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Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

December 26, 2019 by David Herd

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein really knows how to look after his customers. We had the best table in the restaurant located in the VIP area, thanks to my great friend Hamish Elton who is a regular customer there. That’s Hamish above with his lovely lady May, he is drinking Mexican Heatwaves & May is enjoying mango juice.

We arrived very early

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein 4pm Xmas day, no wonder the place was empty. 🙂

I’ll start with an ice cold Peroni

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinBefore we arrived at the restaurant Hamish & I had knocked off a bottle of Verve Clicquot French Champagne.

A perfect start to Xmas dinner

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinSucculent oysters from France. 

Large, tasty & salty, Tsarskaya oysters from Cancale

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein

The Tsarkaya Oysters have been the food of royalty since the dawn of time, including for Roman emperors, French Kings and even Russian Tsars. This fully fleshed oyster is exclusively ripened and produced in the bay of Mont Saint Michel. 

Recently I bought 4 dozen mixed French & Irish oysters to Pattaya from El Mercado in Bangkok. Hamish expertly shucked them on my balcony & we washed them down with a cold white wine from New Zealand.

Next course smoked salmon

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein Quite delicious, sitting on a small potato pancake with sour cream & caviar.

Cinnamon spiced sweet potato soup

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein I’m a soup lover & this one did not disappoint, it was fabulous. In case you were wondering they are Maple croutons. 🙂

Charcoal grilled rib eye of beef.

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinSo tender & cooked to perfection., served with red wine onion sauce.

Xmas turkey with sausage

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein There were 3 choices for main course, Hamish went for the turkey.

Desert to finish

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein I’m a sucker for desert, I have to maintain my 112 kilo of weight. 🙂

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein

Xmas Feast Harlan Goldstein The busy chef joined us for a quick break & a cold beer then back to work. 🙂

The heavy artillery.

Xmas Feast Harlan GoldsteinCan you believe they named this tequila “Religion”? It was very smooth indeed.

The menu

Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein One thing is for certain, when you dine at Harlan’s you never leave hungry. 🙂 

Thanks for visiting my Xmas Feast, Harlan Goldstein photo blog, & thanks to Harlan for making it a Merry Xmas. 🙂

https://youtu.be/XyxifyO1hr0 Here is Harlan showing you how to cook the perfect steak. 

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Zagreb Croatia                      Rio de Janeiro                  Brisbane River 

Zagreb Croatia bars restaurants        a7ff7566-9628-434d-a2b1-8c6e8b9a9021       IMG_0100

       

     Koh Samui                                   Korea                                  London

32780a6c-baf6-428a-bd71-68b1bed30b4c         Changdeokgung Palace (2)        IMG_7042

         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

Soi Cowboy (25)          Osaka 1st night (17)       Walking St Pattaya is wild & sexy                                  

             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

Chiang Mai with Tone9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

  • Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Central Festival food hall Pattaya

December 18, 2019 by David Herd

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall Pattaya has recently expanded with the entire basement offering an incredible range of delicious food. The section above is near the Beach Road entrance.

Thai seafood

Central Festival food hall Squid corner has many seafood options beside squid. 🙂

If you like your food on a stick

Central Festival food hall Then this is the place for you. 🙂

A nice looking bar for a beer or two.

Central Festival food hallThere are so many great beers on offer in Pattaya.

The hanging ducks of Babylon

Central Festival food hall Or should I say the hanging ducks of Central Festival food hall Pattaya?

A bottle of wine perhaps?

Central Festival food hallOne of the very few things I dislike about Thailand is the horrendous tax on wine. For a price comparison check out THIS LINK.

Good prices here…

Central Festival food hallSix for B100, or $4.80 AUD, great value.

Fabulous seafood range

Central Festival food hall You name it, they have it. 

Mouth watering oysters from France

Central Festival food hall Enjoying fresh oysters is one of the great passions in my life, for confirmation just follow THIS LINK.

Now I wait for these to come on special

Central Festival food hall On special the price drops to B120 for 3. Today March 8th 2020 I ordered 9 for B360 & they gave me 2 extra for free. 🙂

Sydney Rock & Coffin Bay oysters from Australia.

Central Festival food hallThe thought of these makes me homesick. 

Shucker at work

Central Festival food hall My friend Hamish Elton was quicker than this guy, take a look HERE.

