RhinoTusk

I remember receiving a new extension and, since I gave my address, I assumed it reset the 90 days count, but then I had to pay a 2000 baht fine the next time for being late. I can’t do them online because my entrance card is from 2011 and not in their database so I use registered mail. I’m thinking of making a trip over to Angkor Wat just to get a new TM6, I haven’t been outside the Kingdom in over a decade.

I came back to town again this month to collect social security. What a difference a few months makes. It seems every empty storefront has become a cannabis shop and with the renewed economic activity it doesn't look like a bombed-out disaster zone anymore. Ganja Station, the new Believe It or Not exhibit at the Royal Garden Plaza WTF? There are even cannabis vending machines. This one on Walking Street. I stayed at the Hard Rock Resort again but the novelty has worn off after two visits. A different mural on each floor They have some nice memorabilia, but after you've seen it once I don't see the point unless your interested in the pool. I booked the room with breakfast included, it was only 140 baht more. For dinner, I went to Patricks again. They're featuring a 250g grain-fed Nebraska tenderloin. I enjoyed it so much, I went back again On my way to Walking Street I stopped at TQ1, haven't been in there in a decade. Six girls asked for a lady drink while I was having my beer, I think it'll be another decade before I go back. Another place I hadn't been in for a decade was the Hops Microbrewery. Don't know why it's been so long, food is good and so is the beer, although not inexpensive. It didn't seem like the restaurant has changed since my last visit, even the same Tom Jones music videos were playing. On Walking Street, I visited Baccara, Palace, Sensations, Pinup, and Fahrenheit Street theater is back Here's a guy firing off some rounds from a BB gun while another guy is rolling doobies Took a break from the action. The best looker of the night was in Baccara After the Hard Rock, I moved over to the LK President, a tower at the end of Soi Lenkee. The building is only a few years old and a large room goes for less than half the price of the Hard Rock. 27 stories, don't know the tallest building in Pattaya, I lived in View Talay 6 which is 27 stories (minus 13th). I'm on the 43rd floor in Bangkok. A place I really like for breakfast is Kungs, homemade sausages. Here's the small breakfast, 109 baht including coffee, about all I want in the morning For lunch, it's the Lamb roast at Robin's Nest Soi Pothole, day and night Soi Buakhao Walking down Soi Honey, and a cutie says, "massage, 800 baht". Well, she's a cutie, but 800 is too steep, then she says "includes blow job". Can't pass that up. The hottest girl at LK Metro was at Lady Love. She was the only dancer not wearing a number, I assumed not bar fineable. Her legs were too hot ?to allow out of the bar. Made a visit to Soi 6 on my way to the bus station, always very quiet in the late morning and early afternoon Breakfast at the Queen Vic Pint of Becks and a Jägermeister Just when I thought I'd found a place in Pattaya without cannabis, I came across this vending machine LOL Ruby Club still my favorite on Soi 6 Off to the bus station and back home to Bangkok A few more scenes from around town, hope you enjoyed this journal. Cheers

This blogger discusses the future of train travel in Thailand and has some drone footage of the new tracks around Hua Hin

It took a long time but the 3rd class fare was only 44 baht

A new dual track rail between Bang Sue Grand Station and Hua Hin is set to open this year that will cut travel time in half. I’ve taken that route three times and it takes forever, like 5-6 hours. This is a welcome relief. https://www.huahintoday.com/local-news/new-dual-track-train-line-in-hua-hin-to-open-this-year-2-5-hour-journey-time-to-bangkok/

It was OK but nothing special IMHO. I preferred the Daniel Thaiger burger but they closed at that location.

