Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?

[scubascuba3]

13/2 was noticeably quieter yesterday, street food there is very popular with Thais and usually busy when i go, i was the only customer, More and more Thais are leaving Pattaya

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

13/2 was noticeably quieter yesterday, street food there is very popular with Thais and usually busy when i go, i was the only customer, More and more Thais are leaving Pattaya

You mean those that would normally live and work here? That I see.... they also are leaving Bangkok as their jobs are no longer there. At weekend, Thais are arriving in Pattaya as tourists of course.

[chrisandsu]

Just spoke to an old mate of mine who’s been around for years . Right now he’s loving life in Patts . Reckon he’s stumbled on the fountain of youth and become a sexy man again . He said you can smell the desperation in the air and it’s never been better ! I guess there is some winners in all

of this . 

[Oldie]

13 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

Just spoke to an old mate of mine who’s been around for years . Right now he’s loving life in Patts . Reckon he’s stumbled on the fountain of youth and become a sexy man again . He said you can smell the desperation in the air and it’s never been better ! I guess there is some winners in all

of this . 

It is more quiet but in the meantime more and more infrastructure used by expats starts to disappear. Infrastructure that has been used by tourists and expats. And I am not talking about the sex and booze business. This I would not miss at all... 

[CorpusChristie]

33 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

Just spoke to an old mate of mine who’s been around for years . Right now he’s loving life in Patts . Reckon he’s stumbled on the fountain of youth and become a sexy man again . He said you can smell the desperation in the air and it’s never been better ! I guess there is some winners in all

of this . 

Prostitutes, like all other businesses are lacking customers these days .

Other businesses like hotels and restaurants seem to be either raising their prices or cutting back on ingredients ?

  How are prostitutes handling the lack of customers ?

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

You mean those that would normally live and work here? That I see.... they also are leaving Bangkok as their jobs are no longer there. At weekend, Thais are arriving in Pattaya as tourists of course.

Yes those Thais that live and work here, they are moving away from Pattaya, it's too expensive for those with limited money

[chrisandsu]

38 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Prostitutes, like all other businesses are lacking customers these days .

Other businesses like hotels and restaurants seem to be either raising their prices or cutting back on ingredients ?

  How are prostitutes handling the lack of customers ?

Maybe it’s time for them to hang up the poles and tell the sponsor they are retiring for love ? 

[rott]

On 8/16/2020 at 10:04 PM, TaaSaparot said:

I said new openings, not re-openings.

I was correcting you. 

[rott]

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

13/2 was noticeably quieter yesterday, street food there is very popular with Thais and usually busy when i go, i was the only customer, More and more Thais are leaving Pattaya

The lady I used to buy form in Soi Post packed up and went home a few days ago. 

[TaaSaparot]

Back On Topic.

 

New Opening : Witherspoons @ Beach Road.

 

Old Closing : Robin's Nest, Soi Diana Inn.

[aussiexpat]

42 minutes ago, TaaSaparot said:

New Opening : Witherspoons @ Beach Road.

Have they moved from soi bukhow or is there now 2 of them? Where on beach road?

Edited August 19, 2020 by aussiexpat

[TaaSaparot]

11 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Where on beach road?

Corner of Pattaya Glang, where that so called Chinese Restaurant was.

[Don Mega]

6 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Just spoke to an old mate of mine who’s been around for years . Right now he’s loving life in Patts . Reckon he’s stumbled on the fountain of youth and become a sexy man again . He said you can smell the desperation in the air and it’s never been better ! I guess there is some winners in all

of this . 

Got to admit I too am enjoying it.

 

Not been to a bar for years but these past few weeks Iam heading out every other night.

[Leaver]

8 hours ago, Oldie said:

more and more infrastructure used by expats starts to disappear. Infrastructure that has been used by tourists and expats. And I am not talking about the sex and booze business.

True, and partly why I started this thread.

 

Tourists stop coming here, and infrastructure and hospitality businesses enjoyed by expats start to close.  End result is, we all lose some choice and variety, and some competition in the market.  

 

 

    

Edited August 19, 2020 by Leaver

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, TaaSaparot said:

Back On Topic.

 

New Opening : Witherspoons @ Beach Road.

 

Old Closing : Robin's Nest, Soi Diana Inn.

I would say Robin's Nest is a favourite for many.  I've had many Sunday roasts there over the years. 

 

Is it temporary, or have they walked away?  Isn't it the same guys that own The Sportsman on Soi 13/1?  

[scubascuba3]

15 minutes ago, Leaver said:

I would say Robin's Nest is a favourite for many.  I've had many Sunday roasts there over the years. 

 

Is it temporary, or have they walked away?  Isn't it the same guys that own The Sportsman on Soi 13/1?  

very overpriced food there, can't compete with the lower prices elsewhere, even Pitini looks like it's struggling

[aussiexpat]

22 minutes ago, Leaver said:

True, and partly why I started this thread.

 

Tourists stop coming here, and infrastructure and hospitality businesses enjoyed by expats start to close.  End result is, we all lose some choice and variety, and some competition in the market.  

 

 

    

Lol you started this thread saying Pattaya is doomed and all favourite bars and restaurants will close...then Covid happened and your dream came true.

