PattayaPete

Another Peppermint Twist: The Peppermint ogling den (Walking Street), which was closed down for the crime of allowing itself to become one of the most popular in Fun Town, as well as permitting a couple of squadrons of its dancing maidens to disport themselves of cumbersome attire, has remained on the inactive list for far longer than was first anticipated. The poor, downtrodden, unemployed lasses from the den were given temporary sanctuary at the closely associated Happy chrome pole palace further down the road. However, the word on the street is that the sweet young things will soon be back to stroking the chromium in Peppermint before the end of July. Is this the most expensive ‘lady drink’ in town? I’m told the Limmitquai katoeys r us ogling den (Soi Diamond) charges 160 baht for a hostess libation. Then again, I suppose punters not only get to ogle T & A, but also get meat and two veg between the pins. Spelling is not their strong suit: The Living Dolls pair of establishments (Walking Street) are continuing with their 45 baht happy hour prices on draught amber nectar, house liver wasters and lolly water between 8:00 and 9:00PM, and have also introduced a new libation to Pattaya called the ‘Tequisla’, shots of which retail at only 20 baht. After three or four of these lethal concoctions, I presume most punters find themselves on a first name acquaintance with the floor. You make my heart go giddy-up: The trials and tribulations of doing business here in Fun Town would make for a weighty tome worthy of Charles Dickens at his most garrulous. Take Chapter 4,079: ‘A Million and One Ways to Lose Your Shirt and Other Apparel’. I caught up with the owner of the Lolipop ogling den (Soi 2) in another establishment recently and he informed me that he had only been into his place once in the previous three or four weeks because, “the mafia are running it.” Inquiring further, he said his now very definitely ex-girlfriend had supposedly borrowed a reasonably large sum of money a long time ago and had failed to pay it back. Of course, this was unbeknownst to him and, since the bar was ostensibly in her name, the creditors came a-knocking. From what I understand, little Miss Indebtedness has ‘gone bush’ and the creditors have moved in to take over the running of the bar. Nonetheless, the foreign owner is still paying the rent, hoping that he’ll be able to repossess his chrome pole palace at some point in the future. Note for budding Man Ray’s: The World Photo Digital Express emporium on Pratamnak Road, almost opposite the alleyway that leads down to P. 72 and Walking Street, is one of very few in town selling black and white film. A roll of 36 costs 190 baht and the owner speaks excellent English (tel. 038 414520). One for Ripley’s: The owner of Chevin Gym (Soi Day Night 3) asked the question, “What does the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and Formula One Motor Racing have in common?” The reality, of course, is nothing, except that on the weekend of July 5-6, the results were Williams (Serena and Venus) first and second in the tennis, and Williams vehicles (driven by Ralf Schumacher and Montoya) first and second in the French Grand Prix. Out of the Rumour Mill: A disturbing piece of information was passed on to me regarding a Sierra Tango establishment in Soi 6 that has, according to my informant, allegedly installed hidden cameras in its upstairs hide-the-salami rooms. From what I was told, the lay-back-and-think-of-somtam girls are not aware they are being Eastman-ed: ‘smile, honey, it’s another Kodak moment.’ If they were, I doubt many of the gang would be keen to continue offering their horizontal folk dancing skills in the boozer. Given the incredible advances in photographic technology, the chances are that this is not the only place in town operating in such a fashion. The question is whether the reason for installing such devices is to merely enjoy a vicarious thrill or two, or more sinister motives such as blackmailing people who wouldn’t like it known that they are playing away from home. It’s a long way from looking through the keyhole. My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com Author of Pattaya "Patpong on steroids"

Details on this infamous event can be found here http://www.freelancerbar.com/rideher.html

I voted no. The restaurant scene in Pattaya is almost more crowded than the bar scene. I've been living here for 5 years and still have a number of restaurants I want to check out but haven't got to yet. If I'm not eating Thai I tend to stick to the farang eaterys that have a great reputation already like Bronos or Mata Hari. A few years ago a lot of Russian restauraunts sprang up to coincide with an increase in Russian tourists. Most folded (and Russian food sucks ;D) If your friend is serious and wants to make a go off a resteraunt in Pattaya I reckon broader fare than Hungarian would be required. BTW most good restaurants also serve Thai food based on the very sensible idea that a lot of tourists take their bg to eat with them and most bgs will only eat Thai.

There are no plans to do that at the moment. However who knows for the future.

