23 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Apparently Wake Park is the waterskiing park near maprachan. Tells you how big the area is and how many tourist traps it has, been here 12 years and never visited it. First time I heard of it I think, there's another one in Na Jomthien.

 

 

Thai wakepark lamlukka (outside Bangkok) is considered one of the best in the world, with pro riders and just regular riders like myself from all over coming to spend off season there. It's hardly a tourist trap and very much a destination unto itself.  In fact every wakepark i have ever been to in Thailand has a huge local rider base, wakeboarding is about community, a tourist trap simply wouldn't last long. 

 

Thai wakepark Pattaya is an equally professional operation, and is quickly developing into. Something close to the Bangkok park. The same outfit also has one in khon khean all are excellent, world standard, end ever improving. Thai wakepark is very committed to encouraging locals to progress in the sport. 

 

There is also zannook in Bangkok, and in phuket, international wake park, Phuket wakepark and anthem wakepark.  All of which are excellent facilities and hardly tourist traps. Black mountain is in Hua hin, it's nice but basic. 

 

Thailand is a great destination for wakeboarding and its becoming good business, though not necessarily for a demographic you would ever find here. 

 

2 of the top riders in the world were raised in Bangkok and continue to call it home. 

 

There really are folk who come to Thailand for something other than booze, sex and temples. 

On 3/10/2019 at 9:42 AM, metempsychotic said:

There really are folk who come to Thailand for something other than booze, sex and temples. 

Ok. That's a first, came here for waterboarding. Ah wakeboarding, sorry. Or something.

4 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Ok. That's a first, came here for waterboarding. Ah wakeboarding, sorry. Or something.

What delights me most is that you can't actually conceive its possible. 

1 hour ago, metempsychotic said:

What delights me most is that you can't actually conceive its possible. 

Ah there are all sorts of people in Pattaya. If hanging from a wire being dragged over water is your thing, enjoy. It's not very high on the pervert scale around here.

TV never disappoints 55555+55555

On 5/13/2018 at 8:56 AM, mogandave said:

Is anywhere in the world as good as it used to be?


Jail is better

It's a well known phenomenon......

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/200908/the-past-is-both-better-and-less-intense-the-present

9 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

It's a well known phenomenon......

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/200908/the-past-is-both-better-and-less-intense-the-present

Not buying that one..

Quote

They argue that when people think back to events in the past, they remember the evaluation they gave that event, but not the reason for that evaluation. 

I remember the evaluation criteria very well: freshness of totty, amount of traffic, non-filthy beaches (well Jomthien was at least swimmable), forex rates and general level of prices, headcounts of Russians, Chinese and Indians. Hard facts instead of golden memories.

 

 

21 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Not buying that one..

I remember the evaluation criteria very well: freshness of totty, amount of traffic, non-filthy beaches (well Jomthien was at least swimmable), forex rates and general level of prices, headcounts of Russians, Chinese and Indians. Hard facts instead of golden memories.

Not buying also. This situation is about objective facts then  ( lets say the 00,s) compared to now. No ands ifs or butts about it. Pattaya is way over extended  now with lack of infrastructure support ability And headcounts of Thais are too much now also. 

On 3/8/2019 at 2:43 PM, hyku1147 said:

The once world renowned Beach Road has devolved into a geriatric eyesore.

I assume you are speaking about yourself?

I still find it quite interesting take a long walk everyday on BR.

9 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I assume you are speaking about yourself?

I still find it quite interesting take a long walk everyday on BR.

Sorry but they did manage to screw up pty beach road and turn it in a small footpath with a 5 lane motorway right besides it.

6 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Sorry but they did manage to screw up pty beach road and turn it in a small footpath with a 5 lane motorway right besides it.

Yes, I drove past last weekend. The beach looks better now, although strangely staggered and I wonder how long the new sand will last, but the footpath is in comparison very narrow and they've cut down a lot of the nice trees that used to be there. Was in it's prime in the 80's I think?

