Just back from my Pattaya holiday.
It depends on what kind of death we are talking about. It's all relative. Who and what is dying? As far as foot traffic, road traffic and construction activities are concerned, Pattaya is far from being dead. So what is dying in Pattya? It's the small businesses and the cozy old garage sized little bars with their unique charm. Eventually, the things that made Pattaya unique will be limited to Walking Street, Soi 13 and Soi 6, preserved as part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Hopefully.

Pattaya is getting expensive? Not in my Pattaya neck of the woods. Lodging, Food, Beer and "Hostesses" cost the same as 10 years ago. Not kidding.
The only thing that really has changed is the outer appearance of the "Hostesses". 20 years ago, one had to look for overweight Thai-Females. These days, one has to look for non-overweight Thai-Females. The remaining "slim and trim" Thai-females can be found at GoGo Bars on Walking-Street. With a price structure that resembles European conditions. No wonder that hardly any young males from Western Europe feel the need to visit Pattaya. Sitting in an Airplane for 12 hours just to discover that they could have had the same thing on Mallorca, even cheaper if Air-Fare costs enter the equasion.

Have hardly seen any youngsters from Western Europe. Only old geezers like me. Sitting on their Bar Stools wondering "what happened". Surely, once the last old Farang has finished his Beer, then the old Pattaya has ceased to exist.
If, by any chance, I should be be the last old Farang sitting on his Barstool wondering "what happened", I promess to turn off the lights on my way out.

Pattaya started dying the day they introduced smartphones.

No, I wasn't a 'sexpat', but in the good old days, it was easy to have a conversation, or interact with staff in any type of social establishment.

Now, especially with the younger generation's obsession with 'social media', modern day conversation is done with the fingers, via a phone mast. 

35 minutes ago, swissie said:

Have hardly seen any youngsters from Western Europe.

 

In the backpacker crowd the idea of a middle-aged white guy with a young ethnic woman is the epitome of disgusting.

The ones who are most disgusted by it are the Occidental gals with Thai "boyfriends" who freeload off them, hit them up for $$ with sick buffalo stories etc. If you confront one such, you'll be told it's different for them. (sound familiar?)  One gal admitted to me that she once had a beau from Isaan and the only thing he talked about was money.

Also, no shortage of Occidental young couples broken apart because the Thai bargirls stole the guy away.

 

 

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

Pattaya started dying the day they introduced smartphones.

No, I wasn't a 'sexpat', but in the good old days, it was easy to have a conversation, or interact with staff in any type of social establishment.

Now, especially with the younger generation's obsession with 'social media', modern day conversation is done with the fingers, via a phone mast. 

used to communicate with my fingers back in the day 555

never used to be all the freelancers sitting on their bikes along beachroad, they seem to sit there all night

Don't forget to step on the cat's tail and kick the dog before turning out the lights.  ????

I think if anything Pattaya is improving. I hope they clean up all the bars between beach road and second road. Keep soi 6 and walking street if needed, but gentrify the <deleted> out of the beach and 2nd road section of the city. push all the eye-sore shit past second road

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

 

 

Not a fan then ?

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Pattaya started dying the day they introduced smartphones.

No, I wasn't a 'sexpat', but in the good old days, it was easy to have a conversation, or interact with staff in any type of social establishment.

Now, especially with the younger generation's obsession with 'social media', modern day conversation is done with the fingers, via a phone mast. 

 

 

OMG  -  a Connect 4 and Jenga fan !!!   

5 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

Come on, be honest, where exactly do you live?

Love Pattaya topics and bashing , funny enough always from those who been once if that and became experts on what Pattaya is .

 

old crowd is not coming back, new crowd does nothing but walk around.

 

for expats or long time visitors Pattaya is dead, businesses up for sale in most popular locations. Businesses that have been operating for decades are either closing down or up for sale and it does not include bars but well known restaurants.

 

yes , Pattaya may well be changing in different direction but rest assured it is not bringing people with money . 

9 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Come on, be honest, where exactly do you live?

Either on some farm in the middle of nowhere in UK or some Issan village in the middle of the jungle ????????????

