Sawadee Ka from Thailand

Hello all! We are coming at you live from Pattaya, Thailand. Jeff has been here almost three weeks, and I have been here just under two weeks. We are so happy to be here! There are many other employees from Jeff's company in the area, so there are lots of other people for us to have fun with. In India it was just Jeff and I for the majority of the four months, so it is awesome just being able to go out to dinner with a group (not to mention how fun it is going out on the weekends and exploring Thailand!).

We are staying at a just the greatest hotel here. There is so much to do (great fitness center with tennis and fitness classes daily, incredible pool, totally relaxing spa, great restaurants, and more) and I don't think I have ever stayed at a hotel with such great service. We had heard that Thai people were very nice by nature, but the staff here truly goes above and beyond. For example, while sitting poolside the other day the staff came around and brought everyone a plate of fresh fruit, ice cold apple juice and a bottle of cold water. I was ready to charge such a treat to our room, but it was all complimentary! We even have access to the executive lounge for free breakfast and cocktails/appetizers in the evenings! It is truly such a change from India and we couldn't be happier.

Pattaya is such an interesting city that I am not sure how best to describe it. I think the two best descriptions I have heard thus far are: (1) a 24 hour bachelor party and (2) Las Vegas without the casinos, but I am not sure that either really sums up Pattaya as a whole. Pattaya became popular during the Vietnam War when GI's began to arrive for R&R. As happens when you have a group of young of men looking to escape the rigors of war, Thai females became a great source of "entertainment." As a result, Pattaya is now famous for prostitution, go-go bars, and a wide variety of "entertainment" venues offering Vegas-style shows. While the seedy side is definitely what the city is known for, Pattaya has a lot more to offer. There are some great beaches in the city and there are many islands offering the same just a quick boat ride away. We look forward to having some time off so we can explore!