Jimmyd

The filth here truly is unbelievable.  People just don't seem to give a dam_n which is a shame, because Pattaya could be so much more than it presently is if it were to be cleaned up.  I mean, my God!  Pattaya even has a Hilton hotel, and they don't put those up unless they know it's going to be profitable!  
When I first moved into my place, I could stand on the back balcony and the jungle came to the edge of the building within 5 or 6 meters, and it was gorgeous except for the fact that when they built the place, all the construction trash, plaster, sheet rock, wire, metal, etc., was all just thrown on the ground and never picked up.  What an eye sore!  My initial reaction was, "Why the hell would anybody DO that?!"  Anyway, I suggested to the owner of the building that I would pay a crew to pick up the trash and do a little landscaping in order to compliment the natural feeling of looking out and seeing the jungle canopy complete with beautiful jungle birds, squirrels playing etc., but the man acted totally offended that I would even SUGGEST such a thing!  My thought was, "What the hell is wrong with people?!?!"  

Don't get me wrong...Thailand has some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen with it's lush tropical rain forest, but whenever you get around civilization, it turns into a total open garbage pit.  If the powers that be really wanted to, Pattaya could be so much more.  But they could have a thousand guys out picking up garbage off the beaches, but it still wouldn't put a dent in cleaning up the water around here, because it's totally polluted.

Jimmyd, on 2012-04-24 12:45:36, said:

Government offices are generally open between 08:30 and 16:30, Monday through Friday, except on public holidays.

For the people moaning about transport in Pattaya being harsh. I just look at it like this if you have money to drink you have money to pay for transport back too. If you don't stay home, saving a buck is not an excuse for drunk driving. I live a bit further out in BKK if i take a taxi home and back from lets say Nana i pay 400-450 too (going and back in total). I don't drink anymore but i did in the past but i wasn't stupid enough to drive my bike or car.

I don't think the issue with hating SongKran has anything to do with getting wet (We get wet every day in the shower (I hope so ), it has to do with the violence, the disrespect and people who try to do bodily harm, because they think they can during these insane couple of days.