Is Pattaya the real Thailand?

[toofarnorth]

I think the the answer is in the opening topic.  If it was asked is Chiang Rai the real LoS most on here would say ' What is he on about ' of course it is.  It has been said many times that there is BKK and the rest of Thailand , 2 seperate entities .

After my first visit here the landlord of a pub back in Plymouth said he didn't know of soi 8 in Pattaya . I had been to Hua Hin soi 8 , he presumed I had been to Pattaya , there was no other place he had heard of other than BKK.  I wonder how many expats in Pattaya have ever bothered with the real LoS.  Each to his/her own.

[Tchooptip]

"So, is Pattaya the real Thailand or not?"

•  

Question asked on a real Thai website where it is common knowledge that the many Thai members who will answer are great connoisseurs of this country 

 

(I hope no offence,  poot len)

[simoh1490]

17 minutes ago, Stupooey said:

"If you don't like Thailand, there's always Pattaya" (or vice-versa).

Previous posters have mused whether Pattaya or rural villages are the "real Thailand", but I believe they are two sides of the same coin. There appears to be a Pattaya/Isaan village loop, which operates independently from the rest of Thailand, with its own micro economy fuelled by the pension schemes of Westerners.

A sub-branch exists in the Sukhumwit area of Bangkok, but as the saying goes:

"If you don't like Bangkok, there's always Sukhumwit" (or vice-versa).

Yes, Pattaya is fed by Issan villagers, as is Phuket, during low season in the latter the place is devoid of all workers who have returned to Issan.

[thaiguzzi]

On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 9:30 AM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

So, is Pattaya the real Thailand or not?

[thaiguzzi]

1 hour ago, Ridler said:

Now i expect replies from people telling me that heir wife’s village is different

okey dokey.

My wife's village is different....

[simoh1490]

31 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

I think the the answer is in the opening topic.  If it was asked is Chiang Rai the real LoS most on here would say ' What is he on about ' of course it is.  It has been said many times that there is BKK and the rest of Thailand , 2 seperate entities .

After my first visit here the landlord of a pub back in Plymouth said he didn't know of soi 8 in Pattaya . I had been to Hua Hin soi 8 , he presumed I had been to Pattaya , there was no other place he had heard of other than BKK.  I wonder how many expats in Pattaya have ever bothered with the real LoS.  Each to his/her own.

I've heard that same thing repeated loads of times. When I first came here back in the early 1990's I met a Brit at Don Muang who said he'd been living here for ten years, much advice and do's and don'ts followed. We both boarded the same BA flight to London and were coincidently seated one row apart. Later in the flight his friends stopped by to chat and the story came out that he's a baggage handler at Terminal 4 who vacations in Pattaya three times a year, he was travelling on ID90, a concessionary ticket  - he'd never been anywhere else in Thailand and didn't speak any Thai. Another Brit I met was a big Thailand fan except he'd never go anywhere but Pattaya, when asked about taking a trip upcountry he said he wasn't a risk taker!

[smotherb]

8 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

Depends what you mean by "thing"

if your "thing" is world class tourist resort with pristine beaches, there's a slight chance a little disappointment is heading your way. On the other hand: if you're a whore mongering, obnoxious, grossly overweight lump of beer swilling lard who enjoys slobbering over girls a fraction of their weight and age, then you'll be right at home

Well you did ask?

Darn, then a hansum man like me ought to do real well with the ladies there. You're sure there are only grossly overweight lumps of beer-swilling lard there, right?

[1FinickyOne]

10 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I would agree with your observations. I live in essentially a village, just around the corner from my condo there is a little self contained village, wet market, 7/11, hardware, bike repair, phone shop, doctor, restaurants etc. I dont often need to step outside the village for anything. Village life, yesterday we went to get some groceries and ended up babysitting for one of the market vendors.

 

This village is in the middle of Pattaya, a kilometre from Jomtien beach, 4-5  kilometres from walking St and a couple of kilometres from the water-slides you mention. Our day to day lives are probably very similar.

Through the years, I have had many people ask how I could live in a Thai village - and the truth is that my day was not too much different than theirs.. sleep in my own bed, go to the kitchen and make my coffee, relax on the back porch and answer emails and check the news,... usually go into town for the afternoon, meet a friend for lunch, picked up my niece at school - home for dinner and watch a movie... and the added delight of being immersed in another culture and language.. so, yes, it is not unlikely that our day to day lives are more similar than not.. 

[bermannor]

Pattaya is as real as Mukdahan and is permanently changing!

[Altalake]

It is like Patong - many Thais dislike it. Both places are OK for some tho', so "live and let live" I guess.