Listen to the echo: I have no idea what the official figures are for Pattaya, but anecdotal and visual evidence indicates that this low season is likely to be a survival of the fittest test. The generally accepted figure suggesting tourism is down by 60% is more than bulwarked by knowledge that certain United Nations’ agencies have placed farangus largesse perambulatus walletis on the seriously endangered list. Nevertheless... …Fantastic opportunity to get in on the ground floor: A new beer boozing complex is being constructed in the small lane leading from Central Road to Soi 7, past the Krung Thai Bank. Unproductive-as far as business was concerned- for much of the last decade, these new beer boozers will no doubt bring millions of baht flooding into the Pattaya economy as savvy investors realise what a wonderful opportunity this will be to break into a sector of business that only a few hundred thousand other people have ever seen fit to lose their shirts in. Arrested development: The Peppermint ogling den (Walking Street) was closed for a night just recently when some of Bangkok’s finest raided the joint and found some 42 young lasses cavorting about the environs in various stages of undress. I’m told the evidence came to their attention via one of the new generation of mobile phones that also double as a camera after a hard-working member of the constabulary had taken a few surreptitious happy snaps while partaking of a brew or two in the den. The criminals, possibly under the control of dark influences, were ordered to don respectable apparel and accompany the plod to the nick where they were summarily fined between 500 and 1,000 baht each, slapped on the wrist, and told to conduct themselves in a more becoming manner in future. Eight times and nine to come: The Diamond ogling den (Soi Diamond) held the eighth in its series of monthly dance contests on June 20 and although outside participation was down to representatives from What’s Up (Soi 15, off Walking Street) with two teams of two chrome pole molesters each, Big Willie’s (Soi Diamond), and Marilyn’s (Beach Road). Considering it is low season, the place attracted a standing-room only crowd. For the third month in a row, a dancer representing Diamond annexed the 5,000 baht first prize, with the runners-up both coming from What’s Up. There was also a ‘joke’ dance after the first round and a fashion show after the second round to keep the audience amused and interested. There have been occasional rumblings accusing Diamond of a home team bias; however, I know this is not the case. I have been invited to be one of the judges in all eight contests and Tee, the owner, makes it abundantly clear that he wants the competition to be fair to all participants. The reality is that the girls from Diamond, as well as What’s Up (which won the first three contests), are better at showmanship and dance style than most of their competitors. The ninth contest is scheduled for Thursday night, 31 July, with the fun usually kicking off at around 10:00PM. A new style of willy: The Big Willie’s ogling den (above Soi Diamond, off Walking Street) has had a change in its management structure and has changed the price of its libations. The draft amber nectar is now 45 baht, all night, with Thai rotgut at 50 baht, all night. Liver wasters, on special at 50 baht during June, will, so I’m told, have a tariff set somewhere between 75 and 85 baht once the new brooms have ironed out their policy. The music is standard car alarm style, but there are a few interesting young damsels caressing the chromium, plenty of them quite friendly, a change from some of the ogling dens around town. Well worth mounting the stairs for a couple of thirst-quenchers. Throwing down the gauntlet: Big Andy seems to have been spending a lot of time in the midday sun of late as he has re-introduced his 10 baht libations (only on liver wasters and Thai rotgut) at the Club Electric Blue ogling den (Walking Street) from 7:30-8:30PM and from 8:00-9:00PM next door in Hootys. From 8:30-9:30PM, the impost rises to a mere 20 baht in Club Electric Blue and from 9:00-10:00PM in Hootys. Additionally, the Heineken amber nectar can be guzzled at just 45 baht all night in both establishments. Of course, the logic behind this largesse is to draw the madding crowd away from the current reigning ogling den champion, namely Peppermint (Walking Street). On a recent excursion into Club Electric Blue it was clear the move was a success with plenty of people warming the seats; Hootys also had its fair share of customers. The latter establishment, at this stage, lacks the appeal of its next-door neighbour, but with libations as cheap as they are it’s worth wandering in on the off chance you find something you like. Beggar me Blind: Big Bill, the well-known operator of the Winchester dine and dash establishment (Jomtien), has apparently sold his share and is relocating to the Philippines where he intends to set up a similar joint in Angeles City. The new owners are planning to change the cognomen of the Winchester to the Blind Beggar. No evidence of mutilation: Not being a great fan of show bars featuring aquatic creatures, amphibians, razor blades, ping-pong balls, coloured string, burning candles and the like, I tend to be an infrequent visitor to those establishments offering this style of entertainment. The Super Lion and Redcat ogling dens (both in Soi Diamond), and Amazon (Walking Street) all fit into this genre. The latter features the usual chrome pole huggers with aquatic and amphibious creature performances interspersed at various intervals. Scientists claim goldfish, the de rigueur prop employed in many outlets, have a memory span of three seconds. Considering the mental and emotional stress they undergo each evening, this is a comforting thought. However, I do worry about the use of frogs and the danger that an emotionally unstable amphibian, if able to escape, might pose to an unwary dancer or the general public. My encyclopaedia states: ‘A frog’s tongue is covered with a sticky substance, making it an efficient trap… Most frogs prefer moist regions… [and] its body temperature depends on its surroundings…’ I just hope the memory span of a frog is similar to the average dancing damsel: not greater than 30 seconds unless money is involved. Low season missive: The Pattaya Chrome Pole Molesting Collective has issued a new update for its membership: ‘Sisters, now that low season has well and truly struck home and the streets are awash with 417.5632 working lasses to each potential walking wallet, we must remain firm in our resolve to charge like wounded bulls at every opportunity. In these trying times it can sometimes be tempting to permit a man to interfere with you for less than the standard rate of 2,000 baht. We have heard of members being prepared to play hide the salami for as little as, oh heaven forbid, 500 baht. However, Chrome Pole Molesting Collective policy is that members will now be required to charge either 25,000 baht or the equivalent of the national debt of Azerbaijan, whichever is the greater, to all would-be suitors. By using the tried and tested method of increasing prices when there are less customers we will all be able to overcome the downturn in income being suffered across the board. Remember, the future prosperity of the nation (well, the Isaan part of it anyway) is lying on your back.’ Tales from the crib: According to a story from The Clinic couch potatoes sports emporium (Soi Yamato), a punter staying in a slap-up sleeping palace in Las Vegas (U.S. of A.) decided he’d phone a cathouse and order a takeaway. He was apparently describing the sorts of activities he was expecting his potential visitor to engage in when a voice interrupted him saying, “Sir, you have to dial 9 first for an outside line.” My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com

