 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Breaking News
December 2007
Click here to read our November 2007 News.
 On the block:
The (once) famous Malibu Bar and Restaurant is on the block.  Soi Post Office:
New A Go-Go Club. Work is on the way for a new A Go-Go Club on Soi Post Office: Spicy Girls A Go-Go moves from Soi Pattayaland to Soi Praisani. Scheduled opening date: December 28 2007!  Spicy Girls on Pattayaland closed on December 21.
Walking Street's famous Climax Bar closed - it will be replaced with a new A Go-Go Club: Magic Place A Go-Go.  Oliver Twist changed its name to Bennigans, the former Irish pub is now an Irish, American, Indian Grill Tavern...
 Slim, the Hip-Hop-Club at the new Pattaya Dragon Entertainment Complex on 2nd Road had a short life. After a few month only it got replaced by a venue called Fashion Club.
 KilKenny, the well-known Irish Pub on Walking Street, changed its name to Molly Malone's.
 During the last few weeks McDonalds integrated McCafé into its outlets on Beach Road.
The branch at Royal Garden Plaza got a simple face-lift - but the other one near Walkingstreet a complete restauration:   The AVENUE, Pattaya's new impressive Shopping Plaza, is a success! Every evening the Heineken Beer Garden, Coffee World, McCafé and Starbucks attracts more and more people.
The AVENUE is new Pattaya's Meeting Point.  Heineken Beer Garden at AVENUE
New A Go-Go:
Obsessions  Another new A Go-Go opened on Soi Pattayaland, next to Kitten Club at the Penthouse Hotel: Obsessions.
PHI PHI Island:
Sanus Per Aquam
200'000 litres or half of the waste water generated on Phi Phi Island per day goes untreated into public waterways.
Business operators and building owners refuse to cooperate and to build treatment ponds or fat-oil filter tanks and to use the treatment facility on the island. A treatment plant was completed last year. The 28-million-baht plant was funded by the Danish International Development Assistance. It can handle up to 400'000 litres of waste water per day. Price hike in Pattaya's Hotel Rooms
Pattaya's Hotel Association announced that the Hotels in Pattaya will raise the prices for their rooms.
According to the associattion Pattaya has the lowest room rates in the region and this is damaging the image of the city. High room rates will attract sound travellers and will discourage backpackers, the association says. Beach Road Women
Pattaya Police is looking for two young women who drugged and robbed an elderly Irishman when he took them home after meeting them at Soi 12 on Pattaya Beach Road.
They got away with money and valuables amounting to almost 200'000 baht. Police believe these two girls have probably done this several times. Latest Slogan
Heaven on Earth is possible - in Pattaya.
Seen on Sukhumvit Road Pattaya. Funny News
Foreign tourists come to Thailand to visit some of the world's nicest beaches, islands and jungles. Not to mention the exceptionally diverse culture, people and the incredible food.
Postbag Bangkok Post Previous Publications
Previous 'News Flash' Publications
|
Pattaya News Flash December 2007
 Miss Thailand 2007 at Bali Hai Pier
Pattaya's New Year Countdown on December 31
New Year’s Eve celebration will begin at Bali Hai pier at 17:10 and continue through to 02:20. Highlights include concerts by popular Thai artists, comedy and some fireworks.
Visitors of the event wearing pink shirts will be able to take part in games and receive prizes. Miss Thailand 2007, Nong Or, according to the organizer 'the most beautiful woman in Thailand', will host the evening. Happy New Year! Holy Night with the Angels from Soi 9
Thai Election
iFarang: Just another Stupidity
Starting from January 1 2008,
Beach Road will be closed to weekend traffic. The Governor of Chonburi had a remarkable idea to resolve the traffic problem on Pattaya Beach Road: He ordered to close the road to traffic on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On weekends Pattaya's Beach Road will be transformed into a Walking Street. A good idea - an old dream becomes reality.
When Beach Road is closed, the lovely Governor of Chonburi will open todays already congested Second Road to two-way traffic. A stupid concept. You remember:
A few years ago, the northern part of Pattaya's Second Road, from Dolphin Roundabout to Pattaya's Central Road, already was open for two-way traffic. It was such a dangererous street that the responsible people decided to make it a one way road. This decision reduced the number of accidents - and saved many lifes.
Dear Governor of Chonburi, why not simply redirect the traffic to Pattaya's Third Road and make Soi Buakhaow a one way street. The people living on Third Road would be happy to see some more baht buses cruising their area and Soi Buakhaow would become less dangerous. Why people have to die before politicians start thinking? How much people think before they make their decisions shows the following detail: Nobody could tell me what will happen with all that one way streets connecting Second Road with Beach Road. Will they get 'Walking Streets' too or will the Sois be converted to two way streets during the weekends? iFarang ©2007 New Russian Clubs and Restaurants
Back to Life and Alcohol
Soi Buakhaow 23:45:
Police is monitoring the closure of the bars, nevertheless the first punters rush the bars to get the best seats and to welcome the arriving ladies. Soi Buakhaow 00:01: The Bars turn on the lights and their sound equipments. Life is back in Pattaya. All the dancings and A Go-Go Clubs opened their doors at midnight, as well as most bars in the city and in Naklua. Only on Soi Buakhaow, on Soi 6 and at the northern end of Pattaya's Second Road some bars remain closed. We spot a surprising large number of farangs frequenting the venues. The nightmare, ordered by the military junta is over - at least until next weekend. Thai Law and its interpretation The election law bans alcohol on election days. Pattaya Police ordered the closure of all entertainment venues in Pattaya, Jomtien and Naklua. According to reports Bangkok's bars have been allowed to stay open - albeit with no alcohol. Coca-Cola Marathon
Thailand is celebrating the Coca-Cola Marathon...
