Pattaya now verses Pattaya before.

[soistalker]

I started coming to Pattaya, living on and off (in Jomtien) since 2000. It was a much better vibe back then. Most expats and visitors were English, Ameeican, and European. The bars were full, and there were sexy girls working in the bars.

Flash forward to 2019, the Chinese are everywhere, the Indians are coming in large numbers, and Jomtien looks like a Moscow suburb. The bars are empty and, the beautiful girls are replaced with solid 2s, 3s, with the occasional 4s as "stunners."

What the hell happened? And I think it is much worse than before.

Your thoughts?

[CGW]

10 minutes ago, soistalker said:

Your thoughts?

You observations are spot on? ???? 

Though I think you are being generous with the "beautiful girl" ratings. ????

[Leaver]

Your Pattaya "before" description is the Vietnam "now" description. 

[utalkin2me]

The times I have driven by i completely agree with the 2's and 3's comment. In fact I have wondered what the heck everyone is raving about, all the cute thai girls are seen in banks, bts etc. But yeah i am sure there are good ones just seems they would be gone much of the night, which is perhaps another issue altogether. 

[Pilotman]

I first visited Pattaya in 1988. Then it was a rocking place, quite undeveloped, lots of market stall shopping and the beach was clean (ish). The night life was brilliant, but it was clearly under the control of the local mafia.  Then it got above itself and decided to go 'up market'. Trouble is, nobody with any  vision and  talent was involved in the urban design of the place and it quickly went out of control.  The infrastructure couldn't keep up with its growth and there was unrestrained development everywhere. Now its a tip of a place. That's what the Thais call progress. 

[petermik]

"grab a granny" is the theme in many of Pattaya bars today.....the young pretty ones tout their wares in the tinternet

[NCC1701A]

57 minutes ago, soistalker said:

The bars are empty and, the beautiful girls are replaced with solid 2s, 3s, with the occasional 4s as "stunners."

the solid 10 girls know what they are worth now and can get it. the internet and "dating" apps have changed that. 

having only been here for seven years it has changed in a bad way for me. i just wish it would go back to 2012.

 

[losworld]

10 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

the solid 10 girls know what they are worth now and can get it. the internet and "dating" apps have changed that. 

having only been here for seven years it has changed in a bad way for me. i just wish it would go back to 2012.

 

I think so many factors in play and number one is social media... attention loving and attention getting girls... many going to singapore, brunei etc..... many sponsored and out of the scene... leaving some leftovers... gals are older and fatter than ever before not to mention all the guys working as ladyboys lol 

[losworld]

21 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I first visited Pattaya in 1988. Then it was a rocking place, quite undeveloped, lots of market stall shopping and the beach was clean (ish). The night life was brilliant, but it was clearly under the control of the local mafia.  Then it got above itself and decided to go 'up market'. Trouble is, nobody with any  vision and  talent was involved in the urban design of the place and it quickly went out of control.  The infrastructure couldn't keep up with its growth and there was unrestrained development everywhere. Now its a tip of a place. That's what the Thais call progress. 

Hey vegas used to be a lot better when the mob ran it 

[Thaidream]

First came to Pattaya in 1971- only 1 Western style hotel-  The beach was pristine and the water as crystal clear and clean.

 

The locals as friendly as I have ever seen. Great Thai food and a few western restaurants -all at very low prices even though the exchange rate was around  21 BaHT  to a US Dollar.

 

Pattaya was not a very popular destination except for some US military people but certainly not crowded.  It was a small, sleepy fishing village.

 

What changed Pattaya?   Massive tourism; absolutely no planning by the authorities and no zoning-  you got money- build what you want wherever you want- all of which has destroyed the sea- destroyed the city as a whole and  made it a concrete jungle-  The Westerners have mostly given up on the place-  but the authorities and wealthy landowners don't care- the Chines and Indians have arrived.

 

I now avoid the place like the plague- there is really no reason to go there- there are still many other places in Thailand that have not made the same mistake that Pattaya has  made.

 

Unfortunately- instead of learning from the mistakes of pattaya- Jomtien has embraced the exact same  expansionism that destroyed Pattaya and I still see it in other places in Thailand.

\

Eventually- due to the concept of let's get the money now and forget about  the future- there are so many cities in Thailand that are reaching the unlivable status- and when this happens no one will come but it will be too late.

[DrTuner]

56 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

The times I have driven by i completely agree with the 2's and 3's comment. In fact I have wondered what the heck everyone is raving about, all the cute thai girls are seen in banks, bts etc. 

Seems to be mostly BKK dwellers, for them a "stunner" seems to be a plain jane 3. They even like the Chinese for some oddball reason. 

