My Very First Experience and Memories of Pattaya

[rooster59]

My Very First Experience and Memories of Pattaya

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

It feels like a dream now when I look back on my first experience of coming to Thailand, it was well over ten years ago now and things have changed a lot – both for Thailand and me personally.

A beast of a long haul flight

Even my memories of the plane journey here are very different now to when I get a plane to and from the UK when I go back to see family and friends. Roll back a decade and a long haul 12 hour flight from Heathrow to Bangkok was epic, it was unheard of to travel such distance for me. Before hand I considered a 2 and a half hour drive from London to Birmingham a long journey, now such distances I can do at a canter.

Whether it is rose tinted glasses I cannot be sure, but the plane trip seemed different. I remember seeing far more single, aging guys on the plane than is the case now. Now I absolutely see families and it’s a challenge to find the guy on his way to Pattaya for a blow out. I find the tattoos and boy band haircuts on the retirees the biggest giveaway. By virtue of the fact I am myself a Pattaya expat, I hope this gives me license to make such jokes without be torn apart on Thaivisa or another such Facebook group.

When I first traveled to Thailand it was with my younger brother, he suggested the trip to Pattaya. I was recently single and he said Pattaya would be like paradise for me. Who was I to turn down such a proposition?

Back then the international airport was Don Muang airport, so straight after the long flight you then needed to do another 2 hour taxi journey to get to Pattaya. But I enjoyed the taxi journey, for I was in awe of being in Asia. I found my energy immediately, until we arrived in Soi Baukhao.

 

‘Where the hell have you brought me?’

When I got out of the taxi the first thing I did was ask my brother, ‘Where the hell have you brought me?’. It was a mess, lots of overhead hanging cables, it stunk from the underground road drainage. Mt first impression of Pattaya was very bad. And then, of course, I went out in the evening into the bars and my view of Pattaya changed very quickly. I was a single guy in my late twenties so you can imagine. The women were gorgeous and all over me. My brother was right, this was paradise.

 

Full story: https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/03/01/first-experience-memories-pattaya/

[Thaiwrath]

Articles like this are normally helpful if you suffer from insomnia.

[connda]

My first memories of Pattaya is a city that didn't look anything like the picture at the start of the OP's post.  1980s - it was quaint and low key.  If you wanted the type of nightlife that is there now, you took a bus to Patpong in BKK.  When I came back 20 years later, I spent one night and then left.  I still like low key.

[Get Real]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

‘Where the hell have you brought me?’

What the hell have you been writing? 

[roo860]

Another load of boring b×%£@x written by Mr Cheesy.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[lazygourmet]

Tedious piece of mental onanism. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Next week from the Big Cheese: how I made a bigamous marriage to a soi 6 bar girl who was already married to a Delta Force Special Ops MI6 SAS Boat Squadron operative.

Special edition from the ICU.

Edited March 4, 2018 by PerkinsCuthbert

[scorecard]

39 years ago just a very simple very small friendly fishing village and a couple of unpaved gaps in the two lane simple road from Bkk, impassable in rainy periods.

[UnkleMoooose]

This person Dan is bragging on another thread that he is the MD of some media group including Thai Visa. Maybe. But I suspect that it's now a one man band. As he has written every article today. And they are really not very good. At all.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Ten years ago was 2008.

 

I was expecting an article from a mongering old timer who arrived in the 70s to make it slightly more amusing.

 

This was just beyond bad and this is from a guy who actually doesn't mind "Dan's" video blogs.

 

Terrible.

[riche60]

A lot better 20 years ago than 10 from my experience

[Golden Triangle]

2005 my first visit, I flew into Swampy, I think the OP should give up journalism, never read such............. in my life before. 

[Thaidream]

Pattaya- had my honeymoor there in 1969- My Thai wife suggested it and it was pristine- blue clean water- only one  Western Hotel- no nightlife  but plenty of great Thai seafood and friendly locals.  There was a new Pizza shop built-  owned by the now famous Mr Heinecke

 

Fast forward to now- Pattaya an overbuilt downright dreary place for a vacation with unfriendly people; thieves and pimps. Miss the old Pattaya and not interested in the current one.

[champers]

45 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

2005 my first visit, I flew into Swampy, I think the OP should give up journalism, never read such............. in my life before. 

Swampy didn't open till 2006.

[Golden Triangle]

4 minutes ago, champers said:

Swampy didn't open till 2006.

Sorry my bad, slap my wrist, 

[timendres]

Sigh...

[EVENKEEL]

1980 my ship anchored off Pattaya, thai stick was buck a piece.....back in those days we were about getting pissed more so than finding ladies.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

1980 my ship anchored off Pattaya, thai stick was buck a piece.....back in those days we were about getting pissed more so than finding ladies.

 

'...Thai stick...'

 

Please explain.

[Paul Catton]

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

'...Thai stick...'

 

Please explain.

Back in the 70's - 80's marijuana was widely avaible in Thailand and didn't carry the same implications as today.

It was claimed to be the secret ingredient in Chiang Mai Boat Noodles at a well known eatery back then.

You would have been unlucky not to have had a tout taxi driver that didnt offer you some "weed" before you had cleared Don Muang airport area.

Doubly unlucky if a side trip to a house of ill repute wasn't also proffered.

Of course, as a teenager I was there for culture, spiritual and meditative purposes.