No alcohol will be on sale or served at any event across the country from 18:00, Friday December 14 to 24:00 on Sunday December 16 2007 as voters cast advance ballots this weekend for the general election.
The same strict regulation will be applied next week, from 18:00 on December 22 to midnight the next day, the polling day. 
The order is a military dictate and is backed up with threats of draconian penalties of 90 days closure orders for violating venues. In addition violators risk a fine of up to 10,000 baht or a maximum of six years in jail, under the election law.
Farangs don't have the right to vote in Thailand - Thailand's immigration laws keep out good people - nevertheless they risk the same penalties. Pattaya's Nightlife in the Dark
Pictures from December 14 2007
Amazing Thailand - or an unexpected problem. I do not drink any Alcohol, no Beer, no Wine, no Whisky. Here in Thailand I am drinking fruit juices, Coke and Pepsi or Mineral Water. Living in Europe, my favorit drink is sparkling mineral water. But sparkling mineral water is virtually unknown in Thailand, therefore I usually order Soda Water with a meal.
On Friday night, when I entered one of my prefered restaurant, the service girl told me immediately: 'Today we can't serve Soda Water'. Saturday night the same answer at another place. No Soda Water today! The reason: Thais usually drink Soda Water with Whisky only and the producer of Thailand's Soda Water is the brewer of Singha Beer... The restaurants feared problems with other guest or even the police if serving Soda Water! Amazing Thailand! New Shopping Paradise for Bargain Hunters
Outlet Village South Pattaya
'Original Copycat Products' are back
 A few weeks ago police raided Copycat distributors, but as usual, it took a few days only until the dealers moved the popular goods back to their shelves. With the arrival of high season and its tourists, Thailands 'Original Copycat Products' with labels from Gucci, D&G, Versace, Van Dutch, DK and others are on sale everywhere: At the markets, the small shops in the Sois and even at Shoppings Centers like Mike Plaza.
Facelifting for Soi 6 Area
The area sourrounding Pattaya's famous Soi 6 gets the long awaited facelifting.
Our suggestion: Ban the traffic from Soi 6 and we all can discover a whole new Walking Area!
Soi Buakhaow discovers A Go-Go Clubs
During the last few years more and more A Go-Go Clubs opened in the Area surrounding Soi Buakhaow.
Now a new Club is on the way to enjoy your eyes.
Pattaya Sweethearts provides more information about Pattaya's A Go-Go Clubs. |
iFarang
A new level of stupidity
On Friday night (Dec 14), when my wife and I went to a restaurant we were actually refused soda water. A new level of stupidity with the latest ban on alcohol during election days.
iFarang ©2007 iFarang
Suvarnabhumi Airport - a disaster!
Immigration takes longer when you leave than when you arrive.
iFarang ©2007 iFarang
Don Muang Airport goes International...
On December 1 2007, the Airport of Thailand (AoT) board decided to use the (old) Don Muang Airport for both local and international flights so the AoT would not be faced with the immediate and costly expansion of the congested (and new) Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thai Airways International assured the public on December 3 2007 that THAI and the 17 other members of Star Alliance will not resume flight services at Don Muang. The problem with congestion at Suvarnabhumi should be resolved through proper management. Having two airports in one city will create more problems for ground staff and for passengers. Airports should be managed by professionals and not by politicians or peoples from the military. iFarang ©2007 HIV/Aids
It is expected that there will be 14'000 people newly-infected HIV cases in Thailand in 2007.
About 45% of the new cases are believed to be found in female teenagers and housewives while 20% are believed to be found in homosexual men. The average age of youths who had sex for the first time was 15, according to a report by the Public Health Ministry, a drop from 18 in previous studies. Deadly Thai Aids
Two studies have found that people infected with the type of HIV in Thailand die from Aids significantly sooner than people infected and living in other parts of the world.
The shorter survival time measured in the studies suggests that HIV subtype E, which is the most common HIV subtype in Thailand, may be more virulent than other subtypes of the virus. Asus Eee PC
 ASUS Eee PC is available now at Tukcom Pattaya.
The mini PC weights 0.92 kg only and includes WLAN, a 320'000 pixel camera, stereo speakers, a microphone, a 7" color display and a pre-installed Linux or Windows XP Operating System. Size: 22.5 x 16.5 cm. Price: 9000 - 17'000 Baht. Price depends on the Accu (4400 or 5200 mAh), the installed memory and the OS. The computer comes in four different colors. The company expects shipments may reach one million units for the first quarter of 2008 and five million Eee PCs in 2008. Asustek Computer was forced to place emergency orders with its component suppliers. iFarang
Ireland is to ban the traditional lightbulb with householders forced to switch to new long-life low-energy bulbs.
The new long-life low-energy bulbs are popular in Thailand and cheap too. The bulbs from Philips cost about 100 Baht only at homeWorks.
For more bargains please visit our Shopping Page. iFarang ©2007 Clean up the Beach
 Report bribe requests
BRIBEline is a website collecting information about the official or quasi-official entities - governments, international organizations, security forces, state-owned enterprises, etc. - around the world that solicit bribes.
Bribes include payments in cash or services, gifts, donations to specific charities or organizations, business or personal favors - anything of value to the recipient that is given in order to obtain a needed service, gain market access, win new business, or avoid harm to your personal or business interests. A request for a bribe could be a clear demand or a more subtle suggestion. You know if you have been hit up for a bribe. Report it here. Last Word
I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural and wholesome things money can buy.
Double-Click
Try it:
A double-click in an empty space brings you back to the top of the page! This feature should work on most browsers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
