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Category Archives: Pattaya

Perhaps it has the reputation of being a sin city, however 4 million tourists visit each year and soon find out there is a lot to offer for all types of travelers.

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

October 1, 2019 by David Herd

Soho-Village-Plaza-Pattaya

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

Soho Village Plaza upgraded since I published my first photo blog for this food market in 2015. Not only have they added a whole new section at the back they have improved most of the kitchens etc on both sides of the market.

Lots of fresh seafood here.

New Soho Town Pattaya

 Mussels, crab, prawns, oysters, lobsters, you name it they have it. 🙂

Tanks of live seafood.

New Soho Town Pattaya

 It does not get any fresher than this. 🙂

Here are more choices

New Soho Town Pattaya

 Just wander around until you see something you like. 🙂

How about spares ribs & skewers?

New Soho Town Pattaya

 So many choices & such little time.

Here is the local serpent

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

To find him just walk to the back of the market and up the stairs. This will also lead you too the new section which has recently opened. Check it out on THIS LINK.

The view from beside the serpent

New Soho Town Pattaya

 As you can clearly see it is far from full, however it’s only 9pm on a Monday night.

There are many choices other than seafood

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

All sorts of Thai & Chinese dishes are available.

Live lobster November 15

New Soho Town Pattaya

My friend Mark Yagala loves his food. You can buy his story Wall Street Joyride from Amazon, just follow THIS LINK.

Reasonably priced compared to Walking St.

New Soho Town Pattaya

 B1600 or $77 AUD at Soho Village Plaza upgraded. Photo taken with his new iPhone.  The staring price was around 2400, so make sure you negotiate. 🙂

Directly across 2nd Road

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

 Another market has opened, I don’t know if it is owned by Soho Town or not.

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

 Thanks for visiting my Soho Village Plaza upgraded photo blog, as you can see the choices are endless & the prices are reasonable. Here is a LINK to my original post in 2015. Also follow THIS LINK for the new section adjacent to the serpent.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

 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

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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.

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

New Soho Town Pattaya

October 1, 2019 by David Herd

New-Soho-Town-Pattaya

New Soho Town Pattaya

New Soho Town Pattaya

New Soho Town Pattaya is an extension of the original food market. The entrance is around the corner in Pattayasaisong 1 Alley, however it connects with the original market area with both venues forming an L shape, so you can simply climb the stairs at the rear of Soho Village & turn left at the temple.

It will need promotion

New Soho Town Pattaya

 The original market is extremely busy every night but this section was almost deserted when I dined there September 30 2019.

Lots of cooking stations

New Soho Town Pattaya

 In fact more cooking stations than people at this early stage.

Entertainment was very good

New Soho Town Pattaya

 The singer had a nice voice & the volume thankfully was not too loud.

I chose this Saigon kitchen

New Soho Town Pattaya

 The food ranged from average to very good.

Interesting prawn & noodle soup

New Soho Town Pattaya

It looked far better than it tasted, sadly it was rather bland but the prawns were good.

A mixed result here

New Soho Town Pattaya

 The chicken skewers at B10 or .48 AUD each were excellent, the other small rolls were only average. I will certainly return just for the skewers alone. 🙂

I did return 4 days later.

New Soho Town Pattaya

 Enjoyed 4 chicken skewers then took home another 6 for a total cost of B100, or $4.80 AUD.

New Soho Town Pattaya

New Soho Town Pattaya

 At the moment the staff converge upon you as you arrive due to a lack of customers, no doubt people will come once they know New Soho Town Pattaya exists.

The Temple

New Soho Town Pattaya

 Take off your shoes if you are using the stairs.

This guy is very impressive.

New Soho Town Pattaya

 I’m guessing it’s a Chinese serpent. 🙂

From another angle. 🙂

New Soho Town Pattaya

 With the temple in the background.

Thanks for visiting my New Soho Town Pattaya photo blog. I will return soon, it’s only six or seven minutes walk from where I live in Soi one. Just head for the black circle.

Soho Village Plaza upgraded

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 February 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Chinese restaurant Pattaya

September 24, 2019 by David Herd

Chinese-restaurant-Pattaya

Chinese restaurant Pattaya

Chinese restaurant Pattaya

Chinese restaurant Pattaya Hou Va Tim is an interesting “hole in the wall” venue in 2nd Rd opposite Soi 7. Small & noise with interesting Chinese food.

Fresh seafood 

Chinese restaurant PattayaOn my first visit in September 2019 I only had a soup & a small prawn & egg dish, next visit I will try the seafood.