Operating any business profitably is difficult. When you have 3,000 competitors in the same town it is well nigh impossible. Throw in a completely different work ethic amongst your employees, a dodgy legal situation and third world economics and it’s getting very tricky. However some beer bars are profitable. It does not happen by accident or good luck but by smart business practices by the owner. Most beer bars are charitable operations whereby the owner subsidized the sanuk of others. It might make you feel good to do this but don't expect a lot of thanks ;D

Now why is this in the technical section. Actually I was thinking about getting a few technical hints on godliness by checking out Bruce Almighty. Then again, I think I'd prefer to be the devil ;D As for you Mr Shilo, you know very well the girls have nothing to do with it. People flock here to gaze at my photo and hear my words of wisdom [smiley=grins-jump.gif] Airborni, I am glad you enjoy the site. Cheers Pete

Yet another year goes by: Monday night, 16 June from 7:00 p.m. onwards, Spicy Girls ogling den (Pattayaland Soi 1) is the place to be for a pig and a poke with Ewan, the lanky senior partner in the chrome pole palace, celebrating his forty-something birthday. As per usual, there will be ox loast and spit on a pig for friends and customers. As per usual with Spicy Girls, the reviled balloon chasers, you know who you are, are not welcome. The bash should be worth attending even if only to witness an inebriated Ewan perform his party trick of outshining the dancers when it comes to upside-down chrome pole gymnastics. Eight should be great: The Diamond ogling den (Soi Diamond) will be conducting its eighth dance contest on Friday night 20 June, commencing at around 9:30 p.m. There is a 200 baht cover charge but this entitles you to one free drink and the impost only applies to men. If you happen to want to bring your girlfriend along for a look, then she gets in free. Something’s missing: In my case it’s a few million brain cells, but in the case of the relatively new G-Spot lounge lizard libation room (Second Road, just down from Big C) I can’t quite put my finger on it. When it first opened, I thought it would be a worthy rival to places like the popular Winchester Club in Jomtien and FLB in Walking Street, but at present it’s just another place to down a cool ale or three. Drinks prices are reasonable, the serving wenches are friendly enough, and plentiful, with a clutch of new recruits. As well, G-Spot now hosts a free buffet every Saturday night. There is also a tuk-tuk sited in the front section of the large bar. The owners have christened it the ‘orgasmobile’ and, so I’m told, curtains will be fitted shortly. The bottom line is that there is nothing actually wrong with the place, it might be like so many others, some nights it’s happening and other times it isn’t. The empire expands: The latest addition to the ogling den ranks in Walking Street is Nui’s 2, taking over the former Pretty Girl chrome pole palace. Nui opened her first den in Soi 15, off Walking Street, in late 1999 and struggled for a long time, especially as the place only had a few chrome pole huggers and her drinks prices were as high as those in top quality dens on the main drag. Nevertheless, she managed to slowly increase her dancing maiden staff and attracted customers who liked to be within 10 centimetres of the chrome poles and watch the sort of shows that left you in no doubt as to the dietary habits of the damsels. Put your clothes on: With low season starting to bite, I’m told the management of Club Electric Blue ogling den (Walking Street) have cut back the salaries of some of their ‘non-performing’ dancing damsels in an effort to streamline operations. It seems that a number of dancers were not being asked out for sufficient organ recitals and etchings perusals even though they were quite happily showing off their best assets while molesting the chrome pole. So, those who failed to reach the standard have been told to put their tops on and take less wedge for their wiggle. The den is still continuing with its ridiculously low 25 Baht happy hour from 7:30 until 8:30 p.m. Still got the Blues for you: It might be approaching the depths of low season but the Blues Factory (Soi Lucky Star, off Walking Street) is still playing to reasonable and appreciative crowds. Long-time singer Greg Carroll left to pursue other interests at the end of March, and Snowman seems to have shouldered the front-line responsibilities to a large extent. The band has really bedded down into a tight and vibrant outfit thereby keeping the Blues Factory at the top of the list for places to go if you happen to want a change from staring at too much exposed female flesh. Not the Nine O’Clock News: The latest edition to the seeming plethora of local television companies producing news and information around Pattaya on Sophon Cable is Pattaya City News. The program goes to air five times a day, at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Sophon Channel Four and midday, 4:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. on Sophon Channel Five. The production team at Pattaya City News are easily the most professional operators in Fun Town and the overall quality of their product has left their major rivals floundering. With all the necessary official paperwork now sorted, I’m led to believe that the operators will be forging ahead with some new and innovative ideas for television in Pattaya. A rabid old chook: The Elephant Man, one of the original partners in the Spicy Girls ogling den, has opened a new boozer in Jomtien called the Old Speckled Hen. The ‘soft’ opening took place on 30 May and the premises is located in Soi 9, Jomtien Beach Road. The name derives from a brand of frothy English amber fluid that just happens to be a favourite tipple of Porn, the Elephant Man’s better half (by far). Dead as the proverbial maggot: In my most recent meanderings down Pattayaland Soi 2 it’s been noticeable that this once bustling stretch of tarmac is now almost bereft of custom and perambulators. Apart from long-established places such as Cheers, Palmers, Shamrock and the like, with a consistent and loyal expat and regular visitor clientele, most of the other operations, and particularly the ogling dens, appear to be battling for custom. Of course, there are those who will claim this is just part of the malaise that has struck the rest of Fun Town, but the reality is that ever since Walking Street commenced its resurgence around a year ago, the major loser has been Pattayaland Soi 2, with some residual effect on neighbouring Pattayaland Soi 1. Equally, the blatant wallet-emptying policies of certain operations in the soi have alienated a large section of the expat community, the very bread and butter that many businesses rely on to survive the lean low season. One place I used to enjoy was Planet Rock, but I wandered in around midnight on a Saturday night and the place was empty. It wasn’t hard to see why: four chrome pole huggers on stage, the remainder lounging around probably waiting for manna from heaven, and the cheapest drink in the joint is 99 baht. X no longer marks the spot: The X late night boogie barn (Soi Lucky Star) has closed its doors, presumably after failing to draw enough of the madding crowd away from Marine and Tony’s. The giant sign exclaiming ‘Don’t Go Home Alone Tonight’ has been taken down and will probably resurface as the covering for a somtam cart in the near future. No more dancers for your privates: The short-lived Private Dancer ogling den (Walking Street) is another to close its doors in recent times. Formerly known as the Winchester chrome pole palace, it did good business during the last high season but never seemed to ‘fire’ after the name change. It’s now up for sale. Bigger by half: My sources tell me that the connections of the Misty’s ogling den (Pattayaland Soi 2) have snaffled up the building next door, formerly the home of the now-defunct Emergency chrome pole palace, and have begun expanding their operation. The devil by any other name: The Diablo late night boogie barn (Walking Street) has changed its name to Lucifer’s, I can only assume because the staff had a devil of a time pronouncing Diablo. (or could it be that the owners also own Lucifer’s in Patpong! Ed) My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com

