A is off to work again this morning, so I grab a lift with her to the junction of Pattaya Nua (North Pattaya Road) in order to have a morning constitutional in a different part of town and to find the shop where my neighbour 'Robin' works.
He works for a tailors called Jame's Fashion which I find, but at 09:15 on a Sunday, the place isn't open yet. (The owner also has an outlet in Bangkok and many of the reports seem quite favourable, so I may take up Robin on his offer to 'check the product'. I've already told him that I am not interested in buying as I have no need for a suit or shirts at the moment, however being the ever optinmistic salesman, he says that I should just come along one day and have a look because if I have friends in Pattaya, maybe I could introduce them to the shop.)
There is little else of interest for me along this road as I am not interested in buying ceramics or specialist housewares. There is also the "largest jewellery shop in the world" which is somewhere that I hope never to need to report on.
At the junction with 3rd Road, I turn left back towards Pattaya Klang and again there is little of interest to see or do along this stretch of road. There is a very good Thai buffet on the left that I've been to with A a couple of times and is where I was planning to go with her tonight before other arrangements were made. There are also several car wash outlets and a plethora of finance company offices, so it's not an area catering for the tourist population.
I reach Pattaya Klang and turn left again to go to Carrefour for the shopping. It's now 10:15, so I need to spend at least 45 minutes in the store as alcohol cannot be bought before 11:00.
As I am looking at the selection of beers, I am stopped by an American who tells me that in his opinion Chang is no longer any good as Thai beer and that some of the alternatives are better. I don't know if he is right, so I end up getting 3 x Leo; 3 x Cheers; 3 x Red Horse; 1 case (12 bottles) of Chang (to hell with the extra 4 baht :D) as well as 15 small bottles of Singha Lite (A's tipple); 6 Spy Classic & 6 Spy Red (lady #2 and lady #11's tipple), 2 x 30cl bottles of 'Master Blend' Scotch (Robin's tipple) (Once again it's cheaper to buy in smaller quantities, as a 30cl bottle is 75 baht yet a 70 cl bottle is 195 baht.) a case of soda water and 2 bottles of Coke.
Whilst I'm here, I also go to check the prices for a small computer desk for home as I know that I will be getting a desktop and it will not be practical to just use the coffee table as I can with the laptop. There is a 'flat pack' budget desk available for 299 baht (reduced until 28th August), so I decide that I might as well get this bought at the same time.
Then a visit to the fresh food area where I get 1kg of chicken breast; 1 kg of pork shoulder and .5 kg of minced pork. (Whilst there, I am a little lavish and spend 23 baht on a french stick; 35 baht on ham; 9 baht on tomatoes and 22 baht on lettuce.
The resultant ham salad baguette was just lovely though and did last for two meals.)
My 'checkbin' is 2354.85 baht (I've never seen satang apart from in a supermarket), however this is not too bad as it's to be offset against the 'birthday' budget.
I wheel my booze laden trolley to the Customer Service desk to find out about the home delivery service as this will save me at least 100 baht on a taxi and all is well until they ask me for my address.
I have no idea and saying "Room 10; The pink building; the end of Soi 5 off Soi Khao Noi" really isn't going to help I suspect.
I telephone A and ask her to speak with them. I then hear them say in a questioning voice "Sri Racha?". A has given them the address that she's at obviously. It gets sorted though, so I leave the trolley and head back home.
Around an hoiur and a half later, there's a guy at the door with the Computer Desk pack, I help him bring up all the bags containing the bottles and give him a tip of 20 baht.
The Carrefour delivery has got the interest of a couple of the kids and they come to investigate what has been delivered. After filling the fridge with alcoholic beverages and the freezer with meat, I start to open the flatpack and find that I have assistance in passing me the right pieces and hammering the dowels in as required. It doesn't take long to get the desk assembled and it will do for what I need.
When A arrives home, she checks everything and says that she wanted me to get two 'big' bottles of whiskey (there will ALWAYS be something that hasn't been done right), so I need to get extra. In addition, we talk about getting her gold 'upgrade' and she tells me that she would like the necklace changed and for it to be a little longer'. She takes it off and gives me the guarantee with the instruction to "buy for me beauty". She is off to the food market with lady #2 to get the non meat supplies for tonight, so I walk down to Sukhumvit and spend 10 baht for a bus trip to Big C.
First stop is the Aurora gold store, where I get a new necklace and part with 3300 baht (an extra half half baht) which brings the necklace up to half baht. (No budget for future 'upgrades' until Christmas)
Then it's a quick trip round the store for the other present that A has said that she wanted which is a cooking hotplate (1145 baht) as well as getting an additional two bottles of whiskey.
I get a baht bus back and as I walk past the furniture shop that we've bought many items from, I decide to check out the costs of a chair to use at the new desk and they have something suitable for 850 baht which is cheaper than those on offer at the big stores.
I make the purchase and am given a lift home in the delivery truck.
I return to a scene of fervent activity. There is cooking taking place on the gas bottle burner as well as the charcoal burner. Prawns and kebabs are being skewered; chicken is being coated in breadcrumbs; hotdog sausages are being cut into smaller pieces and the rice cooker is belching out steam.
I'm simply told "you go shower and I tell you when ready". Around 45 minutes later there's a call from downstairs and it's time for me (and the booze) to join the gathering. There's a veritable mountain of food and I am not surprised that we fail to finish it all.
I then get a 'phone call from BM Hammer to check if I'm still okay to spend Wednesday night at the Cherry Bar. I let him know that I'm looking forward to it and he says that he'll post an announcement on the boards.
We stay outside talking and drinking until the rain forces us 'inside' and we all pile into #2 where we continue even though the kids are asleep on the matress in the room with us.
At just after midnight, we wend our way back upstairs and just crash out.
Expenditure :
Carrefour : 2354 baht
Tip : 20 baht
Baht Bus : 20 baht
Big C : 4595 baht
Chair : 850 baht
(The budget for A's birthday was 10000 and actual expenditure came to 160 + (2354-225) + 4595 = 6884, so things are still on track and the desk / chair are effectively covered )
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