I took a walk up Soi 11 last night, hungry for a burger. I usually visit Bang Bang Burger but wanted to try Artisan Burger next door this time. It was Tuesday but the Soi was alive. The bar area was doing some decent business. Food and drink were available Samsonite was asking about Ava Bar. I've never been in there, but Hillary 3 appears to be doing much better. A few years ago, Soi 11 was like a block party every night with VW Cocktail Vans parked up and down the Soi. (Just look back in the thread). Well, the vans are back now but they're not selling cocktails. It seems natural selling cannabis from the back of a VW Minibus. This guy wasn't displaying prices. When I inquired, he stated 1,000/gram. I said I'd think about it, and he immediately came down to 600/gram, then it was "make me an offer". There were some nice looking imported strains They call this van the mobile "Stoner Factory" El Gaucho Argentinean Steak House is open again on Soi 11, after being closed more than two years. I'm glad it's back, now I know where to go for my birthday. Finally, the Artisan Burger (280 baht), with a Pale Ale More often I've been dining at the German Beer House (on Soi 13). Bratwurst with sauerkraut and fried potatoes, with a Krombacher Pils. They also feature creamy potato salad as a side. Always good to top off a meal with a Jägermeister, 129 baht during happy hour. Down the hatch. Cheers.

Most people there were for the vaccine. After they close the center next week there will hardly be anyone using the station. This guy put a nice vlog together

Vending machines and empty spaces, but I only saw the ground level, There are 4.

Yes, you can choose which one you want. I went with Pfizer because that’s what I had last time (6 months ago). The arm is a little sore today, same as before.

Thanks. You have another week to go there and get vaxed. LOL. For free!

Just opened last summer, at a cost of 15 billion baht, the largest railway station in southeast Asia, with 26 platforms. Although it's been open for a while, there's not much happening there. Bang Sue Grand Station replaces the existing Hua Lamphong rail station, which is over a century old. It was initially announced that Hua Lamphong would close at the end of last year but now looks to be in operation for at least two more years. I wonder if people are just nostalgic and they don't want to leave. There's talk of eventually turning it into a museum, which I think is an excellent idea. In Paris, they converted an abandoned railroad station into Musée d'Orsay, displaying post-impressionist paintings, and it works extremely well IMHO. Plenty of ticket booths. Empty waiting room My reason for coming today is their offering free walk-in covid vaccinations, but only until the end of the month. Of course, I could pay 1300 at a clinic, up to me. Thank you, Thai taxpayers! The vaccination center seems to be where most of the action is now at Bang Sue Grand Station, and they're not very busy either. I thought nearing the end of the month there would be larger numbers. The vaccination center was divided into separate Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna camps, with a common area for observation. The 30 minute observation was the only wait. They had far higher capacity than demand. They were selling souvenir vaccination T-shirts, 350 baht Afterwards, I went to look for a food court and found a small one in the corner without many options. So I went over to the old tracks outside where some mom-and-pop places are. A plate of pad thai, 45 baht And finally, back to the MRT. They have an underground tunnel connecting the station same at Hua Lamphong. I hope Bang Sue Grand Station will be utilized more, after the vaccination station closes it'll be the emptiest building in town.

I sometimes went there for breakfast when I lived in VT6. They always had sports on, I think I heard the owner was a wrestler from Ohio State. They had good breakfasts, and Steak Night on the Weber grill. Good location next to Devils Den.

Who can forget the runny eggs from the breakfast buffet??

LOL Afraid of all the ghosts of the people who died there. Fortunately, this one was farm fresh and didn't know the history