You are right BG and i'm aware of the problem. I have an update which fixes it but creates an even worse problem. I hope to sort it out soon. Pete

There is a newer version which I will install soon which allows you to see as many recent uploads as you like. It has a problem that I need to sort out but will get there soon. There is no easy way to see how much space you have used. However as you have 5 megs and most pics are smaller than 40k, as rule of thumb you could say you can fit in around 125 pics.

1350 baht a month for the gold package which is all channels excluding the Japanese ones. I forget what the installation was but I think around 5,000 baht, maybe a bit cheaper. They sell you the dish (you can't rent them) so if you ever move you can take it with you.

Sorry, but you can not get american satellite networks in Thailand. The curvature of the earth kills it. You can get UBC, which is a Thai satellite service with lots of english chanells, including ESPN. There is some American football coverage but not a lot.

Time, gentlemen: Following the mobile cabinet meeting held in Pattaya in mid-May and chaired by the Prime Minister, moves are afoot to once again extend closing hours for entertainment venues, with 4:00 a.m. being touted as the new ‘witching hour’. Of course, the machinery of government must first survey, gather, collate, observe, inspect, assess, disseminate, discombobulate, masticate, and desiccate before any formal decision can be made as to whether entertainment venues can stay open for an extra two hours. The head of parliament’s Advisory Board of Tourism and chairman of the Social Order in Tourism Business committee claimed the members of the committee needed at least another ninety days of ‘serious observation’ before any consideration would be made about extending opening hours. ‘Serious observation’, according to article 17, paragraph nine, sub-section (i) of the Guidelines for Really Important Committees, states: ‘Where practicable, all members of the aforesaid committee and sub-committees should attend, at taxpayers expense, as many night entertainment venues as deemed necessary by the Chairman of said committee and the Chairman(s) of said sub-committees, to assess, via the consumption of alcoholic beverages and close fraternisation with the serving staff of these establishments, the viability of extending closing times.’ The President of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, a guy with a name containing almost every letter in the alphabet, seems to be of the opinion that Walking Street would be the most suitable place for an entertainment zone. The queue to join Mensa just gets longer every week. Lucky seven for the home team: The seventh in the monthly series of dance contests held in the Diamond ogling den (Soi Diamond) resulted in victory for the home side when Linda, one of the best known chrome pole molesters in Fun Town, not only snapped up first place but also took out the Miss Flower prize. The contest saw dancers from Honey, Polo (Walking Street), Big Willies, Carousel (Soi Diamond), and What’s Up (Soi 15, off Walking Street) competing for a first prize of 5,000 baht. The runner-up, representing the Honey ogling den collected 3,000 baht while third place went to a chrome pole hugger from Carousel, who pocketed 2,000 baht. The results of the seven contests to date are: Month Winning Den November 2002: What’s Up December 2002: What’s Up January 2003: What’s Up February 2003: Kitten Club March 2003: Honey April 2003: Diamond May 2003: Diamond The eighth contest is set down for Friday night June 20, with the action officially slated for 9:30 p.m. but more likely to get under way around 10:00 p.m. Getting down to business: A new organisation calling itself the Pattaya Biz Club informs me that they will be holding expat network meetings every second Thursday of each month at the Studio Caf? (Jomtien Complex, Thappraya Road) commencing at 7:30 p.m. Members and guests are welcome and a 125 baht buffet is served up. Anybody wanting further information can contact Dave on 06 5685778 or by e-mail: info@pattayabizclub.com Hardly Frozen out: As the competition for the ogling Baht heats up as we enter what may well prove to be one of the toughest low season’s of recent times, it will be interesting to see just how many ventures survive over the next four or five months. The Frozen ogling den (Soi Diamond) is likely to be one that will keep going strongly, for a few simple reasons. First, a prime location, just off Walking Street; second, a full house of chrome pole huggers, some attractive, most average (but that’s true of almost every ogling den at present); third, they offer Carlsberg amber draught at 55 baht all night. Therefore, if you want a cheap libation, you can get it. Unfortunately, liver wasters are pricey at 105 baht. Super effort that: Apropos of the above item, the Super Baby and Super Girl ogling dens (Soi Diamond) are also, deservedly, continuing to pack out almost each and every night. Although management doesn’t offer any kind of happy hour or discounted thirst quenchers, all liquid refreshments are at a reasonable 90 baht, therefore offering better value for those who indulge in liver wasters rather than amber fluid. The great advantage both dens have over much of their opposition, is that they have some of the best chrome pole molesters available in Fun Town, although they do tend to be of the hard core “I can only go short time because my Thai boyfriend’s waiting on his motorbike outside” type. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but even Pradid, the owner of the dens, will admit that most Dames of the Chrome Pole are financially supporting some layabout young Thai man. And that goes for each and every ogling den in Pattaya, despite what the dear sweet young things will tell you. That’s Entertainment? My spies tell me the Super Lion ogling den (Soi Diamond) is asking 200 baht for a libation, claiming this impost is value as punters can watch a male and female play ‘hide-the-salami’ on stage. However, the owner told me recently she had stopped these shows because other bar owners, all Thai, were, in her words, “jealous.” My own feeling has always been that these sorts of places, featuring shows involving beer bottles, ping-pong balls, razor blades, comestibles, aquatic creatures, and the occasional farmyard animal are like the freak shows in the circus: roll up and see the bearded lady, the Siamese twins, the dwarf being hurled against a wall by the giant. They’re not to my personal taste, but the law of supply and demand indicates there’s enough prurient interest to keep these shows going. One less den to worry about: The Playpen ogling den (Soi Yamato) is no more. The chrome pole palace has been purchased by a friendly Frenchman who’d previously been involved in running an operation in Soi Post Office and, so I’m told, plans to upgrade the upstairs rooms and turn it into a guesthouse with a beer boozer where the dancers used to be. Overpriced and overrated: According to the monthly (or thereabouts) e-mail missive issued by The Clinic sports emporium on Soi Yamato, the Tim ogling den (Second Road) is charging 1,000 baht before midnight for punters to take dancers from the chrome pole palace. After the clock strikes the witching hour, the impost allegedly drops to a ‘mere’ 700 baht. If this is correct it’s a wonder anyone bothers, especially as the last time I was in, the dancing maidens were an average looking lot. For mine, the best part about Tim’s is the good music, much of it synchronised with the televisions dotted about the bar, and the pool tables out the back. It’s a blessing that the chrome pole shufflers are all but obscured by the dark interior of the bar. Bed of Slate: The Sportsman Pub & Restaurant (Soi 13) is the latest addition to the Monday Night Pool League and, before they’d even played a game, were in second position. Before you start ringing up the local loonie bin and telling them to send men in white coats with butterfly nets to haul me off for a term in a padded cell, let me explain how this unique phenomenon came about. According to Cockney Dave, one of the partners in the Sportsman, the team representing the Kiss beer boozer (Soi 6) decided to move en masse and offered their pool cue wielding services to the Sportsman. Because Kiss was now left without a team, all the points accrued by the team to date have now been transferred to the Sportsman, hence the second place position. To celebrate, Cockney Dave and original owner, Whispering Steve, have invested a tidy sum in converting the bed of their pool table from concrete to slate, making it, according to Dave, one of only three or four like it in Fun Town. My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com Author of Pattaya "Patpong on steroids" No reproduction without specific reference to: nightmarch@hotmail.com

Bigfinger I **** out the girls name. I don't want to be over controversial about this but I think we all know about the games bar girls play. There are enough warnings here and elsewhere for everyone to be a bit careful and to remember that your girl may well be different but probably not. If we start outing the girls by name then my life is going to become some what difficult.

