Asia | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Fabulous Commons Bangkok

August 18, 2021 by David Herd

Fabulous Commons Bangkok

Fabulous Commons Bangkok located in Thonglor is a wonderful venue for many interesting restaurants. Diners can order their favorite dishes from the various food kiosks to dine at the central communal area before heading upstairs for dessert and shopping.

Meat & Bones

Great name for a restaurant. 🙂 There are two options: the standout eight-hour-roasted beef ribs (B480) and six-hour-roasted pork ribs (B280), both cooked in a smokehouse and slathered with the in-house recipe of rubs and barbecue sauce.

Soul Food

Risky Chicken (B250) wraps up a meal of somtam with fried chicken in a Conkey’s brioche bun, while the Khao Soy Cowboy (B259) sees pulled pork in khao soy curry mixed with sweet potato and mustard pickles.

Live lobster available

Excellent lobster sandwiches here which cost about B900.

The Lobster Lab

With years of experience as one of Thailand’s top seafood importers, The Lobster Lab serves fresh lobster from Maine and a bevy of other high-quality seafood. Grab a roll to go, or enjoy a spread of hearty sharing dishes like lobster mac-and-cheese or a plate of oysters.

Roast

This business had a big hand in kick-starting Bangkok’s brunch craze, it serves all-day dishes like crab cakes with eggs Benedict (B360), corned beef hash (B280), and a sinfully rich strawberry waffle (B260). Other meals are represented on the menu too, such as lunch (burgers) and dinner (steak frites B890, roast chicken B480). Thanks to carefully-sourced beans roasted in house, the coffee here is excellent.

My brother Warren Herd

Studying the excellent menu at Roast.

Excellent pasta

I chose this pasta which was very good indeed.

Kitchen at The Roast

Very clean and efficient.

Barrio Bonito

Established about eight years ago on Koh Chang, Barrio Bonito quickly earned itself Tripadvisor’s no. 1 restaurant spot on the island. Co-owner Mariana Villalobos Torres, a self-taught chef from Mexico City, turns out authentic native dishes on a short menu that rotates daily. Usual offerings include burritos, tacos and queso (cheese fondue) with different fillings and toppings like homemade chorizo, slow-cooked pulled pork, beef and lamb.

The Beer Cap

Unlike its sister venue, Brew, The Beer Cap focuses on niche craft beers, both on tap and by the bottle. When we last visited, there were six beers on tap: BrewDog Punk IPA (B160/260 per pint/half-pint), Holgate (B220), Chainbreaker White IPA (B240), Epic Escape IPA (B220), Epic Mid Mountain mid ale (B220) and Limburgse Witte (B140/240). Bottles are categorized by style (not country of origin like at Brew) and cover brands like Hitachino, La Trappe, Rogue and Chimney.

Communal dining section

This ambitious project works kind of like a food court, only a really, really good one. Diners can order their favorite dishes from the various food kiosks to dine at the central communal area before heading upstairs for dessert and shopping.

Location

Thanks for visiting my Fabulous Commons Bangkok photo blog, if you visit Bangkok make sure you visit the Commons.

Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. 🙂

Amazing shopping mall

Chinatown Bangkok

Notorious Nana Plaza

Patpong red light district

Canal cruise long-tail boat

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

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Pattaya Beach remodel

August 17, 2021 by David Herd

Pattaya Beach remodel

Pattaya Beach remodel between August 2021 & November 2023 has started with the removal of many trees & widening the footpath & the road.

Heavey equipment is raring to go

November 2023 seems a very long time to finish this project, I’m guessing it’s going to be very flash indeed. 🙂

Artists impression of Pattaya Beach

The trees are all in a very straight line. 🙂

Meanwhile back at the ranch…..

Work continues, many trees are being removed making lots of locals very unhappy.

These people are lodging aa complaint.

A group of prominent local Thai residents and community leaders came out today to Beach Road to protest the project. They stated that they felt it was destroying nature and was the wrong time to do a beach remodel with the city in such dire straits due to Covid-19. The project has been temporarily paused for discussions between the community leaders and the mayor.

Work continues

Many of these trees are over 60 years old.

That’s the Dusit Hotel in the background.

The extra traffic lane will allow for creation of 700 parking spaces along the 2.7-kilometer stretch between the Dusit Curve and Walking Street.

