Last month, the Thai government decided to grab the bull by the horns and condemn the wholesalers to no longer hand out plastic shopping bags to their customers from January 2020. Everything, of course, for the sake of the environment without first getting the opinion of customers and professionals. Experts have known for a long time that bags made from paper and fabric have a significantly worse environmental balance than plastic bags. But if you haven't learned to think logically at school, your whole life will be full of bloody meaning. We do not deny that plastic damages the environment. Only: It is the people who cause the environmental damage with the improper handling of the plastic. I still remember when I invited my Thai girlfriends to stay for three months in my home country. On the way to my house everyone was surprised that there was no rubbish to be seen on the roads or in the fields. Arriving at home I showed them first of all how waste is separated and disposed of in Switzerland. The Thai ladies learned very quickly and disposed of the waste perfectly. The disillusionment came only after the return to Thailand. Already after the first purchase all shopping bags landed either on the street in front of the house or immediately in my garden. When I asked them if they hadn't learned anything in Switzerland, the answer was about the same for all Thai ladies: We are now back in Thailand and in Thailand we dispose the garbage this way! Environmental awareness is therefore a question of education and this should begin at kindergarden or at school at the latest. But as long as subordinates are not allowed to criticize the higher ones, there will never be anything for the better in Thailand. On October 10th, even The Nation Thailand reported that Lack of critical thinking makes Thailand's competitiveness ranking slip. The Nation Thailand also reported on October 31st that The amount of waste shipped to Thailand from around the world skyrocketed by 2,000-7,000 per cent between 2017 and this year. The Pattaya News reported on November 9th that Pattaya City aims to be cleaner and trash free, strict enforcement of littering with a 2000 baht immediate fine in place.

Since Thailand's military took power in a coup d'état in 2014, Thailand - once known as the Land of the Free - has developed more and more into a surveillance state that follows its visitors on every step and every stroke. Obviously every tourist is first considered a potential gangster who wants to inflict evil on the country. It starts at the Immigration point. In addition to your Passport (and Visa) you need to submit a dully filled Thailand Arrival/Departure Card, known as T.M.6 Form. Not only does the immigration want to know which plane or ship you have entered the country with, they also want to know your exact home address as well as your address in Thailand and, moreover, all the data already listed in your passport. Thereafter, each hotel owner must inform the immigration within 24 hours of your whereabouts with the help of the T.M. 30 Form. If the hotel does not report or you stay with private individuals, you must report every new whereabouts within 24 hours. Otherwise, you may be fined or imprisoned. it is therefore advisable to keep all accommodation documents carefully so that they can be presented to the authorities on departure. The latest monitoring initiative requires that every private car be equipped with a GPS tracker. It allows the police (and the military) to determine the exact location of the vehicle and its driver at any given time.    On November 5th, Thailand's Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the policy will not be compulsory and ordered the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to study the feasibility of the plan. Mooreover, Puttipong Punnakan, Thailand's Minister of Digital Economy, ordered cafe and restaurant operators with free wifi service to collect internet traffic data used by their customers up to 90 days, or face punishment. According to a study by Comparitech Thailand placed in the bottom five out of 47 countries ranked for privacy protection. To go on holiday in Thailand is not funny anymore.

Please come back in a few days.

There was a time Naklua had a Garden Lodge Hotel. Something completely new is now emerging behind these barriers. It's not the only construction site in this part of Pattaya. On Naklua Road and Naklua's part of 3rd Road as well as on Soi Photisarn many new hotels and condominiums are being built at the moment. We try our best to keep you up-to-date.

On Soi Phettrakun, located opposite the well-known Hollywood Disco, J Boon opened a new Seafood Restaurant. J Boon already runs Seafood Restaurants on Jomtien's and Pattaya's Beach Roads. Obviously there are still enough people who can't do without seafood, although it has been proven that the oceans and their inhabitants are life-threatening damaged by plastic. Seafood is no longer as healthy as it used to be.