Seven of Diamonds: The Diamond ogling den (Soi Diamond) is conducting its seventh dance contest on Wednesday night 21 May, commencing at around 9:30 p.m. It is expected that around six or seven chrome pole palaces will be sending hit squads to compete for the 5,000 baht first prize. These competitions are always well attended and most people leave with a smile on their face. Not an owl in sight: Big Andy is not afraid to admit when he’s made a blooper and is quick to act to remedy the situation. His Simply Blues Café (Walking Street) just didn’t fire, so he closed it down and on Monday night 5 May re-opened as the Hooty’s ogling den followed by an official grand opening party on Sunday 11 May. There is no happy hour to entice punters through the front door, instead the joint opens at 8:00 p.m. with most thirst quenchers retailing at 105 baht and the attraction are the shows, one of which is foxy boxing. U.S. Forces give the nod: Despite Thailand’s less than slavering support for the United States’ recent war against Iraq, President George Dubya has nevertheless sent his legions into the Land of Bottled Water for the annual Cobra Gold military exercises. For residents and expats the nights have seen phalanxes of pimply-faced, testosterone-loaded but financially-challenged troops scouring the nether regions of south Pattaya in the hope of having as a good a time as one can on a bottle of filtered water, a can of cola, and a cheeseburger. Known for being cheap charlies, I caught sight of a pair of servicemen cavorting in the Club Electric Blue ogling den (Walking Street) and, horror of horrors, spending money. They were interrupted by the arrival of a couple of MP’s who, it is to be hoped, had a word or two with these men about being so profligate with Uncle Sam’s greenbacks. After all, we don’t want a few renegades spoiling the tight-fisted reputation of the U.S. military and engaging in close fraternisation with money-grasping chrome pole molesters. In all seriousness, the American troops are generally well-behaved, polite to senior citizens (such as yours truly), kind to children and animals, and help keep the multitude of 7-11’s in a healthy profit. My horse, my horse, my chrome pole palace for a horse: It is my sad and melancholy duty to report the demise of the famous Carousel ogling den (Soi Diamond) horse. This noble beast, which began life coloured white, and latterly was painted a Dracula-esque black, has been wrenched from the revolving stage and put out to pasture. It is to be hoped the owners of the Carousel are not tempted to sell the equine to some travelling carnival and it ends its days being ridden by young children who will probably spill ice cream, throw up or empty their bladders upon its sturdy frame. That would be a sad end for a steed upon which many hundreds of pert derrieres have straddled and which was used as a temporary hanger as dancing maidens draped this icon in the pantheon of Pattaya chrome pole palaces with their attire. After losing its way about a year or so ago, Carousel has undergone a number of changes to its format that seem to be bringing the punters back in. Draught amber nectar is 50 baht all night while lolly water is 80 baht and the bottled brew and liver wasters go for 95 baht. Plenty of dancing maidens to ogle and a series of shows to break up the evening. My only complaint, and this is directed at every den currently operating les-be-friends performances, is the use of ‘Hotel California’ as the preferred musical accompaniment. Boring. The long-defunct Lovely ogling den used to play a great song entitled, from memory, ‘The Angel’ which had the right cadence to suit the fancy lickers show. Stuffed up, again: I really will have to stop listening to bar owners when they’ve been thrashing the giggle sauce. At least that’s my excuse. In my last epistle on 1 May, I wrote that happy hour prices in the Spicy Girls Too ogling den (down in gender-confused Pattayaland Soi 1) were 40 baht for all sorts of different types of coloured liquids. However, I made a mistake (not unusual I hear you say) and the prices are as follows: from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m draught amber fluid is 60 baht but from 7:01 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. it drops to just 40 baht. All other liquid refreshments are at a standard 95 baht. You may now return to normal programming. Contributions to the party fund: The owner of a prominent ogling den in Walking Street told me he’d had a visit from the local peelers on Thursday 8 May instructing him to despatch one of his dancing damsels to report to headquarters in Soi 9 and bring 500 baht. The owner said the plod were going around to every ogling den running shows, which is just about all of the chrome pole palaces in Walking Street, and telling management to do what he’d had to and send a sacrifice to Soi 9 and cough up a monkey. I suggested it may have had something to do with the fact that 8 May was a public holiday, or perhaps the party fund needed to be topped up. All dolled up: Competition in Walking Street these days is so fierce it’s a wonder the lesser lights survive. The battle for the ogling baht is such that management has to be constantly thinking of new ways to entice punters through the doors. The Dollhouse ogling den was the first to lead the renaissance of Walking Street, but after Big Andy sold his share the place went through a series of senior staff changes and looked to be heading down the gurgler. However, the place has fought back and, when I wandered in recently, had some reasonable talent hugging the chrome poles wearing an interesting see-through ensemble that’s a definite grade above the kitchen curtain/table mat style seen in other places. Happy hour runs from 7:30-9:00 p.m. with most refreshments at 30 baht. Second suck of the Lolipop: The Lolipop ogling den (Soi 2) held its second dance contest on 9 May with competitors from Amazon, Pretty Girl and Honey (Walking Street) as well as Diamond (Soi Diamond) hoping to snare the 5,000 baht first prize. In the finish it was a well-endowed young lass named Na , representing Pretty Girl, who took first place ahead of the pair of dancers from Diamond. Sensible advice: Chris, a regular reader of this column (I’m told frontal lobotomies are now reversible), suggests photocopying the relevant pages of your passport and keeping a copy on your person. He also recommends scanning the information and visa pages of your passport, as well as a list of contacts and phone numbers for credit cards and the like and then e-mailing this to yourself. As he writes, “I can have everything stolen / lost while travelling, go to any internet shop and print myself and my legal status out in moments.” Sounds like good advice to me. My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com Author of Pattaya "Patpong on steroids" No reproduction without specific reference to: nightmarch@hotmail.com

Actually deyoung you are not a member. You are just registered. To get a membership, click on "Click Here to join the members board, top middle of this page.

