The rooms were nice and big, fresh and clean. The bathroom had a bath and a shower cubicle; the complimentary toiletries were good quality.
The bed was very comfortable; the room includes a mini bar, room safe, tea & coffee facilities, TV, stereo with MP3 dock, writing desk, balcony with table & chairs on it (although the door to the balcony would not open).
The AC was a bit clunky and noisy but worked OK.
Breakfast was very good - not a huge selection, but my bacon and scrambled eggs were very tasty and made fresh to order.

On the negatives, although I booked a taxi from the airport, they forgot to organise it. Also when I arrived they asked for 1000 baht cash as a deposit, which I did get back when I checked out. I see these as teething problems that could be sorted out - I would definitely return for a similar room rate or thereabouts.

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most of the sunee bars seems to have reverted to having suspiciously young men working for them ;-(

only bars that i went to that have all men of legal age was krazy dragon - though as with the earlier report. boys are not allowed to come on premises as boss does not want. quite understandable as the bar needs to bring in the bucks as they only charge 99b per drink.

happy boys bar on the end of soi was also with all full of legally aged young men. they were full on the weekend - all farang. one seemed to be an exhibitionist, not going upstairs despite buying the boy a drink, and the y/m already disrobed was being groped by the farang in the open.

would u know if a customer of the bar with an underaged boy will be in trouble when the police comes in even though he did not touch the boy?

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He would not be in trouble, per se, but he might find himself on a list of "persons of interest".

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-- Today, (25th. - Christmas Day.), the 19YO. young man, Khun Nat/Nut., who manages the beach concession to wch. my Enthusiastic and American friend and I go - in front of the AVALON HTL. - cell-'phoned. him to wish him 'Merry Christmas.'.
- The YM. added that DONGTAN BEACH is no busier than it was when we visited about a fortnight or so ago.

-- My E&AF. & I shall be going to PATTAYA next week, (mon. 27th.), for a few days, so we'll be able to see for ourselves what PATTAYA is like during what should be one of its busiest weeks of the year.

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actually i seemed to have missed the gay section of the dongtan beach when i went there last week. it seemed to be overrun with people that i suspect to be russians.

on the central festival side of pattaya, i witness one farang being chased by a thai and slapped with footwear when finally caught up with the guy. i suspect it was one of the watersports renting thing again, but with the roles possibly reversed.

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-- Today, (30th.), my Enthusiastic & American Friend and I ret'd. from a few days in PATTAYA;
- For what should be the peak week of the Tourists' Season we reckoned that the section of DONGTAN BEACH that we patronise, in front of AVALON HTL., was running at around 75-80%. occupancy - enough to keep khun Nat & his helpers busy but not too over-stretched;
- Not all that much eye-candy seen; and even the young men who work in the a go-go bars and who usually patronise the next concession weren't too present this time.

-- We were told that on monday, (27th.), morning DONGTAN BEACH was advised of a visit by Pattaya's Finest - so the beach vendors disappeared; reportedly beach vendors are allowed on JOMTIEN BEACH but are prohibited on DONGTAN BEACH, with the exception of the licenced masseurs/masseusses. I don't know how true that might be?

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Never heard that before. The vendors of all shades have been freely plying their trades all week. Agree there is a strange shortage of eye candy at the moment apart from a small hardcore of perpetuals who sit in the "orange" (or is it faded red ) section.

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