Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018 was a noisy affair as usual. There is a bandstand on the beach which blasts very ordinary music until the early hours of the morning. My condo is on the 20th floor 400 meters away & the sound hits me full blast even with the door closed. 🙂
Beach Road Pattaya
One of the bigger kitchens along Beach Road.
Prawns, crab & shell fish
A good variety & freshly cooked.
Big variety of meat including crocodile. 🙂
I’m surprised there is no snake or buffalo. 🙂
Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018
One of the many stalls lined along Beach Road.
Here is my favourite shot
A typical spontaneous Thai smile, no wonder we love living here.
Time for a mango shake
Another huge benefit of living in Thailand, the mangoes are wonderful.
OK, I’m confused…..
I have no idea what these bamboo tubes are for.
Busy ladies here on Beach Road
The festival runs for 5 nights and really draws the crowds.
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.
Thailand Beach Cam Pattaya is the number one webcam in South East Asia, perhaps even the Universe. 🙂
You can zoom, & e-mail the link to your friends, I hope you enjoy the view.
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, a beach resort popular with tourists and expatriates. It is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of Bangkok. Back in the 60s it was a sleepy fishing village before it was discovered by the U.S. military personal on leave from the Vietnam war. Then through out the 1970s it really took off when Europeans, Australians & Americans started pouring in for their annual holidays.
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Thailand Beach Cam Pattaya
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Sabai Wing Soi 1, 3 swimming pools and nice rooms, 100 meters from BigC, great value at only $23 usd per night as of August 15. I live in the high-rise in the background, Markland. For a great room rate book here.
Big Changes Nana Plaza Plus Soi 4 are taking place right now in March 2018. A huge roof is being built over the Plaza & the bars in the centre are being built again.
Lucky Lukes is still the same
First bar on the right as you enter.
VW bar at the back
Quite a nice addition to the plaza, apparently it has been here 3 years yet I rarely venture to the back of Nana.
Playschool is an old favourite revamped
You gotta love the pink. 🙂
Big Changes Nana Plaza Plus Soi 4
Lollipop makes a comeback. It was Suckers & before that Lollipop again.
Here it is in 2017.
This to me is the quintessential Nana Plaza photo, sums up many of the customers. 🙂
Re-building the bars, again.
This is at least the 3rd time the bars in the centre courtyard have been re-built, I have a feeling the current owners will do it right this time.
My first visit was 1997 which was the start of a long and happy connection, not necessarily because of the Thai girls who are there basically to relieve you of your hard earned cash, more because of the great times I have enjoyed with friends from all over the world. Check out this photo blogwhich showcases them and many of the gorgeous babes we got tangled up with over these decades of decadence. 🙂
Another longtime Nana Plaza bar.
Rainbow 1 has been at Nana Plaza for as long as I can remember.
Let’s wander down Soi 4
This is one of about 4 Hillary bars.
New kid on the block
Just a short stroll down Soi 4 on the opposite side of the road.
Located in front of the old Rajah hotel.
The bars offer a nice alternative to the rowdy Nana Plaza.
Semi open beer garden
At the front of Broadway in Soi 4.
Opposite Broadway is the Red Zone
Apart from the new bars there are a couple of high rise buildings under construction, hotels or condos, not sure which.
Used to be Bangkok & before that Spellbound
The more things change the more they stay the same. I first came to Nana Plaza in 1996, & here I am again in October 2018 drinking ice cold Tiger beer & listening to the Eagles sing Hotel California, the perfect song for this incredible venue. “You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave.”
Big Dogs has also changed a little.
Still a great spot to watch the arrivals.
Hello sailor.
Girls will often be boys.
Lots of improvements at Nana
The best I have ever seen it look.
Always busy here
The action never stops.
Thanks for visiting my Big Changes Nana Plaza Plus Soi 4 photo blog.
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Wine Connection Central World Bangkok is called the Grill at the Groove, & is ideally located in the best location in Ratchaprasong district, this central business district is easily accessible via three different Skywalk links between BTS Siam station and BTS Chitlom Station.