Yep. Photos get deleted after 3 months. I have to do that or I'd run out of webspace real quick.

This board is full of questions about SARS, VD, crime in Thailand and personal safety. People worry about getting mugged, ripped off or catching some nasty exotic tropical disease. People who have been here before do realize how safe Thailand is and yet, there is a silent killer lurking in Pattaya. On average it kills two farangs a week and seriously injures many more. Thais are also affected and are dropping like flies. Motor bike accidents are common, nasty and hard to avoid. Wearing a helmet is the least you should do. Better yet avoid motor bikes altogether. Baht busses are cheap and convenient and your chances of survival are much greater if there is an accident. Sorry for hijacking your thread to preach BlankCanvas but I feel very strongly about this and preach at every opportunity. FLB cutomers and staff have been killed in motor bike accidents. Over the three day Sonkran holiday recently more than 3 times the deaths reported world wide for SARS occured on Thai roads. Most of these deaths were in motor bike accidents.

Antbear I changed it for you. I guessed which pic you wanted. If you want a different one go to your profile and change the pic name accordingly. Pete

Yes it will be on one of the Thai sports channels. In Nana Plaza, Woodstock would be your best bet. If you want a more luxurios experience, try the Living Room on Sukhumvit, just before Soi 15. They have a large screen and a mini theartre.

A Crazy birthday: From 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night 3 May, Crazy Dave, the proprietor of the appropriately named Crazy Dave’s beer boozer and noshery (Soi Chaiyapoom) will be celebrating his birthday. A free buffet will be rolled out and, according to Dave, even the normally despised balloon chasers are welcome to come down and partake of the vitals. The boozer will make sure everyone gets in a happy mood by also plying punters with free shots of whisky throughout the evening. Too spicy a birthday: On 10 April, the team in the Spicy Girls Too ogling den (Pattayaland Soi 1) celebrated Gary’s birthday in style. In an attempt to lure custom away from the fleshpots of Walking Street, the management of the den has recently begun opening at 4:00 p.m., although the dancing maidens don’t begin to strut their stuff until 7:00 p.m. That’s when happy hour kicks off, with draught amber nectar, house liver wasters and Thai rotgut at just 40 baht until 9:00 p.m. There’s also a new manager and mamasan and the music style was described to me by Gary as “Atlantic soul”. The chrome pole palace is now stocking the Filipino amber drop San Miguel as well as the Aussie pair of Foster’s and Victoria Bitter (at 120 baht a bottle) and Weihenstephaner. I’m reliably informed that the latter is not some form of rabid mongrel or German marching tune, but in fact comes from the oldest brewery in the world. I don’t know how any Thai serving wench is going to get her tongue around that. I have trouble saying it, and I’m sober most of the time (Yeah! Ed.). Lolipop licks up a storm: The relatively new den-on-the-block, Lolipop (Soi 2) held its first dance contest on 11 April with 14 participants representing seven chrome pole palaces. Run along similar lines to the successful Diamond (Soi Diamond) promotions, the winner came from the Pretty Girl den (Walking Street), the runner-up from Diamond and third position went to a local hope from Lolipop. Other competing bars were Big Willies (Soi Diamond), Dollhouse (Walking Street), Nui’s (Soi 15, off Walking Street) and Kittens (Naklua Road). Lolipop has a lengthy happy hour that runs from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. with Chang amber fluid, house liver wasters, Thai rotgut and lolly water at just 45 baht. The next competition is Friday 9 May commencing at 8:30 p.m. which, given Thai time, means around 9:00 p.m. Sniffing around the traps: The Peppermint ogling den (Walking Street) is still holding onto the number one position in town and in a minor but interesting change the ‘office’ has been replaced by the ‘sports club’ where two or three young ladies wearing white tops and short black skirts make unusual attempts at performing physical exercise. However, the girls really will have to learn to sit like a lady. Peppermint is continuing with its highly successful happy hour promotion from 8-9:30 p.m. with draught amber fluid, lolly water, house liver wasters and Thai rotgut at just 35 baht. It’s sister chrome pole palace, Happy (Walking Street) is also continuing the same happy hour, although this really does only last for sixty minutes, from 8-9:00 p.m. They’ve also introduced a single table dancer, almost dressed in a skimpy white T-shirt and short black skirt, to give gynaecology students a closer look at their chosen subject. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and that’s exactly what The Dollhouse ogling den (Walking Street) is doing by extending its happy hour from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and offering standard libations at just 30 baht. Club Electric Blue (Walking Street) continues to draw students of the female anatomy with its happy hour from 7:30-8:30 p.m. although its 25-baht thirst quenchers only apply to house liver wasters and Thai rotgut. The serving wenches on the upper deck are obviously not making enough money as they can only afford to wear T-shirts that leave their tender young chests exposed to the elements. Later in the evening there are a couple of shows that would have made the denizens of Lesbos blush, especially when one of their number straps on the sort of plastic appendage most males can replicate in a mirror maze. Simply Blues Cafe, the feeding bit of Club Electric Blue, has closed after what must be one of the shortest openings. Especially so when the investment has been considered. Those I know who tried this short lived operation provided good reports saying the food was better than the general dross level of Walking Street. Maybe that is why the prices were considered to be a tad high. It is rumoured that owner Andy has trashed 3 million Baht on this 6 week project. Given the general dearth of tourists in fun town the closure looks premature. I am told he is now going to use the space to create yet another go-go. As if there are not enough already! Given the location and view a restaurant would seem to have been a better option. Six of the best: The sixth Diamond ogling den (Soi Diamond) dance contest on 25 April was once again a success with chrome pole molesters from Big Willies (Soi Diamond), Honey (Walking Street), Lolipop (Soi 2), and What’s Up (Soi 15, off Walking Street) competing against the home team. For the first time in the series, a girl from Diamond won the event, defeating What’s Up and Big Willies. The seventh in the series of contests will be held on Wednesday 21 May, starting around 9:30 p.m. Worth a silver star: The latest addition to the ranks of chrome pole palaces in town is the Silver Star on Soi 8, next door to The Alamo beer boozer and indoor golfing arena. Regulars to Fun Town will remember the place when it was the Paradise Club and then as Silver Street. Although the dancing maidens are attired in those awful kitchen curtain skirts and the music is the usual DJ-inspired car alarm style, the place seems to have recruited some of the friendliest chrome pole huggers in town. Only Spicy Girls (Pattayaland Soi 1) seems to employ maidens as convivial. They’re not pushy for drinks and equally, the serving wenches don’t do the point-the-finger-and-bend-the-elbow routine to induce you to purchase a liquid refreshment. The shows and general format seem to have a lot in common with top-notch places like Super Baby and Super Girl (Soi Diamond) and it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a connection. Drinks prices range from 55 baht for draught amber nectar to an inexplicable 85 baht for lolly water and 105 baht for liver wasters. Given the strange pricing structure, especially for Soi 8, I wasn’t surprised to see a lot of punters guzzling the draught beer. Budget entertainment: For many expats and regular visitors the Wednesday and Sunday Quiz Leagues provide a couple of hours entertainment away from the hustle and hassle of chrome pole palaces and beer boozers. However, sometimes the Quizittes (and the occasional Quizette) get a little ‘extra’ and this was certainly the case at The Bunker (Soi Chaiyapoom) when, after defeating the Denis The Menace-led OK Corral (Soi Skaw Beach), they were subjected to a rendition of Elvis Presley tunes belted out in one-chord disharmony by a travelling troubadour who looked like Elvis: after his demise. If prizes were handed out for the world’s worst Elvis impersonator, this guy would be guaranteed to make the finals. That said, everyone in The Bunker was smiling during his performance. Or they were all breaking wind. My e-mail address is: nightmarch@hotmail.com Author of Pattaya "Patpong on steroids" No reproduction without specific reference to: nightmarch@hotmail.com

