we left he party at about 2.00am to get a taxi we found the FLB Bar still open so we called in for a nightcap. Here are a few photo's that wouldn't appear anywhere else:

Patience! Patience! There coming! One to go on with - me with the wife! It was, of course, NOT in the best possible taste ! Lots more in due course!

We included Sisterz in the itinerary for my stag night on Boxing Day. Unfortunately, the antics of the "speciality" lesbian dancers lowered the whole tone of the evening. Particularly when my bacardi and coke included the addition of a pussy flavoured ice cube! Seemed to me that Sisterz back to its best and I thank you Ricky for your hospitality. Danny

Tom, Excuses all ready from over the pond! I too am suffering from a severe back ache but that's been caused by teerak insisting that I have to do all the boom boom work whilst she recovers from her nose job! Poor dear! Seriously, I hope it clears up soon - back ache is no joke. Danny

Doggy, I would that on Sunday night you organise a quiz in the FLB on the above rules. I bet there will be some bloody low scores!

Day 2 I enjoyed my first trip to Jimmy's lake so much I decided to visit again yesterday but this time I intended to try for one of the big catfish whick lurk in the main lake. How do you go about catching a Catfish in Thailand you may ask? Fucked if I know! :shhh: I decided to fall back on using a bait I used to catch big barbel in the Dorset Stour years ago! Unfortunately that was luncheon meat which I couldn't buy in Foodmarket so I settled for good old Spam made immortal by Monty Python - "Spam, spam, spam, spam!" Needless to say, the catfish said you know where you can stuff bloody spam! Well they might not have liked it but I found something that did: That is one of Jimmy's many dogs who stayed by my side from 11.00am when he got fed his first cube of spam until I packed up at about 5.00pm. I did hook and land a couple of these which Jimmy called (phonetically) a "Gerrimet" ???? Pound for pound this was the hardest fighting fish I have ever hooked and great fun on light tackle. In total I caught another 10 fish, with 8 of those being carp again. No catfish but the next time I go I will be a bit more prepared for a real try for one of the big ones. Two final photo's from day 2 at Jimmy's.

I decided to visit Jimmy's Fishing lake yesterday and actually do some fishing. The weather was hot and sunny, a bit bright for fishing I would have thought but fortunately nobody seemed to have told the carp! The main lake is much more natural than the commercial fishing parks in and around Pattaya. I caught one carp in the morning and hooked two others which shed the hooks. I called a halt for lunch at about 1.15 and had a few cold beers in pleasant company and took Jimmy's advice not to have my first choice of a bacon roll but to switch to the liver and bacon which was excellent. Jimmy phones your order through and it comes back nice and hot by the usual motorbike delivery service. After lunch the fishing really took off as I hooked and landed another 9 very healthy and hard fighting carp. No huge ones but the largest must have been close to being a double which in fishing speak means it was probably about 8 pounds! Forget all about boilies, pop-ups, hair rigs etc etc. Thailand carp seem to basically like one thing - bread! I used one fresh sliced white loaf as bait plus the feed Jimmy supplies at the lake. The set up on Jimmy's rods is basic, as are the rods themselves, but does the job. More photo's of the fish I caught today. As you can see, they were all carp but there are other species including some big catfish. Another guy fishing told me that the day before he caught a fish which had teeth like some kind of Thai pirana. He could not get the hook out and the girl who helps out came rushing over with a pair of foreceps and promptly went to stick that down the fish's mouth. Unfortunately the fish had other ideas and clamped its teeth into the girl drawing a spurt of blood! You have been warned! A final two photo's I really enjoyed my day and according to Jimmy my haul of 10 reasonable sized carp is about average. Total cost at 700 baht for the fishing, lunch and 4 beers is IMHO great value for money. I will probably post this reply in the "trip report" section of the Board as well. For some reason best known to Jimmy he has a couple of enormous fish in the fun lake along with all the small carp etc etc. I have visions of some small kid fishing for a tiddler and then hooking "Jaws" and disappearing into the lake! There are some biggish catfish in the main lake. I am going to have another go at trying for one of those - we shall see!

