TALES OF THAILAND...A LIVE (ALMOST) TRIP REPORT FROM THE LAND OF SMILES
Jun 5th, 2009, 08:40 PM
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Thanks for all of your wishes. Having a fantastic time even though the weather has been a little gloomy.
Bob, Bam Bam has been taken off display while his enclosure is being redeveloped. I did get to see Tong's favorite Water Buffalo and Goat however. I can tell the Working "Girls" by the absence of an Adams apple.
Anyway,on with my tale,
THURSDAY 4TH JUNE.
It is a ritual of mine, whenever I arrive in a new destination, to go for a long early morning run. I am not sure if I am running to, or running away from something, but it gives me great clarity and a sense that I now belong in my new “home” no matter how short my stay is.
It is also an ideal way to get the lay of the land and set my bearings. You can cover a lot more ground than walking and you can absorb your surroundings with greater detail than if traveling by motorized conveyance.
I set of at 6.30am and climb the hill leading towards the main road into Pattaya beach. On my left is a small gathering of unappealing little restaraunts and bars and on my right is the Asia Pattaya Hotel gardens which is dominated by an immaculately groomed par 3 golf course. The gradiant is quite subtle, but the humidity and heat, even at this early hour makes the climb a challenge and I am almost relieved to find myself on a long downhill stetch after turning left into the main road. The view here of the city skyline is fabulous and I try to slow my speed on this very steep decent so to take in my surroundings.
I come to a series of hairpin bends and there is an extremely attractive park on my right hand side that has been created in many layers due to its position on the side of Pattaya hill. There are many Thai’s exercising and playing in this oasis and I see a gathering of young men competing in a sport that seems to be a hybrid of volleyball and “hacky-sack”. Their skills are sublime and I get the urge to stop and observe this contest, but I am on a mission and I pick up my pace as the road begins to level off.
I run under an overpass and the scenes around me alter dramatically. I am now on a busy urban thoroughfare and I search for a way through this maze of well-worn buildings so that I can continue my run with sea breeze, rather than with the fumes of poorly tuned motor vehicles in my lungs.
I find a left hand turn that looks like it would take me in the desired direction, however it ends up in a dead end and I double back. The next turn delivers me to Beach Road but I need to run the gauntlet of a series of beer bars and go-go venues, some still in full flight with many groups of revellers oblivious to the time of day and my presence even though I must look completely out of place.
The scene on Beach road is far less confronting and the sea-front itself is actually attractive in it’s own way. It seems less polluted than I imagined, though I was preparing myself for the worst and the sand looks clean and inviting. It is far from tropical paradise but it is not the eyesore that I expected, however I would still be hesitant to go for a swim.
I continue on to North Pattaya, passing some impessive looking shopping arcades, most notably a very new looking “Central” complex that has at least 6 levels of retail therapy within it’s towering façade.
It is now time to turn around and continue my quest of discovery to the south. Only half an hour or so has passed since I began my journey but I am already starting to get a feel for the area.
I run under the archway that announces the entry to “Walking Street” with its huge video screen showing English football. I pass under neon signs of Elvis and various giant crustaceans, trying hard not to make eye contact with the “entertainers” leaving their places of employment after an unsuccessful shift.
I hear the sound of girls whistling accompanied with the cries of “Welcome…Welcome” and I fear this attention is being directed at me. I turn to face a neon charactiture of Satan above the aptly name “Lucifers” bar and see many girls still at work but the greeting seems not to be coming from there. My gaze wanders to the construction site of a new bar complex next door and it is here that I see a dozen or so ladies of a much more laborious but arguably more honorable profession, waving and smiling in my direction. It is a game to them and if my momentary particpation helps break up the monotony of carrying bricks and lifting buckets, then I am only happy to play along. I keep running but I return their greetings with an exaggerated “wai” and a loud “Sawadee Krub”. Their widening smiles and giggles are infinitely more beautiful, even dressed in dirty rags and hardhats, than the hot pants clad dancers of Lucifer’s. The giggles turn to a roar of laughter as I almost collide with a cart selling dried squid and fish balls.
After 300 meters or so, the landscape changes again as I enter the “Bali Hai Pier” area and run past the roadside fish market to the left and the marina full of impressive looking craft of all shapes and sizes to the right. I commence my climb back to the resort and take note of a very impressive looking Go-Kart track and commit it’s position to memory as I know the kids would love to visit it.
The road steepens significantly as I near the top and I can feel my lungs fighting for breath. I push myself even harder as the extra effort here will result in a guilt free breakfast. Finally I see the sign for the Birds and Bees and the right turn reveals a final 500m downhill stretch. My speed increases as I strive to get back to the resort, conscious of the attention of the shopkeepers and passing commuters. I turn into the driveway and am once again struck with the serene jungle enviroment of this beautiful complex.
