Iconsiam shopping mall Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River is yet another wonderful Bangkok shopping venue. I certainly believe Bangkok now rivals Tokyo with the best shopping malls in the world.
The forecourt
This is where you arrive on the free ferry shuttle from Sathon wharf. The River Park is a riverside community space covering a 10,000-sq. m. area in front of ICONLUXE. Open daily, it welcomes all visitors to enjoy an enchanting view of the Chao Phraya River amid lush, green auspicious trees.
Entrance to the mall.
Stairway to heaven. 🙂
You will need several hours to explore this wonderful shopping precinct. In fact there are over a hundred famous restaurants from all over the world available in seven spacious zones, each of them catering to diverse culinary tastes. Check out THIS LINK for details.
One section of the ground floor as you enter.
For a list of the hundreds of shops just follow THIS LINK.
Estimates are that there are about 3,500 domesticated elephants in Thailand. Roughly 3,340 wild elephants live in 69 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country. Thailand’s population of wild elephants has been rising.
However, it’s a far cry from a century ago when at least 100,00 elephants roamed the heavily forested Kingdom. Loss of habitat and poaching helped lead to the steep decline in the elephant population.
While on the subject of animals
This bull is a real cool dude. 🙂
That’s all folks
Thanks for visiting my Iconsiam shopping mall Bangkok photo blog, please go to THIS LINK to see some incredible buildings along the Chao Phraya river.
But wait, there’s more.
A new huge branch to open in February 2021. In addition to the main Starbucks signature coffee bar, the Starbucks Reserve store will be the first to serve Starbucks’ Mew Jai ‘Blend coffee grown in the northern part of our country, along with the’ Tee Vana ( Teavana ™ Bar) ‘first in Thailand. For customers who like drinking tea. Both Earl Gray Lychee and Peach Mojito Tea There are also cocktail bars that are not yet available
Bangkok Koh Samui Wine Bistro chain of restaurants has quickly become one of my favourite places to eat in Thailand. Excellent food and a great selection of wine at reasonable prices.
Beside Sala Daeng Sky Train station
Located in the basement of the Silom Complex right below Starbucks.
We only spent 4 nights in Koh Samui and chose to eat here twice.
Low cost wine
They offer a wonderful selection of wine from all over the world at liquor store prices. Our red wine from Chile was a bargain B650.
The chain I’m told is owned by a French group, I only wish they would open a branch in Pattaya. Hallelujah on November 28 2018 they opened at Royal Gardens in Beach Rd Pattaya. See for yourself on THIS LINK.
Lamb shank at the Wine Connection.
The food choices are extensive, lots of terrines a a big range of pasta.
Bangkok Koh Samui Wine Bistro
Thanks for visiting my Bangkok Koh Samui Wine Bistro photo blog, there are also branches in Phuket& Chiang Mai.
Check out the fabulous new Pattaya branch on THIS LINK.
When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINKyou will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD around B1100 pn.
Mae Pim Excellent Hotel is across the road from the beach on the gulf of Thailand, two hours from Bangkok airport. Only 90 minutes east of Pattaya, B1200 by taxi and B1800 in a mini bus. For an excellent room rate just book through THIS LINK.
Adjacent to the pool you will find a fully equipped gym and a Thai massage service. The gym is free and it’s B300 for an hour for a Thai massage or foot massage.
Naturally 301 on the next floor would have an even better view. 🙂
The hotel from the beach
You can clearly see the great location of Mae Pim Excellent Hotel Thailand.
Main St Mae Pim near Rayong
There are many good restaurants close by overlooking the beach
This vermicelli & prawn dish was at Xing Xing restaurant. For more information on food in Mae Pim just follow THIS LINK.
Tequila Sunrise
Only 150 meters down the road is our favourite bar restaurant Tequila Sunrise. There is an international team there, a Swiss owner, Peter the German chef, Gary an Australian manager & some very nice Thai staff who run this popular establishment. On our recent trip we had lunch there 3 times, dinner once and cocktails every evening.
Location
As I said earlier Mae Pim is two hours from Bangkok airport & only 90 minutes east of Pattaya. Thanks for visiting my Mae Pim nice Hotel photo blog. Use this link for a discounted rate at THE MAE PIM RESORT.
Mae Pim beach boats sunsets a beautiful onshore wind & peace and quiet. Only 90 minutes from Pattaya and 2 hours from Bangkok airport. The peace & quiet only applies between February and October, the 3 months over Xmas is a different story when the crowds converge on this delightful beach side resort.
Fishing traps
Here are the traps being loaded onto the boat.
