Thavorn has ruled out Pattaya as our next place of Residence. The reason is it is just too busy. I must admit she is correct. It appears all the lo-so punters have moved from Bangkok to Pattaya as it is cheaper. Happy hour beer is 60 Baht not 80 Baht as it is in Bangkok. Not sure about bar girl rates but I suspect they are cheaper as well.
Despite the drop in the ruble, Pattaya is still full of Russians and there are even 3 Russian TV stations on in our hotel. Even if I did not recognize Russian when I hear it, I could still spot the village people as they have a distinct appearance (wife beater shirts, plaited hair, usually died blonde). Lots of Putin look-a-likes :-)
Worse still, are the hordes of Chinese tourists that disembark from their buses and follow their tour guide from spot to spot taking pictures but spending no money. I know it boosts their tourism numbers but I don't think it does much for the economy. Easily 50+ buses every night disgorging their passengers on Walking Street.
Our next options are probably Hua Hin (the summer residence of the Royal Family) or Cha-Am, just 20 minutes down the road from Hua Hin. Both are about 2 hours by bus from Bangkok and are on the coast.
Cha-am is a little more Thai than Hua Hin (less farang influence) but they are close enough you can hop between the two quite easily. Not sure about the night life in Cha-Am, but Hua Hin has some, but no where the quantity that Pattaya (Sin City) or Bangkok (City of Angels) have. However, both are cheaper for living, on the coast, and way less pollution.
TTYL
what about Chang Mai?
ReplyDeleteChang Mai has a great climate but it requires a a flight to visit friends in Bangkok. Only an hour flight though, so it is a possibility.
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