daytime activities

[a447]

Reading this forum I get a pretty good idea of what to do at night (although no-one has told me if there is a bar where the guys have jerking off shows), what is there to do in Pattaya during the day? I've been told the water is too dirty to swim in and that you can get easily ripped off if you hire a jet ski, so I may be at a loose end during the day.
Are there any major shopping centres?
Are there any cruising areas?
Are there any bars like nature Boy or Golden Cock (in BKK) where you can spend some time in the afternoon? (I'm not so interested in massage places.)
Has anyopne been to the shooting gallery or the go-karting?
Has anyone been on a day trip to the nearby islands?
Finally, has anyone ever offed a boy from the area around the Grand Palace in BKK? I kind of think it would be a bit dangerous. I would be interested in your opinions on this.
Thanks.

Are there any major shopping centres?

8 large "shopping malls", including 3 cineplexes.

Are there any cruising areas?

Dongtan Beach is the most popular, or you could try the sauna reviewed here.

Are there any bars like nature Boy or Golden Cock (in BKK) where you can spend some time in the afternoon? (I'm not so interested in massage places.)

No (with the exception of a couple of host bar-beers) in Jomtien.

Has anyopne been to the shooting gallery or the go-karting?

The indoor shooting gallery is not really for "serious" practice, but is fine if you just want to turn live rounds into empty cases. There are outdoor ranges just South of Pattaya.

The go-kart tracks on Thepprasit are reasonably inexpensive and well-equipped; accidents will not be covered by most medical insurance.

Has anyone been on a day trip to the nearby islands?

Tours, ferries, etc, are all advertised in any of the Pattaya magazines. Worth doing if you have not been and would like a clean beach to go swimming, but, as with Pattaya/Jomtien, watch out for jet-skis.

Aditionally there are most sports (horse riding, squash, tennis, bungee jumping, ATVs, microlights, etc), Nong Nooch park, Underwater World, elephant rides, Bira circuit, etc.

[dave_tf-old]

Fun memories of a lot of the above mentioned.

Indoor shooting range. My old friend W was the worst shot amongst our party, everybody else having scored 'lethal' hits against paper people. When I pointed out that he had only barely wounded his target, he replied. "I want my man die slowly."

Gokart racing with B. We were neck and neck for almost the whole race until he made a great manuever near the finish line that had me grazing the tires. I'd driven 500,000 miles in the previous 5 years, and he didn't even have a driver's licence. A few days later, took him bowling and regained face. Thai 1, Farang 1.

Has anyopne been to the shooting gallery or the go-karting?

There is an indoor shooting range at the north end of 2nd Road near Tiffanys.

B/S wanted me to take him there once. Not particularly impressed. On my visit it seemed to be patronised almost wholly by immature American and E.European twinks posing as Rambo clones and showing off to their Thai breeder 'friends'. Range safety was almost non-existent and the place was bordering on the downright dangerous. Definitely off my list of things to do again!

[dab69]

my friend quickly caught on even though he had never driven a car/kart before.
for the second-third races you might have to up the size of YOUR karts
engine a bit to compensate for his smaller frame