 

This thread has stopped being about the original OP presumption for about 5 months now ????

[Leaver]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

very overpriced food there, can't compete with the lower prices elsewhere, even Pitini looks like it's struggling

I did say "over the years."  Not so much in recent times.  

 

They ran a good operation.  Their accommodation was a popular in high season with returning tourists.     

[Leaver]

3 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Lol you started this thread saying Pattaya is doomed and all favourite bars and restaurants will close...then Covid happened and your dream came true.

 

This thread has stopped being about the original OP presumption for about 5 months now ????

You are wrong.

 

Check the thread title.  

 

Western tourists were on the decline here last year, prompting me to start this thread, as some well known bars and restaurants frequented by western tourists were either struggling, for sale, or closing. 

 

This thread became even more relevant once Covid hit, as it's now a fight for survival for many businesses catering for westerners, and only the ones with deep pockets will survive. 

 

Whether it's worth it for businesses to call upon capital reserves in order to hang in the game, only time will tell.

 

I stand by my observations, which was confirmed by many business owners, that this past high season was the worst ever for western tourist numbers here.  This was several months after I started the thread.  Then, Covid hit.  

 

[Don Mega]

3 hours ago, TaaSaparot said:

 

 

 

 

Old Closing : Robin's Nest, Soi Diana Inn.

Bitter pill for the new owner.... only purchased it last year.

[jwdub]

Road thru New Plaza around 5PM this evening and unfortunately it looks like Fryday's has met it's demise. Their were 4 thai guys gutting it taking out all the fixtures as I rode past.

[kinyara]

3 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Got to admit I too am enjoying it.

 

Not been to a bar for years but these past few weeks Iam heading out every other night.

Absolutely agree,  now we are down to pretty much all year residents only I find it much more relaxed and sociable customer and staff wise, like a good low season that I remember when I first came here as a tourist years ago. The added advantage is the lack of noise, traffic and air pollution, a pleasure to walk around in the mornings and early evenings. 

 

The Western orientated places that are going to the wall so far are mainly those in the over saturated budget tourist area of Buakhow or the crappy little tired Beer Bars, no real surprise or loss given their main customer base isn't here anyway. 

 

May as well make the best of it while we can as it will never be this pleasant again. If we get another 4-6 months like this I'll be surprised. 

[chrisandsu]

4 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Got to admit I too am enjoying it.

 

Not been to a bar for years but these past few weeks Iam heading out every other night.

He said the same . Roads are empty and easy to cross , no Chinese and Indians , currency is starting to climb a little . No 2 week millionaires . He’s been in Thailand 30+ years and reckons this is the best he’s known it for years . 

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, kinyara said:

Absolutely agree,  now we are down to pretty much all year residents only I find it much more relaxed and sociable customer and staff wise, like a good low season that I remember when I first came here as a tourist years ago. The added advantage is the lack of noise, traffic and air pollution, a pleasure to walk around in the mornings and early evenings. 

I gingerly poked my nose out last weekend. Indeed, it reminded me of bygone times. Nice. But there's the nagging feeling in the back of the head that Thais are suffering because of the lack of revenue. Back then there were less of them, too.

 

So far the places I go to eat or occasionally have a beer in are still hanging on. They have all been there for 10+ years.

[TaaSaparot]

4 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Bitter pill for the new owner.... only purchased it last year.

Still no confirmation from the restaurant themselves, which is making me wonder if its true or not?

 

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, kinyara said:

Absolutely agree,  now we are down to pretty much all year residents only I find it much more relaxed and sociable customer and staff wise, like a good low season that I remember when I first came here as a tourist years ago. The added advantage is the lack of noise, traffic and air pollution, a pleasure to walk around in the mornings and early evenings. 

 

The Western orientated places that are going to the wall so far are mainly those in the over saturated budget tourist area of Buakhow or the crappy little tired Beer Bars, no real surprise or loss given their main customer base isn't here anyway. 

 

May as well make the best of it while we can as it will never be this pleasant again. If we get another 4-6 months like this I'll be surprised. 

In other news, STIs are ⬇️ due to no tourists bringing them in

[kinyara]

6 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Nice. But there's the nagging feeling in the back of the head that Thais are suffering because of the lack of revenue. Back then there were less of them, too.

 

Agreed and that's a given that I can only see getting worse in the short term unfortunately. All we can do is support those businesses that provide good service and value with our custom. 

[redwood1]

Bye......So long..........You could get cheap fish and chips then get cheap drinks in a New Plaza bar and then take a girl home cheaply.........A wallet pleasing experience for the thrifty expat.....

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by redwood1

[Leaver]

On 8/19/2020 at 7:13 PM, Don Mega said:

Bitter pill for the new owner.... only purchased it last year.

I didn't know that. 

 

Some heavy losses, almost immediately, that will not be able to be recouped over the life of the current lease.  

 

Given the timing of the purchase, to the time Covid hit, and the size of the establishment, and it's location, that would make it one of the hardest hit, financially, large hotels aside.   

[scubascuba3]

50 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

Given the timing of the purchase, to the time Covid hit, and the size of the establishment, and it's location, that would make it one of the hardest hit, financially, large hotels aside.   

Hardly, it's a small restaurant, gogos and hotels taking much bigger losses