The blueprint also calls for creation of recreational areas on the beach, three underground restrooms and beach showers, plus the planting of new trees along Beach Road, and additional lighting for improved safety. This vital north-south artery, which only was fully patched up earlier this year after an agonizingly long bout of road construction, will be ripped up once again to widen it by three meters, taking that space from the footpath.

Moving the light posts

This was the morning of August 17 2021.

Out come the seats

Hopefully they will be upgraded.

Encroaching on the beach.

This shot will give you an idea how much beach will be lost.

Waiting instructions

The team is ready to go. 🙂

Foundation is laid

Now they are making real progress.

Thanks for visiting my Pattaya Beach remodel photo blog, I’ll add more relevant photos in the coming months.

Soapy Massage Pattaya Bangkok

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Pattaya live webcam

Hawker Chan Hollys Coffee

Le Bordeaux Pattaya Restaurant

Atlantic Bar North Pattaya

Art of desert Pattaya

Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Food review Pattaya 2020

Counter only started August 17 2021.

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Tokyo fabulous food 2015

August 15, 2021 by David Herd

Tokyo fabulous food 2015

Tokyo fabulous food 2015, this was my 4th visit to this wonderful city. I was travelling with my friend Hamish from Pattaya who is also a huge fan of Japanese cuisine.

Sushizanmai is my favourite restaurant

This is one of their many branches, my favoourite was near the old Tsukiji market.

Best food in the world

That’s just my humble opinion, good Japanese food all over the country is magnificent 🙂

Did I say perfection?

Well, here’s proof.

Open 24 hours a day & there always seems to be a queue

It’s now 2021 & I hope they have not moved as the fish market has.

So many choices & such little time. 🙂

What a terrific variety of top quality sashimi.

The Cellar Grill at Omotesando

A fabulous restaurant with incredibe food.

Sausauges at the Cellar Grill

Now this does not look Japanese.

Baked avocado was fabulous

I am now hooked on baked avocado. 🙂

Our friendly waiter at the Cellar Grill

If you visit tokyo make sure you try this wonderful restaurant.

Pre dinner drinks at Metro cafe

What a mix, on Canadian, Two American & two Australians.

Heading for Piss Alley

Memory Lane, or Piss Alley as its often referred to (or in Japanese, Omoide Yokocho).

Lots of smal crowded restaurants in Piss Alley.

Located in Shinjuku, Piss Alley is a must see when you are in Tokyo.

Two Ameican girls dining in Piss Alley.

Naturally Hamish & I had a nice chat with the gorgeous girls.

Another terrific restaurant near Shibuya station.

The food was so good I ate there two nights in a row.

Here are two dishes they serve

One beef & one chicken.

Shabusen in the Ginza

Kobe beef to die for. 🙂

Am I happy, or am I happy. 🙂

Shabusen is fabulous.

Farewell from Tokyo

I can’t wait to visit again. Many thanks for visiting my Tokyo fabulous food 2015 photo blog.

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Australian seafood

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BJ Holiday Lodge

August 11, 2021 by David Herd

BJ Holiday Lodge

BJ Holiday Lodge in Soi 3 North Pattaya iserves an excellent breakfast including tea or coffee for B95, or $3.90 AUD. They also offer a good low cost selection of Thai & western food.

Scrambled eggs

One thing you can guarrantee is the bacon is always very crispy. I mentioned this to BJ one morning & he replied, “I serve it that way because that’s the way I like it.” 🙂

BJ Holiday Lodge Cheese Burger

Served with fries for B85 or $3.47 AUD.

Did someone mention ice cream?

After a cheesebuger ice cream is conpulsary.

Pasta & Goulash

Back in the normal times before Covid-19, I would enjoy drinks at the Cherry Bar or the Atlantic Bar then walk home via Soi 3. Many times I would stop at BJs for dinner & a glass of wine.

Reminissing

This shot was taken in 2005 before BJs view of Pattaya Bay was lost due to another hotel building right next door. The room cost in those days was B540 or $22 AUD.

Friends from San Diego

My friend Paul McNeil & his lovely family paid a visit to Pattaya in August 2016, we all had breakfast at BJ’s. 🙂

Bangkok 1998

Paul & I in Bangkok in 1998 before visiting Pattaya & Koh Samui.

I guarantee the TV is always on. 🙂

No sound just the picture. 🙂

The staff are always friendly & helpful

As soon as you sit down they arrive with a menu & manouver a fan to keep you cool.

