2019 | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Songkran celebration Vientiane 2019

April 16, 2019 by David Herd

Songkran celebration Vientiane

Songkran celebration Vientiane 2019 was certainly more subdued compared to the madness in Pattaya. Songkran is the Lao & Thai New Year’s national holiday. Throwing water has become a huge part of the annual celebrations. If you’re visiting Thailand during this period, prepare to get splashed! In Laos you are able to dodge the soaking if you are careful. 🙂

Look out here they come. 🙂

Lots of pickups prowl the streets with barrels of water to throw at other vehicles & pedestrians.

Our hotel staff

The day we arrived all the staff were having fun soaking each other for Songkran celebration Vientiane. I would happily recommend the Bloom Boutique Hotel, excellent rooms, friendly staff & a great breakfast. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good discount.

Lunch before the water fight

We were invited to join them for lunch however we didn’t want to intrude.

Tuk Tuk

Not all the Tuk Tuks are as flash as this one, in fact many of them are very old indeed.

Father & son.

Age is no barrier when having fun at Songkran.

Songkran celebration Vientiane

The folks relax while the kids play in the pool. As I said earlier Songkran is so much more subdued in Laos than Thailand, in fact each year around 450 Thais lose their life on the roads over what Thailand call the seven deadly days.

Let the games begin

Setting up on the footpath for another day of mayhem. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Songkran celebration Vientiane photo blog.

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MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand

March 6, 2019 by David Herd

MYTT-Hotel-Pattaya-A-One-hotel- Markland-

MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand

MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand is part of the A-One hotel group & is located in Soi 3. I watched the whole construction process from my condo in Markland one street away in Soi 1.

Spectacular entrance

As you can clearly see it’s a stunning foyer.

The view from my condo

I’m on the 20th floor of Markland in Soi one & the MYTT is in Soi two.

Here is the building site.

It was quite a radical change to Soi 2.

The Kitch restaurant

Many people may find the name is a rather poor choice, here is the meaning courtesy of Google; “Kitsch is art that’s garish, nostalgic, and very low-brow. Some people who love the aesthetics of souvenir culture think kitsch is really cool, while others think it’s in very poor taste. Kitsch is a German word that’s been adopted into English, meaning“worthless, trashy art,” or the quality of that art.”

Swish may have been a better name.

Kitch may be short for kitchen, but it’s pronounced the same as kitsch. Swish means impressively smart and fashionable, which the restaurant certainly is. 🙂

Live lobsters

The following is from their website; Seafood Buffet Dinner Promotion • 2,500 THB per person includes unlimited Lobster(serve half of the Lobster at once). Not include a beverage. • 3,000 THB per person includes unlimited Lobster (serve half of the Lobster at once) and also beverage (Alcohol included) Special discount for you to add Line @:MYTTHOTEL or check on Facebook. Please kindly contact MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand directly to get the special discount.

Sky Bar on the 19th floor

A nice atmosphere with a great view, far too expensive for my budget however. A Singha beer is B220 or $9.80 AUD. Most of the beer bars in Pattaya sell it between B65 & B85.

At last they have a “special”.

They invite you to join them every Friday for 99 Be Mine – where 99 Baht gets you a glass of wine, a pint of beer or 3 in 1 Tapas.

Small intimate bar

Two DJs were playing fairly loud music, as they do in Thailand. 🙂

Looking over Pattaya

The view at night is rather stunning.

MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand

Looking south from the 2nd floor of the Sky bar.

Looking north

Towards Terminal 21 & the Holiday Inn.

Thanks for visiting my MYTT Hotel Pattaya Thailand photo blog.

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

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Final feast Mantra Pattaya

February 18, 2019 by David Herd

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Final feast Mantra Pattaya Sunday brunch with friends, I have so many memories of great moments in the last 12 years at this wonderful restaurant. This photo blog features many of the long lunches dating back to 2007.

We are going to miss the fabulous food.

Alaskan crab & oysters from France have always been my favourite at the Mantra Sunday brunch. Having said that I must admit the quality has been going down slightly in the last 2 or 3 years. I apologize for this criticism just their standards were always so high I guess they were hard to maintain.

The seafood section.

I would always ask to be seated near the seafood & sushi. 🙂

Final feast Mantra Pattaya, lets not forget the cold Sake. 🙂

Included in the price of the buffet, so I would always take full advantage of this special.

My friend from Sydney Roland Bonnici.

