Beach Road is eerily quiet today

[champers]

So high season officially starts in 2 days but Beach Road is so, so quiet today. It looks like all the power boats and their customers have, at long last, been moved to Bali Hai. As a consequence, the dozens, nay hundreds, of pineapple, nut, hat and sunglasses sellers have also departed.

Does anyone know how this dramatic change has come about?

 

[petermik]

Same yesterday afternoon....beach rd closed between Dusit Thani and Klang.....big parade around 3pm in respect to the passing of ex Thai King Taksin some 250 years ago........due to finish later today

[johng]

Maybe having half of the beach hidden behind "nourishment" hoardings for years on end  has taken its toll ??

[morrobay]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Maybe having half of the beach hidden behind "nourishment" hoardings for years on end  has taken its toll ??

There is not much to like on both sides of the boarding these days. The beach (shabby) walk?  Stopped walking along there 2 years . Took a ride all along the beach rd today about 1:30 no parade and very few on Beach or beach walk. Does not look good for business. 

[johng]

Could be everyone and his dog is at Terminal 21 "air bathing" "selfies" and eating.

[SheungWan]

Or. More likely. The eerie calm is in anticipation of when I arrive in town.

[johng]

Will you be having balloons,roast pig and karaoke party ?

[dotpoom]

Walked down that way from Central last night ..looked pretty normal to me. I did notice though, many of the "ladies of the night" were pitched on my side of the road (shops side).

[morrobay]

8 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Walked down that way from Central last night ..looked pretty normal to me. I did notice though, many of the "ladies of the night" were pitched on my side of the road (shops side).

Sure the night scene and day scene are two different categories. I'm sure with the ladies there the night scene with its corresponding visitor make up/attraction and revenues is not affected so much as how the day scene is affected by the sorry mess that the beach/beach walk has become now. Pretty sure the day high season beach crowd are going to be going elsewhere in the region this year. Just look at it now.

[chicowoodduck]

Well, if you snooze you lose.....the Navy brass had a parade day yesterday in the AM.....at first I was thinking they were doing a Soi Sex (6) party? ????????

[murraynz]

i also walked along the beachfront yesterday, before doing my grocery shopping at central...

the beach was noticeably quiet...it looks soo barren-not many trees there, now..

the area does seem to be getting busier though.

there are a lot more indian tourists, they dont go to the beach or bars---just try to get group discounts from the ladies on beach rd or walking st at night time...

cosy beach area is much busier in the last week or so...russian area....

i notice many more speed boats crossing to koh larn- than i have seen in previous weeks...

[Nanaplaza666]

Friend of mine just went to vietnam and told me business is boom booming there ,so i geuss a lot of investors and tourist have moved deu to the lack of government, and many many rules from the army. if this goes on much longer many will follow and they will really start to feel it over here . 

[Jip99]

5 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

 ,so i geuss a lot of investors and tourist have moved deu to the lack of government, and many many rules from the army. 

 

 

Absolute cr4p!

 

 

The average tourist knows little or nothing about the government of Thailand (or Vietnam)........... nice try at politicising a shift in tastes but try looking at what Vietnam are doing to encourage tourism.

[soistalker]

There are adjacent countries with nicer beaches, nicer people, and less violence. But if you really need your issan girl with two kids in udon thani, and a 3000baht a day yaba habit, come to Pattaya.

[Mac98]

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Absolute cr4p!

 

 

The average tourist knows little or nothing about the government of Thailand (or Vietnam)........... nice try at politicising a shift in tastes but try looking at what Vietnam are doing to encourage tourism.

What is Vietnam doing to encourage tourism? Outside the normal PR that any country does? Just wondering. Visa on arrival?

[Jip99]

39 minutes ago, Mac98 said:

What is Vietnam doing to encourage tourism? Outside the normal PR that any country does? Just wondering. Visa on arrival?

 

 

I think it goes deeper than that .... once you get through immigration I have a general welcoming of visitors and, I think, Vietnam offers abetter variety of locations. It somehow seems to have a better 'feeling'........

[champers]

7 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Walked down that way from Central last night ..looked pretty normal to me. I did notice though, many of the "ladies of the night" were pitched on my side of the road (shops side).

It's all to do with the position of the moon.

[whitemouse]

2 hours ago, Mac98 said:

What is Vietnam doing to encourage tourism? Outside the normal PR that any country does? Just wondering. Visa on arrival?

 

To get a 90 days Tourist Visa you fill a form online, and you are sent approval letter within 2 days, with that letter you a get a sticker at Vietnam airport. No embassies, consulates, not showing 20k Baht at airport, your entry stamps are not counted, for an excuse to deny you the entry. Vietnam is easy. Saigon is excellent party town, Vung Tau, 1.5hr bus ride a beautiful beach resort. What's not to like?

Vietnam doesn't need to "encourage" tourism, everyone I know who's been here once, will be back soon. I'm in Saigon now, and debating as should I spend winter here, or return to Pattaya. 

[theonetrueaussie]

2 hours ago, Mac98 said:

What is Vietnam doing to encourage tourism? Outside the normal PR that any country does? Just wondering. Visa on arrival?

Exchange rate buddy, Vietnam is nice, really easy to get visas even if you want to do back to back and the exchange rate for uk, aus, usa is still pretty great when compared with the THB. Food is much cheaper especially if you like to eat healthy foreign foods like capsicum, broccoli, asparagus, avocado, the list goes on and on.

[fforest1]

The visa situation in Thailand is becoming pretty serious with crackdown after crackdown across all classes of visas....

So Vietnam could be a real consideration for many tourist and expats in the next few years.....