You gotta love oysters

Central Festival food hallA great way to start a meal, however my friend Mark Yagalla paid B640 fir 6 oysters & at a counter nearby I only paid B420, so the tip is to make sure you shop around. 🙂

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall The perfect lunch, fresh prawns & salmon sashimi.

To finish off a perfect lunch

Central Festival food hall A truly iconic Thai classic, mango & sticky rice.

Grill Bar adjacent to or part of Tops supermarket.

Central Festival food hall

Central Festival food hall Excellent coffee, + the custard tarts were very good also. 🙂

Low cost sandwiches

Central Festival food hall At B45 & B60 they are terrific value.

Aussie lamb chops

Central Festival food hall My friend Mark Yagala said these were the best chops he has ever eaten in Thailand, only B620 or $20 USD.

Back another day for oysters, prawns & sashimi

Central Festival food hallThese are the same my friend paid B620 on another counter, my cost was B420.

Absolutely delicious

Central Festival food hall Fine de Claire from France.

A repeat of what I had a few days ago.

Central Festival food hallWhen you are on a good thing stick to it. 🙂

Mr Donuts

Central Festival food hallStarbucks change B115 for a latte, here at Mr Donuts I paid B93 for what you see.

Baked Ham & vegetables

Central Festival food hall Absolutely delirious & only B200 or $10 AUD.

Thanks for visiting my Central Festival food hall photo blog, I intend to have lunch here at least once a week in the future.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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

 
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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet

December 14, 2019 by David Herd

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet at the East Coast kitchen in the executive tower on the 6th floor. Available from Thursday night until Sunday night. Priced at B1100, very reasonable for what they offer.

Lots of seafood choices

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet Apart from seafood there are are a variety of Thai dishes, salads & deserts to choose from.

Oysters from Korea

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet I always enjoy a buffet that offers fresh oysters.

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet

Holiday Inn Seafood BuffetKorean oysters don’t particularly impress me, I prefer French or Australian, check out THIS LINK for lots of variety.

Barbecue prawns were delicious

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet Oysters to start followed by these prawns.

Delicious crab

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet Very fiddly to eat of course, you just need to persevere. 🙂

The busy chefs

Holiday Inn Seafood BuffetThey do a great job on the barbecue making sure everybody has plenty to eat.

There is also an indoor kitchen

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet When you count all the waiters & waitresses there is a huge number of polite staff looking after you.

Thai food is also available

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet A very good variety of food to please all pallets. 

Desert to finish off an excellent dinner.

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet There is also lots of ice cream flavors on offer.

A choice of 2 place in the hotel for a pre dinner cocktail.

Holiday Inn Seafood BuffetBefore dinner we went to the sky bar for happy hour, two for one drinks between 5 & 7 pm are terrific value.

Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet

Holiday Inn Seafood BuffetThis is also a wonderful venue for cocktails at sunset. I’m so lucky to live only 200 meters from this fabulous hotel, I guess you could say it’s my local drinking hole. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Holiday Inn Seafood Buffet photo blog.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

 Istanbul                   Budapest                     London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets Europe Hungarian Parliament Building (2)   The Walkie Talkie (5)   

Mostar                Dubrobnik              Split

43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837  IMG_7425 Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city   

         Saigon                      Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam   Main Square (3)    Vung Tau statue (6)

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Fresh seafood Naklua market

December 7, 2019 by David Herd

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua market, it’s been 4 years since I published my blog on this lively venue, so I thought it was time to re-visit & see what changes have taken place.

The variety is amazing.

Fresh seafood Naklua market So is the crowd, better to visit mid week if you can.

Price is per kilo

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI’m guessing you would get around 3 for a kilo.

Many varieties of fish

Fresh seafood Naklua marketIncluding live fish that they will clean for you on the spot.

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua marketLots of fresh vegetables also on sale.

Scallops look very good.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThere are so many choices, how do you make a decision on what to have for lunch? 🙂

First I’m going to try an oyster.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThese are B50 each or $1.60 USD, there are also some for B40, or $1.30 USD. I can buy imported oysters from France at El Mercado in Bangkok for the same price.

Quite large as you can see

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI was pleasantly surprised, very tasty even without lemon, lime or sauce.

OK, now for some fresh prawns

Fresh seafood Naklua marketB270 or $9 USD a kilo, what a bargain.

Now here is the clincher…

Fresh seafood Naklua market This guy will cook your prawns or other seafood for B30 a kilo, how easy is that?

He will even supply a chair. 🙂

Fresh seafood Naklua marketSo you can eat the freshly cooked seafood right here. We had our prawns boiled rather than barbecued, so we decided to eat them at home after they cooled down.