 

Best looking ones have been going outside Thailand since ~2009, that I think was the first time I remember hearing of one from a bar where I knew the mamasan in had gone to Singapore. Now it's that or online. Beer bars look like bridge clubs for grannies. All the fun has left the building a long time ago.

[JayBird]

You observations are spot on? [emoji846] 
Though I think you are being generous with the "beautiful girl" ratings. [emoji848]

Makes it easier for the married expat to avoid temptation [emoji14]

[JayBird]

The times I have driven by i completely agree with the 2's and 3's comment. In fact I have wondered what the heck everyone is raving about, all the cute thai girls are seen in banks, bts etc. But yeah i am sure there are good ones just seems they would be gone much of the night, which is perhaps another issue altogether. 

I see more attractive girls in a Bangkok mall in one hour than I do in Pattaya in a day.

[Puchaiyank]

1 hour ago, utalkin2me said:

The times I have driven by i completely agree with the 2's and 3's comment. In fact I have wondered what the heck everyone is raving about, all the cute thai girls are seen in banks, bts etc. But yeah i am sure there are good ones just seems they would be gone much of the night, which is perhaps another issue altogether. 

Dang, you found some 2s and 3s?  Come on man...share with us where to find these lady lovelies...????

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, petermik said:

"grab a granny" is the theme in many of Pattaya bars today.....the young pretty ones tout their wares in the tinternet

Exactly. The good looking ones don't have to do the pole shuffle for hours anymore. All on line.

Only the ones got no hope of making it on the internet are still stuck in the bars, and most of them are on the phones hoping to catch a customer so they can get the night away from the bar.

Last time I was on Walking Street, the gogos played that revolting noise, and there were obese girls on the stage. No wonder there were few customers.

There were a few DDG girls, but they were usually outside touting.

[balo]

The world changes , you can't expect it to be the same.

 

The best girls are not working in bars, they can date rich men online and receive a lot more money. They can date 10 men at the same time very easy this way . Just use Skype and tell them "I love you". Then maybe meet only for a few days each year.

Repeat same procedure with 10 men and become a millionaire in Thai baht, 

You will find many of these women in the hi-so social circles in Bangkok. Ask them how they became rich and maybe they will tell you.  

 

 

 

  

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Dang, you found some 2s and 3s?  Come on man...share with us where to find these lady lovelies...????

Look on Walking St for the good looking ones OUTSIDE the gogos touting. One of the bars had as DDG a girl touting as I ever saw in LOS. She got snaffled pretty quick though.

[Destiny1990]

Those girls that you saw sitting in bars in 2000 are still sitting their now.

So they gained nearly 2 decades in age and 25 Kilos in weight this might explains your current disappointment.

 

 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Years ago, I snared a couple of long-term companions in separate forays while riding a baht bus. Rolling along Buakhao, I'd spot a temptress, jump off and the rest is history.

 

I just spent a week in Pattaya. I'd stare out from the baht bus just to see if it were true about the sad state of affairs, ahem. It was worse than I could imagine in bar after bar. I hung out with acquaintances and friends where I usually stay behind Big C Extra for the entire week and never partook. 

 

I decided not to go through the hassle of moving my extension to my new passport as I have no motivation to renew the extension this summer either. I will remain in Vietnam. 

[gk10002000]

My first visit was in 2004 and I thought it was great.  Noticed a big downturn right after those big Bangkok floods in 2011 was it?  Seemed like many many people flocked to Pattaya as it was a city that had some infrastructure.  That and the Russian takeover coincidentally or not.  Man those first ten vacation trips were the bee's knees though.

[DrTuner]

6 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Noticed a big downturn right after those big Bangkok floods in 2011 was it?  Seemed like many many people flocked to Pattaya as it was a city that had some infrastructure.  

Central opened in 2009, the BKK hordes reached peak in 2010. Then it was the Russians a couple of years after that, then Chinese and now Indians. Next it's probably Africans. Even before that, 2008 crisis hit and Americans disappeared. Last good year seems to have been 2007 - the year I moved here. Just my bloody luck. At least it was a good year.

[swissie]

Strange, in my corner of Pattaya nothing much has changed over the last 10 years. Same athmosphere, same price for Hotel, same price for Beer, same price for Thai/Farang food. Everything same same. This must be some kind of an "Island" within Pattaya and it's certainly not located somewhere on "the dark side", well understood!
WITH ONE EXCEPTION: The pretty ladies have vanished from the Bars. The entire strech of 2nd Road (for example) I lovingly call "Porkers Avenue".

