The Golden Coast Of Thailand

Pattaya, Thailand


Fine, fine, I'll get this out of the way first. Happy Valentine's Day. There. Are you happy?

Good. Now let's get back to the REAL work here.

Pattaya! We met up with my parents which was a tender moment (yes, I do have feelings, who woulda thunk it?), and we organised to tag along in their hire car down to Pattaya. We're staying in a hostel/hotel thing at exorbitant cost in downtown Pattaya while they're up in the Dusit Resort, a sprawling mass of vegetation, accommodation, and security guards that follow Drew and I around like puppy dogs. Apparently backpackers rate a 12 on a 1 to 10 scale of "keep an eye on those troublemakers and swiftly flykick them in the head when no one is looking". I love giving those security guys shit, cos we're more than welcome to be in the resort. We are, after all, guests of residents. Maybe seeing a dirty unwashed backpacker in their perfect little isolated world is disturbing for the fat, overtanned, wrinkled and disturbingly disgusting hordes of package tourists?

I hereafter remove my parents from that designation and label because they're my parents, and they're better than anyone else in that resort. Including that head security guard who really doesn't like me much. I give him a little wave everytime I see him. He just scowls. I think he secretly has the hots for me.

We haven't done much in Pattaya except checked out a few bars...and a few more bars. And a couple more bars after that. I received some saddening news yesterday (on Valentines Day, of all days) so I grabbed Drew that night and dragged him out on quite possibly the most drunkenly emotional pub crawl I've ever been on. So big thanks to the D man for being there in a moment of need for yours truly.

Tonight we're checking out some night markets, eating some random food, and I'll probably hit the piss again. It's excellent to have my folks around (extra drinking buddies are always a bonus, including Bill the American we met last night who dragged us into a pingpong show), yet its a subtle karmatic reminder that the end of our trip is fast approaching. But we still have some time left to squeeze the last vestiges of life out of this adventure of ours! Party on! Beer up! CHAI YO!