Dear Dad,

We’re seven days into our vacation and we feel we have barely scratched the potential of this diverse land and people. Visiting Pattaya and is combination of golf, sailing and spa has turned out to be a grand idea. As you know, Linda and I are not professional sailors, but we and our friends enjoy the atmosphere on the Schooner TAI PAN. Dad, I figured out that everyone onboard has more than 200 sq. ft. Deck space. By the way, the TAI PAN looks just like you saw it in the pictures, a wooden sailing boat with a unique personality.

So, let me tell you a little bit about our daily routine. Yesterday, after a good sleep on board, followed by a sumptuous German Breakfast, we took our shuttle to the pier, where a van awaited us. After a short drive, we arrived  at  PHOENIX GOLF CLUB, located on a rolling hill terrain with  many challenging and exciting holes.

This 27 holes layout is lined by palm trees and tropical flowers and provides a backdrops of rocky hills and vista’s of the land as it eases into the sea. The drive back to Pattaya was only interrupted by a lunch break at a nearby winery. Early in the afternoon everybody was onboard already. While we were toiling on the course, the girls were luxuriating and being pampered at one of the many excellent spas of Pattaya.

When we arrived back at the Sailing Cruiser the crew hoisted the sails and with a fresh breeze following, the ship sailed out of Pattaya Bay. After a lazy cruise, during which tropical fruits, cakes and fresh coffee were never out of reach, we set the anchor  at KOH LARN ISLAND  and watched a sunset, as colorful and resplendent as any of us had ever seen The warm water invited us for a refreshing swim. While the crew prepared the dinner, Linda and I retired for a much needed nap in our air conditioned room.

At 8 p.m. the ship’s bell rang, it was dinner time. My words can’t do justice to the dinner table that greeted our eyes, As a starter we had spicy shrimp soup followed by a main course of steamed fresh while snapper with lemon grass, pan fried fresh sea bass in lemon grass, fried rock lobster in garlic, cherry duck with Brussels sprouts, tender beef in oyster sauce, all accompanied by fragrant fried rice in lotus leaves and then, the perfect punctuation of the evening, a dessert of iced locally tree-ripened mango. What a day!

When awoke the Schooner was already moored offshore Pattaya and after so many days of golf on many of the area twenty championship courses, we decided to take a break and spend some time with the girls. Our van first brought us to NONG NOOCH, a truly botanical paradise with Elephant shows, Thai dancing and other cultural offering. The next shop was a small fishing village with a variety of excellent seafood restaurants, for a late lunch right along the seaside. When we returned to Pattaya there was still time for the girls to take part in their favorite pastime shopping. I wish we still had our golf caddies with us so as to help carry the shopping bags full of local crafts and Western apparel that the gals bought at prices well below those we see at home.

When we re-board the TAI PAN dinner was ready to be served. How do the Thai stay so skinny? Tonight the theme of the skipper’s table was European interlaced with Thai favorites: Roasted pork neck with fine herbs, german potato salad, fried mushrooms with black forest bacon. Thai omelet stuffed with crab meat, steamed vegetables, Thai shrimp salad and garden-fresh iceberg salad. It was just another romantic evening onboard  with the glittering skyline of Pattaya, against a backdrop of twinkling stars, all the while having a sea breeze teasing our minds. So Dad, I just finished my glass of another superb Australian white wine and with that, I will wraps this letter up. I wil leave you with a few events we have to look forward to : Tomorrow morning  on the driving range and  at noon departure for another island, called KOH RIN, a good place for night fishing. I overheard our girls saying that they want to try snorkeling and scuba diving. The crew can instruct us in both.

On Tuesday, after dinner, our skipper will take us out to see the famous Pattaya night life. I sure miss all of you at home, but I can’t say that I am in a rush to leave The Land of Smile.

Sawadee Dad, ( that’s hello and good-bye in Thai ),.