Normally, I hate shopping. I don’t even like to shop for a loaf of bread. But, in Pattaya, I find myself shopping almost every day.
When I first arrive in Pattaya, I go shopping to fill up my refrigerator. Even though it is fully stocked, I like to stock it with cheaper items from the local 7-11. I have the hotel remove everything except the two free bottles of water and pick up some beer, Pepsi, red bull, and a couple of extra bottles of water I also get some snacks.
Since I travel light, I usually go out the first or second day and pick up some shorts and T-shirts. I will also get a few DVD movies to watch back in the hotel room. I have some preferred local toiletries and pick these up too. Lux is really great shower soap. I usually pick up these few items at Mike's Shopping Mall or over at the Royal Garden Shopping Plaza. Never accept the first price. Always bargain and don’t be afraid to walk away if they don’t meet your price. Walking away may drop the price drastically. If not, walk 10 feet and you will see the same items.
I make it a point to go to the Big C Shopping Mall and to Tuk Com (Com City) to check out the latest in electronics. I may or may not pick up an unlocked, tri-band cell phone that I can use in Thailand and also back in America. I will also take a look at the latest in pirated software and Thai movies. I enjoy Thai music so I will buy some CD's, MP3's and videos.
My favorite place to shop is at the flea market. In Thai, this is called talat naht. It is open on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Located on Soi Buakhao and South Road, it is open at about eight in the morning and I try to get there by nine. If I am early, I will just grab a bite to eat at one of the many street vendors.
You want to arrive early and complete your shopping by about eleven o'clock. Otherwise it will be way too hot. Shopping under all those canvas tarps in close quarters can be extremely hot. Make sure you bring a bottle of water or buy when at the market.
Most of the items are 99 or 199 Baht. This works out to about three US dollars or six US dollars. This is the place I buy most of the clothes I want for me and for my family and friends. You can also find clothes for less than that. I have gotten many outfits for my 1-year old granddaughter for about $1.25 per set.
I also pick up some additional Thai music and videos. The vendors will have stereos and TV's set up so that you can hear and see what they are selling. You can also the items to make sure they work. Prices for videos and music are about 3 dollars per CD.
It seems like you are always buying something just walking around Pattaya. I can be out going to dinner or to a bar, and I will see something that catches my eye and I buy it. Vendors also sell their wares while you are eating or drinking. They can be pests but every once in a while I will see something that I want to buy.
Pattaya seems like it is one giant flea market. Shops are everywhere, vendors are located every 10 feet, and malls are popping up all over the city. Large outlets are also available in Pattaya, but I prefer the smaller places where I can still use my bargaining skills.
So, even if you are like me and absolutely hate shopping, you will find that you will be shopping daily in Pattaya and actually enjoying yourself. Maybe it is because of how cheap all the goodies are.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to Bangkok - Pattaya - and Phuket and books his hotels in Thailand through Thailand Accommodations
Submitted by: Free Article Submitter
By: lar
วันพุธที่ 16 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
Shopping in Pattaya
วันจันทร์ที่ 5 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2550
Pattaya
Ko Lan
Ko Lan (Thai: เกาะล้าน) is a small island situated 7.5 km west of Pattaya. Ko Lan is accessible by speedboat and ferry. The ferry departs hourly, and is a 45-minute ride costing just 20 baht each way. Speedboats are more expensive, but can reach the island in less than 15 minutes. Ko Lan has several beaches, which are known for their cleanliness, relaxing atmosphere, soft white sand, and crystal-clear water.
[edit] Island groups
Off Pattaya there are two small island groups, the "Near Islands" (Ko Sak, Ko Krok) located close to the northern shores of Pattaya, very near Ko Lan, and the "Far Islands" (Ko Rin, Ko Man Wichai, Ko Hua Chang, and Ko Badan), located offshore directly west of Pattaya. These islands, especially the "Far Islands", are the primary scuba diving destinations in and around Pattaya.
