WILD-WATER rafting in Pattaya – a new face for Pattaya once again

Once again Pattaya has proven it has a place amongst the world’s most innovative world travel destinations. Last night a few of us where down the beach, and radar believing individuals as we are, we were not at all concerned by the thunder or lightning. We knew the radar does not lie – well it bloody well did. It bucketed down. Far from being distraught or unhappy about it, I am actually glad it did. 

The deluge that was released from the heavens made me, for the first time, become familiar with the term wild-water rafting in Pattaya. The Pattaya City Council being as foresightful as they are, and having fixed all the flood problems now, allowed me to be part of a very rare thing indeed – Niagara falls on the beach of Pattaya. Any adventure company would have gladly been a sponsor of the event and would have, I am sure, sold tickets for this by the hundreds.

As the pictures show this was really a lot of water, sadly I had no way of recording the smell of it all. Being a bum I am also just too lazy to put the video footage up on youtube to give you an idea of the noise it made as it was cutting its way through the little bit of beach we have here. Anyway, this was one of the rare occasion when the Pattaya sea water was actually clean in comparison and the safest environment to be in. The roads, footpaths and all surrounding areas were submerged by what appeared to be not the cleanest of all water in the district. The bottles, plastic bags and odd dead rat floating past didn’t really worry me but the turds were a little disturbing when they rubbed up against your legs. Anyway, all this stinking mess aside it was a spectacular sight to see. All along the Pattaya Klang part, a number of wild rivers of run-off were coming from the road, cutting wide gorges into the beach and then turning the ‘clean’ seawater into a mess of broiling sewerage where the rivers and the ocean mixed. Made me feel like I was being part of the creation of the world, present at some ritual to renew the face of Thailand (or at least Pattaya). Now, I have heard people call Pattaya a Sh…hole but I never quite made this connection.
On a side-note a dark blue hat was seen floating down towards Jomtien – I hope the wearer is still alive.

Previous to this deluge we noticed the local farang tourist police walking along the beach,  leaving the girls alone and just concentrating on the pickpocketing ladyboys and shining their torches all around what appeared to be Yabba dealing individuals. ‘Good on you guys’ – finally somebody is taking care of the real rats here in Pattaya.

A note to our beloved head of Pattaya Council – The Jetski scammers were busy again during the day as well.

JAMES BOND on Pattaya Beach – couldn’t stop the local mafia

Yesterday, while walking along the beach, I noticed the local city council putting up barriers just in front of Walking Street. Not only were they erecting these concrete boxes but at the same time they were painting them to give them this clean, all shiny, new look. Anyway on my return to the beach at about 10pm I noticed an eerie absence of Ladyboys and Ladies. The odd one had survived and was huddling in some shadow where she wouldn’t be spotted so easily. I presumed it must have been just the nightly 10 pm cleanup happened early and kept heading towards soi 8. Pickups with Katoeys and Beach hookers passed me and I remember thinking that today they are really cleaning up – the police coffers must be empty.

About an hour later a few of us were walking back towards Walking Street when we noticed a full force of Tourist Cops interspaced with Real Police all along the beach. This spread from soi 9 in drips and drabs all the way to just in front of Walking Street. Someone said it was some VIP or “Superstar” coming so we just ran with that story. On reaching the newly barricaded motorbike parking area at the front of Walking we seen a whole mob of these ‘Police’ all bunched up talking to each other. Some were even posing on Segways (usually too expensive for the local Tourist Police) so this must have been some big VIP.

Talking to a solid looking guy it was confirmed that they were here to do security for some VIP. Who, was not revealed to us and as we had been drinking the guy just said “come on fellas give us a break” we were sort of pesteriing about the identity of this VIP. Anyway, as was discovered by us later, the only VIP that we came into contact with that night was the bulky James Bond 007 (as can be seen on his badge) from America.

Being disappointed about the absence of any Very Important People besides us, I went home soon after. Woke up about 10 am a bit under the weather. Judging by the sms I was now reading but I had gotten the night before, Blacky got into a fight with some mafia guys (presumably in Walking Street) and felt that “he wasn’t so keen on Thailand at that moment”.

Well that’s Thailand you gotta love the place – even when you know where you going you will never get there.
By the way anyone know who that VIP was or even where my mate is? Haven't seen the VIP or him as yet.

Update seen my mate and it seems he was bashed in Walking street while a crowd was looking on (including some tourist police guys someone said). He did end up getting saved by a couple of Indians that took him out of harms way. Oh how I love Walking St with all the pimps, drugs and helpful 'men in blue'or in this case 'men in black'.