 

[fforest1]

3 hours ago, Mac98 said:

What is Vietnam doing to encourage tourism? Outside the normal PR that any country does? Just wondering. Visa on arrival?

I dont think Vietnam needs to do any advertising.....Thailand is doing their best to destroy all the good things every one loved about Thailand (like street vendors)....And making the visas more problematic all the time for tourist and expats alike...

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Tourist visitors to Vietnam are up 22% in the first 10 months of 2018 over last year. HCMC streets are crawling with Euro/NorthAm types, plus many Asian visitors. 

 

I don't live in HCMC, but two hours away. I spend about 40,000 baht a month/30 million VND in Vietnam, including rent for an ultra-modern 1-bedroom apartment completely equipped. All I needed was my clothes. And I spend freely. (However, if you chase the skirts, you'll need quite a bit more.) 

[morrobay]

Indeed Im surprised backpackers, Euros,  and even the Chinese are not going to Na Trang .  Another problem with the beach from Pattaya Klang to South end besides the heavy beach reconstruction is there seems to have been a significant re distribution of sand away from that area and this time of year (high season) the tide is high in daytime, and there is very little beach. That by the way is going to slow the project as well. 

[cookieqw]

3 hours ago, champers said:

It's all to do with the position of the moon.

quicker escape if a raid

[champers]

1 hour ago, morrobay said:

Indeed Im surprised backpackers, Euros,  and even the Chinese are not going to Na Trang .  Another problem with the beach from Pattaya Klang to South end besides the heavy beach reconstruction is there seems to have been a significant re distribution of sand away from that area and this time of year (high season) the tide is high in daytime, and there is very little beach. That by the way is going to slow the project as well. 

It hasn't been nourished yet. Works are from North to South and currently at bottom of Klang. Sand is pumped from offshore and 1 Tonne sandbags are bought in and laid as a base. Drainage pipes are laid as well.

 

[MyFriend You]

16 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Absolute cr4p!

 

 

The average tourist knows little or nothing about the government of Thailand (or Vietnam)........... nice try at politicising a shift in tastes but try looking at what Vietnam are doing to encourage tourism.

• Lower prices for Hotels
• Lower prices for Food, drink, and bakeries
• Lower prices transportation, dependable tour busses with connections all over country
• Did I for get to mention Lower prices??
• Plenty of Night Clubs, P4P is not blatant in your face, but it exists and easy to find.
• No hassles Visa's, no TM-30 on arrivals to th airport one year multiple entry Tourist visa's are possible, I got mine in July
• Cheap airline travel between all cities, Thailand has some very good deals as well  thats a 'tie'
• First class beaches - Surfable Beaches in Kan Hoa, Qui Nhon, Danang
• Virgin Diving spots all along its coast
• and and and lower prices for just about everything.
• I am a little jaded, been living between Thailand and Vietnam since 2000.

[dallen52]

Honestly seen the decline for a while now.

But tourism is up!!

Certain nationality hoardes led behind the mandatory flag waving  tour guide, who frequent the pre paid venues and also pre tipped are common sight.

Maybe getting one free night to do their own thing. 

Preferred tourists. Ok.

 

I use Jomtien beach and Dongtan especially. 

Clean, pristine, no hassles, good parking. 

And no sewage bobbing around. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 4:39 PM, Jip99 said:

 

 

Absolute cr4p!

 

 

The average tourist knows little or nothing about the government of Thailand (or Vietnam)........... nice try at politicising a shift in tastes but try looking at what Vietnam are doing to encourage tourism.

I've never been to Vietnam, or have any idea as to what they are doing to encourage tourism,  but up to the point I left LOS recently, they have been doing sod all to encourage western tourism to LOS. Seems that because LOS had a reputation ( from the 90s ) they don't think they have to do anything to entice customers to LOS now. However, what they have been busily doing since the 90s has actually been destroying everything that was worth seeing. The beaches have been ruined by overdevelopment, and the cities have been ruined by non existent planning, plus the only motivating factor seems to be greed. They certainly aren't doing anything to make the place better.

 

As for the lack of people, perhaps they have all moved to where I live. It used to be a rather charming and quiet town, but recently it seems overwhelmed by people, for reasons I do not understand. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 1:11 AM, champers said:

It hasn't been nourished yet. Works are from North to South and currently at bottom of Klang. Sand is pumped from offshore and 1 Tonne sandbags are bought in and laid as a base. Drainage pipes are laid as well.

 

All that happens is that the sand washes away, and the ugly sand bags are exposed.

It's time they either got in an expert that actually knows what to do, or build a barrier and make an artificial beach above high tide level that can't wash away. I've seen such in the UK, where they made a "dam" to keep the water in a large sort of pond so people could swim all the time ( unaffected by tides ) and there was no current to wash the sand away.

[stubby52]

On 11/1/2018 at 3:13 AM, TunnelRat69 said:

• Lower prices for Hotels
• Lower prices for Food, drink, and bakeries
• Lower prices transportation, dependable tour busses with connections all over country
• Did I for get to mention Lower prices??
• Plenty of Night Clubs, P4P is not blatant in your face, but it exists and easy to find.
• No hassles Visa's, no TM-30 on arrivals to th airport one year multiple entry Tourist visa's are possible, I got mine in July
• Cheap airline travel between all cities, Thailand has some very good deals as well  thats a 'tie'
• First class beaches - Surfable Beaches in Kan Hoa, Qui Nhon, Danang
• Virgin Diving spots all along its coast
• and and and lower prices for just about everything.
• I am a little jaded, been living between Thailand and Vietnam since 2000.

Yes a beer can be had for 25b a few chaps i know have already relocated the last year.