I have visited and would confirm that it is a really nice complex and is the most natural of the fishing parks in and around Pattaya. Good facilities on site and Jimmy will make you very welcome. Well worth a visit for a "different" day out.

As you are aware, but for the record: Jambo 26 Handicap British, of course! Size: FB , but I am on a diet.

We visited Nang Nual in Jomtien this week having read several positive recommendations in the past. Ordered the grilled seafood platter at 1200 baht (or was it 1400?) for two and it turned out to be a great disappointment. With the exception of the grilled whole fish and the large prawns the rest was average to say the very least. The mussels were very gritty and virtually tasteless. No grit in the crabs and rock lobster but again, no taste! We usually eat seafood in the restaurant towards the very far end of Jomtien beach road (whose name I can never remember) and their seafood platter is IMHO far superior. Shame.

Very amusing report as ever! So how was your visit to the Sabai Lodge then?

D & D is just about the closest bar to my Condo so I have visited a few times and I have made one b/fine. If Bow finds out when she returns I am a dead man! Both Chris and his wife are really nice people and I wish them well. Look forward to hearing when you are going to have the next upstairs party.

On the way back from Bangkok 2 weeks ago they searched all handluggage at the departure gate and were confiscating everything on the excluded list. Surely they are doing similar at Heathrow?

The biggest problem for me is my contact lenses. My next flight is the 9.30pm EVA flight from Heathrow and as soon as I get on the plane I will take out my lenses before going off to sleep. However, it looks as though they will not let me take the rinsing or wetting solution into the cabin so putting them back in again in the morning will be a real problem. Teerak's meeting me at Bangkok Airport (assuming she goes to the right one!!) and I am too vain to walk out wearing spectacles!

I telephoned EVA Airlines today and they were still far from convinced that the new airport will actually open on time. I am just glad I am flying in on 23rd October and not the 1st!

Have a look at Jomtien Beach Condo's which are situated between Soi 10/11. IMHO this is a much better complex than View Talay being very well maintained with two nice swimming pools. I am of course extremely biased as I have just paid a deposit to rent for 6 months wef Ist October. I have a well equiped twin condo on the 9th floor for 12000 baht a month. It comes complete with a gorgeous TGF but you will have to find your own one of those as mine is taken!

I too have usued Mr Toom's service - absolutely no problem with either the car or his driver. I have booked him for next week and will not be changing now. Mr Toom is a member on Secrets and as far as I am aware every report from members on his service has been written in glowing terms. Maybe on this occasion you have been a victim of his own success i.e.perhaps he was stretched for a driver- no excuse but as I have said apart from the odd comment here, nothing but praise. 1200 baht is the standard price including tolls.

I gave formal instruction to my estate agent today - my house in Edinburgh goes up for sale on 1st August. As soon as that is completed, hopefully within 3 months, thats me on my way to what I expect to be a very happy retirement in LOS. Finances will definately mean an immediate change from "holiday mode" but I couldn't keep that pace up for any protracted length of time anyway! In the meantime back next month for a relatively short 11 day trip when I will be looking at possible places to live. I expect to rent for the first 6 months before buying a condo for myself......... and tee rak! Thats another reason for returning in August - will I still feel the same about the gorgeous (non working) girl I found last month? Does she really mean all the sweet comments she attempts to say (in english) in her daily e-mails? I hope so, but time will tell!

Used Mr Toom's taxi's on my recent trip. First class basic taxi service and great value for money. His driver, with a card with my name on it, was the first person standing at the exit.

I started a thread on Secrets recently asking the question as to whether property prices in general had overheated in Pattaya. Basically I was asking residents whether they thought we might be heading for a crash. Some thought that might well be the case but one of the most interesting comments was that a couple of estate agents had indicated that sales had been dead for the last couple of months. Personally I would think very carefully before buying anything in the immediate future.

Jimmy, There's no need to worry. They sell bullet proof vests in the market with a 100% guarantee. If they don't work you get a full refund.