2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

That would make you a tourist.  Right?  

 

Only those transferred here for work, or offered a job here, may have come to Pattaya "sight unseen."  

 

The vast majority of current western expats had a holiday here first, or several holidays here, before deciding to live here.  

 

If Thailand / Pattaya doesn't attract western tourists, there will be a decline in western expat retirees in the future.  Then, you have other issues like exchange rates and cost of living here etc, but it's attracting them here for a holiday that advertises Pattaya to them as a retirement destination.  

Not really, I was looking for a retirement destination in SE Asia, then narrowed it down to Thailand and gave Pattaya a try amongst several other destinations. I never really fancied Pattaya until my first visit and it was better than I'd imagined. Initially Chiang Mai was my first choice but after further visits I went off it. Probably would never have visited Pattaya as an out and out holidaymaker.

7 hours ago, petermik said:

I can assure you it,s far from miserable here rain or no rain....miserable is when your sat indoors back in the UK in wintertime looking outside at the cold damp and dreary weather and night time closing in at 4pm....the only consolation is that the central heating is working fine.....now that IS miserable

I was talking about Thailand being a bit rainy right now, but then talking about 'over there', meaning the UK, and it being miserable. I live in Thailand. 

42 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I was talking about Thailand being a bit rainy right now, but then talking about 'over there', meaning the UK, and it being miserable. I live in Thailand. 

Thailand has double the average annual rainfall compared to the UK.

3 hours ago, Leaver said:

Without western tourists holidaying here, pre Covid and post Covid, who will replace the current generation of expat retiree?

 

It was a holiday to Pattaya that advertised Pattaya as a retirement destination.  We saw last high season western tourist numbers were way down. 

 

There may not be as many western expats here in the future unless Thailand / Pattaya can lure back western tourists, some of whom will become the next generation of western expat retiree.  

I don't care, when i visit now i prefer it to the 'pre CV days'.

 

Less people / less traffic / still loads of burds ( or boys, if that's your fancy ).

3 hours ago, Leaver said:

Reality. Reality. Reality.  

If you're so worried about the future ( or lack there of ) why don't you go elesewhere?

 

If you still continue to enjoy it there then why all the 'noise'?

3 hours ago, Leaver said:

This was one of the attractions of Pattaya for me.  All the different cuisines.  I eat out most nights of the week. I do hope choice and variety remains available here.  

It's still there if you know where to go.

1 minute ago, HashBrownHarry said:

If you're so worried about the future ( or lack there of ) why don't you go elesewhere?

 

If you still continue to enjoy it there then why all the 'noise'?

I have my Plan B.  It's Vietnam.  Have posted that before.

 

Of course I still continue to enjoy it here, otherwise I would already be in Vietnam. 

 

Closures were happening pre Covid.  Who know what places will be left standing post Covid, but in the future if I can't get a Sunday roast, for example, maybe it will be time for me to leave.  

6 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

It's still there if you know where to go.

Yes, I know, but will they still be here 6 months from now?  

Just now, Leaver said:

I have my Plan B.  It's Vietnam.  Have posted that before.

 

Of course I still continue to enjoy it here, otherwise I would already be in Vietnam. 

 

Closures were happening pre Covid.  Who know what places will be left standing post Covid, but in the future if I can't get a Sunday roast, for example, maybe it will be time for me to leave.  

You'll always be able to get a Sunday roast in Pattaya, there's not shortages of the 'British pubs' that do this, they're in abundance ( and still doing well ).

Just now, Leaver said:

Yes, I know, but will they still be here 6 months from now?  

Yes.

Just now, Leaver said:

Closures were happening pre Covid.  Who know what places will be left standing post Covid, but in the future if I can't get a Sunday roast, for example, maybe it will be time for me to leave.  

You'll always be able to get your Sunday roast at Tropical on the Darkside. Good spread.

@ polpott and HashBrownHarry

 

The Sunday roast was just one example out of many.  Another that comes to mind instantly is gyms.

