Views from Pattaya

[Siam Addict]

As I have finally made it back I thought I would give a update of my views of the trip.

As I mentioned on a previous post, I started the day with a walk to I Rover and another perfect Breakfast.

Then as I am a bit of a walking freak I decided to walk from LK Metro to Terminal 21 along Soi Buakhow and then crossing Pattaya Klang onto Soi 12 I walked along this road all the way to Terminal 21 arriving at 10am to find out it doesn't open until 11am!!

Walked back along the beach and then back to Soi Diana where I got a badly needed foot massage!

 

A few points so far, I'm staying at The Stay on Soi 10 and it is a lovely with large clean rooms, and lovely staff. One downside is the underwater wall in the middle of the rooftop pool, annoying but you get use to it.

Last night I went to the Nest on Soi Diana for a Cottage pie to start the night, it was very nice. I've always had nice food from here. Then walked around to Soi Honey and it was full of Honeys especially at the Baukhow end, then went to Tree town and I sat down for a drink and to listen to the band across the road when two more bands started right beside me. It is very annoying you can't hear either of them and I quickly checked bin. Ended up around the corner in a quiet bar.

The bar and as far as I could see most of the bars in Tree town were raided by the BIB who apparently were looking for underage girls but they did check a copy of my passport, first in in over 15 years of traveling to Thailand.

No photos, I much prefer to walk around looking at the sites than fumble with a camera and miss the sites.

Heading out now for breakfast, guess where?

[Siam Addict]

Noticed over the last few days that there are quite a few cyclists on the road, mainly around Buakow area and nearly all non Thai, there was one middle aged Thai lady selling bags of food from a bicycle and I also spotted near Bangkok two cyclists wearing all the cycle gear on the inside lane on a raised section of motorway approaching Sukumvit road.

I think riding a motorcycle around Thailand is nuts but a pushbike?

[forcebwithu]

Yep, certifiable. I should know, I'm one of those that uses my bicycle almost exclusively to get around during the day. 

You do have to keep your wits about you and your head on a swivel. Riding a bike isn't for everyone of course, but not a big deal if you're comfortable on two wheels.

[Glasseye]

3 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Yep, certifiable. I should know, I'm one of those that uses my bicycle almost exclusively to get around during the day. 

You do have to keep your wits about you and your head on a swivel. Riding a bike isn't for everyone of course, but not a big deal if you're comfortable on two wheels.

 

Ha ! I'd be a friggen basket case. 

 

Siam, nice report. Will enjoy reading more from you. Enjoy yourself.

Interesting walk you took. Been up and down Soi 12 many times, mostly on motor taxi. Interesting little stretch down through there. I think a route most would not know about or travel down.

[Mr. Smooth]

14 hours ago, Siam Addict said:

Noticed over the last few days that there are quite a few cyclists on the road, mainly around Buakow area and nearly all non Thai, there was one middle aged Thai lady selling bags of food from a bicycle and I also spotted near Bangkok two cyclists wearing all the cycle gear on the inside lane on a raised section of motorway approaching Sukumvit road.

I think riding a motorcycle around Thailand is nuts but a pushbike?

There are a few vloggers that pedal around Buokow, Tree Town, LK, and Made in Thailand beer bar areas with I guess a Go Pro attached to their helmet or a shoulder strap of some kind, to crank out content for their YT channels. As much as I enjoy watching their videos, I sometimes find them repetitive as it's always the same scene, same bars, same girls, or LB's, etc. and I can certainly imagine them being a bit of a nuisance with so much pedestrian traffic intermixed with motos and baht bus taxis, etc.

I'm now less than 3 weeks out from being right smack dab in the middle of the madness.

Can't wait! 😁

 

[mrcharliemofo]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:58 AM, Siam Addict said:

Heading out now for breakfast, guess where?

Try Kungs on Soi Lengkee for a breakfast, fantastic there.

[Glasseye]

11 hours ago, Mr. Smooth said:

There are a few vloggers that pedal around Buokow, Tree Town, LK, and Made in Thailand beer bar areas with I guess a Go Pro attached to their helmet or a shoulder strap of some kind, to crank out content for their YT channels. As much as I enjoy watching their videos, I sometimes find them repetitive as it's always the same scene, same bars, same girls, or LB's, etc. and I can certainly imagine them being a bit of a nuisance with so much pedestrian traffic intermixed with motos and baht bus taxis, etc.

I'm now less than 3 weeks out from being right smack dab in the middle of the madness.

Can't wait! 😁

 

 

I agree with you on the above, absolutely. Some of those vlogs (if I even bother to open) are closed within 30 seconds.

[Siam Addict]

On 12/11/2022 at 9:50 AM, mrcharliemofo said:

Try Kungs on Soi Lengkee for a breakfast, fantastic there.

Tried Kungs this morning and while I wouldn't call it fantastic it was very nice. A bit more expensive but I do think it is worth it. I did try The Old English pub and restaurant in Bangkok last week and this was 300 Baht but no way as good as Kungs or I Rover.

One of the main things I have noticed on my recent walking trips around Pattaya is the state of the footpaths, even the newly refurbished paths still have big gaps and the new electric distribution boxes that are now blocking a lot of the footpaths meaning that you have to walk a lot of the time on the roads. One of the worst footpaths was along the Sukumvit road, it's a wide footpath but very uneven, I spent most of the time between Pattaya South and Pattaya Central walking on the road.

The footpath along the the shop side of Beach road is another one that starts out wide and in good condition but when you pass Pattaya Klang it gets busier and also narrower.

One walk I did enjoy was from Soi 10 along beach road and on though Walking street until you get to the pier and out to the Light House at the end, that was until I decided to take the steps up to the top of hill above the PATTAYA sign, 143 steps and it nearly killed me! The view is worth it though.

[Siam Addict]

I noticed this fellow a few days ago, apparently it's been there for years anyone know where it is?

[john luke]

12 hours ago, Siam Addict said:

I noticed this fellow a few days ago, apparently it's been there for years anyone know where it is?

I think it is on the roof just above a ladyboy bar on Soi Buakhao, but could be wrong.

[Siam Addict]

58 minutes ago, john luke said:

I think it is on the roof just above a ladyboy bar on Soi Buakhao, but could be wrong.

Should have guessed that you would get it, yes it's above Fantasy Lounge which is opposite Soi Honey.

In all my years walking in this area I don't recall seeing it before.

[SteveBC]

6 minutes ago, Siam Addict said:

Should have guessed that you would get it, yes it's above Fantasy Lounge which is opposite Soi Honey.

In all my years walking in this area I don't recall seeing it before.

Too busy eyeing up the LB's at ground level perhaps ????

[KWA]

4 hours ago, Siam Addict said:

Should have guessed that you would get it, yes it's above Fantasy Lounge which is opposite Soi Honey.

In all my years walking in this area I don't recall seeing it before.

Been there at least 10 years going by Streetview.  I seem to remember it related to the business below it originally, but can't remember what that was way back then.  I would never had thought it had been there so long either.

[Siam Addict]

4 hours ago, SteveBC said:

Too busy eyeing up the LB's at ground level perhaps ????

More likely too busy avoiding the traffic.

[forcebwithu]

19 minutes ago, KWA said:

Been there at least 10 years going by Streetview.  I seem to remember it related to the business below it originally, but can't remember what that was way back then.  I would never had thought it had been there so long either.

Using Street View's image archive, the oldest image was from Oct 2012. Business then was for sale, but was a coffee and beer place. Too bad the Pattaya Photo Guide that predated Street View is no longer available, it would probably have an earlier photo that would give a clue as to the meaning of the lion.

[Zambo]

On 12/11/2022 at 4:35 AM, Mr. Smooth said:

I'm now less than 3 weeks out from being right smack dab in the middle of the madness.

Can't wait! 😁

 

I missed that, anywhere interesting?

