Postcards From Pattaya

I escaped the madness of Bangkok this week and spent some time at the beach. At Pattaya.

Mere words alone can not capture the flavour and feel of Pattaya so rather than tell you about what I saw, here are a dozen postcards from my time in Sin City.

Pattaya, like Bangkok, was terribly quiet this week. Walking along Walking Street, this enterprising fellow was trying to sell sexy items of clothing to the bargirls. Not an ounce of interest was shown. Obviously many don't have spare cash to spend
on such luxuries, their priorities being their Thai boyfriend, their family and ya ba.

Gone are the days when the vast majority of visitors to Sin City were Western men. Today visitors are a much more diverse bunch. That Pattaya is the least expensive of Thailand's most developed beaches and islands has made it a favourite with those for whom value for money is a key ingredient.

You don't have to look far to see that Pattaya's reputation as a popular sex tourism destination remains intact. Even for those who really aren't interested, there's always someone approaching you, offering themselves to you. Beach Road's middle-aged female workforce was there in considerable numbers, some who have been a permanent fixture for years.

And if you're interested in finding some companionship, well, even a blind man could get himself sorted. Irrespective of whatever fashion statements you wish to make or with which football team your allegiance lies, you can always find someone to keep you company. No-one is fussy on Beach Road.

It's the same old story on Walking Street with the masses walking the full length, down to Bali Hai Pier and back again. Few seemed to be venturing inside the bars or restaurants, at least few of the new visitors to Pattaya.

Visiting Pattaya and not visiting Secrets wouldn't quite be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower but with that said, if you like laid-back, stress-free bars with a bunch of pretty girls and a nice atmosphere, then Secrets most certainly fits the bill. Every night in Pattaya, without exception, I start the night in Secrets. The atmosphere is good, the air-con cool, the girls are not at all pushy and the manager the best in the business. It's one of a select group of venues where a couple can enjoy themselves as much as a single guy can.

The maidens of Isaan who make up the majority of the service girls in Pattaya continue to do their bit for international relations. Relations are improving between the Kingdom and countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and even Africa.

The World Cup is as popular in Pattaya as anywhere and any venue with a TV will be sure to show the matches. Just as in Bangkok, venues with commentary in English have had large signs and posters made up advertising the event. Even this rugby lover found himself transfixed, unable to keep my eyes on the girls in Iron Club, but rather on the giant TV screen as the mighty All Whites pushed Paraguay all the way.

The hello girls out front of many bars aren't fond of having their photo taken, notwithstanding that they are probably photographed hundreds and hundreds of times each and every night. But there are a few venues where the hello girls are keen to have their photo taken. In a most clever ploy, the girls outside Roxy and Airport Club pose for you and encourage you to take their photo. Once you have taken the snap, they grab you and try and frog march you into the bar. It's all done with a smile and from what I observed seems to be quite effective with many punters actually ending up inside! How could you say no to these lovelies?!

Eastern European girls have been a feature on Walking Street for as long as I can remember and seldom is an issue of a Pattaya newspaper published without mention of some being busted for, shock, horror, the crime of prostitution! It seems their Thai sisters just don't like the competition… Where they were once hidden, or at least somewhat discrete, now there are at least two bars with Eastern European girls standing outside, actively encouraging punters inside. "Sand" and "beach" as well as "Newcastle" and "coal" come to mind.

The ladyboys of Walking Street are more placid and much more restrained than their sisters who ply their trade in some of the darker stretches of Beach Road. I didn't spot the famous Emma this week, one of Pattaya's most famous ladyboys, one who I bet has fooled many.

And should you have any bother or troubles, it's reassuring to know that Howard and his team of friendly tourist police volunteers studiously patrol Walking Street and are there to assist. They're a well-rounded bunch so I guess that hot pursuit on foot of the bad guys is probably not part of the job description!

FROM STICK'S INBOX (These are emails from readers and what is written here was not written by Stick.) Preference may be given to emails which refer to the previous week's column.

EMAIL OF THE WEEK – Maybe Thailand still compares favourably.

A Korat retiree speaks out!

More young bucks in Thailand.

