It is LOW Season...few farangs around...a night on the town

[travelerjim]

It is LOW Season in Pattaya ...and there are very few farangs around...

Cruising the Sois Saturday night...and as I have seen in past nights this week...
I have noted very few farang visitors and expats in the clubs...
or seated on the front of the host cafe's.

Definitely, for whatever reasons...the visiting farang or holiday merry makers...
are less and less in numbers...The resident Expats are out..but I believe are watching
carefully the spending of their baht...- lower interest rates --- as prices seem to be rising everywhere we shop...
markets, gas pumps, rice...food...bar drinks and fees associated with the "entertainment"we so much enjoy :-)

The accompanying worldwide sense of "recessionary fears" are causing many
to second think their travel plans and curtailing their spending...less trips...shorter trips..
and Expats likewise reworking their monthly budgets...

On Saturday night I was in one of my favorite host bars.. Mike's La Cage Bar in Sunee Area..
located next to White Knight Buffet restaurant ..and might I add:

(White Knight has raised their prices again to now 250 baht for the buffet -
I guess the owners of Pattaya restaurants feel that since the Euro is so strong..
they can raise the prices and still sell the food..forgetting of course the plight of the
American Dollar and the like...6 months ago the buffet was 190 baht..then raised to 220 baht ..
now 250 baht and a bottle of water is 40 baht)

I guess market forces will determine how high the prices can be raised to...
Good Luck to them...and as a friend of mine used to say
"Hold your Hat and Grab your Ass fellas ...Here we go again! "

Back to Mike's La Cage...

I enjoy their nightly Happy Hour and the welcoming and comfortable seating at La Cage...
Many drinks from their Happy Hour Menu served until 9:00pm nightly ate buy 1 get 1 free !
Good hot or iced coffee...2 cups for 50 baht...
Huge tasty teapot of English tea ..55 baht...
Diet Cokes 2 for 50 baht...
Soda Water 2 for 50 baht...
Wine 2 glasses for 90 baht...
Beers 2 for 1 ...and more choices...
all are a good value and I thank Mike & Thai owner Joe for their hospitality.

Their "Toasties" are good and tasty too...
60 baht gets you nice toastie ham & cheese..served with potato chips...a nice snack...
they have other toastie choices..but I do enjoy the ham & cheese :-)

The Staff are friendly too :-)

I have enjoyed the company of "Chat" (a handsome Thai from Kohn Kaen) on an occasion before..
and his smile tonight was another reason I enjoy La Cage!

Chat is the tenth child and "baby" in his family...WOW..his father is a rice farmer...
and I said to Chat..your father plants rice in many ways :-)

He said to me that business was every slow for low season...all over Pattaya.
Most staff are in trouble with their money...and I believe him as I ponder the Pattaya scene.

Next month he probably will return to Kohn Kaen to help father plant rice...
and not sure when he will return...depends on word from friends who stay back to survive in Pattaya.

He rents room on his own now...in Pattaya...but next time will seek a Thai
to share the costs as business is slow!

Looking at my watch..it was about 8:30pm and I said to Chat...
we go together tonight? He grinned and smiled YES!

He had 10 baht remaining from his days this month in Pattaya..
and was delighted he would join me for a night on the town.

We went to the new cinema complex in South Pattaya..Major Cinemas..
bought two tickets for a Thai film...show time 10:30pm...120 baht each.

As it was 9:00pm..I said we go have something to eat...he smiled YES
(as he had not yet eaten today).

The Bangkok BKK GRILL is located opposite the ticketing area for the cinema on the Second Floor...
I highly recommend it...many good food choices...farang style...many 79 and 89 baht dinners...
and good menu to select from...

Chat enjoyed a Spicy Grilled Chicken Breast with spaghetti and salad side dishes - 79 baht!
I had their Apple Waldorf style salad...cold and crisp ..delicious - 89 baht.
Two Sprites were 19 baht each...
a great meal...filling and delicious for about 200 baht total for the two of us.

With dinner at BKK GRILL completed, we took time to "walk the mall" of many stores now open.
Visited Villa Market to show Chat the many choices from USA and Europe...and the higher prices found with these selections...so he could see what products farangs like...and prices we need to pay if we buy them here in Thailand.