[Mr. Smooth]

19 hours ago, SteveBC said:

Too busy eyeing up the LB's at ground level perhaps ????

I've sat many times at that corner bar on Buokow and Soi Honey and watched those LB's across the road flirt and chat with any guy walking past, dramatically over-emphasizing their feminine body language and such. Quite entertaining to see.

Just part of the show that is Pattaya.

[Mr. Smooth]

9 hours ago, Zambo said:

I missed that, anywhere interesting?

All the usual nightlife areas. Just a catch-all word to encapsulate the atmosphere.

[Blue Streak]

23 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Using Street View's image archive, the oldest image was from Oct 2012. Business then was for sale, but was a coffee and beer place. Too bad the Pattaya Photo Guide that predated Street View is no longer available, it would probably have an earlier photo that would give a clue as to the meaning of the lion.

I think when it opened it was called the Golden Lion, but didn't last long..........

[Siam Addict]

I've noticed over the last couple of weeks that most bars Pool tables are free, it seems a good way of attracting customers in.

But then the girls sitting outside the bars are more interested in their phones than customers walking past and don't spot you until you are past, the good news is the bald spot on the back of my head is a very Sexy Man!

[Siam Addict]

On recent walks I have noticed that on the main roads that about 70-80% of those riding on motorbikes wear helmets but around the Soi Buakhou it's the complete opposite, so I have come up with a fantastic business idea and that is to open a stall in Buakhou market selling crash helmets.

Anyone else interested in joining me?

[forcebwithu]

13 minutes ago, Siam Addict said:

On recent walks I have noticed that on the main roads that about 70-80% of those riding on motorbikes wear helmets but around the Soi Buakhou it's the complete opposite, so I have come up with a fantastic business idea and that is to open a stall in Buakhou market selling crash helmets.

Anyone else interested in joining me?

I imagine quite a few take off their helmet when getting to Buakhao, so probably not much chance of selling one as they already have one hanging from the bike. I know this because I'm one of them.

Outside of the congested Buakhao area I wear a brain bucket 100% of the time. When I get to Buakhao I remove the helmet as I'm more comfortable without it, and if I were to have an accident it would be at such a slow speed the worst I would end up with is a few scrapes.

What is annoying though are the crazy shits that consider traffic on Buakhao an obstacle course to get through as fast as possible. When walking you really have to keep an eye out for them, especially when crossing the soi around vehicles. For that reason I always walk against traffic. Amazed the number of pedestrians that don't take that simplest of precautions on the busy sois.

[Painter]

43 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

For that reason I always walk against traffic. Amazed the number of pedestrians that don't take that simplest of precautions on the busy sois.

Hey, I was walking along buckhou the other morning against the traffic. A chap was walking towards me, so, as I could see no traffic coming towards me I stepped out slightly to let him pass on the inside...

Was almost wiped out from behind  by one of those "I've got a bike with no exhaust and need to get there in a hurry" Thais. Striderman, who was following me, thought a collision was a sure thing...

But I agree, its safer to walk into the traffic....usually!

[Derek Dangleberries]

1 hour ago, forcebwithu said:

For that reason I always walk against traffic. Amazed the number of pedestrians that don't take that simplest of precautions on the busy sois.

 

56 minutes ago, Painter said:

But I agree, its safer to walk into the traffic....usually!

Walking to Primary school in the countryside my Mum taught us to walk facing the traffic flow...except on blind bends, in which case you walked on the outerside of the blind bend. Classic example is the bend by the old skool barber shop. You walk facing the traffic on the inside of that blind bend, then you better be ready to jump out of the way when a motorcye takes a tight corner!!

So many spots like that on Arunothai from Suk, and Soi Bongkot...

Listen to my Mum - you know it makes sense! 

[Siam Addict]

I agree walking towards the traffic is normally safer, but I sometimes find cars and bikes sometimes head straight at you forcing you into the gutter at the side of the road.

It does appear to walk with your back to traffic is safer as the cars will normally give you room, if they have WiFi in Pattaya Central Hospital I will let you know when this theory no longer works.