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cartoon-Mike Beard-Pattaya
cartoon-Mike Beard-Pattaya

Thailand David Herd 2012

Living in Thailand is fantatic

Thailand David Herd 2012

Thailand David Herd 2012

 Thailand David Herd 2012 can easily be explained, I moved from Australia to Thailand October 2011 and had settled in nicely by 2012. I live in Markland in Beach Rd, it’s the building on the right side of the Holiday Inn shown in the photo above.

This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from 2012.

I moved to Thailand mainly because I wanted to keep travelling while my health allowed me to, there are huge advantages being closer to all the places I want to visit. Cost of living in Thailand is around 35% of the cost in Australia, plus flights are 50% cheaper because you are much closer to everywhere. ? Consequently I am able to travel to many more places compared to living in Australia. Having said all that, it is & has always been my intention to return to Australia when my travelling is finished, I predict this will happen around 2021.

Am I happy? Check out my view.

Thailand David Herd 2012

I have always loved having a good view from my home, Pattaya Bay is without a doubt the best outlook I have ever had in my life.

The wet season in September.

Thailand David Herd 2012

I love watching the storms roll in over the bay in the wet season.

French restaurant opposite my condo.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Dinner at Bernard’s with some friends (plus one enemy) & my brother Warren. Sadly due to a tourist slowdown they closed in 2014. He has now re-opened in Theppraya Rd & has a mini golf course at his restaurant.

Great life in Pattaya.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Here I am at the beautiful Siam country club, one of the best courses I have ever played on.

Sunday brunch at the Mantra

Thailand David Herd 2012

My favourite restaurant is the Mantra at the Amari hotel, the Sunday brunch is magnificent.

Another Sunday brunch at the Mantra.

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012

Lunch with Daryl Evans, Hamish & his lovely (soon to become ex) girlfriend Noi.

Joergen Ulitza & I forget this guys name.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Only last week in July 2014 we got the news that Joerg had been arrested in Hong Kong trying to leave for Melbourne with HK $1 million worth of Meth, he is 78 years of age and sadly will probably die in prison. We are all stunned by this terrible news, I have known Joerg for over 30 years. 

Good news. after around 15 months Joerg was released.

Murphy’s 70th at Monsoon in Bangkok.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Friend of 30 years Tony Murphy from Australia has his 70th birthday in Bangkok at Monsoon in Soi 8 Nana.

With Aoy at the Cherry Bar.

Thailand David Herd 2012

I guess the only question is “what time can I start having fun”?

Dinner at Chamiko

Thailand David Herd 2012

 Great Japanese food at Chamiko in Soi 3, Pothole was flyblown & causing havoc but behaved a little better when his pole dancer turned up. Larry, Joergen & I just enjoyed the food. Sadly our mate Larry passed away in January 2017 after suffering a major stroke in Thailand.

Beach Club at Wongamat

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012

For over 20 years we had some great times together. We even did a world trip in 1999 which included Carnival in Rio. We miss you old buddy.

One of my favourite photos

Thailand David Herd 2012

A thai guy chatting up a Russian babe on Pattaya beach, you have no chance buddy. 🙂

Looking north to Wongamat.

Thailand David Herd 2012

 

Wongamat is more upmarket than Pattaya. Follow THIS LINK for some good restaurants.

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012 & the boys are tearing up the course.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Well Chris Lockwood aka Dr Evil tore it up but Pothole aka John Martin & I struggled as usual. 🙂

The Tiger zoo in Chiang Mai.

Thailand David Herd 2012

The tiger zoo in Chiang Mai  is certainly worth a visit.

His name is Tone, he lept at the wire, scared hell out of me.

Thailand David Herd 2012

I was soaking wet and terrified with the sound of my brothers laughter ringing in my ears.

Massage in Chiang Mai $5.

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012

One of the joys of living in Thailand, I would have at least 4 massages each week which contributes to my great life in 2012 .

Irina from Ukraine.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Dinner and red wine at Toscana.

For a discounted hotel rate in Pattaya or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK

Oay at the Cherry Bar

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012

 

Fun at the Cherry Bar.