[edit] Transportation
Pattaya is served through U-Tapao International Airport which is 45 minutes drive from the city. Also served by Sukhumvit Road and Motorway 7. Until recently the only transport within town were private songthaews. However, a public bus service has begun in 2006. Intercity transport is usually through one of two bus stations, one for Bangkok and one for other destinations, although busses commonly stop anywhere in Thailand.
Pattaya is only 1 and a half hours by road from the new Bangkok International Airport, Suvarnabhumi, which is the worlds 16th busiest airport, with over 42m passengers / annum.
[edit] Other attractions
Other activities include golfing at the area's many golf courses, and there are 21 golf courses within 1 hour of Pattaya, go-cart racing, visiting the construction site of an elaborate private wooden temple known as Sanctuary of Truth, and different theme parks and zoos such as Mini Siam, and Elephant Village.
The private Sri Racha Tiger Zoo features several hundred tigers and thousands of alligators as well as some other animals. It has often been criticized for the animals' living conditions, and a worker was killed by tigers in 2004[3]. There was a major bird flu outbreak at the zoo later that year[4].
The Vimantaitalay tourist submarine takes customers underwater to see corals and marine life just a few kilometers offshore. There are many boat trips from an hour to all day trips available, mostly leaving from Bali Hai Pier, near Walking Street.
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden is located some 15 kilometers east of Pattaya. The 500-acre site has well maintained botanical gardens and an orchid nursery. Moreover the facility has lively cultural shows in a Thai village setting. In addition trained chimpanzees and elephants are seen at the garden.
Other attractions in Pattaya: The Million Years Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm, Elephant Village, Pattaya Park Beach Resort Water Park and Funny Land Amusement Park, Siriporn Orchid Farm, Underwater World Pattaya (world class aquarium), Alankarn cultural show, Sriracha Tiger Zoo, Bottle Art Museum, Mini Siam, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, and Walking Street.
Some tourists take daytrips to nearby Rayong for beautiful beaches, as well as Koh Samet island.
[edit] Shopping
In recent years, new shopping malls, outlet stores and jewelry stores have opened up, which has helped in increasing the length of stay of visitors to the city. Among the shopping malls are:
- Central Festival, Pattaya Second Road – Indoor mall anchored by a BigC; also has a SF Cinema City branch.
- Carrefour, Pattaya Central Road
- Mike Shopping Mall , Beach Road
- Royal Garden Plaza, Beach Road – Three-story indoor mall with a Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum and an SF Multiplex cinema. Also has a Sizzler restaurant, Au Bon Pain, KFC, McDonald's, Auntie * Anne's Pretzels, ZEN Japanese restaurant, Swensen's, Haagen Daz, Pizza Company, Delice de France, and a large food court. The Marriott Hotel is adjacent.
- The Avenue, Second Road (near Royal Garden) is in the midst of a soft opening with the following either open or their spaces being fitted out: a 22 lane Bowling Alley, Au Bon Pain, McDonalds,Thanachart Bank, 8 Major Cineplex theatres, Boots, McDonalds, California Wow! a major gym/fitness spa (open for subscriptions), Shenanigans, Iberry, Pizza Pizza, 20 Nails Spa, Starbucks, Kasikorn Bank, Bank of Ayudhaya, and a 24/7 Villa Market, which carries imported goods difficult to find in other supermarkets.
- Tesco Lotus, Pattaya North Road
- TukCom, Pattaya Tai (South) Road, boasts a large computer/IT complex offering reasonable prices.
- A major outlet mall is next to the tesco selling discount clothing from many european and american brands.
At least one other new large mall is under construction.
Pattaya has many large home improvement stores including Home Mart, HomeWorks, Home Pro, Kanyong and True Value.
The closest department store to Pattaya is Robinson's, located about 30 minutes away in Sri Racha.
There are several large nightly markets in different parts of town.