The rest of the day is mostly about food and relaxation. The weather is stormy and the precipation at times heavy but it doesn’t stop us from having an enjoyable day. We swim in the pool under a blanket of rain and watch the wild surf beating against the shore from the safety of the restaurant’s well covered decking. We escape the complex only briefly for a massage and for supplies from the “Family-Mart” . The only annoyance is a lengthy power outage but just as it becomes dark, the problem is rectified and we watch a movie on HBO and fall asleep by 10.
Bob, Bam Bam has been taken off display while his enclosure is being redeveloped. I did get to see Tong's favorite Water Buffalo and Goat however. I can tell the Working "Girls" by the absence of an Adams apple.
Anyway,on with my tale,
THURSDAY 4TH JUNE.
It is a ritual of mine, whenever I arrive in a new destination, to go for a long early morning run. I am not sure if I am running to, or running away from something, but it gives me great clarity and a sense that I now belong in my new “home” no matter how short my stay is.
It is also an ideal way to get the lay of the land and set my bearings. You can cover a lot more ground than walking and you can absorb your surroundings with greater detail than if traveling by motorized conveyance.
I set of at 6.30am and climb the hill leading towards the main road into Pattaya beach. On my left is a small gathering of unappealing little restaraunts and bars and on my right is the Asia Pattaya Hotel gardens which is dominated by an immaculately groomed par 3 golf course. The gradiant is quite subtle, but the humidity and heat, even at this early hour makes the climb a challenge and I am almost relieved to find myself on a long downhill stetch after turning left into the main road. The view here of the city skyline is fabulous and I try to slow my speed on this very steep decent so to take in my surroundings.
I come to a series of hairpin bends and there is an extremely attractive park on my right hand side that has been created in many layers due to its position on the side of Pattaya hill. There are many Thai’s exercising and playing in this oasis and I see a gathering of young men competing in a sport that seems to be a hybrid of volleyball and “hacky-sack”. Their skills are sublime and I get the urge to stop and observe this contest, but I am on a mission and I pick up my pace as the road begins to level off.
I run under an overpass and the scenes around me alter dramatically. I am now on a busy urban thoroughfare and I search for a way through this maze of well-worn buildings so that I can continue my run with sea breeze, rather than with the fumes of poorly tuned motor vehicles in my lungs.
I find a left hand turn that looks like it would take me in the desired direction, however it ends up in a dead end and I double back. The next turn delivers me to Beach Road but I need to run the gauntlet of a series of beer bars and go-go venues, some still in full flight with many groups of revellers oblivious to the time of day and my presence even though I must look completely out of place.
The scene on Beach road is far less confronting and the sea-front itself is actually attractive in it’s own way. It seems less polluted than I imagined, though I was preparing myself for the worst and the sand looks clean and inviting. It is far from tropical paradise but it is not the eyesore that I expected, however I would still be hesitant to go for a swim.
I continue on to North Pattaya, passing some impessive looking shopping arcades, most notably a very new looking “Central” complex that has at least 6 levels of retail therapy within it’s towering façade.
It is now time to turn around and continue my quest of discovery to the south. Only half an hour or so has passed since I began my journey but I am already starting to get a feel for the area.
I run under the archway that announces the entry to “Walking Street” with its huge video screen showing English football. I pass under neon signs of Elvis and various giant crustaceans, trying hard not to make eye contact with the “entertainers” leaving their places of employment after an unsuccessful shift.
I hear the sound of girls whistling accompanied with the cries of “Welcome…Welcome” and I fear this attention is being directed at me. I turn to face a neon charactiture of Satan above the aptly name “Lucifers” bar and see many girls still at work but the greeting seems not to be coming from there. My gaze wanders to the construction site of a new bar complex next door and it is here that I see a dozen or so ladies of a much more laborious but arguably more honorable profession, waving and smiling in my direction. It is a game to them and if my momentary particpation helps break up the monotony of carrying bricks and lifting buckets, then I am only happy to play along. I keep running but I return their greetings with an exaggerated “wai” and a loud “Sawadee Krub”. Their widening smiles and giggles are infinitely more beautiful, even dressed in dirty rags and hardhats, than the hot pants clad dancers of Lucifer’s. The giggles turn to a roar of laughter as I almost collide with a cart selling dried squid and fish balls.
After 300 meters or so, the landscape changes again as I enter the “Bali Hai Pier” area and run past the roadside fish market to the left and the marina full of impressive looking craft of all shapes and sizes to the right. I commence my climb back to the resort and take note of a very impressive looking Go-Kart track and commit it’s position to memory as I know the kids would love to visit it.
The road steepens significantly as I near the top and I can feel my lungs fighting for breath. I push myself even harder as the extra effort here will result in a guilt free breakfast. Finally I see the sign for the Birds and Bees and the right turn reveals a final 500m downhill stretch. My speed increases as I strive to get back to the resort, conscious of the attention of the shopkeepers and passing commuters. I turn into the driveway and am once again struck with the serene jungle enviroment of this beautiful complex.
