Tony's reactivated the 'Cool Spot', Tony's version of an expat party club.

On July 21 2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva criticised Thailand's Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum, Airports of Thailand (AoT) President Serirat Prasutanond and senior officials for failing to keep Suvarnabhumi airport to international standards. The complaint was made following a BBC report of an alleged scam being run at Thailand's new airport. According to many reports in the medias, passengers say valuables were stolen from their luggage by airport staff, buyers at King Power Group's duty free shops were victims of an extortion scam after being accused of shoplifting. At the meeting Mr Sohpon, Thailand's Transport Minister, blamed the airlines for the baggage handling problems. Mr Serirat, President of 'Airports of Thailand' said AoT was not responsible for the problems at King Power Group's duty free shops. The allegations were being handled by police, he said. Deputy chairman Chulchit Bunyaketu from King Power Group said the company made available a copy of the security footage of the incident(s) at its Website. It is said that the victim of the scams had to pay up to 400'000 Baht for fines and other 'services' before they could leave the Rachathewa police station, but Pol Col Theeradej Panurak, chief of Rachathewa police station, denied police took any bribe(s). For many years King Power Group's duty free shops have a very low reputation among international airline crew members. Another source for the bad press of Thailand's main Airport(s), but (wisely?) not mentioned by Thailand's Prime Minister, is Bangkok's notorious Airport Taxi 'Organisation'. During the last 20 years almost every new Transport Minister promised to solve the taxi problems at Bangkok's airports - but nothing ever happened. It seems that the influent people behind the airport's taxi drivers have more power than anybody else in the responsible ministry and the AoT. Until the problems at Bangkok's airports are solved, we recommend: Avoid duty free shops and taxi services at Bangkok Airports. If possible travel with cabin baggage only.

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On July 23rd Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) announced a 'major crackdown on illegal taxis and unlicensed guides' at Suvarnabhumi airport. The crackdown will start July 28, 2009, but why AoT has to announce the crackdown in advance...?
Every bad guy will stay at home during AoT's 'crackdown-days'... Update: On July 28, 2009 AoT said it would start cracking down on illegal tour guides and taxis from next month. It was hard to stop the illegal operations because most of those involved were either related to or close to AoT staff, a spokesman from AOT said.

Zum Simpl, one of Pattaya's best known German Food restaurants, closed. It opened its doors in 1979. Good Bye Simpl - a lot of people will miss you! The venue will reopen in a few weeks as an Indian Restaurant with a new name.

	Located on Thappraya Road in Jomtien, opposite of Pan Pan Restaurant and near Jomtien's Thepprasit Road, Roong Reuang Coach Ltd. runs 32-Seat-VIP buses to connect Suvarnabhumi Airport with Pattaya and Jomtien. You will find Roong Reuang's blue and white buses at Suvarnabhumi Airport's Gate 8 on the 1st floor.
A one way ticket costs 124 Baht only. If required, the buses stop along Sukhumvit Road in Naklua and Pattaya. Please check the Pattaya Airport Bus Website for more information.

The new campaign was launched out of concern that more and more road users were violating traffic rules. The traffic law would be strictly enforced for road users who flouted the rules, the police said. Drivers risk up to a 1'000 baht fine if they fail to stop their car for pedestrians at a zebra crossing while pedestrians face up to a 200 baht fine if they do not use the crossings. Traffic Police kicked off the new campaign on Wednesday July 15th 2009 in Bangkok. From the information we got it is not clear if the new campaign will reach Pattaya.

BK CentralFestival: Moderate pricing	BK Royal Garden Plaza: Expensive
Burger King's 'menues' at its outlet at Royal Garden Plaza cost between 20 and 36 Baht more than at its CentralFestival booth (a surchage of up to 33%!): BK Chick'n Crisp: 99 Baht at CentralFestival, 119 Baht at Royal Garden Plaza BK Wooper Jr.: 109 Baht at CentralFestival, 145 Baht at Royal Garden Plaza Rodeo BBQ: 150 Baht at CentralFestival, 175 Baht at Royal Garden Plaza
	A surcharge of 50% at CentralFestival! Thanks to nearby McDonalds the small KFC cornet of softice costs 9 Baht only at its Royal Garden Plaza outlet. At KFCs located at Tesco/Lotus and Carrefour you have to pay a moderate 10 Baht, but at KFC's outlet at CentralFestival the company is grabbing deep into your pocket: 15 Baht for the same small 'fattener'! Good NEWS: CentralFestival's Food Park added menu descriptions in english as well as photos of its food. Bravo! The Food Court on the ground floor of the new shopping center is a popular meeting point for Thais and Farangs.

