Pattaya, Thailand

Welcome to Pattaya, a beach resort town a couple of hours south of Bangkok. This is not only the prostitution capital of Thailand, but also a get-away place for Bangkok residents.

 Narrow beachfront, covered with chairs and umbrellas. Where's the sand?

 Boat hotel anyone?

There is a visible police presence here, live officers on foot, car and bicycle.

 Nice sculpture on the promenade.

 Your own peanut butter toast, if you so desire.

 Para-sailing in the early morning, before the wind comes up.

This looked tacky in the daytime, parked on the street. Who knew how fun it would look at night?

 I never saw what the special gift for darling might be. Take a guess????

 Yesterday afternoon there was a commotion across the street from the hotel. Within an hour there was a big tent, a podium complete with speakers, and many groups milling about. These are the Shutdown Bangkok, Restart Thailand protesters. As of today, the Thailand government has declared a state of emergency.

 After about an hour of speeches, the group moved into the street for a big parade, complete with banners and bands. No whistles for this group.

This was my last destination on the trip. Now back to one Bangkok overnight, fly to Narita/Toyko, then to LAX. It's been a wonderful trip with lots and lots of exciting experiences.