The rest of the day is mostly about food and relaxation. The weather is stormy and the precipation at times heavy but it doesn’t stop us from having an enjoyable day. We swim in the pool under a blanket of rain and watch the wild surf beating against the shore from the safety of the restaurant’s well covered decking. We escape the complex only briefly for a massage and for supplies from the “Family-Mart” . The only annoyance is a lengthy power outage but just as it becomes dark, the problem is rectified and we watch a movie on HBO and fall asleep by 10.
Jun 6th, 2009, 03:08 AM
#22
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I also usually go for a run in the early morning to get the lay of the land. It's a great way to get a sense of location without the distraction of commerce. Your run sounds like fun. Keep writing.
Jun 6th, 2009, 06:37 AM
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Only if they can catch me. I'm sure Shanek is much more sedate than I. The key is that early morning runs provide a view of places that is unavailable any other time of day. You get to see places come to life. It's fun.
Jun 6th, 2009, 04:57 PM
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Is the Central complex open now? We saw it under construction, and nearly done, when we were in Pattaya for the New Years Eve festivities.
I'm not a runner, but it sounds like a good way to have a look around.
Carol
I'm not a runner, but it sounds like a good way to have a look around.
Carol
Jun 6th, 2009, 05:54 PM
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Yes Carol, the complex is fully operational. I didn't realise that it was "that" new. It has a great cinema on level 6 with a first class option, heaps of food courts and some nice restaraunts. The shopping there is not cheap as a general rule but we managed to find a few stores having sales and we picked up some bargains.
Jun 6th, 2009, 06:17 PM
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shane...tong has sent me a pic of you and the family...handsome bunch for ossies....don't even look like criminals...
have fun in pattaya area and try out pan pan, i think the kids would love it...
have fun in pattaya area and try out pan pan, i think the kids would love it...
Jun 7th, 2009, 06:36 AM
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Oh My God. I was hoping to remain mysterious but my cover has now been blown. It is a new age Australia these days, only 67% of us arrived in leg shackles and chains. Some of us even buy our own bread.
Pattaya was fun, though we did have an unsavory incident that I will go into with some depth in my next installment.
I am sitting in Samui now and my love affair with this place continues. You must give Cho eng Mon Beach a try if you go there. It is like I have travelled back in a time capsule to Samui in the 80's. By the way, that is a good thing.
Pattaya was fun, though we did have an unsavory incident that I will go into with some depth in my next installment.
I am sitting in Samui now and my love affair with this place continues. You must give Cho eng Mon Beach a try if you go there. It is like I have travelled back in a time capsule to Samui in the 80's. By the way, that is a good thing.
Jun 7th, 2009, 08:47 AM
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Now that your cover is blown, you can take a desk job. The years of field work are over. Push some paper and eat long lunches.
Bob would have to travel forward in a time capsule to get to the 80's.
Bob would have to travel forward in a time capsule to get to the 80's.
Jun 7th, 2009, 07:27 PM
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FRIDAY 5TH JUNE.
Who the heck is Tony? Those of you that have ventured to the “city of sin by the sea” will know who I mean. His smiling face looks down apon you from billboards, and from the back of baht buses everywhere you go in Pattaya. His eyes seem to follow you and his smile reveals that he is a man that you can trust your soul to. Tony has your best interests at heart, no matter what those interests may be. In Pattaya it means a lot to know that Tony is in your corner.
Tony is more than just Pattaya’s foremost entreprenuers. He is not just the owner of the finest fitness centers, bowling alleys and shopping arcades along the coast. His Food Courts are world class and the fact that you can bring your own whiskey at no charge only proves that he wants you to feel at home. Tony’s Beer Garden is the only place you should go to drink beer, in a garden. If there is a service that needs to be provided or a job that is worth doing, you can rest assured that Tony will be there to put his name, and his face to it. In Tony we trust.
After breakfast, as the sun is out, we decide to take the kids to the Pattaya Water Park. The taxi driver lets me beat his price down to 100 baht far too easily. We get in, and 45 seconds later he stops at the park. I really should have turned right instead of left on this mornings run.
The park is extremely quiet and is looking very tired and dated, but the waterslides prove to be a big hit with the kids. They charge 100 baht per person and that gives you unlimited access to 6 slides of varying levels of excitement. I decide on the highest and longest for my first attempt, and it is almost my last as I am thrust 5 feet into the air on the first jump and end up with my board shorts firmly wedged into my rear-end upon my less than graceful entry into the water. I select the more sedate slides for the rest of my morning thrills.
There is a rollercoaster, mono-rail and various other amusements around the park, but the most well patronized attraction appeared to be Pattaya tower. This unattractive structure of great height has a lift that climbs to the top for a birds eye view and various options of coming down. For the adventurous, there is a zip-line to expediate your descent and from our comfortable position on the ground near the water slides, we could hear the screams.
