Well, the World Cup is upon starting on 14 June with the opening game, Russia versus Saudi Arabia being held at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
England begin their campaign on 19th June against Tunisia in Volgograd, Germany play Mexico on 17th June, France and Australia meet on 16th June, and the ever popular Brazilians take on Switzerland on 18th June.
The bookies seem to be favouring the teams that are there or thereabouts in all competitions. Brazil are the favourites before a ball has been kicked closely followed by Germany, Spain and France. England, under Gareth Southgate taking charge of the team for the first time in a major competition, are 16/1 with most bookmakers. Unusually, the feeling back in England seems calm rather than the usual euphoria and then disappointment.
The knockout phase begins on 30th June with the quarter finals being held on the 6th and 7th July, the semis on the 10th and 11th July and the third and forth place decider, something of an anti-climax being held on 14th July.
The final will be held in National Stadium in Moscow (Luzhniki Stadium) on 15th July with a kick-off time of 10pm (Thai time) scheduled. Everyone will be hoping that their team manages to the latter stages with national pride at stake.
The tickets for games have been selling surprisingly slowly to date and this is for a variety of reasons which there is no need to go into. However, the TV audiences around the world are bound to be high with viewers prepared to stay up or wake up throughout the night to watch their teams play.
The atmosphere and excitement are building and most can’t wait for the games to get underway.
If you are here in Pattaya for the World Cup then don’t worry, the games are being broadcast live so you can watch them in the comfort of your own home. However, if like most of us you prefer to watch the games in a bar amongst like-minded people, then you will have plenty of options throughout the city and East Pattaya. The coverage will be uninterrupted, except by pretty girls serving you beer – so it isn’t that bad after all!
Of course, you may want a guide to the best places that you can watch the games so we have compiled a list of places that we recommend for viewing. Firstly, in Central Pattaya you have the old favourites of the Retox Bars and iRover that have numerous TVs where you will get an uninterrupted viewing spot. Then you have the Sportsman and Robin’s Nest where you can enjoy some excellent food whilst watching the football.
If you want to watch the games in the company of some lovely ladies in Central Pattaya then you have options such as Double Kiss, where you could enjoy a game of pool before or after, Harry’s Bar or Mookky Bar. Of course, this doesn’t mean that these bars don’t have anything else to offer whilst you are cheering on England – or any other team for that matter, it’s just that you have some nice scenery!
Moving towards the Darkside aka East Pattaya which is the other side of the Sukhumvit Road for those that don’t know, there are some great options including Sunny’s Restaurant, Murphy’s Irish Pub, The Loft Resort or The Loft Pub, and Retox Outback. These places will be showing the games and are ideal spots for those late night games where travelling into the city from your home might be a bit of a bind. Families are welcome in many of these bars so why not bring along the youngsters to get into the spirit of things? The Loft also offer a free minibus service, they can pick you up and drop you off, just call 0932 129 969 to book in advance.
Naturally, some of you may not live centrally or in East Pattaya but Jomtien or South Pattaya so you may be looking for something a little closer to home. Don’t worry, we can recommend some options for you too! The Lion Pub is a great sporting pub and is spacious with plenty of TVs. Hemingway’s is also a great place for viewing with excellent food – all great places for viewing games and getting behind your country.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy the World Cup and whichever team you are following is successful. If you are here on holiday and have enjoyed your time here, why not consult with Thai Business Help about getting a long-stay visa? Football supporters from around the world are welcome in all these bars although please remember that violence is not accepted.
The Russia 2018 World Cup kicks off on 14th June and the Pattaya Guide is giving away free World Cup Wall Charts.
The Pattaya Guide team have designed a fantastic World Cup Wall Chart featuring all the fixtures and the stadiums so you don’t miss a thing in the greatest football tournament on the planet.
In association with our World Cup advertisers, you’ll be able to pick up your free wall chart from one of the following venues directly while stocks last.
Retox Lengkee The Lion Pub Bramburi Beer Garden
Retox Game On Sunny’s Restaurant Thai Business Help
Retox Outback Harry’s Bar & Restaurant Hemingways Jomtien
Queens Arms The Loft Resort Uber Drinks
The Sportsman Pub The Loft Sports Pub Mookky Bar
Robin’s Nest Murphy’s Irish Pub Hunny Lounge
i-rovers sports bar Le Pub Double Kiss Pool Hall
Some of the above venues are offering different promotions during the world cup, you can follow what they’re doing on their facebook page. We’ll have a dedicated page on our website that will feature fixtures and results, plus we’ll include links to advertiser’s facebook pages. All you have to do is type the following in any browser… russia2018.pattaya.guide
The Pattaya Guide are giving away 1000’s of Baht using our SuperSaver vouchers. Details on how to enter will be on our Russia 2018 webpage and on our facebook page at facebook.com/thepattayaguide
