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]

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

February 18, 2019 by David Herd

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  I would always ask to be seated near the seafood & sushi. 🙂

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

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

My friend from Sydney Roland Bonnici.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya Pork Belly, roast pork & duck, delicious.

A favourite dish

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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

Wonderful decor

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

The Mantra featured 7 different kitchens. 

Lets look at previous years, 2007 Trevor & Nui.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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

This was 2008.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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

 Big group in 2010

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

No better place to celebrate than the Mantra.

Beautiful Benjamas Sitthi

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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

Before Ben there was Amy

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Amy really knew how to make you feel welcome. 

Another birthday in 2009.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  Another super Sunday.

February 2010

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

Xmas with Yaowaluck Bumrungthum aka Kartoon

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  For Xmas day lunch the Mantra was always our choice.

How could we forget Pothole aka John Martin.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya 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.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya 

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

Putting on the Ritz

Final feast Mantra Pattaya 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.

 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
 
 That’s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days 

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

 

 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.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

January 20, 2019 by David Herd

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

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.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

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 Nana Plaza Bangkok

 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.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

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

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

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.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

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..

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok 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.

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

Hello boys…..

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok Wow! what nice group of lads. 🙂

The boys from Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

A couple of fine feathered friends. 🙂

Call me old fashioned….

Restaurants bars Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok 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.

 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

Lots more photo blogs here;

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil 

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Italian food Beach Rd

January 19, 2019 by David Herd

Italian food Beach Rd 

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

Italian food Beach Rd

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

Here’s to old times in 2006

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya

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.

Italian food Beach Rd  Definitely one of my favourites.

Fettuccine is absolutely delicious.

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya  Of course they serve every kind of pasta & pizza imaginable.

Memories of 2012

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya Dinner & red wine with Irina from Ukraine.

Take your pick

Italian food Beach Rd It all looks so good, Toscana’s menu is huge.

There are several sections of the restaurant

Italian food Beach RdThis is my preferred area to dine.

What a fearsome sight this is.

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

Lots of stock in the cold room.

Italian food Beach Rd 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

Italian food Beach Rd Notice the anchovies on the side, delicious.

The boys from Oz in 2014

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

Seafood anyone?

Italian food Beach RdToscana has recently opened a new seafood section in the front garden.

Lots of wine, mainly ITALIAN.

Italian food Beach RdQuite a few wines available y the glass.

A very friendly waitress in 2014.

Italian food Beach Rd PattayaAs you can see I’m not a person who misses a photo opportunity. 🙂

Dinner with friends January 2019

Italian food Beach Rd PattayaFrom the left we have May, Alex, Hamish & Gary.

Hamish’s favourite

Italian food Beach Rd Beef carpaccio tasted as good as it looked.

May chose the Baby Clams aka Pippies.

Italian food Beach RdThis is the same dish she had on New Years Eve.

Quail for dinner December 2021

Italian food Beach Rd

Quite tasty but very fiddly to eat.

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

Coffee with Luca

Italian food Beach RdFebruary 6th I met Luca for coffee during my morning walk.

 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

         Istanbul                                 Budapest               

Check out these great food photo blogs.

 

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

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.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Quite breathtaking as you can clearly see.

Let’s buy our tickets.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok 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?

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok The golden dome is the State tower with the famous Sirocco sky bar.

Across the Chao Phraya river is Iconsiam

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok 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

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

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Imagine what it will be like on a beautiful fine day.

Elevator or the final 3 floors.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok 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. 

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok famous glass floor.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok You must take off your shoes & wear soft covers.

Not for the faint hearted.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokIf you suffer from vertigo the glass floor is not for you. 🙂

The highest point.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokRefreshments are available from the shop.

Finally we escape the King Power maze.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok You feel like quoting Martin Luther King “Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

That’s all folks

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokThanks for visiting my Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok photo blog.

 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

Check out these great photo blogs.

  • Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

December 1, 2018 by David Herd

Beautiful tropical garden in the heart of Pattaya.

AVANI Pattaya Resort

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens and pool area has a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. I remember staying at this hotel way back in 1998 whit was call the Royal Garden Resort. More recently it was the Marriott.

The main entrance from 2nd Rd.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

The property runs all the way to Beach Road & is adjacent to the Royal Garden Plaza shopping mall.