Lunch today August 12 2021

Chicken & Cashew nuts was delicious, cost B160 or $6.60 AUD.

Prawn cocktail

It tastes as good as it looks. 🙂

Meatloaf & mash potatos.

This was on special November 30 2021 & was the best meatloaf I have tasted in years, at a low cost od $6 AUD

Finally poached eggs

B95 with coffee or tea is great value.

Thanks for visiting my BJ Holiday Lodge photo blog, excellent value at this establishment.

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Counter only started August 11 2021.

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Bake n’ Brew Pattaya

August 10, 2021 by David Herd

Bake n’ Brew Pattaya

Bake n’ Brew Pattaya iserves an excellent breakfast, & I’m sure lunch & dinner would be bery good as well. It’s located in Chaloem Phrakiat 23 Alley, near 3rd Road. It’s a little awkward to get there but certainly worth the effort.

Very pleasant atmosphere

They always have a nice choice of cakes to temp you. 🙂

Let them eat cake…

Is a saying that shows insensitivity to or incomprehension of the realities of life for the unfortunate.

Let them eat breakfast. 🙂

The breakfast choices here are excellent.

The poached eggs were perfect

There certainly are cheaper breakfasts in other restaurants including Cheap Charlies, JBs in Soi 3 & Robin Hood, where you can eat well for B99. having said that the quality at Bake N’ Brew is very good indeed.

Eggs Benedict is always a favourite

Looking at this photo just makes me hungry. 🙂

More choices here.

When every dish is so tempting it’s sometimes hard to decide.

Bake n’ Brew Pattaya

Third road is just 200 meters along, in Chaloem Phrakiat 23 Alley, close to 3rd Road.

In the opposite direction

This high rise hotel is about 200 meters tpwards Soi Buakhao.

Location

Now you know exactly where Bake n’ Brew Pattaya is located, so there is no excuse.

Many thanks for visiting my Bake n’ Brew Pattaya photo blog.

Here are a few reasons why it’s the most important meal of the day. Many studies have linked eating breakfast to good health, including better memory and concentration, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight.

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Counter only started August 10 2021.

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Fat Coco A-One Hotel

July 24, 2021 by David Herd

Fat Coco A-One Hotel

Fat Coco A-One Hotel is a rather unsusual name, I have no idea what it means or what it stands for. Having said all that I was able to follow the entire building process from my balcony on the 21st floor of Markland Condo. The shot above was how it used to look before somebody decided to spoil what was an attractive unusual landmark on Beach Road.

OK, lets do it.

This particular construction started on the 31st of January 2021.

January 19 2021

What a great view from my balcony, I have lived in Markland for 10 years.

Up come the tiles

Next job is the demolish the beautiful swimming pool. This is what I call a very cunning plan. 🙂

After all, who needs a nice pool at a Beach resort?

Far greater minds than I know the answer. 🙂

Now we are getting somewhere

I have always been of the belief, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That logic certainly does not apply here. 🙂

What a fabulous locating

Pattaya beach in all it’s glory.

Those trees have to go.

Replace them with concrete please. 🙂

Bring in the excavators

Those palms will be “gone baby gone”.

Fat Coco A-One Hotel February 23rd 2021

As you can see progress is being made.

Thats my condo in the background

I get an excellent view of the renovation from the 21st floor.

We need some bamboo

Bamboo will certainly enhanse the tropical theme. 🙂

Pattaya Beach

Right across the road is Pattaya Beach.

The finished product

At the rear of this new section is a very nice restaurant & bar called Malibrew, please check out THIS LINK.

Many thanks for visiting

For visiting my Fat Coco A-One Hotel photo blog, check out some of my popular posts featured below. Also you will find for info on the A-One on THIS LINK.

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Hawker Chan Hollys Coffee

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Food review Pattaya 2020

Counter only started July 24 2021

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Bangkok vaccination center

July 14, 2021 by David Herd

Bangkok vaccination center

Bangkok vaccination center located at Bang Sue railway station on the northern side of the city. Three brave Aussie geriatrics hired a taxi & headed north from Pattaya to face what the press was calling total chaos.

Bang Sue Grand Station, which began construction in 2013, is equipped with 24 tracks and is capable of accommodating up to 40 trains at the same time. Sitting very close to the Sirat Expressway, Bang Sue Grand Station covers an enormous 1,280 acres, positioning it to become the largest railway station in all of Southeast Asia.