Looking for Thai girls? Look no more – you just found ThaiFriendly.com

Warts and all, Thailand is still preferable for many.

The chocolate man is not so sweet.

Face over kids?

When McDonald's is a treat.

July 3 will be July 4 this year when one of the social events of the year, and the biggest day for the American contingent, Independence Day, is celebrated at KIS, Knowledge Inspirations School, which is out near the Cambodian Embassy. Food and drinks
will be available from the likes of Sunrise Tacos, Roadhouse BBQ, Bourbon Street and Duke's. Bands will play all day including the Soi Dog Blues Band, Dixieland Band, Peter Driscoll and the Cruisers, Southern Cross and more. The Veterans
of Foreign Wars will have a booth grilling American beef hamburgers and the American Women's Club will be doing hot dogs. There'll be games and prizes for kids and adults alike. For more information, check out the official website at:
IDayBKK.com.

Bully's will host their annual July 4th BBQ on Sunday July 4 from 5 – 10 PM. It will include Bully's new baby burgers, smothered with bbq chili onions, thousand island and mustard. There will also be grilled brats, baby back ribs, slow roasted
beef short ribs, honey ham, grilled seafood, salads, desserts and much more. The buffet includes a complimentary chilled Corona – and all for just 390 baht! Special drinks offered include 290 baht Margarita pitchers, 290 baht Sangria pitchers,
premium pints at 150 baht and local bottled beers for 90 baht through until 8 PM.

And if you find yourself in Phuket, Navy League of Phuket is hosting what they promise is a real American-style picnic. It will be held on Sunday, July 5 at HeadStart International School, Kathu, directly across from Makro and will run from 10 AM until
7:30 PM. It's free and everyone is welcome. More info here.

The biggest match of the World Cup so far takes place tonight when England face Germany, two of the heavyweights clashing in a match which will see the loser packing their bags and heading home. Spare a thought for the service staff at Tilac bar, many
of whom watch and follow the English Premier League week in, week out. With one of the owners of Tilac Bar a proud German, the service staff often wear the German national team shirt and when Germany plays they feel they are bound to support the
Germans. Some service girls tell me that they want to support England as it is English teams they are most familiar with and who they feel an affinity with but they feel obliged to support Germany because the boss hails from there!

Speaking of Tilac, #96, a rather fetching looking, fair-skinned dancer who started Monday this week is a former hotel employee who entered the nightlife industry having lost her hotel job. Many Thai women have lost their jobs since the economic downturn
but there really hasn't been an invasion of girls who once had what could be described as more mainstream employment. A few, yes, but not the big numbers that might have been expected. How do all of these girls who lose their
job manage to survive? Do they just return to the family home? Given that many come from the provinces or a rural background, where the family often doesn't have much, it doesn't make sense to me.

It's probably not a bad thing that they managed to avoid turning to employment in the bars for they remain quiet for the most part. I spent more time out and about in Pattaya this week than Bangkok where it was relatively quiet. Like Bangkok, those
bars screening World Cup matches were doing ok. One bar area which seemed to be really quiet was soi 6. Strolling up and down as I do on each visit to Sin City, that bar area seemed to be really hurting with very few guys around.

The most popular and busiest bars don't always feature girls with the best attitudes but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the attitude of the girls in one of the most popular bars in Pattaya, Airport on Walking Street. The girls in
there have an excellent attitude, all I chatted with were friendly and many seemed to wear a permanent smile. The bar seems to be very well run.

I hate to say that I am not surprised that there was yet another reported incident in one of the Arab's Cowboy bars this week. A farang, whose age was put at 60+, exited Sahara bar and was set upon by one of the Arab's security staff, punched
and went crashing down to the ground. This is getting ridiculous and simply reinforces why I, along with many other locals, absolutely refuse to enter any of his bars.

Pattaya might have the reputation for being a cheaper party option than Bangkok but prices have caught up with the capital in some venues. There are beer bars, especially those on Walking Street, charging an arm and a leg for lady drinks. I also notice
a few venues charge 145 baht for my favourite Jack Daniels + Coke – very much Bangkok pricing. OK, so Pattaya is generally a lot cheaper, but in the better, or perhaps more accurately, some of the big name venues, prices are virtually at Bangkok
levels, for top shelf drinks. At least in Pattaya you can get draft beer cheap in most venues, if you can stomach the local draft beer, that is.

