Pattaya crowds have fun at the expanded music fest though many complain about the long hike between stages
The visitors who poured in for last weekend's Pattaya International Music Festival were happy to have more stages and more stages and more music - especially reggae and electronic - but were weak with exhaustion after walking the 4.5-kilometres along the one-way street that took them from one end of the fest to the other.
This year, the festival was livelier than in previous years and bigger too, as the Tourism Authority of Thailand's celebrated its silver anniversary by upping its funding and allowing the addition to two more stages. Other punters joined in with the result that festival-goers discovered several more privately organised stages for dance music along the route.
But the long road from the pink stage at Bali Hai Cape to the green stage on Pattaya Soi 4 seemed to present an obstacle for Thai festival-goers, who would park themselves in one stage and stay there.
That policy became evident from the start, perhaps understandably given that all the foreign artists were scheduled to appear on Friday on the same stage.
After the official opening ceremony, Ruj and Gam from "The Star", Shin Shinawut and Golf-Mike performed short sets before introducing Zhang Li Yin from China. She sang "Moving On", "y (Why)", and "Tong Hua" featuring Tae Witsarat and was followed by Filipino star Christian Bautista, who duetted with Panadda on "My Boo". Hong Kong's Deep Ng surprised the crowd with "Ji Shi Shi", a Cantonese version of Off Pongsak's "Thaeng Khang Lang Thalu Theung Huajai", while Thomas Jack doubled up with Shin for "Warm Stream".
The audience screamed with delight when Korean girl group f(x) bounded out with "La Cha La", "Chocolate Love" and "Chu" and also applauded wildly popular Korean solo singer Wheesung, who performed a Korean version of Craig David's "Insomnia". Another girl group After School sang and danced their way through "Because of You", "Ah" and "Diva" before Leprozy from Laos brought the house down with "Chao Kram Nai Wane", "Moo Noi" and "Kern Pai".
The pink stage on other nights was packed as Thai rockers Retrospect, Big Ass, Bodyslam, Paradox, Micro and Sek Loso entertained with tight sets.
The blue stage at Pattaya Klang was also full of excitement with Clash, Potato, Jay Jetrin and Thaitanium.
The rasta stage drew a lot of foreigners while the orange stage at Hard Rock Hotel soaked the audience at a foam party that went well with the electronic music.