That explains it

Arrived at Patpong early and had a beer in Crown Royal, hadn't been in there in years. Radio City has opened now as a GoGo bar, used to have live music. Kings Castle I are also open. Over at the Strip, for 400 baht the mamasan closed the curtain so I could get a BBBJ from one of their pretty, slim, young dancers. Next door, XXX Lounge had Triple Bush Belgian Beer for a limited time, 10.5% ABV. The amazing thing was the price, 140 baht per bottle, I would expect to pay double considering Heineken is 190. I had three bottles to finish the evening and can't remember getting home. Nearly every bar at Nana Plaza is open now, Butterflies opened on June 1st and have a 2-for-1 special on local beers on Mondays thru Wednesday. There's a new bar called Blondie on the ground floor, I entered a few times but there were no customers. This is run by the manager at Spanky's but it doesn't have the same vibe. It's fitted to be more upscale and I'm not sure that's what punters want, beers are 170. At Soi Cowboy, girls walk around nude between sets at Crazy House, just as it was. Dollhouse has naked girls upstairs too. Girls still ask for "tequila coke" at Crazy House, I say "One drink only!". There's a girl at Dollhouse that did a runner on me 16 years ago. I took her long time and she wouldn't fuck in the morning. "I want to go to school" WTF? This never happened to me before, I debated whether to pay her for short time but since she stayed the night I paid her what I agreed but told her I would never bar fine or buy her a lady drink again. She laughed if off, probably thinking she'd never see me again, but she's seen me nearly every month for the past 16 years. After a while, she seemed genuinely annoyed at seeing me buying drinks for other girls and bar fining. Once I was sitting next to a guy that had bought her a drink and she had to go to the toilet. I could tell what she was thinking when she came back by the way she looked at me, what had I said to him in her absence? Badmouthing her? No, I never said anything, she must be 40 now and still has the flattest chest in the bar. Can't afford a boob job like some of the other girls, I'm sure I get more sex than she does. Two of The Arabs bars are occasionally open, Spice Girls and Midnight, on the weekends. They have very attractive Welcome Girls. I assume they can't be bar fined. Khao Soi at Impulse near the Asoke Intersection. Lamb roast at Fitzgerands on Soi Nana Saturday and Sunday, 395 baht. Shrimp tacos half price between 3 and 4 PM at Hooters Nana I haven't been to Amsterdam since 2004, so they brought Amsterdam to Bangkok. I couldn't believe they did this, I hadn't smoked this shit in years, so I lined up outside my local cannabis cafe where there were a hundred people waiting 30 minutes before it opened. I had to wait 3 hours. Prices are 450 to 700 per gram. Near the Asoke Intersection there's another, but prices are much higher, although they give you some nice glass jars for your stash. Near Ekkami, there's Sukhum Weed. Alternately, you can order online and pay COD where Thailand Post plays the role of the middleman, just like the drug-dealing monkey in Hangover - Part 2, which has since become a Toyota Camry commercial. Happy Daze. This in the roundabout in Chinatown where this scene was filmed. There's a 7-11 to the right (not pictured) where they parked the film truck.

Faye Dunaway

I wasn't ready to return to Bangkok yet so booked a few nights at The Wave. The Wave is a boutique hotel wedged between View Talay 6 and the Bay View Resort. Some may be put off by the neon color scheme but I think it's pretty cool. It's more expensive than the Hard Rock Hotel, nearly double. Stopped at the food court in Central Festival for some lentil soup on the way over, used to eat lunch there frequently when I lived next door. The Wave Hotel This is the lobby The room was very comfortable Bathroom had bathtub and shower. My only complaint was it took a half hour to fill the tub, but it was a large tub. I was disappointed not to have a tub at the Hard Rock Hotel, I only have a shower at home. The Balcony overlooked beach road where I could watch the freelancers at night Breakfast was a la carte, and it was awesome. I ordered smoked salmon over scrambled eggs on a bagel, with a cheese plate, orange juice, and two cups of coffee. Note the presentation, they roll the salmon like a rose. I've never seen that before. Followed with some fresh fruit and toast with jam, a delicious breakfast. The reason I wanted to stay here was I watched the hotel being constructed from my condo on the 26th floor in View Talay 6. Here's a photo from September 2011 where a bulldozer is clearing the lot. It had rained all night and there was massive flooding that weekend, beach road was under a foot of water. It was even worse on second road. This photo dated December 29, 2012. They got the building up quickly. It's only four floors, including ground. Six weeks later, putting the final touches on painting the exterior, and it opened a few months later. SOI SIX Naturally, no trip to Pattaya would be complete without a visit to Soi 6. Quiet in the early afternoon. As a pedestrian, you need to be very careful about being struck from behind by a vehicle. The view from within Ruby Club, bottled beer for 90 baht. A Pint of Becks lager with a Jägermeister at the Queen Vic. I tried their Friday Chinese Buffet. Eight items for only 340 baht, but I can't recommend it. Street comes alive in the evening, must have been eight girls for every customer. Another view from within Ruby Club Next day was Election Day, time to head back to Bangkok. Fortunately, there was election day there too, so I had an opportunity to dry out, but I really had a good time. It was great to be back, I'll come again next month. Cheers.