But not everyone is as tight with their hard-earned as I am. A Bangkok mate often heads down to Pattaya for a night out where he reckons you get more bang for your buck than in Bangers. In Baby Dolls, his favourite party house, he was
throwing back shot after shot after shot with a bunch of the girls. He barfined 4 girls from Ricky's raunchy bar, 2 sets of sisters as luck would have it. They were all having a great time, drinking, partying and being merry. He eventually made it back to his room at 7 AM, having barfined four girls and spending 20,000 baht – and he didn't even manage to get laid! Someone needs to teach this guy how to party!

In addition to value for money and sheer choice of (farang-oriented) bars, if there is one area where the bars of Pattaya have it all over the Bangkok bars it's in the girls' energy levels. In this respect Iron Club excels. The girls in there
are like the Energizer bunny, bouncing around full of vigour and life. Their fun-loving attitudes are infections making the bar fun to be in. Whether these energy levels are pharmaceutically enhanced is moot.

A successful Pattaya bar owner is of the belief that one of the major contributing factors to his bar's popularity is the (very reasonable) cost of lady drinks. He rattled off the names of a bunch of bars and beer bar complexes where lady drink prices
range from high to insane. His bar, which is a spectacular success, does not gouge customers on lady drinks. I then applied what he said to Bangkok where my favourite bar, and one of the busiest, is Tilac. Lady drinks there are just 100 baht.
Is he on to something?

In addition to the "you should have been here 15 minutes ago, the bar was packed" comment that so many bar owners like to make, the other one I hear more and more these days, and almost every bar owner in Pattaya who I caught up with this week
said is, "Mate, we've got a great line up of girls at the moment". Not quite sure why they feel the need to say that but many do!

Girls new to the industry can be rather naive. A girl in one of my favourite Pattaya bars has only been in the industry for a couple of weeks. She had done the dirty with a guy and it seemed she quite liked him and was being remarkably frank and honest with him. She went into her purse, pulled out some small photos and started telling him about herself and her family. This is my mother, and this is my father….and this is my
boyfriend! She went on to say that he works at such and such a place and she doesn't see him as often as she would like. She then told this fellow that while she used a condom with her customer, she doesn't with her boyfriend. Such candor
is uncommon.

A very nice job has been done on the new frontage and sign outside The Cavern on Walking Street, pictured right.

For those in Pattaya on a budget, there's plenty of discounting going on in the Soi Buakhao area with a number of smaller properties offering air-con rooms for under 500 baht. Just walk up and down the street and you'll see sign after sign with
low season rates.

The men of colour whose presence has been noted by many in and around Sukhumvit sois 3, 3/1 and 5 have spread their empire out further and there are more and more in Pattaya now, making Pattaya's visitors much more diverse than they were a few years
ago.

I received email this week from the owner of ThaiFriendly.com, a new Thailand dating site. The owner explained that while his site has a plethora of female members,
there's a lack of males. With ThaiLoveLinks seeing more and more women who work late at night trying their luck, some users argue that it is not quite what it once was. For those of you interested in meeting Thai women outside the industry,
give ThaiFriendly a try.

Thanks to all readers who responded to my question in last week's column as to the charge for two passengers on a motorbike taxi. Contrary to what I thought, it seems that the cost is indeed per passenger, and not per vehicle.

The BRT, not to be confused with the MRT (the underground), is the new bus service that runs from the Sathorn / Narathiwat Road intersection, along to Rama 3 Road and for several kilometres down that road. It connects with the Chongnonsee BTS station
via a walkway. The whole idea of the BRT was to provide a rapid transport option for that area, connecting to the skytrain and to reduce traffic on Narathiwat Road which can be very busy during peak hours on weekdays. However, the new project
is being painted as a great failure by pretty much everyone I know in the area. The BRT requires a dedicated lane, meaning that one
of the lanes on Narathiwat Road is now BRT only and private vehicles cannot use it. As such traffic has in fact got worse!