Here is the result

Fresh seafood Naklua marketDelicious on a fresh bread roll from Central Marina.

Fresh seafood Naklua market

Fresh seafood Naklua marketThey will cook fish for you as well.

So many varieties of shellfish

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI’m not sure what some of these are.

I guessing this is an unusual type of prawn or shrimp.

Fresh seafood Naklua market They are quite a strange looking creature selling at B1500 a kilo, or a whopping $72 AUD.

More crab 

Fresh seafood Naklua market As they say in the classics, too much crab is never enough. 🙂

Mussels

Fresh seafood Naklua market Not one of my favourites for some reason. 

This is a super prawn. 🙂

Fresh seafood Naklua marketGreat shot, this & the next one were taken by Mike McNamee from the group Pattaya 24/7. Fairly expensive at B1300 a kilo, or $62 AUD.

Only B280 a kilo

Fresh seafood Naklua market That’s more in my price range. 🙂

That’s all for now folks.

Fresh seafood Naklua marketI hope you enjoyed my Fresh seafood Naklua market photo blog.

Follow THIS LINK for my 2015 fish market blog.

 Istanbul                   Budapest                     London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets Europe Hungarian Parliament Building (2)   The Walkie Talkie (5)   

Mostar                Dubrobnik              Split

             43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837  IMG_7425 Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city                                       Saigon                      Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam   Main Square (3)    Vung Tau statue (6)

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok

December 4, 2019 by David Herd

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok, where else but El Mercado’s seafood room in their wonderful market restaurant. After I enjoyed another memorable lunch I purchased 2.5 dozen fresh oysters to take home to Pattaya.

Prawns look terrific.

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok In fact everything looks so fresh and appetizing. 

The question is……

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok Where do you start? 🙂

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok, here is where I start.

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokOysters natural from France, 6 No 4 Cancale  B35 each or $1.70 AUD, & 6 No 3 Claire B55 each, or $2.66 AUD. 

Price rise at el Mercado

https://fivestarvagabond.com/shuck-more-oysters-please/

It’s now June 2022 & the price for Fin de Clare hase jumped to B99 each.

 

   

Cultured on the French Atlantic coast, Fine de Claire is the favorite oyster of people who love less fleshy and more juicy oysters with a balanced taste. This oyster must be refined in the shallow water of the claires basins, according to a strictly stipulated number of months and a maximum limit on the number of oysters per square meter. The result is a less meaty but juicy oyster rich in water, with translucent or white mantle, an earthy flavor, smooth with an incredible lingering aftertaste.

How about this beauty?

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok I’m guessing it’s from Alaska.

Many types of oysters available

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok Most are from France but there are some Irish varieties as well.

OK, lets take some home to Pattaya.

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokThe guys are packing up my “to go” box of 2.5 dozen.

Two nights later the feast begins on my balcony

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokOf course they need to be shucked, luckily my friend Hanish Elton, who I call the oyster man, has a glove & a knife we purchased in Coffin Bay South Australia a few months ago.

Here is the master shucker

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokI’m surprised how efficient he was, lucky he had those lessons in Coffin Bay. 🙂

My job was to pour the wine & eat the oysters.

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok We washed them down wit a cold New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

More than just seafood

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokThere is a huge choice of cold cuts & cheese from all over the world. The Salami truffle was sensational. 

Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok

Fabulous fresh seafood BangkokHere is the view from my balcony, what better place could you pick to enjoy 2.5 dozen oysters? I have eaten oysters all over the world, check THIS LINK, however this is by far the best view.

Australia has wonderful seafood, check out THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my Fabulous fresh seafood Bangkok photo blog. I am planning a trip to the east coast of France to indulge in an oyster feeding frenzy. 🙂

Istanbul                                 Budapest                        London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets EuropeHungarian Parliament Building (2)The Walkie Talkie (5)   

          Mostar                           Dubrobnik                            Split

     43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837IMG_7425Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city                    

                 Saigon                            Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South VietnamMain Square (3)Vung Tau statue (6)

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

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

 

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Bangkok river buildings

December 3, 2019 by David Herd

Bangkok river buildings

Bangkok river buildings

Bangkok river buildings photographed from the Iconsiam free ferry shuttle on the Chao Phraya River. Everything from tall modern skyscrapers to ancient waterfront homes. The photo above is the State Tower which was built in 2001, it is the largest building in Southeast Asia, with 300,000 m² floor area. The building on the right is the Shangri-La hotel.