I made the same mistake booking the Siam Bay Shore for a week. The joiner fee was 800. I tried sneaking girls in taking different paths through the grounds but they had their employees trained to catch you every time. I never stayed there again, which was a shame because I really liked the resort.

I arrived Walking Street around 6 PM and walked as far south as the Bay Shore hotel More of this leafy green stuff Road torn up, looks like they're finally going to bury the unsightly electrical lines Nothing going on in Simon's Fahrenheit, one of the most happening places The action hasn't quite started yet at Pin-Up Walked out to the water's edge It's pretty dark south of Pin-Up This was about the only bar open down there Walk concluded at the Bay Shore Hotel, haven't stayed there in 20 years. I believe it's the original Walking Street hotel. Turned around and headed back to the lights The food vendor at Soi Diamond Didn't go into this new bar where Super Girls used to be Started with a Jack & Coke at Le Pub First GoGo I hit was Heavens, Chang Draft for 69 baht. Then it was Sensations, Palace, Pin-Up, Baccara, Skyfall, and Fahrenheit. I found a girl I wanted to bar fine,but bar fines are higher than in Bangkok, add a thousand baht joiner fee and the cost becomes prohibitive. I put her on my "To Do" list, however. I'll come back next month and book the Grand Hotel. NEXT: THE WAVE HOTEL

I was anxious to check out this new Tree Town so headed over one late afternoon, mid-week. I was thankful for overcast sky's and mild temperatures, recently had surgery for skin cancer. I checked the price on Stella Artois and Hoegaarden at the Beer Hub, not much less than what I pay at Baccara on Soi Cowboy, where the scenery is much better. There are signs with this leafy green stuff all over town. I only smoke cigars. This must be the way... Pretty quiet at the moment, don't know about later. There's a bar called Slutz This one only comes out at night I'd heard about the Beach Club ...nothing happening at the moment I think The Prisoner lives here So much for Tree Town Then back to Soi Bukhao for some fine dining at the Hungry Hippo, chef salad with lots of chicken and local cheese. Tree Town has Slutz,and Bukhao has the Sick Buffalo NEXT: WALKING STEET

No reason to come to town with the bars closed, but I stopped in for a few days to check the current status. Stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, where I've never stayed before. It's not guest friendly, lots of families stay there for the same reason I did, the massive pool. I even shot a few hoops There was a buy-1-get-1-free happy hour at the pool bar but drinks weren't very good. Room was a decent standard. There was a sound system but with a CD player. No bluetooth support to use my Apple Music subscription. How about upgrading the sound system if is the Hard Rock Hotel? Not much of a view, I didn't care to pay extra for the sea view. The Lobby was a comfortable place to hang out, some nice furniture and iconic memorabilia. There was a wall of fender guitars. You could borrow one and they would set it up in your room so you could jam. Fortunately, none of my neighbors did. I ran into these guys at a zebra crossing JOURNEY TO THE KISS ARCADE I like to dine at Patricks when in town, so I wandered over there, walking through the Soi 7/8 area I think this used to be the Eagle Bar, which had the lowest prices for bottled beer on the Soi. The connecting road over to Soi 8 I used to frequently have breakfast at the Big & Whistle and Rosies On second road, and past View Talay 6, where I lived for two years. I used to get my cigars here at the Tripp Plaza Finally, arrive at the Kiss Arcade. I notice there's a new condo building next door. At Patricks, I had the 250 g Australian Rib eye with sauteed potatoes, blue cheese sauce, and a half liter of Chilean Merlot. As usual, it was very good. I was planning on Beefeaters the following day but they weren't open for dinner yet. Not wanting to wait, I tried Longhorn Steakhouse. I've never dined there before but they've been there for ages. I tried the 400 g Australian T Bone, price was right at 699 baht but I think steaks are better at Patricks, although more expensive. Spent the remainder of the evening at LK Metro, eating oysters upstairs at Kink. Also visited Crystal Club and Showgirls but can't remember much from those visits. NEXT: SOI BUKHAO AND TREE TOWN

I licked a couple shaved beavers upstairs in Kink last night, there was a good vibe.

Best service I’ve ever received from a Hooters girl