We spent about 3 hours at the waterpark and then catch a taxi into the arcade connected to the Marriott to take the kids to “Ripley’s”. There are 4 different attractions there including an “endless” maze, a Horror Hall and a “4D” Theatre. We choose to just go through the Ripley’s Museum which costs about 450 baht for adults and 350 for kids. If you want to do all 4 you can buy a combined ticket for 880/780, but you need to use it all in the one day and we didn’t want to “Ripley” ourselves out. The museum is only mildly amusing but there is enough buttons to press and handles to turn to keep the kids interested for just over an hour. Kerry decided to spend this time wandering around exploring and when we meet up, the kids are full of Ripley facts and figures to share with her. The strange thing here is that there was no sign of Tony anywhere around this attraction, perhaps he is a silent partner.
We continue down Beach road for some shopping. The Central Festival shopping centre is even more impressive on the inside as it is on the out and the boys loved riding on the glass walled lift the runs along the exterior of the complex and provides great views.
It is getting close to dinner time and we charter a baht bus to take us to Jomtien. The beach strip here is very long and the activity levels are much more sedate than Pattaya. It is a lovely area that has a great friendly feel to it. There are heaps of cute little bars and most restaraunts have stunning ocean views.
I had set out to find “Preecha” seafood restaurant but our driver didn’t know where this was and she dropped us of at the very end of beach road before it turns left and runs inland for a short section. On the corner here was an eatery that was filled with Thai people so we thought we would give it a go. It was a pleasant environment and the prawns and rock lobster were nice but the BBQ fish was a dissapointment. I had asked for snapper and was taken to a tank that looked like it may have contained fish of this species but what they presented to the table was extremely salty with an almost unpleasant taste and odor. The meal for the 4 of us including a huge rice with shrimp, which was lovely, a few large bottles of Singha and lemon shakes for the kids came to a modest 1350 baht.
We started walking along the beach road to assist with the digestion of our seafood feast and really felt comfortable in the surroundings. One thing that was a little different was the signs at most of the bars restaurants and guesthouses advertising a 10baht charge for the use of their toilet facilities. We stopped for a drink at one stage and we even got charged the toilet tax on top of the 4 drinks that we ordered, luckily Kerry was the only one who went.
We rounded the night off with a foot massage for all of us and an icecream and then found a baht bus to take us back. On the front of the truck was a huge sign with a familiar face on it advertising a lifetime membership at Tony’s Fitness Centre for only 25000 baht. We knew we were in for a safe trip home.
SATURDAY 6TH JUNE.
Something very unfortunate happened today that will change our outlook on Thailand forever. This may sound dramatic when you hear about this incident but the totally relaxed state that up until now I have always found myself in, will always be tainted with a slight incertainty. My sense of peace and trust will always have an edge of cynicism. What makes it even worse is that today, even Tony wasn’t there for us. It wont stop us from returning to Thailand and eventually, the mental scars will heal, but we will never forget the sinking feeling when it happened.
As I am writing this jounal in a perfect chronological order, I will be true to this and you will have to read on to find out what happened. But don’t worry, when it does happen you are sure to know.
Who the heck is Tony? Those of you that have ventured to the “city of sin by the sea” will know who I mean. His smiling face looks down apon you from billboards, and from the back of baht buses everywhere you go in Pattaya. His eyes seem to follow you and his smile reveals that he is a man that you can trust your soul to. Tony has your best interests at heart, no matter what those interests may be. In Pattaya it means a lot to know that Tony is in your corner.
Tony is more than just Pattaya’s foremost entreprenuers. He is not just the owner of the finest fitness centers, bowling alleys and shopping arcades along the coast. His Food Courts are world class and the fact that you can bring your own whiskey at no charge only proves that he wants you to feel at home. Tony’s Beer Garden is the only place you should go to drink beer, in a garden. If there is a service that needs to be provided or a job that is worth doing, you can rest assured that Tony will be there to put his name, and his face to it. In Tony we trust.
After breakfast, as the sun is out, we decide to take the kids to the Pattaya Water Park. The taxi driver lets me beat his price down to 100 baht far too easily. We get in, and 45 seconds later he stops at the park. I really should have turned right instead of left on this mornings run.
The park is extremely quiet and is looking very tired and dated, but the waterslides prove to be a big hit with the kids. They charge 100 baht per person and that gives you unlimited access to 6 slides of varying levels of excitement. I decide on the highest and longest for my first attempt, and it is almost my last as I am thrust 5 feet into the air on the first jump and end up with my board shorts firmly wedged into my rear-end upon my less than graceful entry into the water. I select the more sedate slides for the rest of my morning thrills.
There is a rollercoaster, mono-rail and various other amusements around the park, but the most well patronized attraction appeared to be Pattaya tower. This unattractive structure of great height has a lift that climbs to the top for a birds eye view and various options of coming down. For the adventurous, there is a zip-line to expediate your descent and from our comfortable position on the ground near the water slides, we could hear the screams.