Thai Thanthai Unavagam, according to its very own statement the 'Best South Indian Restaurant', closed down on Pattaya 2nd Road and is on the block. Although the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) claims that Thailand is flooded by Indian tourists, Pattaya still has far too many Indian restaurants.

Supreme Massage, the direct neighbour of the 'Best South Indian Restaurant', is also closed. The building is on the block.

TIFF INN, a beautiful Indian Restaurant, opened on Central Road between Pattaya Second Road and Soi Buakhao. The restaurant is a feast for the eyes, in full contrast to the many Indian restaurants in Pattaya that resemble canteens.

Hippopotamus, a French steakhouse chain on the 6th floor at CentralFestival Beach Pattaya, closed down. Republic took over the rooms and try to sell its steaks and pizzas. The new Restaurant does not have any connection with the new Republic Nightclub in Soi Lucky Star (Walking Street).

Moshi Moshi, the popular gadget store known from Terminal21, opened a branch at CentralFestival Beach Pattaya.

The Past Time is the name of a new shopping area to attract Chinese visitors on Soi 1 in North Pattaya. It's an extention of the already popular Thalad Khang Keng on Pattaya 2nd Road, also a Chinese Tourist attraction.

In Soi 8, directly opposite the famous Monna Beer Bar, an Indian restaurant called Ganesh opened. It offers pure vegetarian cuisine.

The newly opened Friends Pool Bar in Soi LK Metro is now a Disco Club too - on its second floor.

Golden Time is announced to open soon in the rooms of the badly failed Surprise Yourself with a walk on the wild side Ladyboy Bar. The new Gentlemen's Club is located opposite the Pattaya City Hospital and the Asia BackPackers Hostel at the entrance to a still unnamed Street that connects Soi Buakhao and Soi 15. Let's hope that the new club gets along without Thailand's fake women, otherwise a failure is inevitable.

Friends opened on November 15th in the rooms of the former Office Club in black and chrome and some pool tables on its first floor. Let's have a look, maybe your friends are already there - or somewhere else in the lively Soi LK Metro.

The successor of the failed Office Club on Soi LK Metro promises to bring new entertainment soon. Let us surprise! We will keep you up-to-date.

Nice Diner, a small breakfast and food bar, closed down. Let's hope that the closing is only for a short time. We will keep you up-to-date

Since a few weeks time, the former Sweethearts Restaurant & Bar is an already popular Meeting Point for Ladyboys and their admirers. The venue was on the block for a very long time. It doesn't have - nor had - any connection with PattayaSweethearts.com!

Tree Town's new Foodcourt is now ready to serve you with Thai and Western Food as well as Kebab from Döner King, known as the Original from Berlin. The seating is quite comfortable despite the concrete construction.

The still popular Chunky Monkey food outlet annonced new opening hours. The restaurant is now open from 07:15 until 01:00 next morning.

In the rooms of a former Travel office the Lollipop Bar opened on November 1st.

Kiss Restaurant is announced to replace the Coming Bar. During June 2019, the Bang Lamung District Chief closed the Coming Bar for 5 years for allowing prostitution (!) in Pattaya. The bar opened during November 2018 and was managed by a consortium of Chinese, Taiwanese and Thai Nationals. The foreign owners are being deported and blacklisted. We will keep you up-to-date.

Tony's Panda Club is in the dark! At the time of writing Tony's Arabic Disco and Tony's Nashaa Club, an Indian Club, are still alive. We will keep you up-to-date.

On November 25th Soi Diamond's Party Girlz A Go-Go was reopened. The ladies are entertaining their customers again after the bar was closed for a few months without any reason. On November 27th the bar was closed again. We will keep you up-to-date.

LOOK is the name of an all new Bar that will replace the failed New Carousel Bar in Soi Diamond very soon. We will keep you up-to-date.

Today, November 22nd, 2019, JP Republic celebrates a Grand Opening on Soi Lucky Star, off Walking Street. The new 'Premium Nightclub' - a Disco - occupies the area of the former JP Bar and the Champion A Go-Go on a very small Soi that connects Walking Street to Marine Plaza.

