They also have motorcycles for rent as well. The helmets they provide seem a little light and not well constructed. Bringing your own helmet might be a good idea for motorcycle riding. Dont forget a locking device for the motorbike/motorcycle like a chain or kryptonite lock. The popular opinion amongst the ladies is these things get stolen easily.
My favorite motorbikes are the Hondas which seem more logically constructed, easier to ride and have more power. For example, when the kickstand goes down the motor shuts off. There is an ignition guard that guards against prying. Other motorbikes do not seem to have this same type of construction.
I toured through Jontiem at night. It was challenging dealing with night-time traffic. Forward motion is critical to safety as you have no idea if the person behind you is awake or alert to your presence. I have seen a few drivers walk out of the 7-11 with a few beers in hand. Therefore, stopping or slowing at any point may be hazardous. When pedestrians are stepping into the street, then its vital to use the horn and flash the brights so they know to jump out of the way. Stopping for them might cause you to get rear-ended.
Jontiem is a place where I would feel confident taking young children, a girlfriend or a family at night. It seems to have a much higher level of sophistication then Pattaya. I could picture myself retiring or living in Jontiem as its more layed back and free of the usual hassles that Pattaya seems to present. Pattaya, on the other hand, seems a bit slummy and a place which is fun to visit, but best not to actually live there.
There are beer bars and go-gos in Jontiem, but only on a few streets and to a much lesser extent. Its not as "in your face" as Pattaya. If you want Pattaya, then you can simply get on one of the pickup trucks and be taken there for 10 baht within 15 minutes. Many of the Pattaya bars and go-gos have short-time rooms. Several hotels in Pattaya do offer short-time accomodations as well so you do not have to trek back to Jontiem with the Pattaya barfine.
I took several pictures of the night scene at Jontiem. This is truly a nice beach.
I also did some trekking up into the hills with the motorbike. Here are some more pictures:
I walked past the European girls go-go and I was "made". The girls on the front try to beckon you in with gestures rather then calling out at you. I passed by once and I guess they saw me. Then I came by again and took this picture. In the 15 megapixel version, zooming in on the woman in the right top shows the woman looking right at the camera and blowing a kiss at me. A few of the other girls were looking right at the camera. I wasnt going in on that night, because I was "made" then I would be ripe for a hustle and my baht would quickly disappear. I can honestly say that I would easily be happy with the majority of women in this picture. This a good line-up of Euro women.
As good as these ladies look, make no mistake, they are hustlers. Some decades ago, my Uncle was scammed by an Eastern European woman that looked very much like the women in these photos. These women are the scammiest of the scammers. Be careful with these...
Last night at the hotel, I was still resting and relaxing from the travelers illness. I did have a past barfine over, but just to occupy my time. By the way, its always best to get the phone number of the ladies. The ladies do not seem to have any loyalty to their bar and will easily give you an after-hours deal that is more competitive then the usual barfine+fee.
I heard some noise in the hallway and a woman was moaning. This was surprising because this is only the 3rd time I have ever heard moaning in all the time I have stayed at hotels in my entire life (mongering or otherwise). You would think that you would hear women moaning and screaming on a daily basis in these mongering oriented hotels. In fact, you never even see the doors to the other rooms opening up or hear anyone in the hallway. The hotel says they are full, but you never quite see or hear anyone doing their business. On occasion, you see some guys down in the restaurant or walking up the stairs, but the hotel never seems like its "full".
The majority of the Thai women I have barfined have been porno-movie loud unlike the Filipinos which seem to be a mixed bag in that department. I have some vivid memories of a few of them. One notable one was the December 5th Kings birthday beach barfine. She was screaming "fuck me" and moaning loud for the good part of an hour and I was certain someone in the hallway heard this. In fact, I heard doors opening up and saw some shadowy feet through the cracks. Maybe some of the guys were relaxing outside with a Chang and enjoying the show...