Chinese restaurant Pattaya with open kitchen

Chinese restaurant PattayaIt’s always nice to be able to see them actually cooking. As you can see everything looks clean and organized.

Wonton soup was excellent

Chinese restaurant PattayaAn extra large bowl of piping hot soup for B50, or $2.40 AUD.

 Shrimp & egg

Chinese restaurant PattayaThis dish was ok, but I would not really recommend it, from memory it also comes with larger prawns instead of shrimp which would be a better choice I’m sure.

Small & a little noisy

Chinese restaurant PattayaWhich is normal when you get a group of 6 to 8 people dining. 🙂

No space on the wall.

Chinese restaurant PattayaNot sure what this all means, but I’m sure the staff knows. 🙂

Looking through the front door at 2nd Rd

Chinese restaurant PattayaCross 2nd Rd to get to Soi 7.

Just look for the yellow sign

Chinese restaurant Pattaya Quite easy to find if you look for the yellow sign.

Chinese restaurant Pattaya

Chinese restaurant PattayaThanks for visiting my Chinese restaurant Pattaya photo blog. Lots more links below if you have the time.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

 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

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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.

Check out these great photo blogs.

World is my oyster

Tokyo fabulous food

Upmarket Chinese Food Sydney

Food review Pattaya Thailand

Good English restaurants

Amazing World Food 

Fresh seafood Bangkok

Steakhouse New York

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Little old wine drinker me

September 12, 2019 by David Herd

Little-old-wine-drinker-Pattaya-Thailand-tax

Little old wine drinker me!

Little old wine drinker

Little old wine drinker me, I’m praying for rain in California, So the grapes can grow and they can make more wine, And I’m sitting in a honky in Chicago, With a broken heart and a woman on my mind. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Sing it for us Dean. 🙂

I certainly enjoy a glass of wine or 3, plus I love living in Thailand. One of the few problems here however is the very high price of wine. In this photo blog I will give you some idea of prices & suggestions of where to drink wine at a (fairly) reasonable price.

Leckerle in Soi 33 Naklua

Little old wine drinkerAs well as terrific food they serve a very generous glass of wine for B100 or $4.80 AUD.

Atlantic Bar opposite Central Marina

Little old wine drinker I am a regular at this bar, but not as regular as I used to be. Last year they increased the price of a glass of red to B140 or $6.70 AUD, however there is a 10% discount if you have a member card which brings the price down to B126, still overpriced in my opinion. I must say however they do pour me a reasonable size glass for which I’m forever grateful. 🙂

I now drink elsewhere Friday, Saturday & Sunday during the English football season, as the TV volume is so high it’s uncomfortable for many customers such as myself.

This is what I mainly drink at home.

Little old wine drinker Probably because I’m a “Cheap Charlie”, can you believe we pay B1000 or $48 AUD for 3 bloody litres? In 2018 we were buying a 5 litre cask for that amount, then the Thai government jacked up the tax & excise. 

In fact taxes on French, Australian and American wines, for instance, are as high as 400% including excise tax, municipal tax, health tax and import tariffs.

Five litre Australian cask

Little old wine drinker

Amazing value at B315 or $15 AUD. So $3 a litre as opposed to $16 a litre in Thailand.

Little old wine drinker me!

Little old wine drinkerYou gotta love red wine. 🙂

Neil Dimond will explain better than I. 🙂

Wine Connection

Little old wine drinker Very good food & a terrific wine selection, always have some great specials.

Australian red wine at Wine connection

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. Is it any wonder I lay awake at night weeping? 🙂

Pssst! Want to know a secret?

Little old wine drinkerFoodland at Terminal have these Aussie wines for only $20 AUD.  Of course you can buy it in Australia for around $8.00.

But wait, there’s more…….

Little old wine drinkerTops mini supermarket on the ground floor of my condo building at Markland on Beach Road.

Is there a better place to drink wine than here?

Little old wine drinkerA fabulous September sunset from the Holiday Inn at happy hour. Every day between 5 & 7 pm a glass of Australian red or white wine costs B240 ++ for 2 glasses. The ++ is the killer of course, it takes the price up to B283, or $15.50 AUD which is a reasonable $7.75 each given the fabulous location.

Terrazzo Holiday Inn

Little old wine drinker As you can see it’s a nice place to sit & have a few wines. 🙂

The best value Aussie red in Pattaya

Little old wine drinkerCan you believe Mathilda Restaurant on 2nd Rd only charge B420, or $20 AUD for this Aussie red? The price of food is very reasonable also.

