10th - 12th Dec 2019
There is also an exclusively 'gay' part of the southern area known as 'Boyz Town'. Here are similar (boys) bars plus 'massage' parlours and 'Go-Go' bars where scantily clad youths in swimming trunks gyrate suggestively to music on stages and pout and wink at potential customers. Incroyable! What would their parents think?
Cor Blimey! I doubt you would see too many signs like this in Plaistow. Or maybe I just haven't been looking.
The sex trade in this town is on an unbelievable scale. I don't think Mary Whitehouse would have approved or, indeed, many town councils in UK....but then it is a bit chilly in UK for this sort of thing.
One of the impressive things of note here is the local transport system. As well as normal taxis there are these 'Baht-Taxis' (right). They can seat about 10 people (depending on size of person) on the internal bench seats plus any amount more who are happy to cling on to a platform at the rear. They operate on circular routes, or to and from Jomtien. You just wave them down and hop on, and push a buzzer when you want them to stop. It costs only 10 Baht (25p) for any length of trip and you are expected to pay the driver through his cab window when you jump off. A real bargain and so simple. Of course they would fail any number of 'elf 'n safety regulations in the West. The reason things like this work here (as in Vietnam) is that you are expected to do your own risk analysis. If you fall off the back of a Baht Taxi then that is your problem and no way would you consider attempting to blame anyone else. 'If you don't like it don't do it' is the motto out here.
Coincidently I have just read an excellent interview with Princess Anne where she condemns much of our 'elf 'n safety' industry (and it is an industry) for actually causing danger and accidents. She reasons, quite rightly in my opinion, that people are brought up to assume everything is safe and as such they fall victim to things because they are not risk aware. She goes on to describe how many activities are inherently somewhat dangerous (riding horses, rugby, rock climbing etc.) which is what makes them attractive in the first place. People shoud be encouraged to take 'risks' and, within reason, be responsible for their own safety and not to rely on regulations. It goes back to the old example of not stopping children from climbing trees. You should learn from your, or preferably others', mistakes and then you will take due precautions in future.
Another example is this food stall (left). Many of these are wheeled around town and sell delicious BBQ style food. I have used them and never suffered any ill effects. They could never be permitted in UK without a raft of licences, 'approved' equipment, inspections etc. which I am sure is not the case here.
Anyway back to Pattaya and Jomtien. It's not all about fornication, you may be relieved to hear. There are very pleasant clean beaches in both towns with lines of 'enclosures' which provide shade, loungers and waiter service for food and drink. There are jet-skis for hire and lots of those banana boats, and the sea is warm, safe and clean for bathing.
Plus other activities such as boat cruises to various islands, speed boats and that business where you hang on a parachute towed by a boat. They also have a free-fall parachute centre nearby. There are also many good restaurants and respectable bars.
Right: A clever sculpture at the beach in Jomtien which aims to draw attention to the problem of plastic waste. It is constructed entirely of plastic bottles and mugs. I did wonder how they are going to dispose of it!
So, that was a fairly educational and interesting visit to Pattaya and Jomtien. Time well spent I think.
I titled this blog "Sodom and Gomorrah", but this place makes Sodom and Gomorrah look like a Butlins Holiday Camp in comparison! I expect some of my readers will now already be making their plans to visit.
Sorry. Forgot to add this pic of a suitably disreputable bar somewhere in the area.
Off next to Vietnam (or more correctly Việt Nam) to (not) celebrate Christmas and New Year.
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| One of the more respectable bars. It has good pool tables. |
As mentioned previously, the further south you venture down Pattaya Town the more debauched the scene becomes. Pattaya has two long main north/south roads; Beach Road (down the beach) and Number 2 Road, parallel to the east. They are inter-connected by many 'sois' (streets), each about 200 yards long.
Left: Soi 6. This street consists almost entirely of 'girly' bars where scantily clad 'ladies' perch on bar stools and pout at passing pedestrians. I think you are meant to go up and buy them a drink after which they will encourage you to take them back to your hotel for further discussions.
If there were one or two such establishments on the street I could imagine them doing a fair trade, but I counted 62 of these bars each with a complement of about 20 girls on parade....and this was only one street's worth! A bit of a glut on the market methinks.
There is also an exclusively 'gay' part of the southern area known as 'Boyz Town'. Here are similar (boys) bars plus 'massage' parlours and 'Go-Go' bars where scantily clad youths in swimming trunks gyrate suggestively to music on stages and pout and wink at potential customers. Incroyable! What would their parents think?
Cor Blimey! I doubt you would see too many signs like this in Plaistow. Or maybe I just haven't been looking.
As in parts of Bangkok whenever you walk down a street you are greeted with the cheery salutation "Ewan Massaar". To which my standard reply is an equally cheery "Thank you sod off". Actually I did engage one such charming lady in conversation and told her that the pronunciation of the word in English (or French) is "massage" as in "entourage" but however hard she tried, with much encouragement from me, she couldn't manage it. They can't physically formulate some English sounds. It's the same-same in Vietnam...and we can't easily pronounce some of their language. I'm told it's all to do with how you instinctively combine mouth, tongue and teeth movement. As possibly demonstrated during a 'massaar'.
So who are the 'clientele'? From what I could see, and I'm probably setting myself up as a hostage to fortune here, a large number of tourists are flabby pot-bellied old(ish) unshaven pan-faced tattooed white men with hairy arms and backs shown off to good effect with their standard dress uniform of singlet and baggy shorts. NOTE: I do not have a tattoo or own a singlet or wear shorts (other than on a tennis court or special occasions)!