Entrance to Royal Garden Plaza is next door to Avani Resort.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 Lots of interesting shops & a very good food court.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens reception 

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

Has not changed much in 20 years. 🙂

Lounge bar off the foyer however the pool area is the main attraction.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 This lovely hotel is in a perfect location, TripAdvisor rate it number 10 out of 497 hotels in Pattaya. If you would like a very good discounted room rate with free cancellation & a pay later option, just book through THIS LINK.

AVANI Pattaya Resort from Beach Road

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

Wander through this arch & enter the beautiful gardens.

Now we start seeing Thai architecture.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 Plants & trees grow at a very rapid rate in Thailand as you can imagine.

AVANI Pattaya Resort has a beautiful inviting pool

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 It has a pool bar as you cane see where you can sip a cocktail or a cold beer while you cool off. 🙂

It really feels like you are on a tropical island.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 You are surrounded by a fabulous tropical environment. 

My question is “where are the macaws”?

AVANI Pattaya Resort

 I took this photo in November 2012 when the property was run by the Marriott, they had 2 of these fabulous birds living in a cage in the gardens, however most of the time they were on a perch outside the cage. I wonder where they have gone?

All I could find were swans. 🙂

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

Nowhere near as beautiful as the Macaws. 🙂

Lots of places to sit here.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

They serve Thai food in the garden at a very reasonable price for a five star hotel.

Table tennis & sun lounges

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

Lots to do & a terrific shopping mall next door.

AVANI Pattaya Resort the rooms are excellent as you would expect.

AVANI Pattaya Resort

 Please remember what I said earlier, if you would like a very good discounted room rate with free cancellation & a pay later option, just book through THIS LINK.

At the Beach Rd entrance there is a Benihana sake bar.

AVANI Pattaya Resort gardens

 A few shots of sake will get you in the mood to party. 🙂 

New Wine Connection

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

 Turn left when you exit at Beach Road & 30 meters along is one of my favourite restaurants, the Wine Connection. It just opened on November 28 2018. See their fabulous on THIS LINK.

Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
 497d0b6e-c0bd-4ba2-86be-c02100f050a8        65470622-d17a-4b90-bf97-2574df4c412d        1a2160c1-41f7-465a-954c-631e083eb229
          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
                                               Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f

Check out these great posts

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

November 30, 2018 by David Herd

Excellent food & wine at a reasonable price,

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya has finally arrived in our city by the bay. Opened November 28 2018 & a friend & I dined there the following day.

Welcome to Wine Connection

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaA nice warm welcome awaits your arrival. 🙂

Relaxed friendly atmosphere

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaThe restaurant is quite large, I’m guessing it would seat 100 people.

This is what makes Wine Connection different & unique.

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaThe wine cellar is part of the restaurant & you can browse & select your bottle to enjoy with dinner. As you can see there are wines from all over the world starting at a low B500 or $15 USD, which is good value in Thailand where wine prices are ridiculously high.

Australians are so lucky they can buy very good low price wine for $4 Aud or $3 USD. Just last year Coles took home the title of best wine under $20 from Australia and New Zealand at the Winestate Wine of the Year Awards, with their $5 James Busby Big & Bold Shiraz 2015.

Recently an $8 Aldi rose was named one of the best in the world — catch was you couldn’t get it in Australia.

However another Aldi wine has won big at the Melbourne International Wine competition & a bottle is going to set you back only $6.99! Here is a selection of their best wines for under $10 AUD.

The guys behind the bar are ready & eager to look after you.

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaWe found all the staff here were eager to please & very friendly indeed.

Spanish Style Gambas.

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaMy favourite dish at  Wine Connection, cooked to perfection. 🙂

Caesar salad was excellent.

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya The two entrees above are the perfect way to start a meal. 🙂

Wine Connection Beach Rd Duck Confit

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaAnother excellent dish, Duck confit is duck that has been cured with salt and then gently cooked in its own fat. The duck emerges meltingly tender with a rich, slightly salty but mellow flavor—there’s nothing quite like it. Traditionally, the whole duck is used for confit.

La pièce de résistance

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya A 200 gram grilled Australian tenderloin cooked to perfection.

To finish I had the Cream Crème brûlée & my friend Ron Rigg from Hawaii had the chocolate cake.

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaCrème brûlée, also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a texturally contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is normally served slightly chilled; the heat from the caramelizing process tends to warm the custard producing a cool center. Wikipedia

Chocolate Lava Cake & ice cream.

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaSay no more. 🙂

Australian red wine

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

Billy’s shadow shiraz is B650 or $31 AUD, & Angus the bull B850 or $40 AUD. Billy’s sells for $7 in Australia & Angus $19.

Lots of staff on hand tonight

Wine Connection Beach Rd PattayaHere is a story that fits the theory of “six degrees of separation”, Eugene Chew was here from Wine Connection head office in Bangkok & he generously gave us complimentary deserts.  We were chatting about various subjects & my friend Ron Riggs who lives in Hawaii told Eugene he grew up in Manchester Michigan. Here is the surprise, it turns out Eugene was also born & raised in Midland Michigan only 2 hours north of Manchester. 

Also he went to college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor which is only 30 minutes from Manchester, what are the odds? 🙂

Manchester to Midland

Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya

Thanks for visiting my Wine Connection Beach Rd Pattaya photo blog. I have also had the pleasure of dining in several of their Bangkok restaurants as well as Koh Samui.

Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
 497d0b6e-c0bd-4ba2-86be-c02100f050a8        65470622-d17a-4b90-bf97-2574df4c412d        1a2160c1-41f7-465a-954c-631e083eb229
          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
                                               Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

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

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

That’s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya

November 29, 2018 by David Herd

A great way to start the day.

Morning walk Beach Road 

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya is an everyday occurrence for me starting around 8 am & lasting for 25 to 30 minutes. I usually head for Starbucks for a ham & cheese croissant with a tall latte while I browse through the Bangkok Post.

Lots happening in this shot.

Morning walk Beach Road PattayaPeople waiting to board the boats to take them para-sailing or to Koh Larn Island.

The crowd is building….

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya The buses haul them into Pattaya & offload them in Beach Road, then as you can see they line up to board the boats.

February 2020 see no Chinese tourists in Pattaya

Morning walk Beach Road

Many tour boats based in this resort city will be moored for at least the next three months, based on the number of cancellations by Chinese tour group agents, according to a large tour operator.

The Chinese government’s suspension of outbound Chinese tours to contain the coronavirus had  been a direct hit for boat operators, who mainly serve Chinese tour groups.

“Chinese tour agencies were closed for a month from Jan 29 to wait and see how the situation developed… As a result, boat operators have to halt services for three months, based on the agencies’ tour programmes.

“Since the closure of Chinese outbound tours, there has not been a single customer.”

Not as many boats as usual

Morning walk Beach Road Less than half that used to be here.

A boat from many years ago.

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya It must be at least 50 or 60 years old, so much character. For more examples of Pattaya boats just follow THIS LINK.

I have seen them working until 4 am

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya

Pattaya beach restoration has been going on for abut a year now. 

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya Worked stopped about 3 years ago on the ghost building in the background.

Beach needs a clean up here.

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya The boat drivers are far to lazy to lend a hand & clean up the tree branches.

Let’s clean up the beach.

Morning walk Beach Road Pattaya It’s the late Kings birthday, he was born 1927 & passed away October 13 2016. These volunteers are doing a great job cleaning up the beach in honor of the late King.

Replacing the drains

Morning walk Beach Road The council is replacing the drains to hopefully stop the street from flooding after a storm. This is February 20 2020 & the project was to be completed by now, I think it will take at least another year. 🙂

Too many selfies are never enough.

Pattaya Beach Road morning Ballet The female of the species never tire of looking in the mirror or taking selfies. 🙂

Smoking used for weight control

Babushkas wear Bikinis Pattaya beach

I am told many super models smoke to help keep their weight under control, clearly in this case it has not worked.

A beautiful summers day.

Morning walk Beach Road PattayaThe temperature is 32 but feels like 38.

 

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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

https://www.facebook.com/david.herd/videos/10157810530543594/

 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

 

This gallery contains 2 photos

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant

November 24, 2018 by David Herd

Great value Japanese food

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant at Central Marina shopping mall serves excellent quality food at a very good price.

Small compact restaurant

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant I dine regularly at MK right next door to Miyazaki & have walked past dozens of times since the mall was rebuilt in 2017. However the food was such good value I won’t be walking past in the future. 🙂

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant I ordered the special set of NZ beef, vegetables, miso soup & rice at a low price of B280 or $11.70 AUD.

Loved the vegetables & the Miso soup

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant There is no doubt I will be a regular here. Although in Pattaya we do have many very good Japanese restaurants.

NZ beef was fabulous

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant Rare, juicy & tender, cooked to perfection. 🙂

My compliments to the chef. 🙂

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant I can’t believe how lucky we are living in Pattaya with so many great places to eat, every possible cuisine & price range, from five star hotels to street food. Since Terminal 21 opened on October 19 2018 Central Marina has lost half it’s customers, I do feel sorry for their loss of business, on the other had it’s much quieter & more peaceful. 