Xmas has come early

Little old wine drinker me My great friends Nick & Sharron bought me 8 litres of Aussie red for a cost of $28 AUD, the 3 litre Mont Clair costs me $48 AUD, say no more. Many thanks to Nick & Sharron.

La Vida from Chile

La Vida It’s now December 2020 & this 5 litre cask is the best value in Thailand, B979 or $44 AUD, I buy a box of 4 from Best supermarket at Dolphin roundabout. 🙂

Shock! horror! It’s now October 2021 & they have put the price up to B1,080, or $44.91 AUD.

That’s all for now folks

Little old wine drinkerThanks for visiting my Little old wine drinker me photo blog. 

Before you leave please listen to Frankie reminiscing. 🙂

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

 
  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-Pattaya

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

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.

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.

Shuck more oysters please

August 28, 2019 by David Herd

Shuck-more-oysters-natural

Shuck more oysters please

Beachfront restaurant Pattaya Shuck more oysters please they taste wonderful, and did you know that American and Italian researchers found they are rich in amino acids, which  trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Consequently their high zinc content aids the production of testosterone.  This photo blog will feature many of the places in this wonderful world where I have indulged my love of this incredible delicacy. The photo above is from the Surf & Turf restaurant in Pattaya Thailand where I enjoyed lunch on Friday August 24 2019.

Look at these beauties

Shuck more oystersI was in Sendai in Japan in June 2018 at Ostra de Ole restaurant & found that the Monday special offered half price oysters, I thought I was in heaven, sitting in a great little oyster bar drinking ice cold beer, listening to Abba singing Dancing Queen, & waiting on my 10 oysters to arrive. And as I said, tonight they were half price, 300 Baht or $12 AUD, priceless. 

I’m a very happy guy.

Shuck more oystersMy waiter Ryuichiro Yamamoto a nice young university student who was studying Space Engineering, rolled up with a bonus 3 oysters on the house.  Shuck more oysters please Shuck more oysters please Keep them coming buddy, I’ll tell you when to stop. 🙂

The Oyster Bar at Marina Pier Glenelg South Australia.

Shuck more oysters My old friend Dennis Young from the 70s & I are enjoying Coffin Bay oysters. Coffin Bay is a 700 km drive from Adelaide via Port Augusta or a 50 minute flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln Airport.

Two dozen oysters = two days food poisoning on Copacabana Beach

Copacabana Rio de Janeiro I was totally out of it for 48 hours after eating these oysters on the beach, this was way back in 2006.

The Evil eye

Copacabana Rio de Janeiro The look on his face should have warned me about eating his oysters. He even had madman printed on his cap. 🙂

Back in Brazil in 2009

Shuck more oystersAnd back on a beach in Florianopolis pigging out on oysters au naturel. Oysters are good for your heart. They are high in omega – 3 fatty acids, potassium and magnesium which can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and lower blood pressure. 

Pataya Thailand in 2003

Shuck more oystersI’m at one of the waterfront restaurants in the famous Walking Street.

Gold Coast Australia at Chevron Island seafood.

Shuck more oystersThis is the best seafood shop on the Gold Coast, that’s my old friend Frank who always looks after me.

Shuck more oysters please

Chevron Island Surfers Paradise I have been eating oysters here for 30 years.

El Mercado in Bangkok

Shuck more oystersCurrently the best value oysters in the northern hemisphere. 🙂

Oysters from Cancle in France

Shuck more oysters A huge selection from the Brittany coast. For prices & information please check out THIS LINK. Renowned for its oyster production, the commune of Cancale is located in Brittany, in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. Fishing port, it takes place at the western end of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, on the Emerald Coast, about fifteen kilometers from Saint-Malo.  Prices at El Mercado Shuck more oysters please  From as low as B35 or $170 AUD each.

June 2022

https://fivestarvagabond.com/shuck-more-oysters-please/ A huge jump in prices.

Do I enjoy the oysters at El Mercado?

Shuck more oystersYou bet your bloody life I do. 🙂

Finally we are at Port Macquarie on the west coat of Australia.

Shuck more oysters People either love them or hate them. If you love them, head to the NSW mid-north coast, where a string of oyster farmers have opened up their doors to oyster lovers who know that fresh from the farm is best.

First trip to Tokyo in 2007

Shuck more oysters pleaseThe quality of food in Japan is wonderful.

Dining with Phil & Junko

Shuck more oysters pleaseThis was my first trip to Japan & I was very lucky to have my friends show me the ropes.

