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After the comparative calm of the past few weeks, it was once again into a full social calendar for June. Following some rapid diagnosis and treatment on my knees at the excellent Bangkok-Pattaya hospital, I was able to resume my keep fit activities and also returned to the Hash runs, albeit joining the group who only walked the set course.
Socially the month kicked off with another dinner at the Royal Cliff hotel. This was not a Wine Club event although it was related to it, for as a membership reward, each person joining the club (or renewing their membership) was given a voucher for a free set meal for two at one of the hotel’s many restaurants.
As this had to be used within the membership year, Foo, Graham, Peter and I decided to use two of our vouchers to take the other two to dinner, thus leaving the remaining two vouchers to be used another time.
We had a choice of the Rossini Italian restaurant or the hotel Grill Room, and on this occasion we chose the former.
Although a set meal, nevertheless, the number of courses and the quality of the food was as excellent as ever, and even though we had to pay for our wine on this occasion, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at a very rea sonable overall cost.
A few days later, I attended a very special concert at Shenanigans’ pub and restaurant, where one of Bangkok’s finest ‘punk rock’ bands were performing (headline photo above). For this occasion they decided to forsake their usual punk attire and instead appeared in ‘Glam Rock’ guise (as did several of the audience including mine host, Kim).
This in no way inhibited them from belting out most of their favourite repertoire, much to the appreciation of the attendant crowd who stayed until the early hours.
The following weekend saw the first of four successive Saturday events staged on the beach promenade under the general title of ‘Pattaya for fun’.
These events, taking place in what was now the start of the rainy and traditionally ‘low’ season, made even lower this year with the combination of the Iraq war and the SARS outbreak having devastated the tourist numbers,  were designed to give the city a much needed ‘lift’.
The first of these featured an attempt (successful) to create an entry in the Guinness book of records for the biggest cauldron of Tom Ya m Soup ever cooked. To this end, a giant metal pot was set-up at the end of the beach promenade and the various ingredients poured into it and cooked by a bevy of attendant chefs for some hours until declared ready.
At this point the judges gave their approval that the quantity was indeed a record and then the mayor and city dignitaries all had the first taste of the resultant brew - after which bowls of the soup were offered to all and sundry including yours truly.
The emptied pot remained on the beach for several months afterwards.
Unfortunately most of the following weeks events were marred by heavy rain but overall the event was judged to be a success.
 A few days after this, Foo, Graham and I took ourselves off for an overnight stay in Bangkok, they to get some papers signed at the British Embassy and I to do some shopping. We stayed at the ever excellent Dynasty Inn, and met Malcolm and Maew who took us for a ‘night on the town’ round the highlights and lowlights of Bangkok, starting off with an excellent meal at a fish restaurant a few doors away from the hotel.
And that was June.
To view any of the above photos in full size, just click on it.
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