Friday night at 8 pm.

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant Only 2 other customers apart from myself.

Teriyaki chicken is my favourite

Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant It  literally melts in your mouth.

Many thanks for visiting my Miyazaki Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant photo blog.

Another victim of the Covid-19 virus

Covid-19 devastates Pattaya businessesSo many businesses in Pattaya have been forced to close, to see more please follow THIS LINK.

 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.

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

36555237616_da3ed73d6a_o

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.

Check out these great posts

  • French village Breil Sur Roya

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie

November 23, 2018 by David Herd

Living in Pattaya can be quite dangerous. 🙂

Pattaya storm traps Aussie

Pattaya storm traps Aussie

Pattaya storm traps Aussie guy in a beer bar on Soi 21 Buakhao for 2 hours. Hamish had just finished a lesson at Baku Golf Centre which is the first indoor golf centre of its kind in Pattaya when the storm moved in & forced him to be stranded.

The road disappears

Pattaya storm traps Aussie The rain is so heavy it floods the road within about 5 minutes.

Houston we have a problem. 🙂

Pattaya storm traps Aussie Oh no! The bike is almost new.

I’m walking….

Pattaya storm traps AussieBut soon I may be swimming. 🙂

I’m walking also…

Pattaya storm traps Aussie Because I can’t find my damn bike.

No problem for the motorbike taxi.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie He is saving a damsel in distress. 🙂

It doesn’t take long to cover the footpath.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie The real problem is the drains & sewers flood & start mixing all sorts of yucky stuff with the rain water.

Everything starts going under.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie After an hour it’s still raining.

The water is getting deeper.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie Will the bike survive?

That’s it says Hamish, I’m going nowhere. 🙂

Pattaya storm traps Aussie As long as there’s plenty of San Mig I staying exactly where I am. 🙂

Hamish predicted it would stop in 1 minute.

It was still raining 1 hour later. 🙂 🙂 🙂

That’s all folks.

Pattaya storm traps Aussie There was a happy ending (they have lots around Soi Buakhao) after a few minutes Hamish got the bike started & rode home. 

I told you he was an Aussie. 🙂

Pattaya storm traps Aussie

Credit for all the great photos to Hamish Elton.

Thanks for visiting my Pattaya storm traps Aussie photo blog. Follow THIS LINK to see all the damage this storm caused on Pattaya Beach.

 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.

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

36555237616_da3ed73d6a_o

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.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach

November 23, 2018 by David Herd

Groundhog day

November storm damages Pattaya Beach

November storm damages Pattaya Beach

November storm damages Pattaya Beach again. It’s a perennial problem, the water rushes down the sloping narrow streets from 2nd Rd & the Beach Rd drains & gutters can’t cope with the huge volume.

Within minutes Pattaya disappears. 🙂

November storm damages Pattaya Beach From blue sky to this only takes 5 to 10 minutes. 

John Fogerty has a question……

Opposite Soi 6 the sand washes into the bay.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach As I said earlier the narrow streets slope down hill from 2nd Rd & turn into mini rivers.

Bottom of Soi 2 opposite the A-One Hotel.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach Same story here the water rushes down Soi 1 & 2. for a discounted room rate with free cancellation just book through THIS LINK.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach

November storm damages Pattaya Beach The morning after reveals the damage to the newly restored beach.

The drains & gutters can’t cope

November storm damages Pattaya Beach The volume of water in such a short time is quite incredible.

The locals have seen this hundreds of times.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach I have no idea what the solution is, perhaps officials should investigate hoe Singapore handle their downpours.

It doesn’t deter the Chinese tourists

November storm damages Pattaya Beach They line up every day to go para-sailing & to visit Koh Larn, however in recent months the numbers seem to be down around 40%

Right opposite Soi 6.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach Life in Soi 6 will go on as usual, take a look at THIS LINK for an example.

Most of the beach is not effected.

November storm damages Pattaya Beach I’m guessing about 85% of the beach escaped any damage. I imagine around 11 pm tonight a couple of bulldozers will arrive to repair the damage. Thanks for visiting my November storm damages Pattaya Beach photo blog. Check out Pattaya 24/7 on my webcam below.

My friend Hamish had just finished a lesson at Golf Hub Pattaya which is the first indoor golf centre of its kind in Pattaya when the storm moved in & forced him to be stranded. Check out his great photos of the flooding on THIS LINK.

 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

This gallery contains 1 photo.