Aloha Everyone,
Thai immigration required all passengers attend compulsory Immigration Inspection on ashore in a make-shift terminal building.
The drive to Bangkok, capital of Thailand, is estimated to be 2 1/2 to 3 hours one way from Laem Chabang. Aware of the notorious Bangkok traffic and air pollution, we used the shuttle bus service to nearby Pattaya Beach.
Pattaya Beach became a familiar household name during the Vietnam War era as a place where American soldiers went for their R&R. Remnants of yesteryear still remain with numerous Thai massage parlors, garish bars and cheap souvenir shops and money changers. Today, in addition to passengers from cruise ships, there are resident foreigners who have settled in Pattaya for the cheap cost of living and year-round summer weather.
J.J. and I walked the beach front promenade being mindful of the crumbling stones on sidewalks, nauseating miasma, dust and fumes created by passing motorbikes and vehicular traffic. After making a few purchases at a local handicraft shop, the two of us took an early shuttle bus back to the sanctuary of our ship.
Aloha -- Cathi