Roland loves dining out & the Mantra was his favourite Pattaya restaurant. This visit was a week before it closed on February 10 2019.

From the Chinese kitchen.

Pork Belly, roast pork & duck, delicious.

A favourite dish

From the Chinese wok the beef & onion creation just melts in your mouth.

Wonderful decor

The Mantra featured 7 different kitchens.

Lets look at previous years, 2007 Trevor & Nui.

Trevor hails from Western Australia & spends lots of time in Pattaya.

This was 2008.

Nick Partridge from the Gold Coast & his lovely lady Sharron have been Mantra fans since the beginning.

Big group in 2010

At the back is Trevor & his son Cameron + xxx, then myself, my brother Warren, Nok & Phil Avalon, & at the front we have Greg Johnston & Herbie Pastor.

Big birthday with lots of friends.

No better place to celebrate than the Mantra.

Beautiful Benjamas Sitthi

Ben now works at the Avani Hotel adjacent to Royal Gardens.

Before Ben there was Amy

Amy really knew how to make you feel welcome.

Another birthday in 2009.

I remember this one very well, my great Phil Thomson from Australia bought his 21 yo son Michael to Pattaya as part of his introduction to life in the fast lane. 🙂

March 2012.

Another super Sunday.

February 2010

On the left is my brother Warren & Bill Austin & Joan Baptiste from Wiltshire in England.

Xmas with Yaowaluck Bumrungthum aka Kartoon

For Xmas day lunch the Mantra was always our choice.

How could we forget Pothole aka John Martin.

We call him Pothole Bin Ladin the mouse of Markland. A flashback to Potholes birthday, aka John David Martin, at the Mantra in 2013 when love was sweet.

Allan & Vicki Chiswick from Sydney.

Laem Chabang Their cruise ship spent 24 hours at Laem Chabang so they hightailed to the Mantra. 🙂

Putting on the Ritz

Finally here are some of the glamorous Mantra girls putting on the Ritz.

Check out three previous Mantra photo blogs here. Number one,

& link number 2,

Many thanks for visiting my Final feast Mantra Pattaya photo blog.

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LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

January 20, 2019 by David Herd

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok seem to be increasing in numbers each year. In Thailand a Kathoey or katoey is a transgender woman or an effeminate gay male. Many Thai people perceive that a kathoey actually belongs to a third gender.

Sit near the entrance at 6 pm.

They usually start to arrive from 6 pm on, it’s rather entertaining seeing them arrive with an exaggerated walk & almost always stroking their hair.

Would you know the difference?

LadyBoys often look and act more ladylike than the ladies! Everything is exaggerated, particularly walking, where they look like they are on a constant catwalk. There is a more pronounced swaying of the hips, more elegant posture (particularly when seated), excessively flicking and fidgeting with their hair and over-applied make-up.

This was actually in Phuket.

However he is a well known face around Nana Plaza, let’s just call him “Secrets”. 🙂

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

Most LadyBoys are much taller than the girls & after living in Thailand for many years they are easy to spot. Ladyboys do not just exaggerate their femininity; they exaggerate everything! Every word and action is excessively flamboyant. This makes them stand out from the crowd because Thai culture is such that women (even those working in beer bars and go-gos) are usually quite reserved.

Definitely NOT LadyBoys.

Gary & Brad are from Townsville & I’m in the middle & have lived in Pattaya for 10 years. However my first visit to Nana Plaza was 24 years ago in 1996.

What a knockout..

By far the best looking LadyBoy I have ever seen was in Pattaya. My two Aussie friends Dennis & Nick were absolutely stunned. 🙂

All the action is here in Nana Plaza.

Without a doubt this is the best adult entertainment precinct in Bangkok.

Hello boys…..

Wow! what nice group of lads. 🙂

The boys from Bangkok

A couple of fine feathered friends. 🙂

Call me old fashioned….

However I prefer the real thing, someone like this gorgeous lady who is looking for a late night snack.

Thanks for visiting my LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok photo blog.

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Italian food Beach Rd

January 19, 2019 by David Herd

Italian food Beach Rd

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya at Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana is a delightful experience. TripAdvisor obviously agree with a rating of 45 out of 1,111 Restaurants in Pattaya. Owner & chef Luca Marchetti is originally from Pracchiola, a tiny village in the mountains to the north of Tuscany.

Flashback to 2006

The original restaurant was on the block where the Holiday Inn is now situated.

Here’s to old times in 2006

The restaurant was much smaller & more intimate, in fact I preferred the atmosphere to the current location which seats over 700 people.

