Butch

I think bm @Nightcrawler has one of those Ninja things to eviscerate veggies into a smoothie. However, he told me it also mixes a good Bloody Mary.

Duxford is brilliant, but the food is hellishly expensive. When I was there I walked through Concorde (never realised how tiny it actually was) and around the Comet. They've got a few decent displays of Warbirds and some restoration going on as well.

Although I don't think 500 Gammas were ever noted for their touring range and comfort lol.

I'm a big WW2 History buff, went to the IWM just after covid and did the holocaust Gallery which was pretty bloody sobering. I love the place and it's on the Bakerloo line which is pretty old and kind of puts you in the mood. In fact my next trip to London will involve abandoned tube stations and the War rooms. Where I used to live are the remains of a WW2 Airfield runway, also there are a few Anti Tank blocks on the local heath and plenty of local WW2 History.

That's also a shame , I've eaten there regularly in the past but haven't since my last trip before covid. They have a lovely selection of decent wine, the staff are great and the food is awesome. Not cheap but a good, honest and decent restaurant. Seems all the places I like to eat and drink are closing down!.

Very good point mate and one that I'd missed actually. There's no doubt that this has had a big effect on BF's as we know them, but I'd ask to what extent that's borne out "on the street". Do girls use it as a back up or as a main source of income?. I really don;t know!

Mentioned before, we've always had Soi dogs at home in the RP. Askals make excellent guard dogs and companions if you get them from a pup, and dogs and pups are bloody everywhere. The best thing about them is that every macho wannabe tough guy filipino is shit scared of them, because they know the damage they can do. we recently lost a family friend to rabies though, so I don't think that fear is misplaced. When I was in town on my last trip a farang lady fed all the stray dogs on the patch of wasteland between Soi 8 and Soi 10 which runs along Beach Rd. I thought better of walking past them while they ate in case they thought my leg was part of the offering!. Props to the farang lady for her kindness and compassion.

100% sums it all up. Absolutely brilliant post. ^^^^^^^^^^^ I've been lucky during my time in Pattaya, especially in the early days. I looked very young for my age and I was in good shape with a physical job and earned big bucks. I spent weeks with the legendary number 58 from Happy after a chance meeting on a Soi 8 bar where her sister worked. I remember back in 2002 I'd pay 1700 baht LT to a GGG and had no problems getting them. (although judging by Mr @Yessongs pictures, his conquests puts my conquests to shame LOL. ) Guys today who I see boasting on Reddit or forums that they can pay all the money to get the best girls don't seem to realise, they're paying 5x as much for 5x less the quality, I'd put any natural girl from 2003 working in Happy up against the best that Skyfall can offer. That's by way of looks before we even get to attitude. @Horizondave you hit the nail on the head when you said we were "spoilt for choice" Damn right we were, although probably didn't realise it at the time. Dammit, when I actually think I went with a genuine porn star for 2k baht (Jee Jee of Bangkok sucky fucky fame - former CEB GGG but I think she went on to become a classical actress in post modern theatre)., also when I was doing song pooying 3/4 nights a week from places like Happy, Peppermint and Boesche with girls that would be high end today, I realise we were lucky and newbies to pattaya today have really missed the Sampan.

Incredible piece of very simple yet effective engineering. They did a 4WD version of these (very rare indeed). Although I'd never be seen driving one, as a means of local transport with a practical use as they were designed for, they're hard to beat. From what I can make out, that's had an upgraded interior, maybe custom added to it (seats with headrests) and it very well cared for.

That is a very big venue , I went there last trip. That's also a big complex, if I recall there were a couple of units free last year. I've a feeling that may become a busy area over time. There was also some construction going on at the end of the road iirc (memory is hazy due to having consumed a fair bit of San Miguel that afternoon).

I still wake up with one...until I've had a piss.

Nice to see an old workhorse. Reminds me of the days when the local Police would buy 2 Escorts (Or Morris minors if you're ahem...of an older generation 😝, one white and one light blue, then swap the doors over.

