It's a 'family' holiday destination as well apparently.
The 'infamous ladyboys of Olde Beach Road' are, IMHO, dealable with by me and I've seen you put people on their back with one punch and I don't get the paranoia whether I like them or not! I've never talked to, taken from or frequented the beach road at night looking for..........anything really!
Watched the Thai Elvis down there once and it was bloody brilliant!
Patong at night is a squalid, seedy huddle of small bars full of blokes on the piss and girls who fcuk for money and people who want to part me from my money, hopefully as painlessly as possible! I've never tried to delude myself that it is anything other than that! Disney it isn't.
I am more concerned about a yabba'd up BG giving me a bottle to the head.
Saying the wrong thing to a tout and having his mates all over me like a rash.
Other drunken winkers of any nationality bumping into me and wanting a fight over it!
Being followed home with the takings from my business.
Having my Bin padded, complaining and having Soi security give me a quick seeing to!
Being arrested by the MIB for actually being a 'witness' to a fight!
Driving my motorbike anywhere at night, sober or not!
Going for petrol or the 7-11 and having a gun pulled on me.
There's internationally promoted hotels here in Kabul but I wouldn't stay at any of them!
There's lots of 'issues' about Patong IMHO tuk tuks, jetskis, state of the police, unsafe swimming, dual pricing etc etc not all of them good......BUT......It doesn't seem to stop us and thousands of others going there!
I would have been attacked by LB's outside my hotel once and I am afraid I would have moved, same same if the food was cr4p.
Saying that, thousands of familys have great holidays in Patong every year with no problems at all!
I take the place, Patong, for what it is and have my eyes wide open. If I didn't want the 'potential' of meeting touts, prostitutes, ladyboys, corrupt police, drunks, hustlers, pushers, dealers, pickpockets, my mates in a seedy, loud, sexily clad girly dancing district catering fundamentally to blokes paying to get their leg over.........where would I meet them!
PS: Anybody saying Rochdale vill be shot! :yes: