Entertainment tourism: Pattaya for Europeans is over - 30% down this year, official

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I never said how busy Pattaya was now or anything about Chinese tour groups devolving into FIT's you must be talking about someone else.  If you want to bash me kindly provide a quote.  

I was talking about someone else.

 

Keep your beak out.

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I never said how busy Pattaya was now or anything about Chinese tour groups devolving into FIT's you must be talking about someone else.  If you want to bash me kindly provide a quote.  

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Traubert
Double post

[smudger1951]

Here again for a couple of months in Pattaya and things are quiet. Many of the regular faces I know are missing. It's a double whammy right now with the strong thai baht and new visa regulations cast doubt over the future.

[sambum]

46 minutes ago, smudger1951 said:

Here again for a couple of months in Pattaya and things are quiet. Many of the regular faces I know are missing. It's a double whammy right now with the strong thai baht and new visa regulations cast doubt over the future.

And a triple whammy if you are a Brit and retired here - no annual increments to your Government (Old Age) Pension.!

[wolf81]

9 hours ago, dastott said:

Are there any places close to Pattaya/Jomtien that do have clean sea and nice beaches?

Sai Kaew beach is about a half our drive from Pattaya and is clean. It's in a military area south of Pattaya. 

 

https://online-pattaya.com/pattaya-tours/sai-kaew

 

If you have your own transportation can get in there cheaply. Have to give your passport for the day to some guard outside though and get it back when you return.

[Soikhaonoiken]

16 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Pattaya as we know it does indeed seem to be dying. Aside from issues mentioned in the post above, is that Pattaya was popular with Europeans, Australians and Americans because it was the city of sin. Attempts to make it a clean family resort are doomed to failure given only a fool would swim in its filthy waters, and the strategy makes other places far more appealing.

Totally agree with your post your spot on and couldn't have put it better. 

[CanadaSam]

10 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

If Karma had any validity do you think Trump would have made it to 70 years of age? 

 

Have you ever heard the wise old saying "only the good die young"?

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, ScotBkk said:

I now live on a beautiful island and live is so much easier and only visit Thailand for business now.......  

Your location says Bangkok, which is so filthy they have had to raise it 20 ft up to get out of it. 

Pattaya is what it is. I had a great night out there just Wednesday, few too many street hawkers that won't leave you alone the only issue. 

[fullcave]

The military junta must be proud of themselves. 

[onera1961]

The end of brothels (aka bars) and pimps (bar managers and owners). Time to move to Cambodia/Vietnam. 

[brewsterbudgen]

Here again for a couple of months in Pattaya and things are quiet. Many of the regular faces I know are missing. It's a double whammy right now with the strong thai baht and new visa regulations cast doubt over the future.

What are these new visa regulations that are stopping western tourists coming to Pattaya?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[bkk6060]

3 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

What are these new visa regulations that are stopping western tourists coming to Pattaya?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Exactly.

And western tourists do not need a Visa anyway to visit here.

Just another ignorant post.

[SuwadeeS]

Look. There are many things happen here right now.

First of all, Pattaya does not get better. Then the artificially strong Thai baht. Probably made up by the rich elite to buy cheap euros and dollars, before the Thai baht crashes at some point. If you take it exactly, and look at the economy, then the Thai Baht would have to stand for the dollar by 1:50.
Next point is the Dual Pricing. Why do Thais always think foreigners do not notice that? So stupid. As a result, they upset the few tourists they have. Then the ever stricter visa requirements for retirees, etc.

Well, they have never been good at mathematics. As average, a retiree brings 50,000 baht in foreign currency per month into Thailand economy. That's 600,000 Baht per pensioner per year.
If only I now estimate 200,000 retirees who moved. Then 120,000,000,000 baht (120 billion baht) of foreign currency per year are gone.
Here are not even the tourists included, which I have denigrated with rip-off, dual pricing and fraud.
My cautious estimate is about 10,000,000 tourists that Thailand has lost sustainably during the last 5 years because of this rip-off. Estimated loss is about 1.000,000,000,000 baht.
All in all, the loss for the Thai economy amounts to approximately 1.120,000,000,000 baht per year. Even thought and converted into Dollar it is still a lot of money. 

My theory can be proven by walking with open eyes and see all the shut down shops everywhere.
This can not be compensated by a few Chinese or Indian package tourists.

You have to change the attitude of the Thais towards the business methods.

But since Thai attitute will never accept foreign advice.....

well, may the last turn off the light.

[chrisandsu]

13 minutes ago, SuwadeeS said:

Look. There are many things happen here right now.

First of all, Pattaya does not get better. Then the artificially strong Thai baht. Probably made up by the rich elite to buy cheap euros and dollars, before the Thai baht crashes at some point. If you take it exactly, and look at the economy, then the Thai Baht would have to stand for the dollar by 1:50.
Next point is the Dual Pricing. Why do Thais always think foreigners do not notice that? So stupid. As a result, they upset the few tourists they have. Then the ever stricter visa requirements for retirees, etc.

Well, they have never been good at mathematics. As average, a retiree brings 50,000 baht in foreign currency per month into Thailand economy. That's 600,000 Baht per pensioner per year.
If only I now estimate 200,000 retirees who moved. Then 120,000,000,000 baht (120 billion baht) of foreign currency per year are gone.
Here are not even the tourists included, which I have denigrated with rip-off, dual pricing and fraud.
My cautious estimate is about 10,000,000 tourists that Thailand has lost sustainably during the last 5 years because of this rip-off. Estimated loss is about 1.000,000,000,000 baht.
All in all, the loss for the Thai economy amounts to approximately 1.120,000,000,000 baht per year. Even thought and converted into Dollar it is still a lot of money. 

My theory can be proven by walking with open eyes and see all the shut down shops everywhere.
This can not be compensated by a few Chinese or Indian package tourists.

You have to change the attitude of the Thais towards the business methods.

But since Thai attitute will never accept foreign advice.....

well, may the last turn off the light.

The shut stores have nothing to do with a massive oversupply ? I have seen rows and rows of shop houses in Thailand that have never seen a business in . To keep expanding you have to have an expanding population to supply , if a foreigner can’t live here legally and open a business then how can this happen ? This is the only reason western countries welcome immigration .  

[rodpav]

Pattaya is the adult Disneyland of the world, when the party animals and girl chasers stop coming which pattaya relies on to survive  ole patts will die, family place I dont think so.

[malibukid]

2 hours ago, SuwadeeS said:

Look. There are many things happen here right now.

First of all, Pattaya does not get better. Then the artificially strong Thai baht. Probably made up by the rich elite to buy cheap euros and dollars, before the Thai baht crashes at some point. If you take it exactly, and look at the economy, then the Thai Baht would have to stand for the dollar by 1:50.
Next point is the Dual Pricing. Why do Thais always think foreigners do not notice that? So stupid. As a result, they upset the few tourists they have. Then the ever stricter visa requirements for retirees, etc.

Well, they have never been good at mathematics. As average, a retiree brings 50,000 baht in foreign currency per month into Thailand economy. That's 600,000 Baht per pensioner per year.
If only I now estimate 200,000 retirees who moved. Then 120,000,000,000 baht (120 billion baht) of foreign currency per year are gone.
Here are not even the tourists included, which I have denigrated with rip-off, dual pricing and fraud.
My cautious estimate is about 10,000,000 tourists that Thailand has lost sustainably during the last 5 years because of this rip-off. Estimated loss is about 1.000,000,000,000 baht.
All in all, the loss for the Thai economy amounts to approximately 1.120,000,000,000 baht per year. Even thought and converted into Dollar it is still a lot of money. 

My theory can be proven by walking with open eyes and see all the shut down shops everywhere.
This can not be compensated by a few Chinese or Indian package tourists.

You have to change the attitude of the Thais towards the business methods.

But since Thai attitute will never accept foreign advice.....

well, may the last turn off the light.

the word is out on Thailand.  

[Moo 2]

Do you know any country in the world rules by the military and that is also doing well? I don't.

[Destiny1990]

Seems they not in a hurry to get visitors number back up?

[denby45]

19 hours ago, newnative said:

Thai Hotel Act.

https://www.samuiforsale.com/law-texts/thailand-hotel-act-2004-translation.html

 

I am not seeing anything in there that says the mixing of hotel and condos is illegal.

 

 

Den

[Bremser]

On 7/11/2019 at 8:17 AM, MartinKal said:

Absolutely agree. 

Its no good at all trying to shut down the sex industry here unless you have some new distractions to offer tourists and some new employment opportunities to offer the million or so who have families to feed.

 

And there seems no indication of the need to invest in the tourist infrastructure to at least maintain its attractiveness if not upgrade to beat the competition (up and coming Vietnam for example).

 

Chinese groups are not the future. The Chinese now have money and education. And apps on their smartphones. So they go places solo or in young couples. Theyre not so much interested in paying for sex.

 

Thailand definitely needs to completely rethink its attitude to tourism. It's currently packaged as an old industry industry from the 80s, in the eyes of the young. Its like smokestack and coal where it needs to be eco-friendly solar wave and go nuclear.  

 

Its 20% of GDP for goodness sake!

You are saying there are lot of alternatives to Pattaya and name for example Vietnam.

 

But I guess if you are boarding here to make holiday for party and sex you don't find to many alternatives around for the same costs. The only I can think is Angeles City, but there you don't have an infrastructure as in Patts.

 

Or did you come across other places you can do it with that budget you need in Pattaya?

Agree, it goes down year by year, but for those tourists with the focus on party/sex it is most propably still the best place to be.

 

 

But if I see something wrong, I am absolutely open to other opinions.