We spent about 3 hours at the waterpark and then catch a taxi into the arcade connected to the Marriott to take the kids to “Ripley’s”. There are 4 different attractions there including an “endless” maze, a Horror Hall and a “4D” Theatre. We choose to just go through the Ripley’s Museum which costs about 450 baht for adults and 350 for kids. If you want to do all 4 you can buy a combined ticket for 880/780, but you need to use it all in the one day and we didn’t want to “Ripley” ourselves out. The museum is only mildly amusing but there is enough buttons to press and handles to turn to keep the kids interested for just over an hour. Kerry decided to spend this time wandering around exploring and when we meet up, the kids are full of Ripley facts and figures to share with her. The strange thing here is that there was no sign of Tony anywhere around this attraction, perhaps he is a silent partner.
We continue down Beach road for some shopping. The Central Festival shopping centre is even more impressive on the inside as it is on the out and the boys loved riding on the glass walled lift the runs along the exterior of the complex and provides great views.
It is getting close to dinner time and we charter a baht bus to take us to Jomtien. The beach strip here is very long and the activity levels are much more sedate than Pattaya. It is a lovely area that has a great friendly feel to it. There are heaps of cute little bars and most restaraunts have stunning ocean views.
I had set out to find “Preecha” seafood restaurant but our driver didn’t know where this was and she dropped us of at the very end of beach road before it turns left and runs inland for a short section. On the corner here was an eatery that was filled with Thai people so we thought we would give it a go. It was a pleasant environment and the prawns and rock lobster were nice but the BBQ fish was a dissapointment. I had asked for snapper and was taken to a tank that looked like it may have contained fish of this species but what they presented to the table was extremely salty with an almost unpleasant taste and odor. The meal for the 4 of us including a huge rice with shrimp, which was lovely, a few large bottles of Singha and lemon shakes for the kids came to a modest 1350 baht.
We started walking along the beach road to assist with the digestion of our seafood feast and really felt comfortable in the surroundings. One thing that was a little different was the signs at most of the bars restaurants and guesthouses advertising a 10baht charge for the use of their toilet facilities. We stopped for a drink at one stage and we even got charged the toilet tax on top of the 4 drinks that we ordered, luckily Kerry was the only one who went.
We rounded the night off with a foot massage for all of us and an icecream and then found a baht bus to take us back. On the front of the truck was a huge sign with a familiar face on it advertising a lifetime membership at Tony’s Fitness Centre for only 25000 baht. We knew we were in for a safe trip home.
SATURDAY 6TH JUNE.
Something very unfortunate happened today that will change our outlook on Thailand forever. This may sound dramatic when you hear about this incident but the totally relaxed state that up until now I have always found myself in, will always be tainted with a slight incertainty. My sense of peace and trust will always have an edge of cynicism. What makes it even worse is that today, even Tony wasn’t there for us. It wont stop us from returning to Thailand and eventually, the mental scars will heal, but we will never forget the sinking feeling when it happened.
As I am writing this jounal in a perfect chronological order, I will be true to this and you will have to read on to find out what happened. But don’t worry, when it does happen you are sure to know.
Jun 8th, 2009, 04:37 PM
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I apologise for my bad manners. I had not intended to keep you waiting so long for this next installment but time got away from me.
My previous post was not supposed to included that little 2 paragraph "teaser" on the bottom. I am cutting and pasting from a word document, and in my haste I pasted more than what I intended to. It was all that I had written at the time, here is the balance....
SATURDAY 6TH JUNE.
Something very unfortunate happened today that will change our outlook on Thailand forever. This may sound dramatic when you hear about this incident but the totally relaxed state that up until now I have always found myself in, will always be tainted with a slight incertainty. My sense of peace and trust will always have an edge of cynicism. What makes it even worse is that today, even Tony wasn’t there for us. It wont stop us from returning to Thailand and eventually, the mental scars will heal, but we will never forget the sinking feeling when it happened.
As I am writing this jounal in a perfect chronological order, I will be true to this and you will have to read on to find out what happened. But don’t worry, when it does happen you are sure to know.
The breakfast spread is significantly improved on the weekend as the occupancy levels swell. The introduction of several Thai dishes to compliment the standard fare pleases me greatly as I combine poached eggs and minced pork with chili and basil to create a culinary feast.
For the first morning this week, the sun is beating down on us so Kerry requests some pool time but as the kids are restless, I take them into town for some thrills at the Go-Kart track. They have a great set-up with 2 separate tracks, and we are pleased to see that they have slower Karts that are suitable for younger children. The boys handle themselves with surprising dexterity except for one mishap that Caleb has with the tyre wall, but no damage done. The staff treat the kids really well and they both have an absolute ball.
Before catching a taxi back, I need to exchange some money and we head down to the South side of Walking Street as I noticed several banks there on my morning run. It is now about 11.30, but all of the booths are still closed, and most don’t open on this stretch until 3pm as they trade until the wee hours, indicative of the commerce and clientelle of this strip. This means that we travel the entire length of Walking Street and the boys get a bit of attention from the lady’s preparing themselves for the “afternoon delight” trade.