Shangri-La hotel

Bangkok river buildingsOne of the best locations in Bangkok, 5 minutes walk to the sky train. On the right is Centre Point hotel. For a discount at the Shangri-la just use THIS LINK. The rooms in Center Point are excellent, for a discounted room rate just use THIS LINK. 

Long-tail boat looking for customers.

Bangkok river buildings

These boats are very good for exploring the Bangkok canals. See more on THIS LINK. 

The old & the new.

Bangkok river buildings

 What a contrast we see along the Chao Phraya river, modern skyscrapers & wonderful old buildings.

The ghost building.

Bangkok river buildings

Often referred to as the Ghost Tower, the Sathorn Unique is an abandoned Bangkok skyscraper. Not only is it illegal to enter but it’s also in a state of dangerous disrepair. Where there’s a will there’s often a way, however, and many daring souls have slipped a “tip” to the security guards and made their way through the debris to experience an exhilarating adventure with glorious views over Sathorn’s towering buildings. 

CAT Telecom Tower

Bangkok river buildings

 This impressive office building is owned and operated by the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT). Consisting of 30 floors.

View from Iconsiam shopping mall

Bangkok river buildings

 Great view of the CAT building with the State Tower featuring Sirocco restaurant on the far right with the gold dome.

Bangkok River Park condominium

Bangkok river buildings

 Bangkok River Park is  located at Trok Saphan Yao, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100. Construction was completed in 1994. The condominium comprises of a single building, having 36 floors and includes 97 units.

Old waterfront homes 

Bangkok river buildings

 Such a contrast compared to the the modern high-rise buildings along this great river.

River City Bangkok shopping complex

Bangkok river buildings

River City opened in l984 and was the first riverside shopping complex of its kind in Bangkok. With over 47,000 sqm of space and a couple hundred retail spaces, the mall offers a wide selection of shopping choices. Its main focus is on Thai cultural articles and antiques. It does offer standard retail shopping as well. The mall also hosts a number of exhibitions, events, festivals and auctions throughout the year.

To the right is the Royal Orchard Sheraton, for an excellent room discount just book through THIS LINK.

Bangkok river buildings

Bangkok river buildings

 Icon Siam Mall is called the “Mother of All Malls”, with 500 shops and 100 restaurants from more than 30 different countries. Developed by the same tycoons behind Siam Paragon and EmQuartier, Icon Siam offers high-end brands, an indoor floating market, an art gallery, exhibition space, and a beautiful riverside location with views of downtown Bangkok.

Thanks for visiting my Bangkok river buildings photo blog, this great city is forever changing, put it on your bucket list.

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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Iconsiam Bangkok great food

December 1, 2019 by David Herd

Iconsiam Bangkok great food

Iconsiam Bangkok great food

Iconsiam Bangkok great food, however there is a problem, there are so many great places to eat it is difficult to make a decision. There is a selection of over a hundred famous restaurants from all over the world in seven different zones, each of them catering to diverse culinary tastes. The incredible choice of dishes available come from venues ranging from Michelin starred restaurants to famous Thai street food stalls.

Excellent Japanese food

Iconsiam Bangkok great foodVery authentic, it’s as good as you get in Tokyo. 🙂

California role, Unagi & Miso soup

Iconsiam Bangkok great foodOnly B420 or $14 USD. Siam Takashimaya offers three zones of Japanese food venues, the ground floor features a food court and more Japanese restaurants, while cafés and bakeries from across Japan on UG floor are divided into three smaller zones named after the Japanese prefectures of Kyoto, Hokkaido and Nara.

This restaurant specializes in seafood from Hokkaido.

Iconsiam Bangkok great food In fact I travelled to Sapporo in July 2018.

You gotta love food on a stick.

Iconsiam Bangkok great food Lots of varieties here to choose from.

Are you taking my photo?

Iconsiam Bangkok great food Yes, I certainly am, everything looks so good. 🙂

Casual dining

Iconsiam Bangkok great food Another interesting casual venue.

Check out the seven dining zones.

Iconsiam Bangkok great food

Iconsiam Bangkok great food So many restaurants & such little time.

Not sure what they are cooking here.

Iconsiam Bangkok great food Lots of heat under that big bowel.

Something a little more formal here

Iconsiam Bangkok great foodAs you can clearly see there are so many choices at Iconsiam, please put it one your bucket list, you will not be disappointed. 

