Pattaya - Sin City

Pattaya is about 45 minutes drive away from Sattahip. It's the main city where alot of US armed forces servicemen go when they are on R and R. In Pattaya, it's mainly the 3 "S'. It's not the sand, sun and sangria associated with Spanish beaches, it's more like sleaze, sex and Singha beer. Pattaya is not one of those beach resorts where you can take your family to. Unless your family consists of your brothers in your army unit.

As much as they try to get away from their Sin City image, it's almost impossible to. The famed Walking Street, a pedestrianised row of shop houses that is closed to traffic from 7pm - 2am, bills itself as Asia's biggest adult playground. Along the street you'll find a-go-go bars, agogo bars and a-gogo bars. There are themes like "dolls", "classroom", "european" and actually, I'm sure you can ask for anything and with enough bahts, you can have it.

There is a strip of beach front but the quality of the beach cannot be compared to Phuket, Koh Samui or most of the other famous beach resort places in Thailand. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to go to Pattaya except for the sex industry.

So when I saw the numerous Chinese and Taiwanese tourists, bringing along their families, it occurred to me that with enough advertising, you can hoodwink anybody.

The many farangs or angmohs there, mainly from Australia, United States, Germany and England all have one thing in common. An ugly tan and a longhand dictionary in tow. What's a longhand dictionary? Well, it's one of those girls for rent that becomes your guide. But they do more than guiding them around Pattaya. Farang means guava in Thai actually. So the locals laugh when they spot a farang eating guava.

Getting around Pattaya is really easy. The modified pick ups allow anybody to hop on and off and can cost anything between 5-20 baht. The motorcycle rides are costlier but they zip around traffic that can build up anytime of the day really fast.

I made a suit in Pattaya. Tailor made for about SGD150. Cashmere wool. But seriously, I doubt if the material is really that fantastic. It's cheaper than a normal G2000 suit and it fits really well (there were two fittings). Apart from that, I basically spent most of the time on the road traveling between Bangkok Airport and Pattaya, Pattaya and Sattahip.

I don't know any Singaporean who go to Pattaya for a holiday. I have been to Pattaya 3 times. Once in 1998, another in 2002 and the most recent trip just days ago. Not once did I go on my own accord. But I would like to head to Phuket in the 9th Lunar month though. For the vegetarian festival.