Surprise surprise

Where is the so called chaos? We were surprised & happy to find a well organised facility with friendly staff on standby to assist everybody. The patients were 98% Thai with the majority quite elderly & wheelcair bound.

This was not a surprise as foreigners,or Farangs as they are known had to be aged over 75 to qualify for the free vaccination. AstraZeneca was their weapon of choice.

The whole process was simple

The most time was taken by the blood pressure testing, for some unknown reason we all tested high time & time again. Daryl was the biggest problem with a reading just under 200, initally I was 170 but after a couple of extra checks & waiting 20 minutes in between I came in around 130.

I’m next in line

I can’t help repeating how friendly & helpful all the staff were, they helped make the whole process stress free. 🙂

Bangkok vaccination center, my turn for the needle 🙂

I hardly felt a thing, who’s a brave boy then? 🙂 🙂 🙂

The happy geriatrics

After the injection you have to wait for 30 minutes to ensure there is no adverse reaction to the vaccine. Glad to say we were all fine & feeling no effects whatsoever. On the left is Ron Sievers who was accompanied by his Thai girlfriend, she was a great help in making sure we had a trouble free experience.

Meet Sirisak

A very good driver with a nice large SUV, took us there, waited 2.5 hours & back to Pattaya for B2000 + tolls.

Health authorities on Wednesday said 87 more Covid-19 fatalities and 9,317 new transmissions around Thailand occurred on Tuesday, bringing the accumulated toll to 2,934 deaths and the number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 363,029.

14 Jul 2021 at 08:33

Thanks for visiting my Bangkok vaccination center photo blog, I hope it may encourage you to get the jab. 🙂

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Counter only started July 14 2021.

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Mathilda restaurant Pattaya

July 2, 2021 by David Herd

Mathilda restaurant Pattaya

Mathilda restaurant Pattaya offers an extensive menu for Thai & western food at a price which is hard to beat. I remember a few years ago when you could buy a bottle of Aussie red for only B400 or $16 AUD, which is a good price in Thailand. Of course now in June 2021 with the Covid-19 crisis alcohol is not available in restaurants.

Very good selection of food

Tripadvisor ranked #331 of 1407 restaurants in Pattaya.

The avocado is my favourite

I had lunch there yeserday July 1st 2021 & sadly there was no avocado.

So I settled for a hamburger & desert

The burger was very good & only cost B85, or $3.50 AUD.

Penty of calories here I’m afraid. 🙂

The crepe suzette was also was only B85.

Sausages mash & gravy

After you finish this I guarantee you won’t be hungry anymore. 🙂

Club sandwich

Good value as usual. 🙂

On 2nd thoughts

There is always room for some icecream 🙂

Meatballs & gravy

So many choices & such little time. 🙂

Phad Thai

Pad Thai and mango and sticky rice, a perfect lunch. B225 or $9.50 AUD including a 10% tip.

Mango & sticky rice

A taste sensation. 🙂

Mathilda restaurant Pattaya

Dinner with my two friends, Hamish Elton, a Queenslander who lives in Pattaya & Dave Elder, a Queenslander visiting on holiday in 2017. I remember very well, prior to dinner we had drinks at Retox Game On which sadly has now closed due to Covid-19. Anyhow on one of the many TVs we saw a terrific game of Australian Rules football, my team the Sydney Swans narrowly beat Essendon in an absolute thriller. 🙂

Make sure you visit mathilda

This is certainly a very good restaurant with excellent Thai & western food at the right price.

Thanks for visiting my Mathilda restaurant Pattaya photo blog, please check out some of my other blogs featured below.

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Le Bordeaux Pattaya Restaurant

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Counter only started July 2nd 2021.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Foodland low cost breakfast

June 28, 2021 by David Herd

Foodland low cost breakfast

Foodland low cost breakfast is the best value in Pattaya & Bangkok, only B65 or $2.70 AUD. This low price is available everyday between 6.30 & 9.30 am. I’m a regular at the Terminal 21 branch in Pattaya.

Very busy prior to Covid-19.

Now due to Covid customers are way down. Often there are only 6 or 7 other people there beside me.

Modern open kitchen.

One thing is for sure, currently with so few customers the breakfast arrives in record time. 🙂

OK, here it is.