The view from the ferry

Iconsiam Bangkok great foodJust catch the free shuttle ferry from Sathon pier, they run every 10 minutes or so.

Thanks for visiting my Iconsiam Bangkok great food photo blog. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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

 
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bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Food Park Central Marina

November 17, 2019 by David Herd

Food Park Central Marina

Food Park Central Marina

Food Park Central Marina is a great example of eating cheap in Thailand. Only 5 minutes walk from my condo & offers a huge variety of very good fresh food.

There are so many choices here

Food Park Central MarinaLike most food courts you put money on a card & get your refund when you finish.

Duck is always popular

Food Park Central MarinaThe hanging ducks are a common sight in Thailand.

Fresh seafood is available

Food Park Central MarinaSo many choices & such little time. 🙂

Food Park Central Marina

Food Park Central MarinaCooked food examples on display to tempt you.

Wonton soup

Food Park Central MarinaA favourite of mine & only B70 or $3.40 AUD.

Lots of skewers

Food Park Central MarinaThe staff here are deaf, but you would never really know.

 Bbq skewers

Food Park Central Marina They also specialize in sausages however the skewers are world class.

Teriyaki chicken

Food Park Central Marina Absolutely delicious, as good as I have ever eaten, and only B15 each or $0.70 AUD. These great skewers just melt in your mouth.

Food Park Central Marina & finish off with a Thai classic

Food Park Central MarinaMagnificent Mango & Sticky Rice. Certainly one of Thailand’s iconic dishes.

Sadly now in October 2020 we are in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis & 80% of the outlets here at the Food Park have closed. I really can’t see them re-opening until mid 2021.

If you have the time please check out some of my favourite restaurants, just follow THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my photo blog. For a selection of cheap places to eat just follow THIS LINK.

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Tough times Thailand 2019

September 10, 2019 by David Herd

Tough times Thailand

Tough times Thailand

Tough times Thailand 2019 on two fronts, first we have Thai immigration making it more difficult for expats to live in this wonderful country, secondly the exchange rate for Thai Baht to the Aussie dollar (and other currencies) is hitting rock bottom. 

The following 2 charts will highlight the situation.

This is not a travel blog, it is part of my personal photo history.

This photo blog covers from July 1st to December 31, for the first 6 months of 2019 please go to THIS LINK.

Australian $ to Thai Baht

Tough times ThailandIn 2012 there was 33 Baht to the dollar, today it’s 21.

Australian term deposit rates

Tough times Thailand In 2012 they were over 5%, today it’s a miserable 1.5%.

Rising costs for food etc

Tough times Thailand 2019 Five years ago in 2014 this selection cost $72 AUD, today it would be $98 Aud, one of the reasons Thailand has become less attractive for expats.

Life is still very good in Thailand

Tough times Thailand Just ask my good friend Hamish, he hasn’t a care in the world. 🙂

Coffee at the Holiday Inn

Tough times ThailandMost afternoons I tear myself away from the computer & enjoy an afternoon coffee.

A small tip for a little lady

Tough times Thailand I often give this nice lady a B20 tip when I see her of a morning sweeping the road at Terminal 21, it’s just under $1 AUD. She gets so excited you would think it’s 200.  I’m guessing they don’t get paid too much.

Love watching the storms roll in

 So exciting when the storms roll in over Pattaya Bay.

There’s nothing like a September sunset.

Tough times ThailandI was sipping a red wine at the Holiday Inn watching this magnificent sunset.

Soi 1 demolish a small hotel.

Tough times Thailand Right next to Markland condo where I live.

Aussie guys at Atlantic bar

Tough times Thailand Doug Burrows, Bill Perry, David Herd, Brian Rawnsley & Shane Andrews. Shane is here for some major dental work which is around 1/3 of the cost in Australia.

Fusillo Italian restaurant

Tough times Thailand A nice evening with Matt Harkness & is girlfriend Bow.

Spaghetti seafood

Tough times Thailand Fusillo is in Naklua Rd, what a great looking dish.

Pattaya sunset

Tough times Thailand From floor 22 in Markland. For more magnificent sunsets follow THIS LINK.

A super cloud

Tough times Thailand This was 8 am on the morning of October 13, the previous shot was 6.15 pm the same day.

Halloween

Tough times Thailand 2019 Lola, Nina & Lucky playing trick or treat. I anticipated the visit & stocked up on lollies etc.

