Leaver

Interesting post. What's your position on the growing digital disruption of the traditional business model here? As someone with 50 years in the industry, what are you doing to compete with the platform?

How's your youtube channel going? ????

Surely Thailand tops the charts for non citizen suicide. Eg. balcony jumpers.

Do you own a retail or hospitality business here?

It appears the big wave on mongers that were predicted to flock back to Pattaya after covid hasn't materialized. Initially, and until the present, blame was on border closures, quarantine, lock down, bar closure times, Test & Go, Thailand Pass, low season etc, but with these nearly all but finished, what is there left to blame for not seeing the big rush back in?

I'm not suggesting these things only happen in Thailand. but some statistics on frequency, and per capita, would be interesting.

A race to the bottom.

True. The good old days are over. They were over pre covid.

It could turn nasty.

I agree. Covid being used as an excuse to solicit corrupt payments.

I rarely go to Walking Street. The only time I go is if I have a visiting friend who likes Walking Street, and I will go with him, and pre covid, some of them weren't bothered with Walking Street any more. If LK Metro if for people too lazy to go to Walking Stret, why is the area such a success? Mongers can't all be lazy. Walking Street is a tourist trap. I lot of BS down there.

Is he whining, or just putting forward what awaits tourist when they return? What would a first time tourist think about the same experience?

Is it possible your post proves my point? Plenty of girls in Walking Street gogo's, very few in LK Metro gogo's, could it be because most of the girls in gogo's on LK Metro had been bar fined, and should that be the case, how long before girls working in gogo's on Walking Street change employment to a gogo on LK Metro?

I agree Walking Street was on the decline, pre covid, but not all areas of Pattaya have declined. An example is Tree Town, which basically didn't exist until recent times. Of course, all the extra bars in Tree Town cut the customer pie into thinner wedges, but some soi / areas pick up, while others die out. I have suggested unreasonable rents from Thai landlords being one of the main causes of this.

What can you say about a tourist attraction / hospitality area than can't retain customers? If the memories are so good, why aren't you still going to Walking Street? I accept it's the thing to do for the first timer to Pattaya, before they wise up, but can Walking Street venues survive on first timers?

It's not about "cheap." It's about what the market is prepared to pay, and pre covid, the price point of Walking Street exceeded what the majority of the market was prepared to pay. It would be different if Walking Street offered a unique experience, but it doesn't. The same experience can be had just a short distance away. Walking Street estabishments were quiet pre covid. What's has changed to turn that around?

The chair is whatever price they throw at you.

The deck chairs may still be only 40 baht, but moving the table is 60 baht extra. ????

When covid rent discounts end, then we will truly see how many businesses survive.

Walking Street was already destroyed, pre covid, based on price point. It's that price point that saw other areas take a large portion of Walking Street's market share.

Is it a grumble, or just a shot at Thai Business 101?

It's the difference between poor trolling, and decent trolling. ????

I think you need to read my post again. Walking Street to LK Metro is a short distance away, where prices are halved, and the "packet experience" is the same.

Walking Street is a tourist trap. Now, with the internet, and competition nearby in LK Metro, with a quick Google, tourists go to Walking Street for some photos, but party elsewhere where it is cheaper. What value does Walking Street offer its customers, over its competitors?

They make the place look busy. That's about all. Same a pre covid, tourist numbers up, money down. It's all about the demographic of the tourists that Thailand / Pattaya is attracting.