Mr. Smooth

Makes sense. Appreciate all the replies. Was genuinely curious.

So there has been something I've wondered about and just have to ask. I guess this would be directed toward our UK members, as I have repeatedly heard Pattaya vloggers from the UK on their YT vids giving the directions of where they are at the present time or which direction they are about to be going to and haven't any idea how they determine which end of the road is the top and which end is the bottom. So, to my UK friends, how the hell does this work? Does the direction of the road have anything to do with it? Is the top and bottom based on whether the road runs in an east-west direction or a north-south direction? I've heard a few of these guys say they are at the "top of Soi 8", while standing near the 2nd Road end, so I'm to assume the Beach Road end is "the bottom" of Soi 8. Why is it not the other way? If I'm standing on Soi Pothole where the Triangle Bar is, am I near "the bottom" of Pothole while the 3rd Road end of Pothole is "the top" end? I've never really heard this sort of phrasing from any other nationality. Is this unique to UK residents? Could any of you kind blokes lend a helping hand to a Yank so that he might gain a better understanding of what's top and what's bottom?

Wonder how long the flight would be and if Air Canada will specifically retrofit their seating in economy, so that people have an opportunity to have at least halfway decent legroom for what I'm sure will be at least a 16 hour flight? Good news though, more options for the traveling public can only be a positive thing.

Some vlogger on my YT feed mentioned after saying the Thai Pass would be eliminated on July 1st, also said the new closing times would be extended to 2 am. So, this looks like it's just about as close to the pre-Covid days as it's going to get. My thing was simply hoping for the elimination of these entry requirements save for maybe showing proof of being vaccinated if necessary. I'll be searching out late December airfares this weekend and if the price looks good, I'm in.

USD inching toward 35. Almost on par with the Euro, who woulda thunk it? Wonder if it could reach possibly 37 by Christmas? A few YT vloggers putting out vids on the prices of beers in Soi Buokow, Chiapoon, Lengkee areas showing anywhere from 60-90 baht. I could live with that.....easily. $2 USD or a bit more per bottle!

Absolutely fantastic! I had been thinking of seeing Steve Hackett as his next stop was up my way in Sacramento. Was playing downtown at the Crest Theater either last night or tonight, about 200 feet from that deadly mass killing we had last month. It's a 980 seat venue, and maybe 15 single seats were left when I was checking on tickets, decided the hell with it. After your critical review, maybe I should have gone. After reading about these shows and the pics, I just wonder who the 18-20 year olds today are going to see 30 or 40 years from now? The music that came from The Beatles, Genesis and that era, was legendary stuff, written and played by actual men with instruments and these two guys still going well into their 70s, Paul turns 80 next month, that once all these old classic rockers are gone, who will take their place? Maybe tribute bands by musicians in their 30s and 40s, or younger, who understand the timelessness of these songs? I mean, can anyone really see going to a Cardi B concert when she's 65? As far as the pics of your wife, whats to say? Her radiance shines brightly with her elegance and grace. Ya' done good there, fella! ☺️

Can we be certain that all these places are owned by Thais? I figure some must be, but there also has to be a decent number of them owned by foreigners as well. WS lost much of it's charm for me when so many of the outdoor beer bars were bought up and their space was rebuilt into an inside venue, walled off from the activity on the street. WS was the best place I've ever been for enjoying the people watching it offered. Better than Bourbon Street in New Orleans by a large margin. Now, on a much smaller scale, LK Metro and Tree Town are the spots for people watching from perched up on a bar stool. With the prices now, aside from going to one of the clubs and maybe striking up a deal with an FL, I'd really not have any reason to go to WS unless it was being on my way to LePub through Soi Diamond.

I'd say probably closer to about 60 or 62. I've caught brief glimpses of him when he's featuring a condo or hotel and walks into the bathroom to show it and his reflection is in the mirror. Butch, that's a good description for his personality, as he narrates his videos in a very calm, soothing voice, not too much inflection when showing something that might cause another guy to shout out to the heavens what a great deal this or that is. And he does have this annoying tendency to fade out to a near whisper when emphasising a point on price or whatever. Maybe not to everybody's taste. I would put someone like Buzzin' on the opposite end, with his much more "enthusiastic" personality when cranking out his stuff. "To be fair", as Buzzin' so often repeats! 😄

Something that you described can just really screw up a perfectly good time out with a girl or your mates. And then his follow up to deliberately make you look bad....very poor taste. I agree on your last sentence, as I have really been enjoying "everything Pattaya" and "Ride4kicks", or however he spells it. Both very informative and high quality videos. That first guy showing all these fantastic condo deals, I can't believe how inexpensive so many of these condo buildings are. I'm always catching his stuff at my earliest convenience after his notification comes through. Guess these things help to keep your head in the game no matter how far away you live or how long since your last trip over.