Right, where to start?. Are girls getting barfined as much as they used to be nowadays?. Let's take Walking St - I think they are, there's the customer base to pay for them and that's where the best girls are to be found. ST/ LT are all in abundance it appears, plenty of guys wandering around with a piece of candy on their arm. Soi 6 arguably the same. But, LK M / Diana / Treetown / Chaiyapoon ? - Maybe not so much. How many bars am I seeing on Vloggers rounds, or on my last trip where there are still plenty of girls there late at night. Chatting to a few of them, even the S/T BF's are thin on the ground and they tend to make most of their money on drinks. Same story for Soi 7 and 8. as @Jambo mentioned elsewhere, too many bars chasing too few paying customers. I also don't think this years high season of Songkran etc is going to be a patch on the last "big" one that was post covid. Going by the Xmas period, places are going to struggle, but they still open new bars. It just doesn't seem the same today as before, when you'd get into a beer bar, ask for a girl only to hear she's out on a Barfine for a week. I've not heard that in years. Are the GC's supplying the release for a lot of guys so all they do in the evenings is have a few beers and head back home?. What do you guys feel?.

Great info mate. It must have had a fair rent to pay on it, as it's fairly sizeable and not just a 1 or 2 unit job. Damn shame it's closed now.

Not only has it been wrapped, it's got horrid black wheels which don't match the colour either. Yuk. If I was given the keys to that for a week, I'd hand them back.

Part of the reason I like Dive Bar on Pothole, music isn't loud, some half decent eye candy (couple of former Airport a GoGo girls in there on my last visit) decent A/C and comfortable. There are plenty of others around town that also fit the bill, but as to how many are making a profit in Treetown, well that's anyone's guess. I see there's a bar there selling 39 baht draft, can't be much profit in that and they'd have to sell an awful lot of draft beer to make such a thing work I imagine.

Rare beast indeed and very happy to se it still going strong. Probably had an engine transplant at some stage though. that's exactly the type of pickup I'd buy, ship to UK, keep the patina on the body by going over it with a laquer and refit the inside and drivetrain, then use as a daily.

You're not alone on that one mate. Don't beat yourself up, I missed that party boat as well, but brought in at $800 after LDK told me I was an idiot.

I love to see old pickups / utility vehicles that have survived probably years of abuse, little or no servicing and yet still keep going on. I'm struggling to idenfity the make and model in @john luke first pic. Judging by the recessed grille I'm going to totally guess at an Isuzu / Diahatsu but may well be wrong. It's a neat looking thing with a short wheelbase and is just right for restoration though.

Often met with the reply "I thought you knew" Such as today, getting to the Barrier at the hospital car park on the way out, to find it upright. It's free parking on Sunday for visitors in one of the car parks, but I paid anyway and the machine happily took my money, all £3.90 of it. Wife said "Didn't you know it was free on Sundays?, I did". Or arriving in Turkey back in 2015, getting to the room and I couldn't find the keys to my very secure Samsonite Case. "You left them on the Kitchen table - I remembered just after we left" Sheesh.

I read somewhere that Hilary once told a reporter that Bill Clinton was "A difficult dog to keep on the porch"

OK, Nautical Inn Beach RD?.

Beach road is not exactly a small area John. It's not that Seafood place just up from Soi 8 is it?.

A double pronged question in this topic. First, how important is / was a Pool as part of the facilities of a Hotel to you when you book or used to book for a Solo trip to Pattaya?. (Reason I say solo is that some of us have kids who will stay in the pool all day if we let them). Secondly, I know zero about Swimming pools or how they work, so are they relatively Hygienic?. (given that a lot of people won't get out for a piss). For me, a pool is essential and I won't book without one. A big part of my holiday is sitting poolside reading a book or listening to music while getting a bit of sun, or even sitting in the shade with a beer or cup of tea. As for swimming, I use it as a means to cool off rather than for swimming, or maybe just resting on the side in the water and using the time for clearing my head.

I bloody love grilled asparagus, and that looks great. Monsoon Soi 8 Bkk you say?. Might be worth popping in there next time I'm in BKK.