Each Wine Connection restaurant has a liquor store where you can purchase wines from all over the world at very reasonable prices.
Shakariki 432 Japanese restaurants which are so authentic you will think you are in Osaka. There are several branches in Bangkok & one in Pattaya, the Asoke branch is ranked by TripAdvisor # 866 of 10,352 restaurants in Bangkok.
Pattaya branch
I prefer to sit upstairs.
Location
Opposite the Mike Hotel in 2nd road, +66 33 036 369.
Now for the food
On my first visit in 2017 I ordered two of my favourite dishes, salmon caviar & Unagi or Japanese eel.
Shakariki 432 great Japanese restaurants
Hard to fault the food at this noisy authentic Japanese restaurant.
How good is this?
Is it any wonder this is now one of my favourite restaurants along with Genki in Soi 4North Pattaya.
Is there a better beer than Asahi?
I don’t think so, the Belgium beers are great but my pick is Asahi. 🙂
Fabulous colour combination
And what a taste, perfect.
Salmon Caviar washed down with Asahi.
As good as it gets. Plus they have a special on liquor, all you can drink in 90 minutes for B299.
Home delivery is a great idea.
The restaurant is two floors, upstairs is better.
Shakariki 432 great Japanese restaurants
Dinner with friends February 21 2018. Hamish, Jonathon & Anne.
How good do these oysters look? Photo credit Nick & Sharon. 🙂
Absolutely mouth watering.
Have I convinced you?
Just trust me & try out this great little hole in the wall & you will feel like you have been transported to Osaka. In fact follow THE LINK for one of my Osaka photo blogs.
Meanwhile thanks for visiting my Shakariki 432 Japanese restaurants photo blog. I will be back in Japan in May 2018, here is my agenda.
Avenue Pattaya Restaurants Supermarket & a cinema complex are just some of the facilities at the 2nd Rd shopping complex. The Robin Hood tavern which is part of the Retox group run by Simon Peatfield is also here on the 2nd floor.
Villa Market
An excellent supermarket with lots of imported products including Australian beef. I do however prefer to shop at Big C Extra in Pattaya Klang for my meat.
Villa Market butcher
Having said that, there is certainly a great choice of quality meat products here.
Rib Eye grass fed Aussie beef
A very good price at B306 or $12 AUD, very good flavour but a little tough, overall good value for the price.
Coffee shop inside Villa Market.
Enjoy a coffee while you shop, quite a good liquor section here as well.
Excellent liquor store however I noticed today it was not open till 5 pm.
Very good range from around the world
I’m a great fan of their restaurants in Bangkok & Samui, sadly they seem reluctant to come to Pattaya.
24 hour fitness
Not to sure who is going to turn up at 4 am. 🙂
Avenue Pattaya Restaurants Supermarket
There certainly are many Starbucks in Pattaya which suits me fine.
The latest restaurant to open,
Recently opened & on my list to try soon.
Beerfest
Right next d0or to Firepork, it used to be located on 2nd Rd near Big C,
Pork Knuckle
Here is Nathan Corbert doing battle with the knuckle. Before he retired in 2013 Nathan was 11 times the Muay Thai world champion in 3 different weight divisions.
The Avenue is worth a visit
There are lots more shops including banks & real estate offices.
Robin Hood Tavern
Excellent food & service, including a very good Sunday roast, check out THIS LINK.
Thanks for visiting my Avenue Pattaya Restaurants Supermarket photo blog.
Secret cities worth visiting, well actually they are not all cities & not all secret, but they are all worth visiting. These are places mostly off the beaten track, places that many people may not have heard of.
Above is The lovely French village of Breil-sur-Roya which is particularly known for trout fishing. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Located in the mountains near the Italian border just north of the French Riviera.
Breil-sur-Roya
French and Italian rail lines run through Breil so it is very easy to travel anywhere. There is a great market every Friday at Ventimiglia on the border 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes by train from Breil.
Talking about Italy
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, San Gimignanowas a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. The city’s development was also improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills, in particular saffron, used in both cooking and dyeing cloth and Vernaccia wine, said to inspire popes and poets.
Secret cities worth visiting include San Gimignano
San Gimignano is famous for its Medieval village architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form “an unforgettable skyline”
Have you ever heard of Florianopolis?
Most people outside of South America have not heard of this fabulous city which currently has an estimated population of 420,000 people. The GreaterFlorianopolis Metro area is home to about 1 million people. Florianopolis is a wonderful Brazilian city which should go on the bucket list for anyone intending to visit this wonderful country.
Friendly people who love to party.
January 11, 2009. Newsweek placed Florianópolis in the “Ten most dynamic cities of the world” list in 2006. Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named the city as “the best place to live in Brazil.
Kagoshima Japan
Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajimahad been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Read about it here.
Fabulous food
One of the many reasons I visit Japan often is the fabulous food. A village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.
Forster Tuncurry east coast Australia
A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.
A great area for fishing & boating.
At the Northern tip of the Great Lakes, these twin towns are where Wallis Lake meets the ocean. The twin townships are surrounded by National Parks and feature majestic headlands and long secluded beaches. Boating, fishing, diving, paddling, cruises, whale watching and coastal walks combine with galleries, unique shopping and award-winning restaurants to create an experience rich coastal destination.
Thailand Beach Resort Mae Pim on the gulf of Thailand is only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, and so quiet and peaceful.
Secret cities worth visiting
Lots of great Thai food & seafood in Mae Pim.
Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina
It’s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge. The nearby alleys are full of shops and market stalls, and the Old Bridge Museum explores the bridge’s long history. More on THIS LINK.
Cevapcici, the best I have ever had.
Cevapi, or Cevapcici, are homemade sausages traditional of the Balkans area.
Thanks for checking out my Secret cities worth visiting photo blog, drop me a line if you need any information.
Pattaya Beach Road fast food at the newly developed Bay shopping complex. Popular at night for live music & cold beer. Starbucks is one of my regular beach haunts.
From my condo.
Taken from my condo at Markland in Soi 1, just a short walk to the Bay.
Right opposite the beach.
So glad they preserved this magnificent tree in front of the shops.
It’s finally finished.
The finished product sits between Soi 5 & Soi 6, you can clearly see the North Shore condo building in Soi 5.
Of course Soi 6 is the wildest street in Pattaya, at night it really goes mad. To see what I mean just follow THIS LINK.
First tennants
Starbucks & McDonald’s were the first, who would have guessed. 🙂 Now Boots chemist are there & soon a large Korean shop will open.
I’m a regular at Starbucks for breakfast, here you can see the lovely Starbucks girls presenting me with a croissant & candle on my birthday.
Beergarden
Nothings happens here through the day however it fires up when the sun goes down.
Here they come.
Customers start to arrive, plenty of cold beer here to keep everybody happy.
Pattaya Beach Road fast food
Reminds me a little of the “pop up” Yatai restaurants in Fukuoka.
This post highlights the interesting things I see on Beach Road every day, just follow THIS LINK.
Solo artist.
This guy was very good so I hung around for while to hear him play. It’s only a five minute walk home for me.
Maccas at the Bay
Great location opposite the beach.
New restaurant bar.
This will be a popular spot to watch the sunsets.
Chill at the Bay
Large outdoor area plus two floors inside.
Lets hope the blonde will be there. 🙂
Right now she is heading for Starbucks.
Coming soon
Now this will be a very welcome addition.
Very quiet during the Covid-19 crisis
Many Pattaya businesses are devastated now in February 2020.
It will take years to recover
At least Starbucks is still here, I am there most mornings.
Thanks for visiting my Pattaya Beach Road fast food photo blog.
Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect place to live for a guy like me. Good friends & great restaurants, what more could I want? Plus a reasonably short plane ride to many outstanding locations. Above is the incredible view from my Markland apartment on the 20th floor.
We went to Chiang Mai for 4 days which was excellent then 8 days in Cambodiawhich was not so good. Reason being we all caught a dose of the flu which really took the shine off our holiday.
A terrific beach side restaurant with very good food.
Surf & Turf hamburger
Guaranteed to fix your appetite.
Geriatrics are us. 🙂
I think the combined ages were 272 years, from the right we have David Herd, Richard (Stingy) Blair, John Hunjadi & David Robertson who is even more Stingy than Stingy. 🙂
Bali Hai wharf.
This was supposed to be completed by October 2017, however given the fact that this is Thailand it will more likely be Xmas 2018.
And so this is Xmas….
Light show at the A-One hotel.
One last Mantra dinner on December 28
Hamish & I had a 20% discount voucher. 🙂
Fabulous food as usual.
Finally on the subject of food which is very dear to my hear.
Fresh prawns & Aussie lamb chops & cutlets from Big C.
Now you can understand why I make the following claim “Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect.”
Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Newport peninsular Sydney was my home for three years from 1984 to 1987. After becoming engaged to a beautiful Melbourne lady Karen Smith, I purchased a timber home perched on a hill above the Royal Motor Yacht Club. The cost was $128k, and I sold it after our engagement fizzled out 4 years later for $360K. I guess it would be worth nearly 2 million dollars today.
Absolutely gorgeous.
As you can see Karen was a beautiful lady, it took me anther 10 years before I realised I was just not cut out for marriage or long term relationships. There is probably a multitude of reasons why, fear of commitment, too independent etc etc.
Dinner party at Herbert Avenue
We were very happy at Newport 80% of the time, I tried hard to settle down and enjoy life as a couple, every now and then however the “call of the wild” would interrupt our utopia.
Wolf Wottke (with the beard) had been my best friend for a number of years, I left him renting my Drummoyne apartment for a year or so until I got fed up chasing the rent. Consequently I sold it which in hindsight was probably a mistake.
Lots of birds & wildlife
These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.
Life was very good
I had all the toys, a beautiful Mercedes Sports, a cabin cruiser moored at the yacht club, a liquor store in Sydenham which I was in the process of selling and a good sales job with Canon Australia.
Lion Island
This great photo (excuse the quality) was taken on Lion Island in the Hawksbury River, from left to right we have Graham La Roche aka “Biff”, his girlfriend at the time Mona,Ross Ansell from Melbourne and Karen Smith & I.
Me Tarzan
Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.
31 Herbert Avenue Newport
About 25 years later around 2012 I paid a visit to Herbert Avenue to see if things had changed. Apart from the colour scheme and far less vegetation nothing much had changed.
Another day on Pittwater
My good friend Tony Murphy and his beautiful wife Inge join Karen & I on my 26 foot cabin cruiser. After 29 years I caught up with Inge in Melbourne in 2014.
My back veranda overlooked Bayview
Here is my good friend Paul Slaughter with two gorgeous girls, on the left is Trish and on the right an old girlfriend of mine Shirley.
Big Tim Bristow, dinner at Herbert Avenue.
Tim Bristow was a friend of mine dating back from the time we met in 1971 when he was on my tail to give me a hiding, but that’s another story just follow THIS LINK. In the 70s just the name Tim Bristow struck fear into the heart of all those who knew him, an enforcer with a reputation of being one of the most brutal street fighters in Australia. Put simply he was legend, a bouncer at the Newport Arms hotel, would be contenders for his crown would travel from all over Sydney to try their luck, many came and all of them were sent packing battered and bruised.
Sydenham Cellars
I sold my liquor store in late 1984 which took the pressure off me. I had been working with Canon for a few months and travelling to Sydenham (a one hour drive each way) at weekends to work in the liquor store. Meanwhile I dug a wine cellar underneath my Newport home and stored a huge amount of wine that I took home from the shop.
