"Tho' I've belted you and flayed you, By the living Gawd that made you, You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"

"That honor, courage, and virtue mean everything: that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil;  that love, true love never dies."

I strolled down Pattaya Beach with such thoughts in mind--after a few hours of reading and a good old movie starring Robert Duval and Michael Caine.  Probably can steer a sound course here on out with such a steady breeze at my back.

Pattaya Beach

Thais would be seeing a downturn in tourism in Pattaya, except for the ongoing torrent of Russians and Uzbeks, and Kazakhstanis from their cold environs directly into U-Tapao Airport, a half-hour drive from downtown Pattaya. Cyrillic signs abound--English is now the third language--maybe the fourth after German. But the streets of 'Babel' actually afford a sense of privacy as I mosey away from the throngs undisturbed.

There are lots of Slavic heavies over this way. My imagination stirs up notions of Russian mobsters on retreat--Russian hit men on R and R until the smoke clears. I saw 'In Bruges' on my flight from New York and my creative sway sometimes becomes captivated in scenarios of Vladmir and Dmitri embroiled in truculent salvos with a half-witted Thai mafia boss over turf rights, the tete-a-tete arranged at a busy eatery along Walking Street. The steady flow of Chang Beer, the scent of jasmine from two Russian beauties in silk dresses, their long painted finger nails flitting along Vladmir's and Dmitri's collars, the glare and pinched brows of the Russian thugs, the staccato and slur of Russian insults, a spray of spit with every "Chush sabach'ya! Chto za huy!" and the Thai loses the home court advantage, his puzzled look a clear loss of face.

Thai Mafia Boss arrested....

Russian Mafia Boss arrested....

Russian Bar Girls

A normal take-away here (not to be confused with the excellent pizza on Soi 14) would be a swift mallet to the head by a teenage motor bike gang member, maybe while the victim is walking out from a Seven Eleven with a six pack of Heineken's under his arm. Be worth more alive than dead I always say.  Steer clear.

From Pattaya--Dan(ny)

Not really so lurid, Pattaya is a pleasant, vibrant, and interesting coastal city, with just a modicum of debauchery.  :-)

Wonderful Thia Food.....Beach-Side Picnic

Pattaya is Home.  :-)