Life does not get much better than this.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town Add a stunning view, excellent decor and very efficient staff to the great food and you have all the ingredients for a perfect lunch in Cape Town.

The Kitchen Pattaya

Shuck more oysters please Oysters from France delivered fresh every Thursday & usually sold out by Friday.

$42 AUD per dozen

Shuck more oysters pleaseThey add ++ in Thailand for tax & a service charge, very annoying being forced to tip 10%. Thanks for visiting my Shuck more oysters photo blog. I’m planning to visit Canale in France in 2020 to totally pig out on their wonderful oysters fresh from the sea.

Pattaya seafood market

Shuck more oysters please Thai oysters at B40, or $1.30 USD.

Large Thai oyster

Shuck more oysters please I only tried one & it was better than I expected, even without lemon etc. We will include in our next oyster night.

Oysters at Central Festival Pattaya

Food review Pattaya 2020These oysters were on special, B360 or $11 USD for 9 & they tossed in one for free. 🙂 Certainly the best value I have found in Thailand.

Tuesday oysters special in Pattaya

Oysters Beach Club PattayaThe Beach Club at the Pullman hotel from 3 pm every Tuesday they serve fabulous oysters from France for B30 a piece. Of course being an upmarket hotel the Pullman adds ++ to the price, 7% VAT & 10% service which brings the price to B35 or $1’60 AUD. About $19 per dozen making it the best value I have found in Thailand.

Great value here…

L'Auberge French Restaurant Pattaya

At L’Auberge in Pattaya  fine de claire from France are on special, B570 per dozen, or $23 AUD.

Belon oysters

Shuck more oysters please   Shuck more oysters please

February 11 2022 & L’Auberge were sold out of fine de claire so I ordered the Belon oysters. Belons are the native oyster of Europe. They are an entirely different genus from the rest of our oysters. They act different, and they taste different. Way different. Love ’em or leave ’em. 

Menton on the French riviera

Shuck more oysters please Many of the oysters I eat here in Thailand come from France. Here are some I actualy ate in France. 🙂

Hamish Elton

Hamish Elton Oyster ManHamish eats more oysters than I do simply because he has more money than I do. 🙂 Consequently I have christened “The Oyster Man”. Check out Hamish Elton “The Oyster Man”.

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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
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Pattaya coffee shop review

August 18, 2019 by David Herd

Pattaya-coffee-shops-review

Pattaya coffee shop review

Pattaya coffee shop review

Pattaya coffee shop review from my perspective. These are the venues where I choose to spend my time and money. 🙂

The photo above is the Coffee Club at Markland on Beach Rd, this in fact was opening day on 31-8-2018. It closed permanently 2 years later.

Coffee Club Eggs Benedict.

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Good quality food & coffee but far too expensive. For instance the equivalent of a Starbucks tall latte is B146 or $6.97 AUD, at Starbucks you pay B115 or $5.50 AUD.  Even though they have a branch in my condo building I generally walk 200 meters to the Holiday Inn where I only pay B113.

Smiling faces at Flow in the Holiday Inn.

Pattaya coffee shop review

 The staff here are very friendly & the food & coffee is excellent. The large coffee is B150 which is what you would expect for a 5 star hotel. However as I’m a member of the Hi Club I get a 25% discount which brings the cost down to B113.

Pattaya coffee shop review, how nice is this?

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Coffee art at the Holiday Inn. 🙂

Pastry Addiction next door the Hard Rock Hotel.

Pattaya coffee shop review

 An excellent up market coffee shop on Beach Road. 

Breakfast at Pastry Addiction

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Good food, coffee & decor.

Bon cafe in Naklua Rd

Pattaya coffee shop review

Certainly has one of the best value breakfasts in Pattaya, B185 including excellent coffee.

Bon Cafe coffee machines

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Bon Cafe import coffee machines from many countries around the world for including Italy, Switzerland, Spain, the United States of America, and other countries to satisfy their various types of customers.

Starbucks, my favourite coffee shop in Pattaya

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Around 5 days a week I am at Central Marina or the Bay in Beach Road. The lovely girls put a candle in my croissant for my birthday. 🙂

My Starbucks breakfast of choice

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Accompanied by a tall latte of course. Starbucks sell 4 BILLION cups annually. Which (divided by 365 days) means that roughly 10,958,904 cups sold daily between ALL Starbucks locations. So we are talking about 388 cups of espresso and/or coffee drinks daily on average per store globally.