On Tuesday July 07 (Asamha Bucha Day) and Wednesday July 08 2009 (Buddhist Lent Day) Thailand's bars and all other entertainment venues had to close by the order of banning all kinds of alcohol, including soda water. It was just another blow from Thailand's unelected (and largely unpopular) Government to the already-battered tourism and entertainment industry. The order was published, but, as usual, not everybody got the message...
ZAP on Walking Street was open and its band played the popular songs just in front of Pattaya's Tourist Police.	Beavers, the table dance club on Walking Street and a few meters only from Pattaya's Tourist Police was open.
Club Misty's on Soi 15 had its door open, but without touting its services.	Airport Club on Walking Street was also attracting tourists.
Hot Girls A Go-Go, on Walking Street, was working too and its toots in front of the venue told everybody 'have show'.	From South Pattaya down to the north of the city, everywhere you could get some entertainment and some drinks, but nowhere I could see some alcohol. I had the impression that everybody was drinking Coke. As estimated, the situation was very different in the small sois, in the bars and restaurants designated for locals, especially in Naklua. Almost everywhere I could spot one of these brown bottles labeled as Leo, Chang or Singha... One of my neighbours had his own party with about 10 people and beer and wiskey from his refrigerator. Banning booze during Buddhist holidays is a silly idea. It hurts the tourism and entertainment industry only. Thais themself do not have any problems to get the alcohol. In full contrast to tourists Thais know where they have to go for a drink.

The receptionist in front is artificial, but the rest of the crew was created from real flesh and blood. Nana Bar & Massage relocated from Soi Honey to Pattaya 3rd Road (about 200 meters from Mityon's motorcycle shop).

Soho Square organized a Biker Party on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th. You could met a lot of hot new & old bikes and their owners. Mityon, Pattaya's largest motorcycle dealer, converted the B-52 Night Club into a showcase for, what Yamaha beliefes, new hot motorcycles. In my eyes, the 'old' naked motorcycles are always the most attractive ones at meetings like this. The motorized plasticboxes usually can catch my eyes for a few seconds only, comparable to a beautiful woman eating with an open mouth... If Soho Square is full of people it remains Walking Street's nicest place. ... and on Saturday Soho Square was full of bikes, drivers and sexy ladies.

Seen at Ling Bar, opposite Soho Square: Gazing at the many Harley's parking in front of his bar - sorry, but not everybody can ride one...

Joe Louis and his Traditional Thai Puppet Theater on Pattaya City Walk.

On Monday June 29 2009 the New Simon Bar Complex on Walking Street had its 'soft opening'. The bars opened without party and/or free food, but with a lot of new (and nice) faces. It seems that at least one bar owner knows to read the signs of the times: At Frog's Bar you can sit down on comfortable chairs with small tables and enjoy the (sometimes) funny life on Walking Street.

No other fastfood outlet in Pattaya has such a fabulous view over Pattaya's Beaches: A&W, 6th Floor, CentralFestival.

My bicycle was in need of new tires and tubes. I had a look at BigC, Carrefour and Tesco/Lotus. Tesco/Lotus had them in stock. Their Bikeline branded tires cost at least 359 Baht a piece, for a Bikeline branded tube Tesco/Lotus asks 229 Baht. Before buying, I decided to check the prices for tires and tubes at a specialist bicycle shop on Sukhumvit Road (Northern Pattaya). And that was the correct decision. I left the shop with two good quality 26“ tires and two matching tubes - altogether for a 'nothing' of 540 Baht. That's less than half of what I had to pay at an 'every day low price' shopping center. iFarang™ ©2009

At least once a month this crew of funny Farangs brings back some actions and smiles to Walking Street. The ladies like this entertainers.

Indian Filmcrews like Pattaya and its Walking Street.
'Pattaya provides the perfect background for our songs and dance sequences' a member of a crew told me.

December 1985 was the first time I was eating at Nang Nual Restaurant on Walking Street. Until today I was a regular guest at this fine food outlet. Whenever I have some guest here in Pattaya we go to Nang Nual or Ruen Thai (Second Road) to take a dinner. A few weeks ago I had the visit of a long time Thai friend. It was her first visit in Pattaya, usually I met her in the Korat. For the dinner I invited her to Nang Nual. She opened the menu card, stared at it a few seconds and told me: 'I don't eat here - it's too expensive!'. My dear friend runs her own restaurant in the Korat. Her parents are farmers. They are also breeding cattle. Every morning at 04:00 they sell their vegetables to the local market(s). 7 days a week. Month after month. Year after year. Her father and her mother never had the opportunity to take some holidays during the whole of their life. I suppose my friend knew very well what she spoked about. These farmers are working up to 16 hours a day to make a (very) poor living. I think it is very frustrating for them to see that some middlemen make the big profit - and not the hard working food producers themself... iFarang™ ©2009

Bali Hai got a beautiful clocktower, but, as predicted a few months ago, the four watches usually do not indicate the correct time. After a power failure there is simply nobody responsible to restart the watches with the correct time. It's exactly the same as with Pattaya's CCTV system or Pattaya's streets - no matter how expensive it was, nobody takes care of anything. Pictured on June 28 2009 at 23:42:22.