But there is hope: Instead of abusing my laptop for hours, plowing thru "Tinder" and "Thai-Friendly", I just tell one of the "Mama San's" that have known me for years about my plight. Lo and behold, after 15 minutes, a slim, trim, pretty Lady sits next to me. Some inflationary tendencies may have taken place in this sector of the Thai economy. Not exactly same same as 10 years ago. But it's a good idea to be on friendly terms with some "Mama San's", especially if they have known you for years.

As opposed to other folks, nothing much has changed for me in Pattaya over the last 10 years.
I guess it depends on "where you are" in Pattaya and what "operative skills" one has aquired over the years.
Cheers.

[gk10002000]

30 minutes ago, swissie said:

Strange, in my corner of Pattaya nothing much has changed over the last 10 years. Same athmosphere, same price for Hotel, same price for Beer, same price for Thai/Farang food. Everything same same. This must be some kind of an "Island" within Pattaya and it's certainly not located somewhere on "the dark side", well understood!
WITH ONE EXCEPTION: The pretty ladies have vanished from the Bars. The entire strech of 2nd Road (for example) I lovingly call "Porkers Avenue".

But there is hope: Instead of abusing my laptop for hours, plowing thru "Tinder" and "Thai-Friendly", I just tell one of the "Mama San's" that have known me for years about my plight. Lo and behold, after 15 minutes, a slim, trim, pretty Lady sits next to me. Some inflationary tendencies may have taken place in this sector of the Thai economy. Not exactly same same as 10 years ago. But it's a good idea to be on friendly terms with some "Mama San's", especially if they have known you for years.

As opposed to other folks, nothing much has changed for me in Pattaya over the last 10 years.
I guess it depends on "where you are" in Pattaya and what "operative skills" one has aquired over the years.
Cheers.

I remember when "Made in Thailand" bar complex was fun. Spent many a night in Tim bar beer.  I do like and understand your mama san words though.  With a little effort Pattaya is still OK to visit.  Will be going in June I think. 

[NanLaew]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Look on Walking St for the good looking ones OUTSIDE the gogos touting. One of the bars had as DDG a girl touting as I ever saw in LOS. She got snaffled pretty quick though.

Yeah... but that one was truly the last of the DGG's.

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Years ago, I snared a couple of long-term companions in separate forays while riding a baht bus. Rolling along Buakhao, I'd spot a temptress, jump off and the rest is history.

 

I just spent a week in Pattaya. I'd stare out from the baht bus just to see if it were true about the sad state of affairs, ahem. It was worse than I could imagine in bar after bar. I hung out with acquaintances and friends where I usually stay behind Big C Extra for the entire week and never partook. 

 

I decided not to go through the hassle of moving my extension to my new passport as I have no motivation to renew the extension this summer either. I will remain in Vietnam. 

At least you do your kerb crawling from a songthaew. It's the dopey buggers wobbling along, one-handed on their step-through scooters at 3 mph, their head whip-lashing left and right, scanning for a bit of 'Prime'. Then they suddenly spot something and instantly stop, looking for a parking slot and get serious attitude when a give them a sphincter-puckering 123 dB on the bloody airhorn.

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, soistalker said:

I started coming to Pattaya, living on and off (in Jomtien) since 2000. It was a much better vibe back then. Most expats and visitors were English, Ameeican, and European. The bars were full, and there were sexy girls working in the bars.

Flash forward to 2019, the Chinese are everywhere, the Indians are coming in large numbers, and Jomtien looks like a Moscow suburb. The bars are empty and, the beautiful girls are replaced with solid 2s, 3s, with the occasional 4s as "stunners."

What the hell happened? And I think it is much worse than before.

Your thoughts?

While I'm gathering my thoughts, does anyone who considers how the girls looked ~20 years ago compared to now have any mirrors handy?

 

OK, thoughts gathered. Why didn't the OP (and others lamenting the glacial slide of the nubile Thai beauty) grab themselves a "stunner" way back then when they were still two (or three)-a-penny and they were truly still hunsum men? All a bit too late to start lamenting the higher costs and fewer choices when it comes to getting some quality rumpy-pumpy.

[Traubert]

I think the OP is 19 years older, so is Pattaya, and so is the world. His memories are misted by the sands of time and if he did document those years it would be on a shaky hand held 9mm camera projected on a flickering screen.

 

Nostalgia. It ain't what it used to be.

[Lookard]

The last time I checked the shielas all had the required  

equipment. Get on with life. 

[baansgr]

Baht buses still 10 Baht, food has barely increased in price if cooking at home, plenty expat foods available now with Siamburys and Makro....pretty much same same but different.

[dotpoom]

I live in the "Now"...what does it matter today what life in Pattaya was like years ago?

    "Nothing stands still"..( thank God).

What's this obsession with what things were like in the.... past?