Thailand Travel Journal - for Expats & Travelers

After four months on the road, I needed a more stable place to stay for a few months. Besides a work space, I needed a telephone line for internet access. I had a pretty fair idea where I wanted to settle down south, but rentals are difficult to find on short notice. Since my "Thailand" website didn't have a section on Pattaya, it seemed a "no brainer".

I arrived at Pattaya just as my gout decided to attack. I hobbled around a hotel for a few days, gobbling Allopurinol like jellybeans. Pattaya has lots of cheapish rentals so I took a condo at Diana Estates, primarily an expat and long-term traveler hangout. Agreeing to a three month contract, I set to work. Pattaya seemed to live up to its reputation, as good for sailors and oil rig workers on shore leave. I saw lots of bars, bar girls and rude farangs. Where else will you see a tourist sitting inside a nice restaurant wearing nothing except a Speedo?

Most shops on the main streets, especially those in or near condos, tend to be expensive. Service and quality at food shops tends to lower, while prices are almost double those at their counterparts on a soi. Since I don't drink nor chase painted ladies, my neighborhood had little to offer. But I was there to work, after all.

I found myself spending most of my recreational time talking to the sisters who ran the mini-mart and the folks in the laundry. Some of the security staff turned out to be good folks as well. But my best buddy turned out to be the orange striped cat that belonged to the laundry owner. She visited me often, showing up unannounced, walking through my usually open door, for a bit of attention.

About the time I had my website reorganized and started thinking about hitting the road, I began to notice that I couldn't see all that well. Mostly, I had blamed Pattaya's terrible traffic on my reluctance to drive, but I had lost my way during a number of night drives. My vision got so bad I had difficulty recognizing people at a distance of more than a few meters.

In sort, I had cataracts and needed ocular implants. After a negative experience at Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital, I opted for the eye surgery in Bangkok. That cost me the grand total of Bt 70,000 (both eyes) .. but after the implants, I could see like a middle aged golden eagle. Times got good again.

All those eye exams and trips to Bangkok plus some necessary recovery time for each eye time took a few more months. As I looked back, I realized that I had spent 14 months in Pattaya. So much for schedules.

So I packed my RAV4 yet again and aimed it toward the western Gulf of Thailand area by way of Bangkok. The time had come to find a house by the beach.