PATTAYA AND JOMTIEN REVISITED

 22nd - 25th Dec 2021

Christmas Day evening on the beach south of Jomtien

Onwards by minibus from Bangkok (Ekkamai) south-east to Pattaya. It is a cheap (£3) regular and efficient service, a 2.5 hour journey and reasonably comfortable. The motorway to Pattaya is, like so many out of Bangkok, a raised three lane highway which flies over all the suburbs where normal local traffic goes on below.

Left: Not my pic, but it gives you an idea. Unlike the the M4, and similar UK motorways (described and demonised a few blogs back), I have never experienced any serious roadworks, closed lanes or traffic jams on this route. How does a supposedly 3rd World country manage to engineer such an efficient, free-flowing road (with tolls to help pay for it) and we, in UK, have to put up with an obstacle course of eternal roadworks, blockages and arbitrary speed limits?

As with so many places in Bangkok, the once throbbing (and decidedly risqué) scene in Pattaya has been much curtailed by lack of tourists and previous Government restrictions. Right: So many shops, restaurants and bars have been closed. By no means all of course, but the sea front is practically deserted. Sad.

Left: The Shamrock Bar is one place that I remember fondly and has managed to remain open, albeit with shortened hours. The owner, an affable Irishman called Terry, says it has been a struggle to keep going and has cost him dearly to do so. Similar to Buddy's in Bangkok it is a hangout for expats and, like Buddy's, tends to be a staunchly, and rare, 'mask-free' oasis.

The menu at The Shamrock offers some good old-fashioned British fare such as 'bangers and mash', 'shepherds' pie', 'steak and chips' as well as the 'Full Engish Breakfast' etc. It also provides something called 'Thairish Stew'. I tried this and it was delicious. So good that I asked Terry to give me the recipe, which he did (right). Click on to enlarge and read. He mentioned that he missed out the vital addition of a sprinkle of thyme and oregamo. Strongly recommended and, even though I am no cook, will try to reproduce it when I get home.

There is a myriad of hotels in and around Pattaya and Jomtien. I stayed in two. They are struggling for custom and offering very cheap rates. Quite a bargain. The second one I stayed in, chosen by wandering past, called 'Mikes Hotel', was very clean and comfortable with good facilities, breakfast included. I only ever spotted one other guest (couple).

Left: Say no more! "Mfff mff!".

Much of my time was just spent wandering around and enjoying a relaxed time at various restaurants and bars, reading some books (on Kindle) and generally being completely idle. The lack of British newsapapers and TV (OK, I have internet, which is excellent out here, and which keeps me vaguely up to date) became a positive bonus as I was not subjected to daily wall-to-wall covid stats and panic. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Sadly the Thais, at the moment, are taking these panic measures to heart viv-a-vis tourists. Having said that there are no apparent social restrictions here and once in a bar/restaurant etc. life is normal.

Right: The back of a shopping complex on 2nd Street (parallel to to the sea-front Beach Street). An interestingly positioned Douglas DC3 aircraft.

Left: The front end. This was part of the 'Ripley's Believe It or Not' exhibition. Seen before, but worth another visit. This display is amusing and caters for children and people like me. I like the touch of the parachutist hanging from the tree (and there was a strange 'real' story attached to that about him being stranded for several days before being rescued) and you can actually climb into the (original) cockpit.

Right: Something on the wall at the entrance. Click on to enlarge. Give it a try.  Maybe I'm being naive, but it seems, mysteriously, to work. It must be obvious and simple but it baffled me. I'm easily baffled. I expect my monitors and supervisors at OMPITA will enlighten me as to how it works

Left: Amongst many weird exhibits was this vast collection of beer cans. I only captured one of three walls. OK, it maybe a spoof, but the sheer number of differing cans on display was impressive. It must have taken a lot of effort to assemble it.

Right: A wooden sculpture of a sports car. Forgot to note what kind. I'm sure someone will enlighten me. 

 

Left: My 'new best friend'. Not a very talkative one.

There are many more interesting 'exhibits' here and suggest you come to see. If nothing else they provide an exhibition which, as far as I am aware, is not replicated in UK. But that is before I have another 'dekko' at the 'Art in Paradise' museum. This is at the north end of Pattaya and I will resume there later.

In the meanwhile, I met up with some English friends who work out here (Rugby School Thailand if you are interested) for Christmas Lunch at a beach souh of Jomtien. We were due to meet up at 2.30pm, at a restaurant called The Glass House. It is a 10 km taxi ride from Pattaya. The Glass House is a large and quite upmarket venue. I arrived early and sat at the bar. I was then told that, here, they were forbidden, by law, to serve alcohol between 2.00pm and 5.00pm. "WTF!" I said to myself. Eventually my hosts found me and told me that they had gone next door to another nice restaurant, 'Bocco Beach'. There was no problem with serving wine there! We had a very delicious and amusing 'Chrexit' Lunch with much jollity and no shortage of alcohol. 

Left: a Jolly Christmas Lunch at Bocco Beach. 

It is quite extraordinary that the Thai Government seems to apply such weird and seemingly arbitrary rules. 'No alcohol sales' are supposedly applied between 2.00pm - 5.00pm in (some) restaurants, and after 9.00pm in shops. Except where they aren't. I was told the reason is, by a bar owner serving drinks all day, that the Government wants to prohibit schoolchildren buying alcohol on their way back from school. Heavens! What crap! In Thailand every adult has to carry an ID card. If they are worried about underage children buying hooch they only have to check their ID cards, if they have one. I suspect there is graft and backhanders to various police involved here. No doubt!

More to follow from the land of the ludicrous!]