I note that the skytrain is busier than ever, uncomfortably busy and at certain times of the day the skytrain carriages resemble Bangkok buses – it's difficult to get on or off. Since they extended the skytrain over the river, resulting passenger
numbers swelling, has seen it get much busier. That said, the Silom line doesn't seem to be as bad as the Sukhumvit line.

Users of a certain small Thailand nightlife site became nervous earlier this week when some users trying to access it from within the Kingdom found that it was blocked with a warning from authorities stating that it had inappropriate content. It did not
last long and the site can be accessed again. It is every Thailand webmaster's nightmare, being blocked within the Kingdom. I guess that is why some have more than one domain name.

It seems to me that despite anti-smoking laws, more and more venues are allowing punters to smoke, perhaps in the hope that not too much business is lost in these tough times. The problem is that there are plenty of us who simply walk out if there are
people smoking inside a bar. I used to be open-minded and tolerated bars with smokers but having experienced the difference I cannot stand being in a smoky bar. If there are smokers there, you can say goodbye to me – and to many others. Yes, bar
owners, it IS that bad for us non-smokers – who make up a much greater number of your customers than smokers do.

Quote of the week comes from a reader, "Some of the specimens I've seen in Pattaya would be stopped by police in most cities just on looks / demeanour alone."

From the Financial Times, Luang Prabang in Laos is going upmarket!

From the Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Aussies are injured after two speedboats collide in Thailand.

From the UK's Guardian, drug smuggling into Thailand soars.

Asia's sex industry is profiled by France24 Reporters in this YouTube-hosted video. That said, when they describe Pattaya as being on the South China
Sea you have to wonder.

The Telegraph looks at expat medical care in Thailand.

Thieves in the baggage handling department at Phuket Airport are caught.

From the FT, it looks like it will be a long time before Vietnam mounts a serious challenge to Thailand in the automotive sector.

CNN highlighted some of the best wine bars in Bangkok.

Ask Mr. Stick

If I receive any interesting emails to which I think the answer could benefit other readers, I may include the question, and my response, here.

Question 1: Just an observation from one of your photos. Now that isn't at all an unusual sight 5 old guys,
presumably Pattaya retirees sitting on Beach Road. You may not of noticed this, but I spotted something significant. I can assume at least 4 out of the 5 are poor / living on very little money. Assumption is based on 4 not wearing watches. Now
this may just be me basing an assumption on my western understanding, but if you are even modestly well off in the west you will own a good watch as a status symbol as a Thai may wear gold. It may be something you have noted before or may be something
you want to look out for. I'd be pretty sure that 99% of farang men in classier places will be wearing a watch, probably one in the $1000+ Swiss variety range. I've noted people on Stickman often refer to how people dress as to their
class. I'd argue that this is a great assumption. In the UK it's often a sign of success when you are no longer stereotyped on dress code so easily. In the last 5 – 10 years we have seen a change in dress code rules. It used to be a
requirement for you to be wearing shirt, trousers and shoes to get in. Now you are more likely to get into a posh bar of club wearing T-shirt, jeans and Prada trainers. I'd be interested on your thoughts on this.

Mr. Stick says: I am not so sure about your assumptions. People who genuinely have money may wear a nice watch, granted, but for many people, even those with no shortage of riches, they may guffaw at spending $1,000+ on a wristwatch. Given that much of the attraction of Thailand is that you can travel or live cheaply, the country does not always attract the wealthiest Westerners and so probably only a small percentage of foreigners here can be seen wearing a (genuine) Swiss watch.

This past week has been particularly busy and I have not been so efficient running the site. There were no readers' stories posted for a few days and I am sitting on some emails that need a reply. If you emailed me and have yet to get
a reply, you will have one within the next 24 hours. And as far as the readers' stories go, they're now back to being posted every day. But hey, irrespective of whatever challenges I face, I will move heaven and earth to make sure that
the weekly column is always published by 6 PM. It's Sunday, it's six, it's Stickman!

Your Bangkok commentator,

Stick