[edit] Nightlife
Pattaya is renowned for its nightlife. The city has some famous discos, including Tonys and the Marine disco, named after the US marines which still visit Pattaya for R and R. There is a new club called Hammer on walking street, which has live bands. Lucifer is also worth visiting. X-Zyte and Stardice are other places. There is also a hard rock cafe.
The city has literally hundreds of beer bars, go go bars, and night clubs/discotheques. Many of these are venues are for meeting working men or women. The nature of commercial sex varies widely; the standard system of "bar fines" is the most common, but there are many exceptions. Most notably, discos and nightclubs are venues for freelancers, independent sex workers unaffiliated with a commercial establishment. There are also several large massage parlours.
Since the "social order" crackdown of 2004, there are very few sex shows (such as the ping pong shows) although they can sometimes still be found. Depending on the enforcement climate, go go dancers may be seen fully nude, topless or in bikinis on different days or weeks.
Muay Thai (Thai boxing) matches aimed at tourists can be seen at many of the open air beer bar complexes.
Another important, but understated aspect of Pattaya are the foreign restaurants. Often run by expats, most offer quality food at prices far below those found in Bangkok, Samui or Phuket.
The Boyztown, Sunee Plaza, and the Jomtien Complex areas are famous for their many gay nightclubs, cabarets and go-go clubs. Pattaya probably has the largest concentration of establishments catering to the gay community in Thailand. Many specialize in certain types of hosts (slim, muscular, effeminate), while others have a broad range of men available.
Pattaya is known for its cabaret revues featuring kathoeys (male-to-female transsexuals), with Alcazar and Tiffany's being the largest and most elaborate. There are a few kathoey bars around Walking St. and nearby (e.g. Jenny Star Bar)
[edit] Crime
Historically, Pattaya has had comparatively high levels of crime, sometimes attributed to organised crime in, and preying on, the sex industry as well as the easy availability of tourist cash in a country that had a per capita Gross National Income of US$2,750 in 2005. In recent years, Pattaya has served as a hideaway for foreigners with connections to organized crime in their home countries, and dozens of Thais have been murdered in gang-related disputes.[5] The authorities are also increasingly cracking down on under-age sex workers and their clients and a number of high profile arrests have been made in recent years. It is not unusual for tourists to be robbed, either by room breakins, snatch and runs, or by sex workers. In 1996, a six-member gang was arrested for repeatedly robbing tourists that had been drugged by prostitutes.
Visitors are more likely to encounter petty crime, usually limited to pickpocketing and confidence tricks, particularly in and around major tourist areas such as Jomtien and Pattaya Beaches and on the "baht buses". To help curb this problem, a special Tourist Police division has been established to aid foreign tourists (farang) who are victims of crime.
Pattaya, along with the rest of Thailand, is also known for its abundance of pirated DVD movies, music CDs and software. Such vendors can be found anywhere along main tourist areas, having their own booths or simply approaching customers in bars and restaurants and on the beaches.
[edit] Property
Property is big business in Pattaya, especially property development. Many new buildings have gone up in recent years, and some people think the market might be oversupplied.
Some buildings are put up with little respect for planning permission and a building was recently in dispute due to being too close to the shore line and too close to another condo block.
There is also a market in Villas but its growth is limited due to ownership restrictions on foreigners.
[edit] Health Care
Many foreign tourists come to Pattaya for dental and medical care, for first class treatment at reasonable prices. Large hospitals in the area include Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Pattaya International Hospital, Banglamung Hospital, and Pattaya Memorial Hospital.
[edit] Expat Community
Due to the large number of foreign residents, Pattaya boasts several expat clubs which have regular monthly or weekly meetings.
Pattaya has its own masonic lodge, a rotary club, an international school, an english boarding school.
[edit] Media
Pattaya has several foreign language newspapers, most come out weekly. The English newspapers include Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Today, Pattaya People. Additionally, there are French, Norwegian, German, Russian and Japanese publications. There are several English language cable t.v. programs with news and video reports from Pattaya. There are also several tourist magazines, most of them come out monthly. One of the best known of these is the EYE Magazine.
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