As for other inhabitants and visitors to this sceptred venue of dubious taste, there is a large number of Indians (or from that part of the world) with many Indian tailor shops and over-abundance of Indian restaurants. There are little flocks of Asian (Japanese?) tourists following their banner-carrying tour guides around Walking Street; presumably from visiting cruise ships. They look a bit bewildered as well they might having just landed in this den of depravity. Then there are also some normal respectable looking families.
Right: Walking Street. As well as a plethora of Go-Go bars where skimpily clad maidens writhe around poles set into the bar in front of you (might suggest this to my local tennis club), there is even some amusing entertainment such as virtual reality theatres and Turkish (for some reason) ice-cream parlours where the Turk serving does weird and wonderful conjuring tricks with his ice-creams.
I noticed quite a few Russians in the tourist mix. They are normally noticeable by their rude, arrogant and demanding manner (and I'm sure there are some charming Russians...in Russia). Left: This Russian bar or club on the edge of town looks as though it has seen better days, or maybe just the result of an over-exuberant Russian knees-up.
So who are the 'clientele'? From what I could see, and I'm probably setting myself up as a hostage to fortune here, a large number of tourists are flabby pot-bellied old(ish) unshaven pan-faced tattooed white men with hairy arms and backs shown off to good effect with their standard dress uniform of singlet and baggy shorts. NOTE: I do not have a tattoo or own a singlet or wear shorts (other than on a tennis court or special occasions)!
As for other inhabitants and visitors to this sceptred venue of dubious taste, there is a large number of Indians (or from that part of the world) with many Indian tailor shops and over-abundance of Indian restaurants. There are little flocks of Asian (Japanese?) tourists following their banner-carrying tour guides around Walking Street; presumably from visiting cruise ships. They look a bit bewildered as well they might having just landed in this den of depravity. Then there are also some normal respectable looking families.
Right: Walking Street. As well as a plethora of Go-Go bars where skimpily clad maidens writhe around poles set into the bar in front of you (might suggest this to my local tennis club), there is even some amusing entertainment such as virtual reality theatres and Turkish (for some reason) ice-cream parlours where the Turk serving does weird and wonderful conjuring tricks with his ice-creams.
I noticed quite a few Russians in the tourist mix. They are normally noticeable by their rude, arrogant and demanding manner (and I'm sure there are some charming Russians...in Russia). Left: This Russian bar or club on the edge of town looks as though it has seen better days, or maybe just the result of an over-exuberant Russian knees-up.
One of the impressive things of note here is the local transport system. As well as normal taxis there are these 'Baht-Taxis' (right). They can seat about 10 people (depending on size of person) on the internal bench seats plus any amount more who are happy to cling on to a platform at the rear. They operate on circular routes, or to and from Jomtien. You just wave them down and hop on, and push a buzzer when you want them to stop. It costs only 10 Baht (25p) for any length of trip and you are expected to pay the driver through his cab window when you jump off. A real bargain and so simple. Of course they would fail any number of 'elf 'n safety regulations in the West. The reason things like this work here (as in Vietnam) is that you are expected to do your own risk analysis. If you fall off the back of a Baht Taxi then that is your problem and no way would you consider attempting to blame anyone else. 'If you don't like it don't do it' is the motto out here.
Coincidently I have just read an excellent interview with Princess Anne where she condemns much of our 'elf 'n safety' industry (and it is an industry) for actually causing danger and accidents. She reasons, quite rightly in my opinion, that people are brought up to assume everything is safe and as such they fall victim to things because they are not risk aware. She goes on to describe how many activities are inherently somewhat dangerous (riding horses, rugby, rock climbing etc.) which is what makes them attractive in the first place. People shoud be encouraged to take 'risks' and, within reason, be responsible for their own safety and not to rely on regulations. It goes back to the old example of not stopping children from climbing trees. You should learn from your, or preferably others', mistakes and then you will take due precautions in future.
Another example is this food stall (left). Many of these are wheeled around town and sell delicious BBQ style food. I have used them and never suffered any ill effects. They could never be permitted in UK without a raft of licences, 'approved' equipment, inspections etc. which I am sure is not the case here.
Anyway back to Pattaya and Jomtien. It's not all about fornication, you may be relieved to hear. There are very pleasant clean beaches in both towns with lines of 'enclosures' which provide shade, loungers and waiter service for food and drink. There are jet-skis for hire and lots of those banana boats, and the sea is warm, safe and clean for bathing.
Plus other activities such as boat cruises to various islands, speed boats and that business where you hang on a parachute towed by a boat. They also have a free-fall parachute centre nearby. There are also many good restaurants and respectable bars.
Right: A clever sculpture at the beach in Jomtien which aims to draw attention to the problem of plastic waste. It is constructed entirely of plastic bottles and mugs. I did wonder how they are going to dispose of it!
So, that was a fairly educational and interesting visit to Pattaya and Jomtien. Time well spent I think.
I titled this blog "Sodom and Gomorrah", but this place makes Sodom and Gomorrah look like a Butlins Holiday Camp in comparison! I expect some of my readers will now already be making their plans to visit.
Sorry. Forgot to add this pic of a suitably disreputable bar somewhere in the area.
Off next to Vietnam (or more correctly Việt Nam) to (not) celebrate Christmas and New Year.
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