Cheers 

[sandyf]

On 7/11/2019 at 9:05 AM, darksidedog said:

Pattaya as we know it does indeed seem to be dying. Aside from issues mentioned in the post above, is that Pattaya was popular with Europeans, Australians and Americans because it was the city of sin. Attempts to make it a clean family resort are doomed to failure given only a fool would swim in its filthy waters, and the strategy makes other places far more appealing.

Quite. i went down to Pattaya this morning and we went for breakfast in the Lek, I went straight to the cashier and said 5 persons and her face lit up. When I turned round there were only 12 others in the dining room and 10 of them were sat alone.

[Destiny1990]

4 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Quite. i went down to Pattaya this morning and we went for breakfast in the Lek, I went straight to the cashier and said 5 persons and her face lit up. When I turned round there were only 12 others in the dining room and 10 of them were sat alone.

So how was your breakfast?

[sandyf]

13 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

So how was your breakfast?

The quality and selection certainly drops with the reduced customer base but at 120 baht good enough for me. The family like meals where they can eat as much as they like so no complaints from them either.

No pushing and shoving at the servery is a bit of a bonus.

[Millcx]

On 7/11/2019 at 3:44 PM, marcusarelus said:

And how is the baht devalued?  List the steps please.  

If you don’t know then go back to school and study economics.... I aint a charity ...Thai economy is overinflated ... Or maybe you work for JPMC and you have a lorry full of Baht

[seasia]

Hi

 

I am not surprised at the reduction in tourists and also in long term stayers.

 

I have lived in naklua/pattaya for about 10 years, having previously visited as a tourist for a prior10 years.

It is ( or was as I left just under 4 weeks ago ) deadly quiet.

 

Many alternatives across the world, depending on your likes/needs etc.

Fair few European options, as far as popularity for tourists go, France ranks No. 1 in the world, closely followed by Spain.

 Then US no 3. China no 4. Italy no. 5.

Mexico no. 6    UK in at 7 and in fairness Thailand seems to get in at no.10.

 

I have chosen Italy for a 4 month break from Thailand.So far so good.

A friend of mine is choosing his stay away break in 3 Latin American countries.

 

Plenty others I know are also choosing alternatives.

 

That all adds up to less tourists in Thailand.

 

It does not seem tourist/long stay friendly anymore.

[Tagged]

29 minutes ago, seasia said:

 

 

I have chosen Italy for a 4 month break from Thailand.So far so good.

 

Very few have mentioned Italy as an option for retirement, how come? 

 

I have also just been thinking about Portugal and Spain, but if you comparing those three countries, what do you think? 

 

Living cost and quality exempt vine and tobacco. As an Europeen, I have all rights there. 

[Destiny1990]

16 minutes ago, Tagged said:

Very few have mentioned Italy as an option for retirement, how come? 

 

I have also just been thinking about Portugal and Spain, but if you comparing those three countries, what do you think? 

 

Living cost and quality exempt vine and tobacco. As an Europeen, I have all rights there. 

I don't like Italians in general.

i feel more for Spanish individuals.

i don’t think much price difference these 3 countries u can live for small or big money every month..

i dont base my relocation on the price difference of a pack of cigarettes. 

Edited July 12, 2019 by Destiny1990

[newnative]

6 hours ago, denby45 said:

https://www.samuiforsale.com/law-texts/thailand-hotel-act-2004-translation.html

 

I am not seeing anything in there that says the mixing of hotel and condos is illegal.

 

 

Den

     I didn't say anything about 'mixing of hotels and condos'.  If you own a condo, in a condo project registered as a 'condominium' at the Land Office, it is illegal under the Thai Hotel Act to rent your condo for a period of less than 30 days.

    A few weeks ago I witnessed a raid by police at a condo project in Bangkok.  They fined the owners doing the illegal short-term rentals and they also fined the renters because the owners had not reported their addresses to Immigration, as required by law.   Of course, many are doing illegal short-term rentals in condominiums but it is illegal.  

[chrisandsu]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

I don't like Italians in general.

i feel more for Spanish individuals.

i don’t think much price difference these 3 countries u can live for small or big money every month..

i dont base my relocation on the price difference of a pack of cigarettes. 

You can buy your house and own it there . You can use the health care system for free, you can work any job there , you have every right a local has . The food is excellent . To be totally honest it’s probably cheaper for everyday living then Phuket . Your family does not have to wade through hookerville when they come to visit making the assumption that your missis came from one of the bars ... it’s a win win 

Edited July 12, 2019 by chrisandsu

[Destiny1990]

28 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

You can buy your house and own it there . You can use the health care system for free, you can work any job there , you have every right a local has . The food is excellent . To be totally honest it’s probably cheaper for everyday living then Phuket . Your family does not have to wade through hookerville when they come to visit making the assumption that your missis came from one of the bars ... it’s a win win 

Yes some valuable points just not a fan of Italie in particular.

Spain I could see myself living there easily.

But for now am considering firstly Vietnam. Nowadays we have lots of options.