Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Welcome to 700 travel blogs, to access a full index on your mobile please scroll to the bottom & choose from 700 locations. Email is [email protected]

First trip Pattaya 1980

May 29, 2014 by David Herd

First trip Pattaya 1980

First trip Pattaya 1980

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

First trip Pattaya 1980 with my good friend Rob Symonds. We stayed at the Royal Cliff Hotel which had only been open for 2 years. The photo of the long-tail boat in the header was taken in May 2014 however the fishing boats in 1980 were virtuously the same design, as you will see in this post.

Pattaya Thailand March 1980 was like visiting a sleepy fishing village. Even before the start of the Vietnam War, American GIs had put Pattaya on the map as the best beach destination to unwind and indulge. But when large numbers of troops began to arrive at the neighbouring Ban Sattahip Air Base in 1968, things really picked up in Pattaya. Also known as U-Tapao International Airport, the army base at Sattahip was heavily staffed and used by the US Air Force throughout the Vietnam conflict.

Prior to jet skis

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Notice that well before jet skis the little speed boats were powered by a 25 hp engine.

It all started when a group of 500 American soldiers stationed at the military base in Korat were driven to Pattaya on 29th June 1959 for a week of rest and relaxation (R&R). They rented several houses at the southern end of the beach from a prominent Thai, Lord Sunthorn, thus opening Pandoraโ€™s Box for this sleepy fishing village. Despite their short stay, the GIs had a great time and raved about the place. The word spread among other American soldiers stationed in the region and Pattaya quickly became a hot alternative to the concrete sprawl of Bangkok.

Where are the deck chairs?

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

The beach was very natural on my first trip to Pattaya in in 1980, hardly any deck chairs & umbrellas.

Para-sailing in 1980

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Some things never change.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

First trip Pattaya 1980

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

To say walking St was different is an understatement, I have seen this photo of mine used many times in the local press & blogs, however I did take it & you can see my friend Rob Symonds walking towards me.

Here is the original print.

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980It is used many times by other people without giving credit to me. It was taken in March 1980;

Walking St as it was in 1980

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Life in Pattaya was much simpler then. ๐Ÿ™‚

Welcome was still the “word”

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Here are some gorgeous girls waiting for a Farang to buy them a drink, the greeting was the same then as it is now, “hello welcome”. Some things never change. ๐Ÿ™‚

Click here to Fast forward nearly 40 years.

Our introduction to Walking St

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980 

Same rules applied then as they do now, goods & services however were much cheaper. ๐Ÿ™‚

Royal Cliff Hotel 1980

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

The Royal Cliff was the most modern hotel in Pattaya in 1980. On fact it had a ten pin bowling alley and above that was a body to body soapy massage parlour, my first introduction to that particular pleasure.

Cold beers at the Royal Cliff hotel.

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Life did not get much better than this on our first trip to Pattaya.

Get a discount for a room at the Royal Cliff, just use THIS LINK.

How cute is this one?

First trip Pattaya 1980 Sadly however I soon discovered she was a LadyBoy, remember this was my first trip to Thailand & it took me a couple of days to work out who were the females & who were not. ๐Ÿ™‚

Another one. ๐Ÿ™‚

First trip Pattaya 1980 Looking back now this one looked more like a LadyBoy than the 1st one, by now however I was becoming educated fast. ๐Ÿ™‚

No, he didn’t fine me.

First trip Pattaya 1980 Even though I was not wearing a helmet, in fact in those days nobody wore one.

Manila in 1980 on the way to Thailand.

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Here we are in Manila training heavily for our trip to Pattaya.

Thanks for visiting my 1980 post

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Over the years many friends have said that in this photo I look like a Miami drug dealer, people can be so cruel. ๐Ÿ™‚

Click here to Fast forward nearly 40 years.

After 40 years I have hardly changed at all. ๐Ÿ™‚

First trip Pattaya Thailand March 1980

Thanks for visiting my First trip Pattaya 1980 photo blog.

Old Pics Of Pattaya / Thailand

 

   

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

                         Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

2835141a-02cf-4cda-a909-2a8408a99f47        6a173a01-9744-404a-a45f-87a975ec90fa          d5436828-abbc-4da1-a638-7f90436c6417

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                   Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                         d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037              01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 Thatโ€™s all folks
1g Duck
Pattaya live webcam 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 
 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 To receive my latest posts please follow me on Twitter 

 
                  Counter only started June 16 2020.
 

This gallery contains 2 photos