Setting off for a nights fishing
The traps are on board and there is a long night ahead, Mae Pim beach boats sunsets it’s all here.:)
Roadside stalls
The fresh produce is sold at roadside stalls beside the beach.
Beautiful Mae Pim beach boats sunsets
Plenty of deck chairs through the high season however they don’t seem to waste their time offering them in the low season.
Looking west the beach goes on forever
This is the perfect place for long beach walks with the onshore wind blowing in your face.
Mae Pim beach resort Thailand
Sunset at Mae Pim
A beautiful time of the day to enjoy a stroll along the beach.
The sun setting in the west
Mae Pim is on the gulf of Thailand only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, it’s so quiet and peaceful after the noise & Madness of Pattaya.
However it’s not all a wilderness
There are many restaurants offering live seafood, the photo above is my brother Warren & I at Tequila Sunrise.
Thailand Beach 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 after the noise & Madness of Pattaya.
The main road in Thailand Beach Mae Pim
Reminds me of the Eagles song “Long Road out of Eden”, so little traffic midweek compared to Pattaya.
Fresh seafood caught by these boats.
There are about 15 seafood restaurants offering all varieties of fish and shell fish.
One of the many seafood restaurants
There are about 16 live seafood restaurants.
Xing Xing at Thailand Beach Mae Pim
After much discussion this id the one we chose and it proved to be an excellent choice.
Curry crab & spring rolls
The crab was very good (B600) however the spring rolls were absolutely fantastic.
Thailand Beach Mae Pim
Our hotel was rather old fashioned but the rooms were very good and the pool was enormous.
Olympic size pool
The water was a perfect temperature for guys like us who are allergic to the cold. 🙂
A busy bar with a great selection of food, however B175 for Jack Daniels is way over the top.
Mae Pim beach resort Thailand
Thailand Beach Mae Pim
Tequila Sunset restaurant overlooked the sandy beach where the gentle waves brushed against the shore, we marveled at the beautiful onshore breeze blowing from the west, and thoroughly enjoyed the solitude of Mae Pim compared to the madness of Pattaya.
Mae Pin street vendor
All the usual souvenirs and floats for kids.
Thailand Beach Mae Pim bike for hire
These multi passenger bikes are for hire, the roads are very quiet so I’m sure they are reasonably safe.
Nice setting on the 1st floor of the hotel. Book through this link for an excellent room rate.
Rabik Coffee
You realise you are in a Thai village when the local coffee shop does not show any English. 🙂
Bus to Ban Phe or Rayong
The cheap way to get to Pattaya is take a 30 minute songthaew ride to Ban Phe then hook up with a mini bus.
20 minutes past Rayong
Mae Pim is two hours from Bangkok airport & only 90 minutes east of Pattaya. Thanks for visiting my Thailand Beach Mae Pim photo blog. Use this link for a discounted rate atTHE MAE PIM RESORT.
Farewell from the Herd brothers
Many thanks for visiting my Thailand Beach Mae Pim photo blog.
Tequila Sunrise Mae Pim Thailand is an example of multiculturalism on the gulf of Thailand. The restaurant Tequila Sunrise is named after my favourite cocktail, we happily sip our drinks while overlooking the sandy beach where gentle waves brush against the shore, we marvel at the beautiful onshore breeze blowing from the west, and we enjoy the solitude of Mae Pim compared to the madness of Pattaya.
A Swiss owner, a German chef, an Australian manager & Thai staff run this popular establishment, where the Wednesday lunch special is a huge schnitzel for the princely sum of B159 or $6 aud. My brother Warren chose the Swedish meatballs with mashed potato which actually outshone the huge schnitzel.
Larry chooses lunch
Born in Austria 66 years ago and moved to Australia around the age of two, moved to Thailand in November 2015, Larry Krausz would walk a mile for a Weiner Shnitzel.
Larry Krausz was a friend for around 30 years, sadly he suffered a major stroke on October 28 2016. After 2 months in the Bangkok Pattaya hospital on life support he was transported to Australia by a hospital Leer jet, thanks to his Medibank travel insurance. After a further month his life support was removed & he passed away peacefully. RIP little buddy.
Here’s the proof
I struggled to eat 75% of this monster schnitzel for lunch, in the evening the restaurant was full as it is most Wednesdays when the locals converge on the double schnitzel special.
Mai Pin fishing boat
Fishermen preparing their boat for another night on the gulf.
Tequila Sunrise Mae Pim Thailand
We returned to Tequila Sunrise for after dinner drinks, naturally I had two Margaritas.
