The only thing I can say, and I was in business in Pattaya from 1997-2008, is we did not have to put up with all this stuff that's going on down there now.
It just didn't happen. The Arabs were limited to what was the Arab quarter. They weren't flying around fighting and lawless on high-powered bikes.
Also, Thailand wasn't full of bargain bucket flights, (I know flights have shot up post Covid) but we didn't get nor attract bucket and spade tourists either.
Most of our clientele dressed for dinner, the customers went to the beaches and islands in the daytime and hung around in seafood restaurants around walking street, when they couldn't be bothered with the beach.
It was way more refined, especially in the nineties.
There were plenty of classy places with live entertainment and piano bars etc.
Lady boys accosting a tourist was big news back in the nineties, and it wasn't often. Thefts did happen, but not like it is now.
The women wanted to be with you for as long as they possibly could, and did some fabulous gestures voluntarily, such as taking the laundry to the shop without asking you, etc.
The people then really wanted to please, and everything seemed much happier in those days and friendlier.
It was 4.5 hours to 5 hours from Bangkok to Pattaya then and no highways.
Drinking mostly began as the sun went down.
A daytime drunk was indeed a rarity.
Nor were we full of Chinese scammers or Russians.
The Russians, that first started arriving around 2002, were very well-heeled and spent a fortune. We loved them as customers, because of their spending power.
They did, however, keep themselves very much to themselves. The Royal Cliffe was a firm favourite of the Russians.
We did have Chinese tour groups, but they were shepherded around on buses, and the most we saw of them was being led by a guide at the front with a flag.
Those definitely were the good old days, Pattaya has changed forever, and it isn't for the better.