First thing to note about the town of Patong is that there are no controlled intersections and about 70% of the vehicles on the road are scooters. No one stops or even slows down for pedestrians so you have to be very careful when crossing the street anywhere you go. On the very first day in town Teg and I rented scooters. They cost about 200 baht a day are actually super fun to whip around on. The brakes are a bit sketchy on mine but I am getting used to it and how the traffic seems to go. The only basic rule here is stay on the street, everything else is fair game. Even though there is a distinct absence of laws everyone is courteous and cautious. It is very obvious, being a 6'3" white dude, that I am a farang (Thai word for foreigner) and because of that I think I get a little more benefit of doubt when it comes to my scooter skills. I have been pulled over by the Thai police twice already but all they want to make sure is that I have a drivers licence and that I am wearing my helmet so no worries there so far.
The second thing to note is that as a tourist town everyone is selling something. Everyone. And they all ask you if you want what they are selling. Some of them are kinda funny like when as soon as you get done parking your scooter you get asked if you want a taxi... or walking by a massage parlor and basically getting accosted by the girls working there. Some however are really starting to piss me off. Specifically the guys who make suits. They try to shake your hand and if you do they don't let go and try to pull you into their shop. The way they approach you is so much sleazier than any of the other shops. You also have to say no to them 3 to 4 time which also gets on my nerves. I have actually seen shirts around town that say "No I don't want a f$@% TukTuk, Massage or a suit made. Thanks you very much" The other thing to note is the guys on the beach will ask you if you want to rent a jet ski, go for a para sail and if you say no to any of those they will then ask you if you want to buy weed. DON'T DO IT. Basically they will sell you the weed and then go tell the cops. The cops will arrest you and then give the weed back to the dude that sold it to you. Not that I would ever buy weed, but just a warning to all my weed smoking friends.
Third thing to note in Patong is how awesome and cheap the food is here. I honestly don't think I could eat at every restaurant and I have not had a bad meal yet. 60 baht ($1.50 CND) for a chicken padthai is crazy and soo soo tasty. Most places you can get a fruit shake for 50 baht. Teg is not a big sea food fan but I plan to get out to some more places and eat my weight of bounty from the sea. Look for a full report later.
In my next blog I will talk about the night life in Patong which needs a blog of its own. I have to head down to training now. Wish me luck.
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