Recent Visit

The good:

– Great Italian restaurant on Beach Road in Pattaya. La Guitta I think. 5-star service and fab food. Three of us tried it and all agree.
– Shenanigan's carvery buffet is very good in Pattaya.
– I went regularly for massage at a reasonable place. The girl was friendly and during following visits her good-natured sister would secretly join in for a two-girl, two-hour massage for the price of one girl. No charge for extras. Two tips of course, but well worth it.
– Found a spa down a dusty soi off Naklua Rd. An absolute angel works there who can raise the dead. I sent an elderly co-traveler over there and he braved the traffic as he hobbled over using his cane. He came back and sat down with a peaceful look on his face and said:"I'm in Nirvana. All my needs and desires have been fulfilled. I wish for nothing more. Isn't that the goal of every Buddhist?" That is something that could never happen back home.
– Indian restaurant at the base of the pedestrian bridge between Sois 3 and 5 was very good. The manager advised us and kept us from over ordering. He was right. There was plenty of food on each dish.
– Also recommend the Japanese restaurant in the Big C plaza for something entirely different.
– When lost at Wat Po in Bangkok an off-duty policeman spent a good amount of time helping us. My attractive American friend may have been an inducement and she posed for a picture with him.
– Woodlands Resort in Pattaya was above average, very friendly and a great bargain, with the little French bakery at their gate offering wonderous delights to choose from, the almond croissant being my favorite.
– Still lots of topless bars in the Walking Street area.

The dodgy:

– All three of us sick the last two days of our three-week visit. This always happens to me in Bangkok, never Pattaya. Was that bottled water from a vendor really from a tap?
– Thai girls like games? I was in Dollhouse in Soi Cowboy. A dancer was sitting with me after I had tipped her on stage. She pointed out another dancer and said she was her roommate. When they danced together they teased and played around to my enjoyment. By this time I had tipped them both. Then I tried a game. Girl #1 was on stage. I gave girl #2 100 baht and told her to place it in one hand and offer both hands to girl #1. She loved the idea and girl #2 won that round. I did it again to give girl #1 another chance. At that time I saw girl #2 trying to hide the bill down the back of her costume so girl #1, her friend and roommate, couldn't win. I told her to take it out and play fair. She did as told and offered her closed fists to girl #1, still on stage. Girl #1 chose right as I had hoped but girl #2 wouldn't give the money to her and fought for it. They had an argument. Girl #2 then gave me the money to give to girl #1. I tried and she wouldn't take it. Bad feelings all around and I left.
– My American friend wanted to see what was going on in Nana. I took her to Angel Witch. Sad to see the girls covered. They were doing their best to entertain the crowd with energetic dancing. We were seated on bar stools next to the stage. I had just given the waitress our order and turned to the stage when I saw a girl flying through the air toward me. I think she intended to wrap her legs around my head but she lost her grip on the poles and just kept coming. The bar stool and I hit the floor with her atop me. My friend was stunned, the crowd was roaring and I was trying to enjoy the view. It was lucky she didn't break her legs or my neck. An Aussie bought me a drink and the girl came out later and apologized, which I accepted. We soon left and my neck was sore for a week, but here I am telling one more story of how one night in Bangkok can make a (once) hard man humble.

Hope you enjoyed the review.