 

[Daveyh]

My house too looks super clean & tidy at night with the lights dimmed! No dust anywhere ..........Ha! Pattaya does look great at night & that's why I like it here, it's another world...... it's laid back & lively, full of fun if you want it, the food is amazing & you can't beat the variety or the price. Day time is not for me ..... even the beach is a "No No" as the filth & smells on the streets & beaches does kill the excitement of being in a tropical paradise ... sad really. I prefer to just relax at home these days, chill out & do some DIY etc. Of course there is the "aircon bars" where you can play pool with stunning lady or visit one of the many hotels that have pools for a swim etc. Perhaps a visit to the shopping malls occasionally to while away the time over a coffee watching the world go by & the occasional stunner walking by who even smiles! Whoah! What is there not to like about retiring here??? Every day for me here is an adventure. I never do anything twice in a week ........ there is so much to see & do here. I think all the groaning on TV about the place from expats is pretty lame as with a little bit of effort you can have a "blast". We all have a great life here ....... far better than in our home countries ..................... enjoy it!

[BobbyL]

It is a shame he didn't tell us all about the fragrant smells of his first few Thai ladies of the night. 

[EVENKEEL]

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

'...Thai stick...'

 

Please explain.

The Marijuana was tied to thin stick maybe 6'' long. Some had opium like crystals added.

[thaibeachlovers]

Well, just to address the topic, my first experience of Pattaya ( early 90s ) was "legendary". I arrived from Ekamai on a bus that was already old and decrepit after a 4 hour plus journey, and took the baht bus ( with the low roof ) from the bus terminal on Nth Rd down Beach ( I was going to stay at Mike's Hotel, on a recommendation ). What I saw was a perfect day, blue sky, the sea sparkled in the sunlight, the bay was full of big boats, the walkway was lined with big trees and populated with happy people, the sand had umbrellas and tables and happy people enjoying themselves, and the road was lined with bar beers full of happy people enjoying themselves.

I thought to myself that it just didn't get better than that!

 

Now of course, the bar beers are mainly gone, the walkway has been converted into a hot place not to loiter on, most of the boats have long gone, replaced by jet ski scammers, the road is lined with boring shops, and the only thing happening is the authorities trying to prevent people having a good time by regulating everything into oblivion.

Sad, IMO.

Edited March 13, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[Ulysses G.]

I hated Pattaya when I first went there in 1989. It was really dirty and people sold heroin on the streets. It got much better around 10 years later when the Thai economy collapsed and the city government made things better and prices dropped like crazy. It became my favorite (cheapest) beach vacation spot after that.

 

Patong Beach in Phuket was great in 1989, but steadily went downhill in following years.

[Ulysses G.]

On 3/5/2018 at 1:28 AM, EVENKEEL said:

The Marijuana was tied to thin stick maybe 6'' long. Some had opium like crystals added.

It was actually liquid heroin. I know a Thai women whose family was in the business when she was a child. Opium needs a special pipe to smoke it so that it "steams" rather than burns. Touching it to an open flame destroys it.

[starky]

On 3/4/2018 at 2:27 PM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Ten years ago was 2008.

 

I was expecting an article from a mongering old timer who arrived in the 70s to make it slightly more amusing.

 

This was just beyond bad and this is from a guy who actually doesn't mind "Dan's" video blogs.

 

Terrible.

I picked that up too but to be fair he did mention Don meaung so probably pre 2006. Still no "vet" and his writing is crap anyway.

[bartender100]

Sorry but 10 years is not nostalgia yet, plenty on TV been coming and living for 20/30 even 40 years and have far great tales

[Denim]

1 hour ago, bartender100 said:

Sorry but 10 years is not nostalgia yet, plenty on TV been coming and living for 20/30 even 40 years and have far great tales

Yep, 10 years is like yesterday.

 

This Cheeseman needs therapy and medication.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 6:13 AM, Ulysses G. said:

I hated Pattaya when I first went there in 1989. It was really dirty and people sold heroin on the streets. It got much better around 10 years later when the Thai economy collapsed and the city government made things better and prices dropped like crazy. It became my favorite (cheapest) beach vacation spot after that.

 

Patong Beach in Phuket was great in 1989, but steadily went downhill in following years.

All I remember from the late 90s was increased crime after a lot of men that used to work in the bar scene lost their jobs.

I also remember a load of Bkk police being sent in to try and destroy the farang bar scene.

I also don't remember prices dropping. What actually happened was the baht dropped in value and forex got a heap more baht.

I also don't remember the council doing anything to make things "better". Far as I know, nothing much has changed COUNCIL infrastructure wise since then except for the failed marina, the failed car park,  and the horrible beach promenade.

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

All I remember from the late 90s was increased crime after a lot of men that used to work in the bar scene lost their jobs.

I also remember a load of Bkk police being sent in to try and destroy the farang bar scene.

I also don't remember prices dropping. What actually happened was the baht dropped in value and forex got a heap more baht.

I also don't remember the council doing anything to make things "better". Far as I know, nothing much has changed COUNCIL infrastructure wise since then except for the failed marina, the failed car park,  and the horrible beach promenade.

 

 

"I also remember a load of Bkk police being sent in...".

 

Another version from about the same time if my memory is correct; several attempts by the national police to try to regain control over the out of control police in the Chonburi region. Goes back to the days when Kamnan Po controlled the Chonburi police and their activities.