Margarita night cap
A great way to end a delightful day in Mae Pim.
Manager at Tequila Sunrise
Gary is the Australian manager at tequila Sunrise, grew up Guildford in Sydney before moving to Maroochydore in Queensland.
Step down to the beach
Grab some sun or have a swim then come up for a cold beer.
Swedish Skagen at Tequila Sunrise
This is certainly one of my favourite dishes, absolutely fantastic.
Sea Bass at Tequila Sunrise.
My friend Nikki from Australia capturing the moment on camera.
Peter is the chef
Peter is the German chef who provides all the wonderful meals at Tequila Sunrise. Previously he was the chef at the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya. For a great room rate in Pattaya or elsewhere just book through THIS LINK.
This colour coordinated guy shot past us like a guided missile. 🙂
This is more our speed
As you can imagine it is far too hot to walk the course.
Unless we meet one of these guys
Then we go faster, much faster. 🙂
Here we are Legends in our own lunch time
Duncan Paul, David Herd, Steven Bates and our sweet caddies.
Mitch Grosky goes straight up the middle
Mitch made it look easy.
Legends Golf Club Malaysia Mitch Grotsky
The course was magnificent.
Legends Golf Club Malaysia
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, The Legends is one of the toughest tests of golf in South-East Asia. Legends can be best described as dramatic and can always be found in excellent condition.
The original concept of this resort included three championship courses: one designed by Jack Nicklaus, one by Arnold Palmer, and one by Gary Player. Only the Nicklaus course and nine holes of the Palmer course have been finished, though. The Gary Player course remains in the planning phase.
The par-72, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course opened to golfers in 1997. This 6,710-metre (7,338-yard) course features views of the neighboring palm oil plantation. Don’t be surprised if monkeys stop to check out your game on the back nine too.
Legends Golf Club Malaysia Lovely par 3
Legends Golf Club Malaysia is a beautiful course, if you are a golfer put it on your bucket list.
We almost had the course to ourselves
A guy called John Hallisey said “My worst day on the golf course still beats my best day in the office.”
Where else would you rather be?
We almost had the course to ourselves.
My lovely caddy
With two hole to go the storm came in and blew us off the course as so often happens in South East Asia.
Legends Golf Club Malaysia directions
Rated 16th best course in Malaysia, it,s hard to believe there are 15 better. 🙂
This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from 2000.
Bangkok Samui sexy babes
Bangkok Samui sexy babes in the year 2000. I spent New Years Eve two years in a row, 1999 in Samui for the millennium & in Pattaya NYE 2000. The millennium was special for me due to a brief romance with the Italian princess pictured above. He name in Barbara Manelli and she was hot, hot, hot. 🙂
This it not part of my travel blog, just part of my personal photo & travel history from 2000.
Thailand New Years Eve
Thailand New Years Eve This is how Chaweng beach looked early New Years Eve 1999, in fact my friends and I had dinner right there on the beach. The photo quality is terrible due to the early days of digital cameras.
New Years Eve 1999
It was a terrific night on the beach even though my whirlwind romance with Barbara aka Gypsy was over by then.
Barbara Manelli aka Gypsy.
Oh my! She was one of the sexiest most gorgeous ladies I have ever had the pleasure to be with. The affair didn’t last much more than a week but the memories will stay with me forever.
Be patient we will move on shortly. 🙂
The romance was short but sweet. 🙂
Even now in 2015 I still occasionally think of her with affection.
I stayed at the Relax Bungalows a few times and found them very comfortable on a quiet section of the beach. Still very cheap if you book through Agoda, between $50 and $60 per night.
Dr Evil and his two favourite ladies, Jane & Gypsy. In fact Jane was with me in Koh Samui in August 1999 when I first met Barbara.
My special three pack.
This is a special photo, only 6 or 7 times in my life have I been able to get 3 girlfriends in the one photo, priceless.
Bangkok Koh Samui sexy babes
So many girls and such little time.
One girl and two boys.
That’s Thailand for you, sometimes things can be very confusing. Of course one of the boys is Pothole aka John Martin, and he doesn’t care which one he winds up with. 🙂
Girls from Soi 33 Santana Bar
Soi 33 was one of the best areas for bars and restaurants.
John Sinclair loves Bangkok
My friend John in a familiar pose.
Bangkok girl called Dow.
What a gorgeous face.
Another Bangkok girl who’s name I forget
I do remember however that she was a very sweet lady.
Great shape in Bangkok
I am fairly sure she hits the gym. 🙂
Cold beers in Pattaya
Tony Murphy, Michael Dowd, John Sinclair, Rush and David Herd.