15 baht!! By Gawd.....it's highway robbery I tell ya'! 😁

Over the last 20 years, and particularly the few years up through my last visit to Pattaya in 2019, I can imagine whether from walking on WS with all the Chinese and Indian tourists with their camera phones taking videos, or the guys on LK Metro with cameras pointed along the outside areas of the bar or just on the soi, I am probably in several thousand vids. And I bet many of us can say the same. While I do enjoy watching a few of the vloggers as they make their way around town letting you know about this bar or that venue, I would be put off if they pointed their camera at me while digging into the daily lunch special or having a beer with a local honey at a table, or sitting side by side along the front rail of a bar. I might be caught in a close up with a bit of lettuce between my teeth or a booger hanging out of my snot locker. How embarrassing would that be?

Denzel Washington played Easy Rawlins in the movie, "Devil in a Blue Dress", I think from about 1990 or 91. Great flick, and I believe this was the movie debut of another solid actor, Don Cheadle, who played "Mouse". I just may have to give Mosley a try. I like crime dramas and detective thrillers. Have read several of the "Jack Reacher" series from Lee Child. I actually thought Tom Cruise did a good job as the title character even though he wasn't 6'5" and 250lbs, like Reacher was in the book.

This review sums up why I loved that book so much! As an aside, Bukowski wrote the screenplay for the movie, "Barfly", from 1987, with Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, who played a couple of boozers living life in the various dive bars that came out of Bukowski's very active imagination.

The Asian market apparently has gotten word of your impending arrival and are just greasing the skids to welcome you back with open arms. I've noticed the increase too. Wasn't the baht trading at about 30.6 or so back in January? It would be nice if by this next winter, it might get up to a solid 36.5-37 to 1. Looks like your timing for a return couldn't be better!

Nope, roobob just blew a hole in that doctors premise, that it's now sinking quicker than CNN+. Funny thing Spaz, one of those 4 colleagues of Dr. Wachter, is none other than Dr. Monica Gandhi, a doctor who you yourself has sung the praises of in several of your Covid-related posts in the past! So now, she disagrees with her superior and claims that masks DO NOT WORK! Seems she has some serious reservations about his premise, as did I, as did Roo. Well now, so what are we to make of this, hmm? Which respected medical expert shall we believe is saying the truth and which one shall we dismiss as nonsense, hmm? Spaz, you gotta fish or cut bait with one of them. They have diametrically opposite opinions, so they obviously can't be both correct. Since there has been overwhelming evidence that masking just doesn't work, so much so that the CDC even finally admitted it, seems the boss in this case, much like Old Man Fauci himself, has let his ego get the best of him with his "God-complex", and since Dr Gandhi's expert analysis confirms the scrutiny and common sense brought forth by a couple of bm's here, one of whom is a retired postal worker, I'll put my hard earned pension scratch on the chica. Oh, yeah Spaz, you can serve me fries with that. Make it a large, McDonalds fries are tasty! 😆

Might that be the Sandy Spring Hotel? My friend (now deceased) once stayed there, maybe 12-13 years ago. Beautiful accommodations and a convenient location. The Dynasty toward the 2nd Road end is another nice one as well. Hope you get an answer that you'll like.

Hey, I'm not the one posting hysterics regarding "spikes" and "OPINION" by a so-called "prominent" voice of Covid who obviously has been oft-quoted by the esteemed SF Chronicle. What I'm doing using plain spoken common sense, is MOCKING the story regarding the numbers and how in placing these cases in CONTEXT....something that always seems to be missing......they do not stand up to simple scrutiny. A few posts earlier, we had Nightcrawler with the news that there was 15,000 new positive cases PER DAY in the UK, which has a population of roughly 70 million, and that was considered GOOD NEWS, as compared to a few months earlier, with cases dropping. And he described the situation as "improved", which no doubt the medical professionals in the UK would be in agreement. Now then....contrast that news in the UK with the hysterics and numbers that equate to a statistical zero, for the Bay Area and California. So one bm, Nightcrawler, posts that 15,000 new cases per day is improved and good news in one place and another bm, Spaz, posts that the new cases which amount to less than one tenth of 1% per 100,000, a microscopic 138 people, is cause for panic. For the 2 or 3 usual suspects that this applies to, guys, don't criticize me for bringing this vast disparity of the numbers to light. Just putting things into proper perspective. For those in the UK, I'm happy to hear that. Live your lives as you wish. And for any of my fellow Northern California bm's living in San Francisco, just quit being a Hysterical Harriet and get on with living yours. And try not to step in the human feces on the sidewalk when you do.

