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"I think this is it here, quick hit the bell button" I said to Baklaboy as the baht bus approached Mike's Mall on Beach Road. The bus pulled up, we grabbed our luggage awkwardly from the standing frame at the back of the bus, gave the driver the 40 B and off up the soi along the side of Mike's we scampered with 2 names for directions, Kiss Restaurant and Soi Diana. Passing the fruit sellers on the left between Mike's and Second road, we scanned for Kiss. "Ah, there it it over there, and that must be Soi Diana" Baklaboy informed me in his best Kenneth Williams voice. We made our way wide eyed up along our new surroundings, trying to take it all in. It was late afternoon, the bars were half full already, and we were looking for a room. Finally we saw the Sawasdee whatever guest house and asked if they had two rooms. "Yes mister" came the reply, "Correct answer" I thought.. We payed the rate, headed up to the rooms, dropped off our bags and I said to myself "Welcome to Pattaya" 5 years ago this week, but I remember it like it's only yesterday. I can recall that first proper day in Pattaya so clearly and it does not seem like half a decade ago, so much has happened there in the meantime. I had been coming to Thailand for 5 years already at that point, damn I had even lived in Bkk for the best part of 2 years but this was my first time hitting Pattaya, forum savvy, and boy was I going to make the most of it. I had Rossco's famous bar map printed out, legend, and off Baklaboy and I went exploring this new frontier on his rented bike....... Sitting here at home tonight, waiting patiently for my flight next week, back to all the good friends (cheers guys) I have made since jumping off that baht bus in October '07 I have to smile to myself and think how lucky I have been to discover this whole damn thing. Anyway getting to the point, what are your memories of arriving in Pattaya for the first time?