Peppermint A Go-Go announced to close down on November 24th. A long time ago, the bar was one of the top A Go-Go Clubs in this town, but as seen with Polaroid and Kodak - among many others - the glory can fade quickly. The rooms are already on the block. We will keep you up-to-date. The widely announced closure of the A Go-Go Club has not happened! And surely the Happy A Go-Go Group, the owner of the bar, only announced the 24th as the closing date, but neither the month nor the year! That's why you can still enjoy Peppermint and don't have to worry about Eucalyptus or anything else until November 30th (2019), the new closing date ... We will keep you up-to-date.

Tee Rak A Go-Go, located on Walking Street, a few meters only from the entrance to Soi Diamond, closed down during the second weekend of November. As usual in Pattaya, without giving reasons, but we will keep you up-to-date.

YES!, a Gay A Go-Go Bar on Soi Diamond, closed down in the middle of the month. The venue opened its door on October 19th as the successor of the failed YES! Girly Bar. The failure was predictable: Gay clubs are usually found in Boystown and Sunee Plaza, but not on Walking Street.

A Franchisee opened a Subway Sandwich outlet a few meters from the entrance to Walking Street, just between the ZAB Music Hall and a 7-ELEVEN mini-mart.

J'Noy - also known as Jay Noy - is the latest Seafood Restaurant on Walking Street to be closed for a complete renovation of its premises to comply with current hygiene regulations. We will keep you up-to-date.

Pacha A Go-Go did not open on November 9, 2019 as previously announced, but already on November 8, 2019. Never mind, #9 is the lucky number of the Thais, #8 but that of the Chinese.

Golden Club A Go-Go opened on October 15th, 2019, but closed down on November 8th without giving reasons. The Bar reopened a day later.

On November 8th Rich A Go-Go closed down without giving reasons. The Club opened on April 11th, 2019, in the rooms of the former Mandarin A Go-Go Bar. The Bar reopened a day later.

Pacha A Go-Go is announced to open on November 9th, 2019, as the successor of Crazy House A Go-Go.

Since a few days King Seafood shines in new splendour. The renovation work seems to have come to a happy end.

If one believes the numbers published by TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand), Thailand is literally overrun by Indian tourists. The problem is that the Indians are coming in thrusts. On some days the Walking Street is fully in the hands of tourists from the Indian Subcontinent, on other days one searches them in vain. This can be a problem for businesses that have prepared themselves for customers from India. The latest victim of this phenomenon is Bollywood Club. It has closed the doors.

Since the end of October 2019, Boom Boom Sushi Room in front of Insomnia closed down for good. The venue is on the block.

Republic, Pattaya's latest Nightclub, announced to open on November 22nd, 2019, in Soi Lucky Star, off Walking Street.

Jasmine Hotel in Soi BJ, off Walking Street, closed down for maintanance. No reason to despair: There is still another Hotel in Soi BJ that offers VIP rooms at 300 Baht for short-time activities ...

Construction Workers are in the former Crazy House A Go-Go to create something new. We will keep you up-to-date.

In front of the 'old' Simon Bar Complex (near Soi 16) Crokki opened a Crocodile BBQ booth. Give it a try!  There is a second Crocodile meat outlet a few meters only from the Holly Tree:

For more than a year, Western Brews has been announcing the opening of their restaurant 'soon'. After all, we were able to observe that the dust and dirt in recent days has been removed from the existing tables and chairs.   On November 7th we've discovered that the dust has returned ... We will keep you up-to-date.

During the last weekend of October the new Hops Bar opened on Soi Diamond, off Walking Street. It replaces the defunct Wicked Hippo Bar. According to our information the new venue has no connection to the Hops Brewhouse at Pattaya Beach Road.

Since October 29th the New Carousel Bar & Restaurant on Soi Diamond, off Walking Street, is closed. We will keep you up-to-date.

Lobster Pot opened in November 1st. The once popular Steak and Seafood Restaurant closed down a long time ago because of serious hygiene problems. It seems that the complete renovation of the premises has brought a significant improvement.