I find a bank open at the start of beach road and as I finalise my transaction, a baht bus stops, I negotiate a fee and we jump in. There is another passenger in the back, a lone American “gentlemen” who makes the comment “With all the empty buses around, do you have to get in one that is already in use.” I probably should have ignored this but as the driver had approached me, and the fact that they are basically a public bus, I bit back “So what you’re saying is that this upsets you?” He answered this by telling me how rude that he thought I was and as a resident of Pattaya, he had more right to be on this bus than we had. This boiled my blood a little and I let fly with a few choice adjectives that certainly would have been more colorful had the kids not have been there. To his credit, he backed down and got off, without paying, and both the driver and I gave him a gesticulatory send-off in unison.
As it was our last full day in Pattaya, I was determined to pack in as much as possible, and we decided to collect Kerry and all go and visit Mini Siam. This is a collection of world landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and the Statue of Liberty re-constructed in miniture. It is situated about 12km’s North of the Pattaya Beach area and the best price that I could negotiate with the Taxi mafiosa at the front of the hotel was 250 baht for the one way trip.
The drive there was reasonably uneventful for most of the trip and I sat in the back of the open sided truck that serve as Taxi’s taking photo’s of the passing parade.
To get into the parking lot for Mini Siam from the direction that we approached it from, you need to go about 100m past it and do a U turn. While we waited for a break in traffic, a bike approached the vehicle and entered the U turn area on the inside of us, the side that Kerry was on. As you sit on the side of the truck, facing in, Kerry had her back to the bike rider and I was on the opposite side facing her. I watched as he leaned towards her and seemed to touch her on the back of the neck and in a flash he took off, just avoiding the oncoming traffic. She screamed and for an instant, I was unable to process what had just happened. Kerry grabbed her throat and her face turned red and then I realized that her gold chain that I had bought her for her 30th Birthday, that she never took off, had gone.
Luckily, she was alright and the only damage done was mentally and financially. This chain held significant sentimental value but by far the greatest sadness and loss that we felt was that it happened in Thailand, a place that we love so much. We are always cautious and don’t take our personal safety and the safety of our belongings for granted when we travel, but it still left us with a feeling that we had just been cheated by a best friend. I know that it can happen anywhere and that it could have been much worse, but the calculated way that it all played out just left us all in shock. We contemplated reporting the incident, but how do you identify an asian male wearing a black helmet on a dark blue scooter in Pattaya. I didn’t note the licence plate number but as these plates have only 3 recognizable numbers with the balanace of the identification in Thai, it still would have been inconclusive.
When we pulled up in the parking lot, I asked the driver if he noticed what had just happened. He said he heard contact with the side of the vehicle but saw nothing. I suppose that he would have been looking at the uncoming traffic but I had a very strange feeling that this guy knew more than he was letting on. This is pure speculation and totally unfounded but my thoughts were further fueled when he didn’t ask us if I wanted him to wait for us or even enquire how long we would be or if we would be returning. Most drivers would see the option of another 250 baht fare after a one hour wait to be a reasonable trade off rather than picking up the odd 20 baht fare from the locals. The place was relatively deserted so it was unlikely that he would get a better offer.
Anyway, we tried to enjoy Mini Siam, but it was difficult under the circumstances. There are 80 different mini structures on display, they charge 300 baht for adults and 150 for kids and I suppose in the right frame of mind it would have been quite interesting. We were over it in about half an hour and decided to move on.
We jumped into another baht bus that already held several passengers, fortunately they were all Thai and understood the system as I wasn’t in the mood for any more confrontation. This guy wasn’t going all the way to our next destination but he told us where we could change buses to get to Central Festival Shopping Centre. The entire trip on both vehicles only cost us 80 baht.
We decided that if there was a movie showing that we all wanted to see in the first class theatre, we would treat ourselves to a deluxe cinematic experience. The lastest Terminator was showing, starting in about half an hour which pleased both the boys and I to no end but Kerry thought it would be a good opportunity to get her hair cut.
For 600 baht per person, you get to sit in extremely comfortable, electronically controlled recliners, get pampered with blankets and pillows and get served pop-corn and drinks until it comes out of your ears. You also get access to a lounge area, with drinks and nibbles, for up to an hour before the movie. The picture and sound is quite incredible but what the boys thought was the best fun was having to stand for the National Anthem whilst they showed various vision of the Kings greatest moments on the big screen.We all loved the experience and the movie but the “incident” was never far from my mind.
We met up with Kerry, who was sporting a great new hairdo, and shopped for a while then decided to go back to the Birds and Bee’s. None of us felt like venturing back out again, the kids were tired and I had that lingering doubt about the “taxi mafia” who were our only transport option without walking 800 meters up-hill to the main road.