Unwins Bridge Road
That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.
Brian Millard on Newport peninsular Sydney
Brian was a boat broker at Newport and a regular drinker at the Newport Arms hotel. He lived just up the road at Bungan Beach before moving to Noosa where I believe he still resides.
Richard on the left and Rob Carnahan
Two very nice guys who were customers of mine when I was with Canon. Their office was opposites the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay so more often than not we would meet in the pub.
A bunch of my nephews & nieces come to visit.
Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.
Sue and John Heatherington
A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.
Malaysia 1985
John & Sue, Karen & I went on a Canon conference to Penang, here we are driving from Penang to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore Xmas 1985
Here we are in Singapore, notice the cigarette. I smoke on and off for most of my life until 2003. Usually 2 or 3 years then I would quit for a similar time before returning to the grip of the nicotine.
Newport peninsular Sydney with Phil Parkinson
Phil has lived most of his life on the Newport peninsular Sydney and I believe still does in 2016. He is the brother of my ex girlfriend Di Parkinson.
Melbourne Cup 1985
Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burkewho is on the left of the photo. Helen has a vineyard at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular, I spent a few day there in October 2014 drinking wine with her and her partner Jack.
Oscars Coolangatta 1985
I can’t remember the name of the beautiful dark haired princess, she was the girlfriend of my crazy chiropractor from North Sydney.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Prior to buying my cabin cruiser I had this little run-about, it was a lot of fun, do you like the name?
Another guy from my rogues gallery.
Danny Rose one of Adelaide’s true characters, we had a day of the water, you can see “Stamped Urgent” in the background.
Beautiful Karen Smith
Certainly my life on the Newport peninsular Sydney revolved around lots of good friends and my beautiful fiancee Karen. My thanks to her for being the most important part of my life for those great years.
Thanks also to you for visiting my Newport peninsular Sydney photo blog.
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
Ayutthaya Historical Park Thailand is about 80 kms north of Bangkok, however we were travelling from Pattaya so it was a 2.5 hour drive. The first thing we saw was this little dancing elephant.
I don’t like to see them trained like this.
They are treated cruelly in the training process which is very sad.
Enjoying the ride
This activity is fine, but I wish they would stop the cruel training.
These ruins are all over the city.
It seems 90% was destroyed by people from Myanmar. It was capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and a prosperous international trading port, from 1350 until razed by the Burmese in 1767.
My travelling companions
The 3 Amigos, Bill, Paul & Ron.
The local transport
These little Tuk Tuks are very cute.
Hotel ext door to Temple
For an excellent room rate just book through THIS LINK.
Very impressive
I was surprised to see how many ruined temples there were.
Quite spectacular
Certainly exceeded my expectations.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
We struck a beautiful day with a light breeze.
Very popular with tourists
Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya Lots of tourists everywhere.
Lots of cameras here. 🙂
I prefer my Canon Ixus however I also use my phone or some.
There is a lot to enjoy here.
We were too lazy to go up the stairs.
Too may Buddhas are never enough. 🙂
I do like the yellow scarves. 🙂
Here we are at Wat Phra Sri Sanphet
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand’s ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the city was completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Wikipedia
Ayutthaya Historical Park Thailand
Not may tourists here.
Why did the elephant cross the road?
Because anything the chicken can do he can do better. 🙂
Temple flooded October 3 2021
A section of the wall on the southern side of Wat Chula Manee in Bang Ban district collapsed at about 5.30am after the Chao Phraya river overflowed, inundating communities around the temple. The grounds of the ancient temple were left 2 metres under water, damaging about 20 pagodas containing ashes of local residents’ ancestors.
Finally lunch then back home.
Col One Love Restaurant was a bit of a tourist trap, we didn’t do our research & took our drivers advice. (kickbacks would apply here) Food was ok but not good value.
Thanks for visiting my Ayutthaya Historical Park Thailand photo blog.
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.
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.
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.
