Pattaya: once, twice

There's in Thailand no other city where opinions are as divided as Pattaya. You love it or you curse the place, there is hardly any in-between.

'Seek and you shall find' certainly applies to Pattaya. In which place, aside from Bangkok, can you find more entertainment? You certainly won't die of hunger and thirst, because the restaurants - in all price ranges and variety - can hardly be counted. For a drink you usually don't have to walk further than about ten meters. It beach may be less wide or white than those of Phuket, Samui or even Hua Hin. Yet; if you weigh up all the pros and cons, the city has a lot to offer.

Talk about bidding

Pattaya not only has a lot to offer as a place, but you can also bid or make a bid yourself. Every Thursday evening you can bid on items that have been put up for auction in the upstairs room of restaurant 'The World of Sport'.

The auction starts at half past eight and from noon you can take a look to see if there is something to your liking. The address 179/94-95 Naklua Road is easy to find. With the 10 bath van you drive to the roundabout with the dolphin, and from there you can walk there in barely two minutes. The World of Sport is on the right side of the road opposite the Woodlands Hotel.

If you have not participated in an auction before, this is a nice casual introduction to an auctioneer who explains it all very lightly in English. Each item is shown and the auctioneer then names an amount that is reduced until someone wants it for that price, called "cutting down."

From that point on, however, the bidding goes back up to the final highest bidder. It may seem complicated to the uninitiated, but after a few minutes you will quickly understand the game.

You must take into account that your offer will be increased by 10 percent costs and 7 percent VAT. You have to pay for the purchased stuff on the spot and take it with you the same evening. The offer mainly concerns smaller items such as collector items, paintings, watches, bags, statues, toys, antiques or what passes for it, books and so on.

It is not really a large-scale auction, but that is precisely the charm of the whole. You find a spot, order a drink and follow the action. Who knows, you might still go home with something that you didn't even expect to find here in your wildest dreams.

From car to boat and house

If you are interested in a motorcycle, moped, car, boat or even a house, you can also go to a more professional auction in Pattaya. You can visit Collingbourne every Saturday at 11.30 am. For address description and further information go to: www.collingbourne-auctioneers.com.