Sunset from my balcony

Thailand David Herd 2012

 

Pattaya has so many super sunsets.

Beautiful Golf Courses.

Thailand David Herd 2012

Brad Robins & I at Phoenix in Pattaya, one of the many world class courses in Thailand.

Rimpa Lapin near Pattaya

Great life Thailand David Herd 2012

Dinner with a bunch of friends at Rimpa Lapin which overlooks the beach about 20 minutes south of Pattaya.

Another birthday at the Mantra

Thailand David Herd 2012

Another terrific night at the Mantra to celebrate my birthday.

Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha in Myanmar

Thailand David Herd 2012

I went to Yangon in Myanmar to play golf for a few days, I found the city so fascinating I only had one game of golf, the rest of the time I went sightseeing. Myanmar certainly was a big part of my great life in 2012.

Sydney at Fortuna Court.

Thailand David Herd 2012

 

Dinner with Ken & Justine at Crows Nest.

Gold Coast friends Ross Kennedy & Phil Thomson.

Thailand David Herd 2012

I travelled to Sydney & the Gold Coast in March and caught up with friends and family.  

                  Facebook post November 2012   

Magic Monday in Pattaya, started with my 25 minute walk down the beach to have breakfast at the Sportmans pub, sausage, eggs, baked beans and a bottle of water, back home for a short nap before a terrific 1 hour foot , back & shoulder massage before meeting Lazza for Salmon Sashimi & Shanghai dumplings at Big C shopping mall. Then a large Latte at Coffee World followed by a quiet afternoon at home with my million $ view and Mr Kindle.

Four or five Jack Daniels at the Cherry bar at 6pm, then on to Toscana on Beach road for dinner, BBQ Quail with boiled potatoes, 2 glasses of Chianti, finishing with Profiteer rolls with Amaretto ice cream on the side. Total cost for the day 2,200 Baht, 44 Quid or $69 AUD, priceless. Notice how I resisted the urge to use that irritating American cliché of “do the math”?

November 2016 & the AUD had shrunk almost 20%, B2.200 is now $82.

March 2021 & the story gets worse, b2,200 is now $92 AUD, we now realise how good we had it back in 2012.

           Thanks for visiting Great life Thailand David Herd 2012 photo blog.

Please check out some of the most popular photo blogs below.       

Holiday Inn

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

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

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

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

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

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

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

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Pattaya live webcam

 

 Click here for a flashback to one of my Thai trips.

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

Author: David Herd

My history, particularly over the last 30 years is dominated by overseas travel. I sold my home in Australia October 20th 2011 and have have been living in Thailand since then. I don’t know where the time has gone? It seems like you go to sleep one night, wake up the next morning, and 20 years have flashed by. Not sure how many years I have left, however I have enjoyed a wonderful charmed life, and if it all ended today I would leave this world with no regrets. I was born in Sydney halfway through the last century, started my travels in the 60s with the usual U.K. Europe adventure at the age of 20, back to Australia and worked in Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide in Sales & Marketing with multinational companies including Sanyo, Canon & Remington. Engaged to be married 3 times and never quite made it to the alter, finally realized by the mid 90s I was not cut out for "long term relationships" so I moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland in January 1987, worked for a couple of banks as a Financial Planner, I took a year off work in 1998 to travel and never went back to full time work again, after 25 fun filled years on the Coast I packed up and moved to Thailand. What is the purpose of this blog? Well I really want to use it to record my travel experiences & to display my photographs, give and receive travel tips, comment on places I visit, restaurants I eat in and use it to replace the autobiography I intended to write, apart from all that it helps me fill in my day. :) I moved to Thailand mainly because I wanted to keep travelling while my health allowed me to, there are huge advantages being closer to all the places I want to visit. Cost of living in Thailand is around 35% of the cost in Australia, plus flights are 50% cheaper because you are much closer to everywhere. ???? Consequently I am able to travel to many more places compared to living in Australia. Having said all that, it is & has always been my intention to return to Australia when my travelling is finished, I predict this will happen around 2021.

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