 

Close beach road completely for traffic (better yet take away the pavement), remove the concrete footpath and extend the sand to the buildings. You know, a real beach thing.

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Sorry but they did manage to screw up pty beach road and turn it in a small footpath with a 5 lane motorway right besides it.

Yes it's pretty much a lost cause now: too many vehicles and locals ( the wrong kind) Some enclaves and the long view are good. But in general going from A to B in Pattaya is a hassle. Good for the supermarkets. But overall, they (the general ##*@#"* public) can have it. Jomtien is actually more like what Pattaya used to be in enough ways.

Jomtien is actually more like what Pattaya used to be in enough ways.

If that's the case i didn't miss anything

First time I was in Pattaya was 1995... Soi Buakow was a dirt road with nothing to do and 3rd road was the end of the city. If the city is getting better or worse depends how you look at it.... Girls were a lot better 20 years ago, no tattaoos, no cellphones and total GFE. Entertainment was non excisting though... Nowadays the girls are expensive spoiled biatches but beside the horrible traffic the city itself has a lot more options for entertainment...

On 5/3/2018 at 1:24 PM, newnative said:

    Unfortunately, we still have the totally clueless.  Only a few weeks ago a poster made the ridiculous, absurd comment that Pattaya from Dolphin Circle to Walking Street was just one big brothel. 

Apart from the three Indian restaurants about half-way.

 

 

The photo with girl with ballons is area just above walking st. Take a look at the junkyard disaster there now.

And girl in light blue is Ex Bangkok girlfriend.

5 hours ago, Plus66 said:

First time I was in Pattaya was 1995... Soi Buakow was a dirt road with nothing to do and 3rd road was the end of the city. If the city is getting better or worse depends how you look at it.... Girls were a lot better 20 years ago, no tattaoos, no cellphones and total GFE. Entertainment was non excisting though... Nowadays the girls are expensive spoiled biatches but beside the horrible traffic the city itself has a lot more options for entertainment...

What's the attraction with things you can get back home why not just stay back home lol.

17 hours ago, morrobay said:

Jomtien is actually more like what Pattaya used to be in enough ways.

Not really! Pattaya was always a party town, I was living in Bangkok in the eighties and every Friday afternoons there was a mass exodus to Pattaya for the clean air, cheaper food and primarily the nightlife, when the first condo's were built they were bought by Bangkok people not Farang.

Sundays there was a mass exit from Pattaya, used to take 3 hours or so to drive back to Bangkok as the roads were not up to much and a lot used to stop in Sri Ratcha market, which used to block the only road back, now highway 3.

1 hour ago, tlandtday said:

What's the attraction with things you can get back home why not just stay back home lol.

The only thing I can think of that's still as good as when I came is the income taxes. Only what's remitted to Thailand is taxed. Otherwise .. well I guess now decent pizza is available, so availability of farang food and foodstuffs has improved. Lazada is a huge improvement too, no more crappy <deleted> from very limited selection from the talad vendors. 

 

In short, the few improvements are copies from the west. So you're right, if taxes aren't of benefit, better to find another place.

1 hour ago, CGW said:

Not really! Pattaya was always a party town, I was living in Bangkok in the eighties and every Friday afternoons there was a mass exodus to Pattaya for the clean air, cheaper food and primarily the nightlife, when the first condo's were built they were bought by Bangkok people not Farang.

Sundays there was a mass exit from Pattaya, used to take 3 hours or so to drive back to Bangkok as the roads were not up to much and a lot used to stop in Sri Ratcha market, which used to block the only road back, now highway 3.

This was again the case just under ten years ago, when Central opened the herds bulldozed in. Now the stream seems to have ebbed somewhat and they are heading more south. The new extension of highway 7 towards ambassador will likely divert even more of them. The crickets left behind a wasteland later filled by Russians, then Chinese and now Indians. Next up are probably Banglas and Africans. The trend is clear.