For a one off job, try Mike Shopping Mall, ground floor, left hand side (if you enter from Beach Rd) about halfway into the shop. For bulk printing there are hundreds of places. A good one is Supaprint on Third Rd.

I set it up for you Striker.

5 «Open to Everyone Forum» (No bar girl discussion here please) / Hotel and Accomodation Questions / Re: Penthouse Hotel Feb 13th, 2003, 10:23am Started by Raylene | Post by aardvark I have stayed at the penthouse three times. I used the champaign service the first time when I was landing around 1 AM and figured I might have trouble finding a girl when I got to Pataya and the bars were closed/closing. One of the girls was great full of life and the other wasn't feeling good or something. Neither girl was very cuddly in the taxi. (However that girl is now one of my regulars). They stayed with me until almost 3 PM in the afternoon. The fee includes long time with both girls. Also includes a welcome drink with the girls in the bar which is alcohol for you and ladies drinks for them and can be the next day. The champaign sucks, but then so did the girls. The limosine was a very nice and comfortable Mercedez Benz. I do not recommend this service unless you are arriving really late and you are sure you are not going to be jet lagged. The owner says the price is so high because they can't get the girls to do it otherwise. They never took my picture and posted it anywhere. I think the pictures posted are for "bell ringers". If you are using their taxi service they require prepayment with or without girls. If you book a premier room or better they want a deposit. The only problem I ever have with any of the kittens is that they sometimes help themselves to for sale items in the room. Sometimes during busy season all of the premier or better rooms are full. I got downgraded for one night this year. The multi showers have one fixed head at a decent height and one of hand held heads that can be set at a fixed point lower down. Except for the higher head than I usually find in Thailand it is not a big deal. There are no in room safes, but there are good safe deposit boxes at the front desk. I have faxed them my credit card number and signature for deposits twice and have never had a problem. 24 hour restaurant and a breakfast buffet. New mamasan this year and the bar is being run better. Anyway, I do recommend the penthouse Hotel and only recommend the champaign service if you are going to arrive really late and there is no one else to arrange to have girls waiting for you in Pataya. Charlie

2003 Pattaya Marathon Date : July 20, 2003 Place : Pattaya City, Chon Buri As a tourism centre for the Thailand's eastern seaboard and one of the region's premier beach resorts well-served by an extensive range of facilities of international standards, Pattaya is a complete destination with land and marine attractions within easy access. Pattaya also offers one of the most picturesque running routes in South East Asia and is home to the "Pattaya Marathon", an annual international event which features a marathon, Half-Marathon, and a 10.550 km. Quarter Marathon and attracts participation from world-class runners and locals.