This is Boonthavorn

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Surprisingly they have the best value coffee in Pattaya. They are on Sukhumvit Rd,see the map below.

Just inside the front entrance on the left.

Pattaya coffee shop review

 Top quality coffee for only B30, or $1.40 AUD.

The Bay center on Beach Road

Pattaya coffee shop review    Pattaya coffee shop review 

Good value coffee in a pleasant atmosphere.

Location

Pattaya coffee shop review

Many thanks for visiting my Pattaya coffee shop review photo blog.

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         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

  • Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

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Starbucks Pattaya every morning

July 28, 2019 by David Herd

Starbucks-Pattaya-coffee-Thailand

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

Starbucks Pattaya every morning is a perfect start to my day. Not just the excellent coffee, the friendly smiling staff always put me in a positive mood. Above is the branch at The Bay on Beach Road Pattaya between Soi 5 & Soi 6.

The Bay Beach Road

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

 Let’s go to Starbucks & stare at our phones. 🙂

Opening day at the Bay

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

 September 22 2015.

My breakfast of choice.

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

Ham & cheese croissant with a tall latte. B240 or $7.8 USD

There are two Starbucks at Central Festival

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

That makes 4 within 10 minutes walk from my condo.

Inside Central Festival branch

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

 Quite an attractive fit out.

A birthday candle for me. 🙂

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

 As I mentioned earlier the smiles on girls are a really nice start for the day.

Sometimes they run out of croissants.

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

So I settle for a sandwich. 🙂

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

 Every 12 coffee is free if you have a Starbucks card so I often take one home for later. Also they often have a two for one offer.

Almond croissant

Tough times Thailand

 A nice alternative to the ham & cheese.

Mr Donuts

Central Festival food hall

Starbucks change B115 for a latte, here at Mr Donuts I paid B93 for what you see.

Xmas day 2021

Starbucks Pattaya every morning

Two of the lovely girls who look after me every day. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Starbucks Pattaya every morning photo blog.

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     Koh Samui                                   Korea                                  London

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         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

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             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

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Hamish Elton visits Portugal

June 8, 2019 by David Herd

Lisbon-Portugal-Hamish-Elton

Hamish Elton visits Portugal

Hamish Elton visits Portugal

Hamish Elton visits Portugal on one of his many overseas junkets, he is a member of the worldwide Entrepreneurs Organisation, whose goal is “to provide learning and networking opportunities for its members”. If you would like more information just follow THIS LINK.

Nobody I know travels more than Hamish does, he is a director of a company called HealthCert who train doctors in Australia & overseas on the treatment of skin cancer. Hamish is based in Thailand & travels to Australia several times a year to assist with HealthCert seminars.

Hamish is the selfie king.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal No male in the northern hemisphere takes more selfies than Hamish, if you want proof just follow THIS LINK.

Great photo

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Having a beer with Rodrigo Koxa, world record holder, largest wave ever surfed at the famous Nazare break in Portugal.

Have a look at this wave.

Brazil's Rodrigo Koxa sets record for biggest wave ever surfed

Rodrigo ‘Koxa’ Augusto do Espírito Santo is a Brazilian professional big wave surfer and extreme water-man who broke the world record for largest wave ever surfed at Nazaré, Portugal, in November 8, 2017.

Time to check out some food.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal As well as the selfie king & a world traveller, Hamish certainly is a bon vivant who has the ability to eat huge amounts of food without putting on any weight. 🙂

Fabulous restaurants & delicatessens 

Hamish Elton visits Portugal One of the many mouth watering venues.

Bar Terraco de Santa Luzia

Hamish Elton visits Portugal TripAdvisor rating of #1,798 of 4,476 Restaurants in Lisbon.

Restaurant Row Lisbon

Hamish Elton visits Portugal No shortage of places to eat in this fascinating city.

You gotta love the terracotta roof.

Hamish Elton visits PortugalRoof, what roof? I don’t see any roof. 

OK, now I see them.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal One of the interesting things about Lisbon is the lack of high rise buildings.

Here are Hamish’s comments on Lisbon.

“First impression of Lisbon was the Taxi from the airport to my hotel in the city centre.  The airport is very close the city – it was about a 15 minute drive, and there was no traffic at midday on a Sunday.  First thing you notice is the lack of high rise buildings.  There is still some 10-15 story buildings so it’s not a flat city like Vientiane but nothing much taller.  Certainly not that you would call “high-rise”.

In the old city there is nothing more than about 6 stories tall – and most of those have rooftop bars.

This is the view from the number one rated rooftop bar at the Hotel Mundial.

Make sure you take time to explore the Alfama district which is an old part of the city set on a steep hill leading up from the riverside with a lot of hidden small shops, restaurants and bars.”

Tuk Tuks.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal“The old city is quite compact and you can walk to most places, however there are now many Tuk-Tuks available to run your from place to place – as it is quite hilly.  Don’t worry – the Tuk-tuks are all electrics so there is none of the noise or small you get form the ones in Bangkok.  IT’s a great idea and I think many more cities will start to introduce them – especially where there are narrow streets.  They are also a great resource for finding good local sights or places to eat.”

Time to head to Cascais

Hamish Elton visits Portugal  Cascais is 30km to the west of Lisbon, and is connected to the capital by the “Linha de Cascais” urban railway.

It’s Party time at Arriba by the sea.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal However if you are not wearing white you are not invited. 🙂 Check out this great venue HERE.

Talking about parties

Hamish Elton visits Portugal This is a fantastic venue for a party, the Adega Regional de Colares.

Some of the happy diners

Hamish Elton visits PortugalTwo blondes are always better than one. 🙂 Tonya Lanthier & Sue Hrib.

Here is the room empty

aaaa Looks a little different. 🙂

A very happy gang of entrepreneurs.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Eat drink & be merry in fabulous Portugal.

Mussels look delicious

Hamish Elton visits Portugal So much food & such little time.

How about this steak at Gulli Mercato?

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Our boy Hamish loves his steak.

Lets not forget the Sangria.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal He also likes his booze. 🙂

What a fabulous room

Hamish Elton visits PortugalSadly I’m not sure which restaurant it is.

Another unknown venue

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Not to worry, it’s a great photo anyway. 🙂

Hamish Elton visits Portugal

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Am I enjoying Casais? You bet I am. 🙂

Time to visit Sintra.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Sintra is a delightful Portuguese town that is situated within the hills of the Serra de Sintra.

How about the shirt? 🙂

Hamish Elton visits Portugal Here I am searching for my inner hillbilly.

Meet my friend Elvish

Hamish Elton visits Portugal His job is to scare away the birds from the vines.

Here is proof we did some work. 🙂

Hamish Elton visits Portugal However the truth is we mainly ate good food & drank lots of booze. 

Feeling no pain after a long lunch.

Hamish Elton visits Portugal We have an excuse, we were celebrating a birthday.

Many thanks for visiting my Hamish Elton visits Portugal photo blog.

Europe before Covid-19 & mass immigration.

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Drifters Beach Cafe Pattaya

May 24, 2019 by David Herd

Drifters-beach-cafe-Pattaya

Drifters Beach Cafe PattayaDrifters-beach-cafe-Pattaya

Drifters Beach Cafe Pattaya, or to be more exact, it’s in the Sattahip District which is a twenty minute drive from Central Pattaya. Actually it’s hard to know if you are in Barbados, Brazil or Thailand. 🙂

The best beach bar in Pattaya

Drifters-Beach-Cafe-Pattaya

 

What a terrific unique establishment, they offer a large selection of food including wood fired pizzas, meat pies & burgers.

Watch the sunset

While drinking an ice cold Heineken. This certainly is one of the best places in Pattaya Or Jomtien to enjoy seaside drinks.

 

David Robertson from Australia
Relaxing with a cold beer as he so often does. 🙂 In fact I have never met anybody who can drink as much beer as he can. He has rented an apartment in Markland where I live, however he has not been able to use it for many months as he is stuck at home in Australia due to Covid-19.
Such a unique beach shack.
Not sure what is upstairs, perhaps the Australian owner lives there.

Drifters Beach Cafe

Perfect to sail over to Koh Larn for the day. Otherwise just sit here and enjoy the view.

Brad Robbins from Townsville.

Drifters-Beach-Cafe-Pattaya
Cold beer for Brad & red wine for me. 🙂 They specialize in Wood Fired Pizza, Aussie Meat Pies, Craft Beers, Classic Rock n Roll Music’, Drifters really is worth a visit. 🙂

Drifters Beach Cafe Pattaya

Drifters-Beach-Cafe-Pattaya
About 20 minutes drive from Central Pattaya.
Jomtien or Jomtien Beach is a town on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand about 165 km south-east of Bangkok in Chonburi Province. It is about 3 km south of Pattaya and is home to high-rise condominiums, beach side hotels, beaches, and restaurants. Wikipedia

Thanks for visiting my Drifters Beach Cafe Pattaya photo blog, put this unique beach bar on your bucket list.

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