Tyfon

I have never successfully redeemed any FF or other airline club membership points or whatever - just complicates life too much for me. Tell me how much and I'll either fly with you or someone else. I want to go when I want to go and come back when it suits me and the best deal fitting my requirements gets my business. I also object to store 'loyalty cards' and (in the UK) 'Nectar Points' - the 'loyalty' is on the wrong end of the deal. It is the store's job to earn my business and express their loyalty to me by providing a combination of best price and service. I don't ever want to be in the position where my decision to take my business elsewhere might be influenced by some silly card/points game - as Sainsbury's found out when they dropped the quality of their food and started harrassing me on the shop floor to bank with them. Same with airlines - British Airways spammed me: I blacklisted them. Simple - no FF points, no hesitation.

I'm almost halfway through my Pattaya stay and, compared to Bangkok, Pattaya in high-season SUCKS. I admit I am a GoGo addict and I have spent a lot of time (too much effort) hunting through the GoGos and one thing is certain, over New Year's there are FAR to many punters for the number of girls. Girls seem indifferent and huddle away from the punters when not dancing. A lot of places , the punters seem to bring their own girl. One GoGo on Soi 7 was banning girls from leaving the bar (short-time only, upstairs) because they were so short of staff to dance. Girls have to get up and dance way to often, so when you do catch one it's a couple of sips of their drink and off they go again for anothe 20-30mins. When you corner one most want only ST and would rather go home than committ to LT. Yesterday I was asked 1000THB for a ST barfine at a major Walking Street GoGo (yes ONE THOUSAND BAHT). The girl added that the day before (New Year's Day) it would have been 2000THB!!! I then started asking at the door of other GoGos on WS and got the same reply - Needless to say I left WS, never to return. Out in Pattayaland thing returned to 500THB except Jupiter GoGo where I was the only other customer bar one and about 8 girls where they also asked 1000THB. WTF! Pattaya cheap!? The old Thai business model of "When things are slow, raise prices" is strictly adhered to. I had a great time my first Pattaya trip in August, so I'm thinking that Pattaya is best avoided during high season. The best f**k in Thailand was a 'mature' lady from Stringfellows, Soi 13/1 IIRC, but in the intervening four months it has closed Never had any problems in Bangkok, high or low season, nor in Patong, however this year in Patong I got lassooed by my tsunami girl for the whole six nights so didn't get to sample any variety. That was okay because I was looking forward to some serious butterflying in Pattaya - that seems unlikely. Did spend time with her at her friend's bar on Soi Crocadile (a.k.a. Soi Katoey) which is probably where someone earlier mentioned they went for the 'gay cabaret'. That place was rocking over Xmas. If you are gay I suspect that Pattaya may provide more choice in Pattayaland around BoyzTown, but that's not my thing, so I can't say if the boys are any more welcoming than the girls There are certainly more boys GoGo, Bars and massages places per square metre than anywhere else I've seen. I'm going to try the Pattaya bar scene tonight and see if I can get any good-looking LT action If not I'll have to cut my losses (my hotel insisted on payment in full in advance because of late booking - won't be falling for that again ) and return to BKK. TBH the money I've saved here on ST-only action will probably offset the hotel loss. Won't be setting foot inside any more Pattaya GoGos this trip.

With three days to go to wheels-up, I did a bit of shopping...

Boots the Chemist will have them, in R. Garden Plaza (IIRC) or the smaller branch on Walking Street

Excellent news

In my ocean view room at the Sandy Spring, Soi 13, August I found a weak but useable open wireless connection - not the hotel's but it worked for me

Hi Pattaya_Mad, This is Majestic Suites BKK, right? I booked my August stay at MS through Bangkok Tonight who use Sawadee, they (Sawadee) sent a reminder email abput a week before the final payment was due, so you'll probably get the same. Did you get a confirmation email from them when you first booked? If not maybe your/ISP's spam filter is blocking their traffic - Just a thought. Anyway, if Sawadee is not respondong you could try emailing MS directly (msuites@loxinfo.co.th) they're pretty good at replying (I booked directly with them this time for Dec. - no deposit, pay on checkout), explain what's wrong and ask if they have the Sawadee booking number on their records. My acknowledgement from "SAWADEE PAYMENT SYSTEM <ecombkk@web.co.th>" was CC'd to the Majestic, so they should have a copy of your deposit receipt to forward to you. Cheers, K.

I've been under a few 19 year olds... I also have the stock answer to the "How old you?" question - neung roi and it's exactly as Samsonite says, they can't decide if you've got your thai wrong, they mis-heard or you're lying through your teeth or maybe, just maybe, you are 100 years old... There's an old formula that the ideal age of a woman for a man is half his age plus 7 - for me that's 28, which to be honest would be about right if I were looking for a TG to setle down with (I'm NOT! )

In the UK women of easy virtue are referred to as 'bikes' - as in "She's the village bike..." So, finding a bike to ride hard every day in Pattaya should not be a problem...

The phone number (96012011) doesn't work and no reply to email so far... K.