Pizza with parma ham.

Definitely one of my favourites.

Fettuccine is absolutely delicious.

Of course they serve every kind of pasta & pizza imaginable.

Memories of 2012

Dinner & red wine with Irina from Ukraine.

Take your pick

It all looks so good, Toscana’s menu is huge.

There are several sections of the restaurant

This is my preferred area to dine.

What a fearsome sight this is.

The big fellow Luca with a knife in his hand should be avoided at all cost. 🙂

Lots of stock in the cold room.

Luca operates his own organic and sustainable farm not far from Pattaya where he grows his own vegetables, rears free-range chickens, rabbits, ducks, pigeons, guinea fowl, wild boar, goats, sheep, pigs and cows. No processed food, no growth hormones, no chemicals, no problem. 🙂

Another pizza

Notice the anchovies on the side, delicious.

The boys from Oz in 2014

Lenny, yours truly & my brother Warren. Sadly we lost Lenny early 2016 after losing a battle with cancer, RIP.

Seafood anyone?

Toscana has recently opened a new seafood section in the front garden.

Lots of wine, mainly ITALIAN.

Quite a few wines available y the glass.

A very friendly waitress in 2014.

As you can see I’m not a person who misses a photo opportunity. 🙂

Dinner with friends January 2019

From the left we have May, Alex, Hamish & Gary.

Hamish’s favourite

Beef carpaccio tasted as good as it looked.

May chose the Baby Clams aka Pippies.

This is the same dish she had on New Years Eve.

Quail for dinner December 2021

Quite tasty but very fiddly to eat.

Thanks for visiting my Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya photo blog.

Coffee with Luca

February 6th I met Luca for coffee during my morning walk.

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Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC 2019

January 17, 2019 by David Herd

Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC

Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC 2019 is still serving fabulous food, I was there in 2008 & my good friend Hamish Elton paid them a visit on my recommendation in January 2019. He was accompanied by Rob & Sarah Dew & the bill came to $330 for a 2 course dinner plus a bottle of wine.

A huge collection of aged beef

Located at the entrance just to get you in the right frame of mind as you enter this iconic New York restaurant. Located just steps from the dazzling lights of Broadway and the pulsing energy of Times Square, Gallagher’s Steakhouse takes its rightful place at the very heart of New York City.

For over 90 years, this is where the city’s sports teams have announced their wins, where celebrities take their bows, and where Wall Street titans toast their deals.

Lets start with some oysters

Hamish thought they were so good he actually ordered another serving. 🙂

Delicious Manhattan clam chowder

I’m totally envious, I wish I could have been there.

How good does this steak look?

Check out THIS LINK for my 2008 visit.

Charcoal with your steak sir?

My mouth is watering just looking at this hunk of beef. 🙂

Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC

Hamish has visited great restaurants all over the world, & in his opinion & mine also, Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC is certainly the best restaurant for a terrific steak.

Has not changed much since 2008

The renovated a few years ago but from this photo it has not changed too much.

Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC, the happy crew.

Thanks for visiting my Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC photo blog.

Please check out these fabulous posts

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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That’s all folks

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Check out these great food photo blogs.

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Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

January 14, 2019 by David Herd

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok is Thailand’s tallest building featuring a glass floor 314 metres above the busy streets of Bangkok. A two-tiered observation tower is part of the complex that also hosts Bangkok’s highest rooftop bar and a 63-square metre glass tray floor. I visited with Brad Robbins, my friend from Townsville Australia, his girlfriend Por & her daughter Pang.

WOW! What an amazing building.

Quite breathtaking as you can clearly see.

Let’s buy our tickets.

The price is rather high, B850 or $26 USD for adults & B250 or $7.80 USD for children & seniors, & guess what? I’m a senior, YIPPEE!

How about this view?

The golden dome is the State tower with the famous Sirocco sky bar.

Across the Chao Phraya river is Iconsiam

Which is a large shopping mall, which opened to the public on 10 November 2018, as well as hotels and residences.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

The terrible haze covering Bangkok really effects the photo quality. I’ll visit again when the sky is blue.

The view is still spectactular

Imagine what it will be like on a beautiful fine day.

Elevator or the final 3 floors.

Going up was very fast, 74 floors in 50 seconds. Going down King Power set a trap for you, they force you to walk through 4 or 5 floors of shops, to make matters worse the exit on each floor is not clearly marked, so it is very difficult to get out of the building.