Alphonse

Looks nice can't imagine guest would be a problem but ask if interested. Last high season seemed a lot of Indians were staying there.

Lots of art hanging in lobby plus an art gallery next door which must be associated with the hotel.

Because it’s theoretically low season so best to do road work when there is less traffic is my guess. The bigger question is what are those new concrete structures in the lane being torn up and how will they handle traffic if those are permanently in place.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/02/01/inenglish/1549014848_149720.html Never been to Spain but this article seems to indicate that the Spanish tourist industry is booming. Maybe the "different kind of holidaymaker" decision wasn't such a dumb move. As for the country being destroyed could you please elaborate...

I’m in the same boat. Would be great to know your experience with this driving school since I’ve not been able to find an alternative.

For sure! The Addicts site has been working on their "upgrade" for many months and it still has all kinds of problems. Good luck with the changes and hope it doesn't screw up this site since it is currently working just about perfectly for my needs at least.

Had Thanksgiving there. Was surprisingly good. Nice pub, friendly staff, excellent food.

Had a similar intention last year and found a company that offered that service. Second thoughts made me not pursue the wacky notion of learning to ride in this chaotic environment at my advanced age. Checked a few months ago and the website had vanished. Possibly not enough demand.

That's what I had been told but a lady friend said not so IF you have an IDP. Got my license two weeks ago while on a tourist visa (METV) and showing my IDP. Having the IDP also allows you to skip the hour long video guide to Thai driving. Was out of there in less than two hours.

Take the baht bus several times a week from Pattaya Tai & Second Road; always cops there ticketing. I mostly ride standing on the back and sometimes even wave to the cops---no ticket yet...going to be hard to enforce as long as the space is available. Only way to do it is have the drivers police it and make them responsible for paying the fine---seems not very likely!

Always book EVA direct. Annoying that they don't offer seat selection until after you have paid and received confirmation. Other airlines I've used allow seat selection before completing the transaction. Since I need an aisle seat I have to call EVA before I book to make sure any are available. Still, in my experience a terrific airline.

I pass through there several times a week and was wondering the same; upstairs is more cramped and hardly visible if you're on the ground floor so I would imagine that some of the customers just passing through would not even know the stalls were now on the second floor. Seems that would seriously cut into their casual business. But I do see people coming down the escalator food in hand---possibly people who work in the complex.

Nice pix and narrative; think I'll pass on the experience for the time being.

I was shocked yesterday to see all the food stalls gone. After looking around I saw a small sign on the escalator noting that the stalls had been moved upstairs. That space is much more cramped, hot, and uncomfortable; there was often a very nice breeze passing through the ground floor location that made eating there more attractive. What this is all about I have no clue; remodel, space for new business, city regulations run amok?? If anyone has a clue would love to know. Pattaya seems to be engaged in a battle not only with beach road ladies but also food vendors---making Pattaya safe for the

Thanks, Evil. Been wondering about So's since I pass by fairly often. Have you tried any of the food stalls on the ground floor of The Avenue? A walk through there is always greeted with very tempting smells coming from the eateries.

Have had Thai girls drag me to Kiss in the past. Usually, the fried fish can be OK (though even that sometimes fails) and most other dishes I have tried are mediocre at best. The Jomtien shop is no improvement yet often see Thais eating there. Best I can figure is that it is still relatively cheap though the portions are small.

Having stayed there many times over the years it was apparent that the side bar and the space given over to tables in front was less than a great success; rarely did I see more than a few lonely souls hanging in either place. The renovation makes sense, hope it turns out well .

Having lived in CA at that time I remember it was not only the ACLU (by the way, they do some very good things too for those who can't help themselves) but a large portion of the professional psychiatric community that was pushing the notion that the warehouse mental institutions had outlived their usefulness. The alternative was to be small community based sites akin to half-way houses. Once the big centers were shut down the state was to provide funding for the new paradigm; unfortunately the legislature never came up with the money and the result is the ghastly situation now seen in many CA

Thank you, Atlas; great story .

True, not much happening there except for the restaurants. Recently had dinner at Preecha which I thought very, very good. Beach nothing to get excited about and Bang Saray better. Would consider living in the latter but don't drive in Thailand and that makes it impossible.

Some good info there but lots of negativity and downright bitter meanness about Thailand. Not as bad as Teakdoor however--gave up on them a few years ago--what a bunch of whiners they were then.

Thanks, Evil. Walk by there often and was wondering...will give it a try. The penne looks like a candidate for a first meal along with a few others.

Cortisone shot to my gimpy knee; was supposed to be effective 3 months or so but here I am a year later with no need for a further injection.....yet!

Stayed at Areca many times over the past 10 years. A decent hotel very well situated. Wifi has ALWAYS been terrible with brief moments of actual usability---how they can not fix this is beyond my comprehension. Stay at Dynasty Grand when in Bangkok and the wifi is always flawless so I know it can be done and the login is so simple: your last name + room number instead of the usual hotel sequence of silly random letters and numbers which it is nearly impossible to memorize. Still, hard to beat the location and that clinches it for me. Have stayed at LK across the street and each experience wors

LOL. Once took a cab from Piazza Navona to the airport early am---driver ran every single red light on the trip. As they say, in Italy traffic signals are merely a suggestion...