Dinner tonight was at Cabbages and Condoms, an excellent Tom Kha Gai in a large hot-pot, creamed Crab meat in a Red Curry sauce and Chicken cooked in Pandaman leaves which was flavorsome but a little overcooked and dry. They had various carbohydrate options but I was curious about the “Red” jasmine rice that was listed and I ordered a large bowl of this to accompany our mains. It had a strange, almost unpleasant texture and flavour on it’s own but was Ok when mixed with the curry but I wouldn’t order it again. The kids went for western options of Burgers and Garlic Bread. All up, it was our most expensive meal so far at about 1600 baht with a few beers and soft drink. Very reasonable for the quality of the meal and when you factor in the amazing location and views of Pattaya bay, I would certainly recommend it.
My previous post was not supposed to included that little 2 paragraph "teaser" on the bottom. I am cutting and pasting from a word document, and in my haste I pasted more than what I intended to. It was all that I had written at the time, here is the balance....
SATURDAY 6TH JUNE.
Something very unfortunate happened today that will change our outlook on Thailand forever. This may sound dramatic when you hear about this incident but the totally relaxed state that up until now I have always found myself in, will always be tainted with a slight incertainty. My sense of peace and trust will always have an edge of cynicism. What makes it even worse is that today, even Tony wasn’t there for us. It wont stop us from returning to Thailand and eventually, the mental scars will heal, but we will never forget the sinking feeling when it happened.
As I am writing this jounal in a perfect chronological order, I will be true to this and you will have to read on to find out what happened. But don’t worry, when it does happen you are sure to know.
The breakfast spread is significantly improved on the weekend as the occupancy levels swell. The introduction of several Thai dishes to compliment the standard fare pleases me greatly as I combine poached eggs and minced pork with chili and basil to create a culinary feast.
For the first morning this week, the sun is beating down on us so Kerry requests some pool time but as the kids are restless, I take them into town for some thrills at the Go-Kart track. They have a great set-up with 2 separate tracks, and we are pleased to see that they have slower Karts that are suitable for younger children. The boys handle themselves with surprising dexterity except for one mishap that Caleb has with the tyre wall, but no damage done. The staff treat the kids really well and they both have an absolute ball.
Before catching a taxi back, I need to exchange some money and we head down to the South side of Walking Street as I noticed several banks there on my morning run. It is now about 11.30, but all of the booths are still closed, and most don’t open on this stretch until 3pm as they trade until the wee hours, indicative of the commerce and clientelle of this strip. This means that we travel the entire length of Walking Street and the boys get a bit of attention from the lady’s preparing themselves for the “afternoon delight” trade.
I find a bank open at the start of beach road and as I finalise my transaction, a baht bus stops, I negotiate a fee and we jump in. There is another passenger in the back, a lone American “gentlemen” who makes the comment “With all the empty buses around, do you have to get in one that is already in use.” I probably should have ignored this but as the driver had approached me, and the fact that they are basically a public bus, I bit back “So what you’re saying is that this upsets you?” He answered this by telling me how rude that he thought I was and as a resident of Pattaya, he had more right to be on this bus than we had. This boiled my blood a little and I let fly with a few choice adjectives that certainly would have been more colorful had the kids not have been there. To his credit, he backed down and got off, without paying, and both the driver and I gave him a gesticulatory send-off in unison.
As it was our last full day in Pattaya, I was determined to pack in as much as possible, and we decided to collect Kerry and all go and visit Mini Siam. This is a collection of world landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and the Statue of Liberty re-constructed in miniture. It is situated about 12km’s North of the Pattaya Beach area and the best price that I could negotiate with the Taxi mafiosa at the front of the hotel was 250 baht for the one way trip.
The drive there was reasonably uneventful for most of the trip and I sat in the back of the open sided truck that serve as Taxi’s taking photo’s of the passing parade.
To get into the parking lot for Mini Siam from the direction that we approached it from, you need to go about 100m past it and do a U turn. While we waited for a break in traffic, a bike approached the vehicle and entered the U turn area on the inside of us, the side that Kerry was on. As you sit on the side of the truck, facing in, Kerry had her back to the bike rider and I was on the opposite side facing her. I watched as he leaned towards her and seemed to touch her on the back of the neck and in a flash he took off, just avoiding the oncoming traffic. She screamed and for an instant, I was unable to process what had just happened. Kerry grabbed her throat and her face turned red and then I realized that her gold chain that I had bought her for her 30th Birthday, that she never took off, had gone.
Luckily, she was alright and the only damage done was mentally and financially. This chain held significant sentimental value but by far the greatest sadness and loss that we felt was that it happened in Thailand, a place that we love so much. We are always cautious and don’t take our personal safety and the safety of our belongings for granted when we travel, but it still left us with a feeling that we had just been cheated by a best friend. I know that it can happen anywhere and that it could have been much worse, but the calculated way that it all played out just left us all in shock. We contemplated reporting the incident, but how do you identify an asian male wearing a black helmet on a dark blue scooter in Pattaya. I didn’t note the licence plate number but as these plates have only 3 recognizable numbers with the balanace of the identification in Thai, it still would have been inconclusive.