One final look at Gypsy
Barbara will always be one of the most exciting ladies I have ever known’ Many thanks for visiting my Bangkok Samui sexy babes photo blog.
This it not part of my travel blog, just my personal photo & travel history from 2003.
Samui Bangkok Pattaya 2004
Samui Bangkok Pattaya, another three trips in 2004. It was a quieter year for travel after my amazing busy year of travel in 2003.
One of my favourite pastimes
I have to maintain my 110 kilo weight. 🙂
Another favourite pastime.
Her name is Jan and she soon became my favourite Pattaya princess.
Another Cherry Bar princess
A beautiful smile & a very sweet lady.
Aussies out of control
Richard Blair aka Mr Stingy out of control in a Soi 8 beer bar. He only recently discovered Pattaya and was carrying on like most newbies.
Samui Bangkok Pattaya
Another two Aussies, John “Pothole” Martin and Ken Shelly have discovered their nirvana.
Pothole & friend
Here is Pothole with what seems to be an attractive Thai lady that he had just negotiated a short time liaison in his hotel room. Of course she turned out to be a LadyBoy which made absolutely no difference to him, in fact he happily described the whole event in great detail to the rest of us sitting around the pool. My only comment is “too much information”.
Happy street vendor
Thai people have taken street food to an art form, however care should be taken when choosing what to eat.
Gorgeous Thai girl at Sabai Lodge
As they say in the classics, if you have got it, flaunt it. 🙂
The flight to Samui was very tiring for Stingy, on another note Thailand is the only country in the world he is considered a “handsome man. 🙂
“Stingy” Blair and Ken.
It was around this time I gave Richard the nickname Stingy. It came about when he and Ken were on the beach and a Thai lady was reading his palm. She looked at him and said “you are a very wealthy man, but Stingy”. Of course she was spot on, so many times Richard would be drinking with Ken and showing off by buying lots of drinks for the girls behind the bar knowing that Ken would have to pay half the bill, but the girls would think he was the hero. As soon as I heard what the girl on the beach had said I gave him the label “Stingy” which has stuck with him until today in 2015. I also taught Ken to always have separate “bins”, meaning Bills, when drinking with Richard so he couldn’t pull his usual bill splitting stunt.
Koh Samui sunset
Taken at Chaweng beach from my preferred beachside hotel, the Baan Chaweng hotel.
There are a number of reasons I prefer Samui to Phuket, first they restrict building to not exceed the height of the palm trees. Secondly there are not as many noisy Australian tourists which suits me fine. Like most places however progress has not been kind, to me Samui was more enjoyably in the late 90s and early 2000s. Many of the older charming buildings in Chaweng have been replaced by gold shops etc, such is life.
Ken Shelly and a BBQ prawn
I used to see a lot of Ken in these early days, however in the last couple of years when he comes to Thailand he does his best to avoid me, (he is not alone) c’est la vie. 🙂
Nana Plaza Bangkok sex sin sleaze it’s all there. I have been a frequent visitor for 20 years & have seen the LadyBoy population rise from 10% to around 40% today. This does not suit me at all, give me the sexy young girls any day.
Sadly Richard passed away aged 76 on October 15 2022.
Phung aka Cleopatra
My favourite Bangkok girl, we met in 2001 at Nana Plaza and got together every time I was in town until about 2009 when she left the business. It’s now 2015 and I hear she is living with a guy in Europe.
Cleo with the huge smile
Without a doubt one of the most terrific Thai ladies I have ever met.
John Sinclair and Rod Perrin, RIP.
Rod was an ex Sydney cop who retired and moved to Forster on the NSW coast. These days he spends most of his time in Thailand. John was originally from Adelaide and after 3 or 4 failed marriages moved to the Gold Coast. He spent around 10 years there before moving to Thailand around 2002.
Gorgeous Eve likes her pepper hot.
The biggest pepper grinder I have ever seen. Eve has a German sponsor from Airlie Beach, a very odd type of man who regularly travels to Thailand. I am on his black list, then again I am on quite a few blacklists. 🙂
Atlantic Bar Pattaya
Another gorgeous girl in Pattaya.
One more to finish
So many girls & such little time. 🙂
You too can have a body like this if you abuse it.
Thanks for visiting my Samui Bangkok Pattaya photo blog from 2004. I eventually moved to Thailand in 2011 and am enjoying a stress free life in paradise. I do an around the world trip each year, please check out Seven Super Cities trip in 2014 and my Eastern European Odyssey in 2015.
Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok playground is in my opinion the best of the red light areas in this great city. Nana Plaza come in 2nd place with Patpong Rd a distance third. Located near Sukhumvit Road, between Sukhumvit Soi 21 (also called Soi Asoke) and Soi 23, within walking distance from the BTS Skytrain’s Asoke Station and the Bangkok Metro’s Sukhumvit Station. The PullmanGrand Sukhumvit Hotelis nearby.
The go-go bars follow the pattern common in Thailand, lots of alcohol is served hundreds of women in bikinis dance on a stage topless or even nude.
Country Road
The soi was given its name by longtime nightlife columnist Bernard Trink, after the late T. G. “Cowboy” Edwards, a retired American airman who opened one of the first bars there in 1977. A tall African-American, Edwards got his nickname because he often wore a cowboy hat.
Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok playground Spice Girls
When Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was elected in 2001, his government instituted a “social order” campaign. As part of this, all bars, nightclubs and restaurants had to close by 2am, later changed to 1am for all areas not officially designated as “entertainment zones”. (Unlike Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza were not so designated). A mandatory midnight closing time was even discussed.
Over the years this policy has eased, and as of 2012, some Soi Cowboy bars stay open as late as 2:30am.
And here are the Spice girls
Soi Cowboy Bangkok is more expensive than Nana Plaza, it is also more spectacular, a Jack soda is 180 Baht, when you buy a girl a drink it costs 220 baht. These clubs love to rob you, so Roland & I tipped the girls 100 Baht cash instead of giving it to the club. Out of the 220 Baht for a ladies drink the girls get 50 Baht and the club keeps 170.
David Herd and Roland Bonnici
Here I am with my friend Roland who is a Sydney Barrister specializing in criminal law. He has more energy and staying power than I do so I now call in the Bangkok Energiser Bunny. 🙂
Lovely face at Soi Cowboy
A sweet girl who Roland bought a few drinks for, he charges $300 an hour to represent the Sydney criminals so $8 a lady drink is small change. 🙂 She of course spun him the usual line saying ” I have only been here for one month after leaving my home in the country. Roland being such a nice guy believed her, naturally I got into his ear to quickly explain that 80% of the girls use this tried & true line of B…sh…t. 🙂
Move baby move
She could really move, should have taken a movie.
More Spice girls
The girls are patiently waiting for customers.
Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok playground
Soi Cowboy Bangkok is really a lot of fun, some of the bars have rock bands playing far too loud for my liking, however most geriatrics like myself usually prefer the volume to be low enough to be able to communicate this those around you.
Hellooooo baby, where you go?
You will probably hear this question 30 times a night if not more. 🙂
Back to Country Road
Bright lights & gorgeous girls.
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway
But looking at them just gives me the blues. I can handle this bright noisy scene about two times a year, usually when friends come to town and want to see the sights.
It really is deja vu for me
I guess I have just been hitting the night spots in too many cities for too many years. These days I enjoy myself more in a good restaurant with nice people and soft music in the background. One thing is certain in Bangkok there is no shortage of terrific restaurants, and anything else you want for that matter.
Just check out the look on his face to see how much he loves this wild Soi Cowboy Bangkok scene.
When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.
This is where you arrive on the free ferry shuttle from Sathon wharf. The River Park is a riverside community space covering a 10,000-sq. m. area in front of ICONLUXE. Open daily, it welcomes all visitors to enjoy an enchanting view of the Chao Phraya River amid lush, green auspicious trees.
You will need several hours to explore this wonderful shopping precinct. In fact there are over a hundred famous restaurants from all over the world available in seven spacious zones, each of them catering to diverse culinary tastes. Check out THIS LINK for details.
For a list of the hundreds of shops just follow THIS LINK.
There is a surprise around every corner.
Now is your chance to grab a tiger by the tail. 🙂
Over 100 restaurants, check out THIS LINK.
Estimates are that there are about 3,500 domesticated elephants in Thailand. Roughly 3,340 wild elephants live in 69 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country. Thailand’s population of wild elephants has been rising.
This bull is a real cool dude. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my Iconsiam shopping mall Bangkok photo blog, please go to THIS LINK to see some incredible buildings along the Chao Phraya river. 
A new huge branch to open in February 2021. In addition to the main Starbucks signature coffee bar, the Starbucks Reserve store will be the first to serve Starbucks’ Mew Jai ‘Blend coffee grown in the northern part of our country, along with the’ Tee Vana ( Teavana ™ Bar) ‘first in Thailand. For customers who like drinking tea. Both Earl Gray Lychee and Peach Mojito Tea There are also cocktail bars that are not yet available