6 minutes ago, BestB said:

Either on some farm in the middle of nowhere in UK or some Issan village in the middle of the jungle ????????????

I suspect that it's somewhere close to Pattaya, but I'd like to hear it from the horse's arse mouth

41 minutes ago, BestB said:

Either on some farm in the middle of nowhere in UK or some Issan village in the middle of the jungle ????????????

More likely he is still living with mummy and daddy but enjoys the odd trip to the seaside for a ice cream wearing his favourite anorak and bobble hat 

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

Come on, be honest, where exactly do you live?

Between Rayong and Ban Chang, thank goodness. 

4 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Between Rayong and Ban Chang, thank goodness. 

So a short drive from Pattaya then? Could it be that you are jealous because the bars in Bang Chang have gone seriously downhill lately?

It's not dead , too many Russians and Chinese around where I live. Went to Soi Boakaow last night, all the British places were packed. So not dead yet. 

1 minute ago, balo said:

It's not dead , too many Russians and Chinese around where I live. Went to Soi Boakaow last night, all the British places were packed. So not dead yet. 

Me too. Not quite as busy as a few years ago but still hard to get a seat in some bars. Billabong was heaving.

16 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Me too. Not quite as busy as a few years ago but still hard to get a seat in some bars. Billabong was heaving.

I was heaving in Billabong once. Think I got a dodgy pint. Which one of the 10 I'm not sure.

Demographics have changed, Pattaya is busy but long gone are the days of getting a beer and a bird for a tenner all night.....a real night out with drinks, shots, some thai grub, lady drinks, bar fine and a bit for her costs almost a few hundred quid.

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

So a short drive from Pattaya then? Could it be that you are jealous because the bars in Bang Chang have gone seriously downhill lately?

Ha good one, but  I don't tend to judge a place by how many bars it has, or on what goes on in those bars, but I know that others do.  I guess we all have an opinion on what makes City a good one to visit. Not sure that I would take the 60km from my home to Pattaya as being a short drive. 

56 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Me too. Not quite as busy as a few years ago but still hard to get a seat in some bars. Billabong was heaving.

So the bars are your sole criteria for judging a place? Interesting,  although you are not alone in that I guess. Lot's of very discerning people go to Pattaya for the bars. 

I love how up in arms ppl get thinking that what you said is all a lie but in reality you nailed it on the head.

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

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1 hour ago, Spidey said:

Me too. Not quite as busy as a few years ago but still hard to get a seat in some bars. Billabong was heaving.

In fact all of LK Metro was "banging" at 2AM this morning!

3 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

Ahhhhhhhh....... where's your sense of adventure?

Tread boldly.......well, and carefully ????

3 hours ago, Metapod said:

I think if anything Pattaya is improving. I hope they clean up all the bars between beach road and second road. Keep soi 6 and walking street if needed, but gentrify the <deleted> out of the beach and 2nd road section of the city. push all the eye-sore shit past second road

And remove all the casinos from Macau while they are at it! 

 

Gentrify? Seriously? And open a Tiffany shop? 

 

 

Plenty of lowlife depravity to wallow in for years to come yet (hooray).

 

Not the same clientele though (more younger men from countries where you can't get close to a woman unless she has a male relative with her).

 

And they will not miss the "good old days" and think that it is not as good as it was and that it has no future.

 

Because young men, with everything to play for, do not miss.......the good old days.

 

And for them the future will be.......marvelous.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, BestB said:

Either on some farm in the middle of nowhere in UK or some Issan village in the middle of the jungle ????????????

Isaan and jungle don't go together... it's like putting together Pattaya and cleanliness... 

The rising Thai Baht is sorting out who comes here now..another year of any strong THB currency growth and never mind the tourists it will be the locals who will be looking to vacate!

 

3 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The place is an unplanned mess, a sewer in place of the sea, a rubbish tip for a beach and a traffic nightmare.  It floods in the rainy season, stinks in the dry season and is full of people you would never wish to see, meet or ever socialise with. Dead? here's hoping. 

Oh I get it.  Like Rayong with sex.