The boys from Oz

Tough times Thailand 2019 Shane Andrews, Bill Perry & Greg Caldwell were here for some major dental work. According to Greg he paid 55,000 Baht or $2650 AUD for 1 x Implant – 1 x Root canal – 2 x removals and a complete clean which took 2 hours’ in the chair.

Holly’s coffee at Terminal 21.

Tough times Thailand helping me maintain my 112 kilos.

Tough times Thailand with high levels of pollution in Pattaya

Tough times ThailandThe unhealthy haze from farmers burning their crops in Thailand & neighboring countries.

Thailand is the least miserable country

Pattaya life food friends Australia comes in at 54th. 🙂

Let’s talk about convenience, I often wonder what it would be like living in Australia again. I ask my friends on the Gold Coast to imagine if they could walk from their home to Robina Town Centre, Southport Park & Pacific Fair in less than 12 minutes? How convenient would that be?

Well folks, that’s what I can do in Pattaya, add to that the 6 five star hotels also within 12 minutes of where I live. All with terrific restaurants & coffee shops. 

Plus I have a 24 hour supermarket, chemist & The Coffee Club on the ground floor of the condo where I live on the 20th floor with a view to die for. I probably should mention the 200+ restaurants & food courts also within 10 minutes walk.

Convenience folks, are you getting the picture? 🙂 

The burning question is, could I be happy living in Australia again? 

Cruise ship visits Pattaya

Tough times Thailand December 7 & a cruise liner anchors in Pattaya Bay.

Lets’s do the crocodile rock. 🙂

Tough times Thailand Crocodile on the spit at Central Marina.

The Peak at the Dusit Thani

Tough times ThailandI’m with my brother Warren enjoying the best Dim Sum in Pattaya, sadly the Peak is closing on December 8.

Oyster night

Tough times Thailand I brought 4 dozen French & Irish oysters from El Mercado in Bangkok home to Pattaya. My good friend Hamish Elton was in charge of shucking.

Tough times Thailand

Tough times Thailand It was such a good night I would like to make it a regular event.

A typical Thai street scene

Tough times Thailand Thai people really love their street food.

Beautiful morning on Pattaya Beach.

Tough times Thailand This is what I see on my morning walk along Beach Road.

Healthy lunch at Central Festival food hall.

Tough times ThailandThey have doubled the size of the food hall, see much more on THIS LINK.

Central Marina food park

Tough times ThailandThese are the best teriyaki chicken or pork skewers in Pattaya. 

Soi pups

Tough times Thailand Four of these little guys live next to Markland, I have been giving them food most days.

The old Mantra site

Tough times ThailandNot sure what we can expect here, but I think there will be a restaurant & a cafe.

Xmas day

Tough times Thailand Hamish & May are moving into a lovely house in Jomtien.

Xmas dinner

Tough times ThailandA terrific meal at Harlan’s to celebrate Xmas.

Brad, poor & cousin Glen

Tough times Thailand We took a Sunday drive to check out the monkeys at Bangsaen.

Lots of people feed them bananas

Tough times ThailandThey will crawl all over your car looking for food.

Asparagus & salmon sashimi

Tough times Thailand Great value fro Foodland at Terminal 21.

Breathtaking view

Tough times Thailand From my Markland balcony.

Glenn Frey will tell you how I feel.

  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn Pattaya

August 31, 2019 by David Herd

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn Pattaya is my usual venue for afternoon coffee, only a 150 meter walk from my condo at Markland in Beach Rd. The shot above is the hotel reception, turn left to fond the Flow Cafe Holiday Inn.

Terrific cakes & pastries.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Also meat pies, sandwiches & sausage rolls, and excellent coffee of course.

So many choices….

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

And such little time. 🙂

My favourite waitress

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

This lovely lady with the gorgeous smile is Opor, that’s the shortened version of her name, she always makes me a special coffee. 🙂

How sweet is this?

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Opor takes great pride in her work. 🙂

Luckily I get a 25% discount.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

For a small cost you can get a “Hi Club” Card which gives you the discount on food & beverage except for the specials.

Other hotel specials

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Happy hour every day between 5 & 7pm.

Pizza happy hour

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

In fact they ate my favourite pizzas in Pattaya.

There are specials every day.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Every day is a good day at the Holiday Inn Pattaya.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Thanks for visiting my Flow Cafe Holiday Inn photo blog, you will find me there most days around 3 pm. 🙂

Something different

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

It tasted as good as it looked, very healthy indeed. 🙂

New sandwich system

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Instead of ready made sandwiches you now order from this list.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Holiday Inn

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Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

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The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.