When we pulled up in the parking lot, I asked the driver if he noticed what had just happened. He said he heard contact with the side of the vehicle but saw nothing. I suppose that he would have been looking at the uncoming traffic but I had a very strange feeling that this guy knew more than he was letting on. This is pure speculation and totally unfounded but my thoughts were further fueled when he didn’t ask us if I wanted him to wait for us or even enquire how long we would be or if we would be returning. Most drivers would see the option of another 250 baht fare after a one hour wait to be a reasonable trade off rather than picking up the odd 20 baht fare from the locals. The place was relatively deserted so it was unlikely that he would get a better offer.
Anyway, we tried to enjoy Mini Siam, but it was difficult under the circumstances. There are 80 different mini structures on display, they charge 300 baht for adults and 150 for kids and I suppose in the right frame of mind it would have been quite interesting. We were over it in about half an hour and decided to move on.
We jumped into another baht bus that already held several passengers, fortunately they were all Thai and understood the system as I wasn’t in the mood for any more confrontation. This guy wasn’t going all the way to our next destination but he told us where we could change buses to get to Central Festival Shopping Centre. The entire trip on both vehicles only cost us 80 baht.
We decided that if there was a movie showing that we all wanted to see in the first class theatre, we would treat ourselves to a deluxe cinematic experience. The lastest Terminator was showing, starting in about half an hour which pleased both the boys and I to no end but Kerry thought it would be a good opportunity to get her hair cut.
For 600 baht per person, you get to sit in extremely comfortable, electronically controlled recliners, get pampered with blankets and pillows and get served pop-corn and drinks until it comes out of your ears. You also get access to a lounge area, with drinks and nibbles, for up to an hour before the movie. The picture and sound is quite incredible but what the boys thought was the best fun was having to stand for the National Anthem whilst they showed various vision of the Kings greatest moments on the big screen.We all loved the experience and the movie but the “incident” was never far from my mind.
We met up with Kerry, who was sporting a great new hairdo, and shopped for a while then decided to go back to the Birds and Bee’s. None of us felt like venturing back out again, the kids were tired and I had that lingering doubt about the “taxi mafia” who were our only transport option without walking 800 meters up-hill to the main road.
Dinner tonight was at Cabbages and Condoms, an excellent Tom Kha Gai in a large hot-pot, creamed Crab meat in a Red Curry sauce and Chicken cooked in Pandaman leaves which was flavorsome but a little overcooked and dry. They had various carbohydrate options but I was curious about the “Red” jasmine rice that was listed and I ordered a large bowl of this to accompany our mains. It had a strange, almost unpleasant texture and flavour on it’s own but was Ok when mixed with the curry but I wouldn’t order it again. The kids went for western options of Burgers and Garlic Bread. All up, it was our most expensive meal so far at about 1600 baht with a few beers and soft drink. Very reasonable for the quality of the meal and when you factor in the amazing location and views of Pattaya bay, I would certainly recommend it.
Jun 8th, 2009, 04:59 PM
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Sorry to hear about the necklace snatching and I hope the rest of your holiday will be trouble free.
There are a lot of farang kee nok in Pattaya and I'm glad that your confrontation ended without much problem.
There are a lot of farang kee nok in Pattaya and I'm glad that your confrontation ended without much problem.
Jun 8th, 2009, 05:28 PM
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So sorry to hear about the necklace!! That's really sad, knowing how much you have enjoyed Thailand in the past. It would bother me as well!
I've been to the go-kart track on Samui. DS and our friends had a great time. They drove the fastest cars and had a blast. I'm sure your two boys enjoyed themselves very much at the Pattaya track. DS and friends have driven there as well, and they always talk about how much fun it is.
The movie theaters are definitely worth going to! I have been to the Gold Class in BKK. Even if the movie isn't much good, the surroundings are sooooooo pleasant!
Looking forward to your next report. Have a nice flight to Samui.
Carol
I've been to the go-kart track on Samui. DS and our friends had a great time. They drove the fastest cars and had a blast. I'm sure your two boys enjoyed themselves very much at the Pattaya track. DS and friends have driven there as well, and they always talk about how much fun it is.
The movie theaters are definitely worth going to! I have been to the Gold Class in BKK. Even if the movie isn't much good, the surroundings are sooooooo pleasant!
Looking forward to your next report. Have a nice flight to Samui.
Carol
Jun 8th, 2009, 06:04 PM
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I'm sorry to hear about the necklace. I understand how it colors your vision of Thailand. While people are always warned of snatchings of purses, jewelry, cameras by guys on motorbikes, I've heard of it most often in VN.
And your encounter with the sexpat (my assumption) was certainly unpleasant. I guess those incidents would color my view of Pattaya more than my general view of Thailand.
And your encounter with the sexpat (my assumption) was certainly unpleasant. I guess those incidents would color my view of Pattaya more than my general view of Thailand.