I noted that the Villa Market Cafe is open 24 hours...and the menu selection is good and fairly priced...
an American breakfast is 78 baht and served all day long...and many more good selection.

Stopped into McCafe (MacDonald's)..to get a 9 baht ice cream cone...
Chat was surprised at 9 baht for the size the clerk served...I loved it!

Movie tickets 120 baht each...and as usual the theater is COOL...maybe even COLD to Thais..
so Chat kept getting closer and closer to me as the movie progressed..to keep warm of course :-)

After the movie...

Following the movie...we walked along together in the warming - beautiful night air of South Pattaya
back to my hotel...Howards Hotel on Soi VC...a great room for 600 baht...
I always feel at home at Howards...and especially like their elevator/lift !

We enjoyed background Thai radio station music on local Sophon TV...
Chat and I freshened up and ....then...
well..you know...enjoyed our company together...such precious moments..
might I ADD...he gives a great massage..and more :-)

All in all - a great night in South Pattaya...
Thank you Chat..Thank you Mike's La Cage Bar...

and A SUGGESTION...to my friends and visitors to Pattaya or Thailand...
during this season of LOW numbers of tourists, farangs, and Expats too..

Please take time to stop by a local club, host bar...or cafe..
and invite a Thai friend to join you ...for a night on the town..
they need our support...and you can be thrifty...and still enjoy a night out together...

Good for them..AND...Good for you too !

Enjoy...

[catawampuscat]

TJ
Keep the original stories coming..
I enjoy your style of writing and you certainly are complete with the details..

One bit of advice about Mikes Bar La Cage.. Now that a parallel soi is being torn up, car and motorbike traffic
are diverted to the soi where Mikes Bar is.. Sitting outside is very noisy and very busy now due to the increased motor
traffic but the chairs inside look very comfortable..
The 2 for one drinks are a great deal but they also attract some of the more eccentric denizens of Sunee Plaza..
Of course, this can happen in any beer bar anywhere but a couple of former trolls from this forum
and one infamous slob are frequent customers and one has to pick their seat with caution sometimes..

The boys are very friendly and more of a mix than before when they all seemed very fem, in my humble opinion. :cat:

catawampuscat

. . . but they also attract some of the more eccentric denizens of Sunee Plaza..

pot . . . kettle . . . kettle . . . pot . . . :drunken:

TJ

The 2 for one drinks are a great deal but they also attract some of the more eccentric denizens of Sunee Plaza..
Of course, this can happen in any beer bar anywhere but a couple of former trolls from this forum
and one infamous slob are frequent customers and one has to pick their seat with caution sometimes..
:cat:

And... people should pick the city and country they visit more carefully in the first place if they are worried about eccentrics, slobs, former trolls and what-not! God forbid that one would ever expect to find any of these in Pattaya!

[thrillbill]

I was at Boyztown Saturday night and thought it looked normal for May, and there were some new faces around which I assume would be tourists. If you ever think the gay world travelors are no longer landing in LOS, go to Soi 4 or DJ's in BKK and see them pack up the places. Maybe the gays who are retired are not taking as many long trips ; thus, they don't come to Pattaya.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Dream Boys filled every seat and more added Fri night with Asian Tourists but only two western guys in the place, counting me. They were offing the boys left and right. Bonny massage, usually show, was even busy.

The response: get the money at the door and up the price to 270B. It would have stayed busy if the police did not come on the soi just before midnight.

The saunas very busy over this weekend.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

certainly maybe LOW season but the lads don't seem to "accommodate" and more to compensate !!

or maybe I'm just a pushover.

[Smiles]

" ... Of course, this can happen in any beer bar anywhere but a couple of former trolls from this forum
and one infamous slob are frequent customers and one has to pick their seat with caution sometimes ... "
A couple of the more intriguing statements in this happy/kissy thread.

Come on Mr Cat, out with it! Names/Board handles please! It ain't libelous ... but perhaps funny.

Cheers ...

[catawampuscat]

well Mr. Smiles,
I will give you one but don't blame me if he resurrects .. badboybilly

I don't know if the slob posts but you can spot him in a soiled T-shirt. This one is about as wacky as
they come and if someone chews your ear off in a Sunee beer bar and looks like he slept in his clothes
for a few days, you'll know who he is, and steer clear in the future..
rawsugar: nobody worries about these men but forewarned is ... and all that jazz . :cat: