Where have all the Chinese gone? Thai media say TAT in denial about tourism numbers in Pattaya

[newnative]

1 minute ago, BestB said:

These are not parks ,check out centennial park in Sydney or Central Park in New York , even queen sirikit in bkk . Pedestrian crossings where cars do not stop, side walks where bikes ride , including cops.

 

yeap, next ????

    Typical standard response when you get called out for posting incorrect information. "That doesn't count cause (fill in the item) in (fill in the city) is much better!"  In this case, Central Park in NYC.   I mean, seriously?  Comparing Pattaya's parks to Central Park?  Really?  Laughable.  News flash.  Pattaya's Eiffel Tower is also not as big as the one in Paris.  By the way, other Thai cities, not just Pattaya, have a problem with motorbikes on sidewalks and cars not stopping for pedestrians.  I was dodging motorbikes on the sidewalks in Bangkok all last week.

[BestB]

12 minutes ago, newnative said:

    Typical standard response when you get called out for posting incorrect information. "That doesn't count cause (fill in the item) in (fill in the city) is much better!"  In this case, Central Park in NYC.   I mean, seriously?  Comparing Pattaya's parks to Central Park?  Really?  Laughable.  News flash.  Pattaya's Eiffel Tower is also not as big as the one in Paris.  By the way, other Thai cities, not just Pattaya, have a problem with motorbikes on sidewalks and cars not stopping for pedestrians.  I was dodging motorbikes on the sidewalks in Bangkok all last week.

Stop the bs already . 

 

Yes seriously we are talking about having proper public parks , not little green zones and pavements where people can safely walk without stepping into pot holes or jumping out of the way from bikes riding and parking , not to mention rubbish bags dumped every few meters.

 

by the way , if you unable to read or just struggle with comprehention , use google translate . I did not say exclusively Pattaya but referenced to Thailand as a whole .

 

and yes, being international family sea side resort requires international standard facilities such as parks in NYC or in Paris or at least comparable not laughable 

[newnative]

47 minutes ago, BestB said:

Stop the bs already . 

 

Yes seriously we are talking about having proper public parks , not little green zones and pavements where people can safely walk without stepping into pot holes or jumping out of the way from bikes riding and parking , not to mention rubbish bags dumped every few meters.

 

by the way , if you unable to read or just struggle with comprehention , use google translate . I did not say exclusively Pattaya but referenced to Thailand as a whole .

 

and yes, being international family sea side resort requires international standard facilities such as parks in NYC or in Paris or at least comparable not laughable 

     Let's review the bidding.  You opened with the statement that Pattaya had no public parks.  A poster responded with some pics of some private parks and water parks and you said they didn't count because you had to pay to get in.  I jumped in and said that Pattaya did, indeed, have some public parks.  Instead of saying something like, I stand corrected, you made the absurd statement that the parks don't count as parks because they are not as nice as Central Park in NYC and several other parks in large cities.  'International standard facilities' ???  Huh?  And, let's throw in some deflection with trash bags and pot holes, while we're at it.  By the way, I think the word you were struggling with is: comprehension.  Google, google.

[BestB]

22 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Let's review the bidding.  You opened with the statement that Pattaya had no public parks.  A poster responded with some pics of some private parks and water parks and you said they didn't count because you had to pay to get in.  I jumped in and said that Pattaya did, indeed, have some public parks.  Instead of saying something like, I stand corrected, you made the absurd statement that the parks don't count as parks because they are not as nice as Central Park in NYC and several other parks in large cities.  'International standard facilities' ???  Huh?  And, let's throw in some deflection with trash bags and pot holes, while we're at it.  By the way, I think the word you were struggling with is: comprehension.  Google, google.

There are no public parks . Naklua fish market is not a park .

can not be bothered addressing the rest of the drivel 

[simoh1490]

I posted the following in a separate thread, I'll post it again here because it may help some with their comprehension of the problem being discussed.

 

My wife and I were discussing the Chinese tourism issue at lunch today, shortly afterwards, Lemon, my wife's Mandarin teacher of two years ago called so the question was put to her - by way of background: Lemon is Chinese aged 25 years, she came to Chiang Mai to teach Mandarin for six months before returning home to study for her MBA. she and my wife became close friends and they speak almost weekly.
 
Lemon says there are a number of reasons why the Chinese aren't visiting Thailand currently: some are unhappy with Mr Loadsa Watches remarks following the sinking of the boat in Phuket, blaming the Chinese owner went down like a lead balloon and there is resentment which spread quickly. Without prompting she added that currency weakness is an issue, mass-market tours operate on slim margins which have now been eroded to almost nothing hence that sector is hurting. The final point she made was that whilst Thailand is still a prefered destination for many, the cleaner air and scenic beauty of the South are prefered by many to the pollution further North. Those things said she tells that several of her friends from school will visit the North at Xmas/New Year but they have money so exchange rates not so much of an issue.

[pattayadude]

17 hours ago, newnative said:

    "Honey, pack the bags!  I had trouble crossing the street and some of the sidewalks are blocked!  We're leaving early!"  I doubt the typical tourist would cut his likely 1 or 2 week stay short due to corruption, bad traffic, anti-social behavior, police harassment, and the rest of the not-too-major things on Kim's list.  I live right on the beach in Wong Amat.  Have never seen a rat or smelly trash.  Doesn't mean they aren't there in some areas but, again, this is likely something that would begin to irritate with time, not after just a week or two.  

     When I think back to my first year in Pattaya, nothing really bothered me yet; I was too busy getting to know and enjoy a new place with lots to discover.  The irritation with poor sidewalks, traffic jams, etc. came much later.  But, I haven't packed my bags, either, as the pros outweigh the cons for me.

I may have amplified in my quote only to make a point.

Unhappy ones who travel on prepaid tours would obviously stick it out and not stay short.

Sex mongers also wouldn't cut their travel short either as they probably couldn't care less about trash and rats.

But some do.

I've had visitor friends who I have traveled with in the past (to Cuba, Colombia, The Philippines) also weren't too happy with the Kim's list of dirty dozen but pretty vocal on  the anti-social behavior of locals and the stinking attitude of "sex workers"

But if you are happy, that's all counts! have fun

[simoh1490]

12 hours ago, BestB said:

One has to be brain dead not to get your point????.

 

Authorities decided it should be family friendly sea side resort , no one else thinks so.

 

yeah they move prostitutes around and build more shopping malls , but for some reason fail to understand Thailand is not Paris or Milan when it comes to shopping and beaches are not Niece.

 

Family with kids needs facilities , safety and infrastructure which Thailand lacks all around. 

 

Then of course lack of English does not help.

Your comments are a sharp contrast to those of a supposed Pattaya hotel owner who has lived in Thailand long term, 

 

If tourists fail to understand that Pattaya is not Paris or Nice that's their fault, they need to do their homework much better before they come. For longer-term tourists who do understand something about Thailand they will understand that changing anything in Thailand takes time and that Pattaya has changed substantially over the past fifteen years, it may not currently be everyone's idea of a family friendly holiday town but it is certainly the closest thing to that it has ever been in the past sixty years.

 

Let's start a campaign to get everything in Thailand up to the US standard, flat and even sidewalks everywhere, everyone speaking perfect English, we can import expert Health and Safety resource from the UK to demonstrate how to do every tasks safely, round up every potential prostitute and send them to re-education camps (we can lean on Cambodia for expertise here) etc etc etc. And in the process we can wring every gram of character and uniqueness out of the city, why, it won't be one bit like going to a foreign country any longer, it'll be just like back home!

[newnative]

8 hours ago, BestB said:

There are no public parks . Naklua fish market is not a park .

can not be bothered addressing the rest of the drivel 

    I used to live at Axis condo and my condo looked right out to the public park so I know there is a park there.  Naklua Park is next to the fish market.  But you are correct, Naklua fish market is not a park.  Surprisingly, it is a fish market--you can buy food and then go over to the park for a picnic lunch.  By the way, first you say Pattaya has no public parks. Then you say, when I correct you, the parks are not as good as Central Park in NYC. (Correct again!) Now you are back to Pattaya having no parks. I'm getting whiplash.  

[Jai Dee]

Several off-topic troll posts have been removed from this thread.

[morrobay]

18 hours ago, BestB said:

How can any place without sidewalks , pedestrian crossings and zebra’s be suitable for family with small kids????.

 

 

Most of the foreign  families ive seen here are caucasians . Not that many Chinese families.

Sure there are the theme parks/malls , resorts and particular enclaves  suitable  for families, But they are  outliers . Pattaya in general is a hostile environment - not suitable for families trying to get around.  

Could add to the list " reckless local lowlifes, dogs, garbage.*Very unsafe crossings everywhere.*  

The latter in itself disqualifies Pattaya as a family destination. It is a seedy third string seaside resort. With first world malls /condos among third world infrastructure, 

Edited November 22, 2018 by morrobay

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

If tourists fail to understand that Pattaya is not Paris or Nice

Pattaya is hookers and sleaze to the world, I don't understand why any family tourist would visit there.

Chiang Mai is the place for family holidays, or maybe Hua Hin or Krabi if you want sea and a beach.

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, BestB said:

How can any place without sidewalks , pedestrian crossings and zebra’s be suitable for family with small kids????.

 

Not to mention no public parks or kids playgrounds 

There is a zoo with both zebras and Pelicans just outside Pattaya.

 

Sidewalks, Indians and Chinese don't use them!

Edited November 22, 2018 by jacko45k

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Kim J said:

Western owned and run dive boat would dictate they needed certain communication skills or the whole exercise would have been impossible

I used to work as a dive instructor, the only things the customers needed was money.

If they had money and paid first, they could dive.

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, balo said:

 

 

And I'm surprised you managed to communicate with them at all. 95% of them on package holiday do not speak a word of English. I smell BS.

 

Unless he speaks Russian!

Russian tourists seem incapable of grasping that there are people in Pattaya who do not speak Russian... must be my Slavic good looks, or drunken demeanor. 

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, newnative said:

    Just for reference Pattaya does have a public park near the Big Buddha and another in Naklua near the beach.  I think both have children's play areas.  Most major roads have sidewalks with crossing areas.  Beach Road has working pedestrian crossing lights. Traffic seems to be doing a little better job of stopping but it's still pedestrian beware--true for most parts of Thailand. 

And a pedestrian area free of nighttime traffic, quite a good promenade too! The beach is a good area for kids to play.

Edited November 22, 2018 by jacko45k

[newnative]

59 minutes ago, Kim J said:

Yes indeed, the park area around the Buddha they made it quite pleasant and have done a significant amount of work to it, but it suffers from the age old problems that once they have it, they do not take care of it. There are a number of paths through the trees that would make for a pleasant environment, were it not for people riding motorbikes around them, prostitutes soliciting short time liaisons and resulting used condoms etc, drug users and vagrants using the area, stray dogs everywhere, and frequent muggings / robberies.

As I said in an earlier post, some problems could be easily rectified, this being one of them, but the police and other authorities seem to have different priorities.

You mention the pedestrian crossings on the Beach Rd and other places that were recently installed at great expense, but are seldom working, and when they are working many vehicles simply ignore them.

You could also add the bus stops that they designated and painted all over the city recently, I don't think I have ever seen a single songthaew / bus use them. There are two instances where they have even provided infrastructure to improve the place but do not use it!! Quite bizarre really.

     I think you might find some of the things you mentioned in BestB's Central Park at night, as well, but nice of you to at least acknowledge that Pattaya does have public parks. I think children would be more likely to use the park and playground during the daytime and not at night.  As far as I know, most of the pedestrian lights are working on Beach Road.  From my observation traffic is stopping more often than before, especially if there are pedestrians crossing, but Pattaya and all of Thailand could use better traffic enforcement.  

[morrobay]

On 11/21/2018 at 9:38 AM, morrobay said:

 In particular this last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I made a point of being there and observing that area in front of Hard Rock, at those hours. There are few tour buses and Chinese . Still some but about 20% of the previous. Actually there are almost equal numbers of Indians. Could they be boarding big boats at Bali Hi?

Could they be boarding big boats at Bali Hi ?  yes.  To be objective here I just went down to Bali Hi and indeed there are many tour buses dropping flag waving groups off near waterfront and they are boarding the larger passenger boats as well as speedboats off the pier. Beach rd this morning seems to have had a few more groups also.

So while somewhat less that before not 80% less.

Edited November 24, 2018 by morrobay

[morrobay]

Here are some Naklua park photos where some of the independent Chinese visit