Includes orange juice, toast & jam & tea or coffee.

Scrambled eggs this morning

They were excellent. One thing to remember, right now it’s a little difficult to get to the branch at Terminal 21 before the mall opens due to a new carpark being built. You must enter from the back road.

Next door to the restaurant is a supermarket

I often do my shopping after breakfast, sadly however it’s too early to buy booze but 5 minutes down Pattaya Nua is the wholesale part of Best supermarket. 🙂 See more about this market by following THIS LINK.

An excellent deli

The supermarket has an excellent deli with a hugh selection of cold meats.

Pattaya Klang branch

Located 200 meters north of Big C, sit at the counter if there is a spare seat. 🙂

Living with Covid-19

June 25, 2021 by David Herd

Living with Covid-19

Living with Covid-19 in the first six months of 2021 makes me feel like I am just treading water. It many ways life is good, it’s very peaceful in Pattaya without tourists. The downside is not being able to travel & having friends & family who can’t visit me in Thailand.

In fact for the last year or so it feels like I have just been treading water.

A surprise addition to Pattaya

This monster is parked adjacent to Soi 6, plans are to turn it into a tourist food destination. Progress has stopped due to Covid.

Good value in Soi Buakhao

Cheap Charlies is a very popular restaurant, breakfast starts at B89, or $4.84 AUD.

A super breakfast

Robin Hood Tavern is the only place I know that offers avocado which is a perfect breakfast for me. 🙂

A-One hotel sidewalk food.

Very good dumplings for B50, or just over $2 AUD.

Fiber optic internet

Check out the fabulous speed, my old signal was 32 down & 11 up.

A-One hotel

A big renovation has been in progress for the last six months, however I think the original looked much better.

A-One hotel from my balcony

This mob just like to spend a ton of money unnecessarily. 🙂

New hotel between Soi 2 & Soi 3

There is no hurry to finish this project as Thailand’s hotel industry has been devastated by Covid-19. In May & June the average occupancy rate is only 6%.

Farewell Pothole aka John Martin

This is the evening before Pothole Bin Laden travelled to Australia in early June for a 2 year stay to qualify for the Australian aged pension.

Pothole arrives on the Gold Coast

Here he is with his sister & niece, he is obviously feeling the cold in a mild Gold Coast winter. 🙂

Oyster frenzy at Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse.

My friend Hamish & his lovely wife May are with an always smiling Jamie Lord.

The rest of the mob at Patrick’s.

Certainly one of our favourite restaurant, for more shots please check out THIS LINK.

The view from my balcony, how lucky am I?

See for yourself, just check out my webcam on THIS LINK.

I love seeing a storm roll in over Pattaya Bay from my condo.

Once again if you bookmark THIS LINK you can see the bay on my webcam.

Soi 33 Naklua

Obviously there is a big project about to begin here. This is opposite Leckerle one of my favourite restaurants.

Luca is the owner of Toscana restaurant on Beach Rd.

A very interesting guy who hails from Pisa, I caught up with him one morning for coffee. Here are some shots of his great restaurant.

There is always time for a pedicure

Only B150, or $6.30 AUD, if you want to know more about the cost of living in Pattaya just follow THIS LINK.

Jasmine’s Cafe in Pattaya Klang

Excellent low cost food for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Some of the dishes at Jasmine

Located between Beach Rd & 2nd Rd. Check out more of their dishes on

My new chair

The old one finally collapsed under my 112 Kilo weight. Having said that I have been making an effort to lose some weight. Since the new year I have dropped 6 Kilos down to 106.

There is always a building being demolished in Pattaya

This is in Soi 1 right opposite my condo.

Cottage Pie at the Sportsman Pub & Restaurant in Soi 13

Another excellent venue for very good food.

Finally Pattaya Beach is deserted

I have lived here 10 years & this is the quietest I have ever seen the beach.

Food handouts for the Thai people

Sadly there are many people struggling to survive in the pandemic, daily food handouts are a great help for them.

OK, I’m ready for the next 6 months. 🙂

Lets hope by Xmas Thai & Australian borders will be open.

It’s very sad to see so many businesses close their doos due to Covid-19, please see more on THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my Living with Covid-19 photo blog, let’s keep our fingers crossed that this awful virus will soon be behind us. This article sums up my first six months of 2021.