Good fu**ing Gawd! When are you EVER going to just understand this bs will ALWAYS be with us without ever going away? So now the Bay Area, a nine county area that is home to nearly 8 million people, now has a couple counties that have reported 138 cases, not hospitalizations, but cases, out of every 100,000 people, positive for Covid. This, despite pretty much everyone eligible to being vaccinated, having been vaxxed. Think about that. If even 1% had positive cases, we would be talking 1,000 out of every 100,000 people. But no, instead what we have here, is a percentage that equates to just over 1/10th of 1% of 100,000 people. Or, to put it another way, nearly 99.9% of the residents of the Bay Area are perfectly fine. And this is the foundation for yet more wide spread panic among the populace, and the alleged healthcare professionals who, in way too many instances, are little Fauci's on a local scale, all crying out in unison that we all need to mask up in every public place we dare venture inside. Cases "spiked", we are told according to the writer of this story. Spiked? Really? Is there a huge uptick of cases? Of hospitalizations? Of deaths? Well, the story claims that the Bay Area currently has 330 people in hospitals for Covid out of that population of nearly 8 million people as I noted earlier. And for the state overall, the story notes that there are 1,093 people in the hospital for Covid out of a population of over 39 million. However, the most recent number of Covid hospitalizations, after the winter omicron surge, totaled 949.. So, a "spike" in hospitalizations out of a total state population of over 39 million people, in reality, is an increase of a measly 144 cases. Which, according to anyone familiar with mathematics and statistics, equates to a statistical zero. But no one ever claimed the SF Chronicle was a voice of reason. Live your goddam lives and quit going all knobby kneed with every hysterical headline involving Covid. What isn't mentioned and which I would like to know, is how many of these hospitalizations are illegal aliens? As this is out of the SF Chronicle, I'll never expect that outfit to ever investigate that angle to the story, and if they knew it, they would never include that in any Covid story as that would ruin the narrative they wish to present to the people of California.

I belong to a Phnom Penh FB group that focuses on the local nightlife in and around the area and when Secrets PP had first opened, for a year or so, the goings on there, featuring photos from inside the bar, the live bands, the promotions....were featured prominently. But even before Covid shut down everything, there was less and less Secrets news, and since things have reopened and the nightlife has sprung back, I've yet to see anything about it. Just wonder if that is a choice by Ben? You would think by promoting a nightlife area where major bar activity is going on, to include your own establishment, you are indirectly promoting your place as well, but WTF do I know? Maybe all their pics, updates and promos are dedicated to their own FB site?

Egg had already developed that customer base from his days managing other bars so when he was ready to make the move to run his own place, his built-in following had no problem migrating over to the new spot and turning his bar from what at first might have been a place to stop in for one or two, into a destination type of place. Plus, when you get down to brass tax, Phil is just a good, decent man. And we all want a guy like that to succeed. Buzz is still at that developing stage I think. Will take time but eventually hope he can make a decent go of it.

Friend of mine from Canada just returned home after a 10 week stay. He whatsapped me just last weekend about the Buzzin' Bar, as he and a friend were in Tree Town and walking around looking for a spot to have a beer and check out the scene. Told me they walked inside his bar and saw exactly 1 bartender, 3 girls and 0 customers. I subscribe to his channel and while I don't watch every new video he puts out, with the occasional exception like his 2 part interview with BJ, it's just become repetitive drivel, always the same sois, beer bars, motorbike ride alongs, etc. Every restaurant serves great food and is owned by a great guy. And the constant narration rather than simply allowing the scenery to speak for itself. I would think he might turn off quite a few folks as much as he might gain new subscribers. Not that any of this might contribute to his bar's lack of business, but as you mention, having a YT channel doesn't automatically make a bar successful. Lets hope with the new entry requirements being scaled way back, that will now trigger the crowds of punters that his bar would rely on to begin to show up and give his place a look.

A little more revealing truth about the Good Doctor despite the accolades he's received from the usual "circle the wagon's" crowd. It's little wonder that so many Americans view this guy as past his sell by date and needs to be put out to pasture. Fauci shocked by criticism after being consistently wrong and ... www.yahoo.com › video › fauci-shocked-criticism-bei.

If this little wanna be dictator had his way, we would be masked up for the next 10 years. Rand Paul already proved what a lying little bastard this clown is and for him to singularly wield the power and influence that he has, is not good. Paul is looking at eliminating Fauci's job in the next Congressional session and have it replaced with a 3 person panel, in order to make any CDC rulings with respect to epidemiology, not to be at the behest of a single individual. As we can see from Fauci's example, the ego even at his advanced age, can cause one to think he is beyond his station in the government bureaucracy by being a one man judge and jury. Let's hope Paul's legislation is successful.

What I liked about TQ was the 4 Happy Hours each day where a Carlsburg was 65 baht (a long time ago...mid to late 90's) and as others mentioned, a great way to cool down in the afternoon heat. All those years and I never went at night, was always an afternoon guy, but never thought less of the ladies as to me, except for a few, they all looked to be at least a 6 in the face and body but most I rated higher. I also liked the DJ and would always throw a tip his way to play some live Stones or other musical favorite. What was a negative for me was the daytime manager and, unlike a Phil or Larry, would spend all their time talking to his buddies, who for the most part all were Jesters and ignore all the other patrons. Never would mingle around and shake hands, ask how you were doing and if everything was ok. A small welcoming gesture can go a long way to make a customer feel appreciated, as both Phil and Larry have always done for me when I came by. Having said that, whenever my next return trip is, I'll stop in for a beer or two. But only during Happy Hour.

Trial and error, mate. Even those big name tv chefs burned the bouillabaisse once or twice. Besides, that dish looked plenty tasty to me!