Ruthrieston

When I moved to live in Pattaya in 2011 I was the proverbial butterfly, having three young gentlemen visiting each day, but in less than a year I fell in love. As he was less than half my age I paid for him to have a room, and I encouraged him to have a job, and he worked as a receptionist in a hotel. After six and a half years I discovered that he was gambling and he asked me to pay his debts a couple of times, which I did. But I then broke off with him as I could not trust him and could not afford to go on paying his debts. Then Covid hit and I continued to pay small amounts into his bank account until the pandemic lifted, then I stopped. Breaking up with him broke my heart and I cried for a year. Never again!

The only thing I want to miss is the water throwing nonsense that makes Pattaya a seriously dangerous and extremely annoying place from 12th to 19th April every year. Stupid drunk farang throwing buckets of water at people riding their motorbikes to work and knocking them flying off their bikes under moving cars. The death rate during Songkran is appalling. I hide in my condo until 16th and then flee to Bangkok until 20th, although if Bangkok is to carry on until 25th that is going to be a disaster.

Viewtalay 5D actually. Khun Jeab is great and she has a few other Thai lawyers working on the team now. Avoid the Kevin idiot, he is an antivaxer.

I am sure you can find a handsome Tomboy to take good care of you.

Pattaya also has dangerously high levels of pollution, the air is so hazy that I can hardly see Koh Larn.

I stopped using baht buses years ago, it was ridiculous being packed in like a tin of sardines. For years I used motorbike taxis, but they are dangerous too, often driving crazy speeds and almost never giving me a helmet to wear. Now that Bolt Taxi app is here I am so grateful, and the prices are good, often the same or even less than I was paying for the motorbike taxis. Picked up in the front of my condo building and delivered to the door of the shopping centre I want to visit, from Pratumnak where I live all the way to Terminal 21 is 120 Baht.

I have never touched this social media nonsense and I have no intention of doing so. Watching families eating while the baby has a phone propped in front of him/her, the three year old has a phone on and the parents are both looking at their phones with no conversation at all is seriously bad for all of them.

I agree entirely. I live in Pattaya, where the Songkran madness lasts a week! I hide in my condo from 13th to 16th and then flee to Bangkok which is like a ghost town while everyone is recovering from the three days of madness, and I return on 20th.

Given how many people are dying in the violence inflicted on the population by the fake government there, these Myanmar nationals should be given asylum in Thailand and treated decently.

I was brought up in Scotland as a Presbyterian, the Minister arrived at our house when I was 12 to say that as I had not been baptised I could not attend Bible Study classes until I was baptised, all news to me. I started visiting other religious groups, with the help of my Religious studies teacher and chose to become a Roman Catholic at the age of fifteen. When I left school I entered an enclosed, silent Benedictine monastery in a semi-ruined building built in the year 1230, Latin Office and Latin Mass sung in Gregorian Chant, seven times a day in the church, no school or parish. I was so happy there, a good community who respected each other, but kept silence and we had separate cells (rooms). After seven years I chose to leave and start a new life and trained as a nurse. I am convinced that though it was never mentioned the community knew I was gay but no one ever spoke of it, I simply felt accepted. As a teenager I tried to commit suicide three times because I could not cope with being gay, and I feel that the community of monks who accepted me gave me the courage to leave and live my life openly and freely.

Looking forward to your trip to sunny Thailand is part of the enjoyment. Have a great trip and enjoy your time here, we never know what lies ahead and should make the most of our time now.

I used to really like the cocktail bar on the top floor, enjoying my dry martinis with the lovely views over the park. Is there any sign of a bar on the top floor of the new building?

I agree with you wholeheartedly Londoner, all this technology stuff is utterly beyond me. I mush prefer dealing with human beings rather than machines!

Yes open again, I walked past last night and saw that they have removed the wall inside to open up the space for more tables. They were really so busy in high season that they were having to turn people away, so good for them to have more space now.

There is definitely a major refurbishment in progress now, and it will open again without doubt.