 

Point being, as western expats, we enjoy the availability of many things here because of the western tourism.  If western tourist stop coming here in the numbers they did in the past, expats will lose many of their favourite places.

 

As I have posted previously, go and support your local, or you will lose it.     

27 minutes ago, Leaver said:

@ polpott and HashBrownHarry

 

The Sunday roast was just one example out of many.  Another that comes to mind instantly is gyms.

 

Point being, as western expats, we enjoy the availability of many things here because of the western tourism.  If western tourist stop coming here in the numbers they did in the past, expats will lose many of their favourite places.

 

As I have posted previously, go and support your local, or you will lose it.     

As soon as the covid problem has passed the tourist tap will be back on fully, U shape recovery

1 minute ago, Leaver said:

But the closures have stopped now.   ????

Main reason was that they were badly run and expensive. My gym consists of a gym, 2 steam rooms, 2 saunas, 2 plunge pools 2 jacuzzis, a 20m pool and a restaurant. Also supplies limitless iced water and bowls of lentil soup. 300 baht/week membership. Tonys, I wouldn't send my dog there.

7 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Ok, not yours, what about gyms across Pattaya?

very interesting to read the last 2 pages about gyms and the previous number of pages about sunday roasts and indian food.

i am not trying to hi-jack this thread, or even to shut it down, but i would welcome anyones thoughts on this....

 

 

Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?

Just now, jastheace said:

very interesting to read the last 2 pages about gyms and the previous number of pages about sunday roasts and indian food.

i am not trying to hi-jack this thread, or even to shut it down, but i would welcome anyones thoughts on this....

 

 

Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?

Up to Leaver, he runs this thread with an iron fist. 555

6 minutes ago, jastheace said:

very interesting to read the last 2 pages about gyms and the previous number of pages about sunday roasts and indian food.

i am not trying to hi-jack this thread, or even to shut it down, but i would welcome anyones thoughts on this....

 

 

Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?

I did say we have digressed.

 

Moving back on topic then, have you lost any of your favourite places?

1 minute ago, Leaver said:

I did say we have digressed.

 

Moving back on topic then, have you lost any of your favourite places?

Bon Cafe on Naklua Rd. but looked at their website last week and appears to be open again'

 

Can anyone confirm that its open and serving food again?

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

I did say we have digressed.

 

Moving back on topic then, have you lost any of your favourite places?

over the last 15 years. yes. many many many. some on the boo-cow, some on S7, some on S6, some on the Metro, some on Khao Talo, some on Khao Noi. a few around plub warn and soiCC. and others further south towrds Bang Sare and Ban Chang. many amny many. too many to name. started to follow this thread to see if others mention some of them, which they have. not enjoying the waffle on other subjects though...

3 minutes ago, jastheace said:

over the last 15 years. yes. many many many. some on the boo-cow, some on S7, some on S6, some on the Metro, some on Khao Talo, some on Khao Noi. a few around plub warn and soiCC. and others further south towrds Bang Sare and Ban Chang. many amny many. too many to name. started to follow this thread to see if others mention some of them, which they have. not enjoying the waffle on other subjects though...

Have you lost some of your favourites over the last 12 months, since I started this thread, but more so, in the last 6 months, since Covid?  

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Have you lost some of your favourites over the last 12 months, since I started this thread, but more so, in the last 6 months, since Covid?  

recently, PBG. sad to see those gates locked up. i know the place was like Marmite, you either loved it or hated it. i loved it. getting there around 5.30, few good value bevvies whilst the sun went down. should have gone there more often. 

whats recently gone will evolve into new bars and restaurants in the future. and i for one look forward to exploring the refurbished pattaya jungle . whenever that will be...

1 minute ago, jastheace said:

recently, PBG. sad to see those gates locked up. i know the place was like Marmite, you either loved it or hated it. i loved it. getting there around 5.30, few good value bevvies whilst the sun went down. should have gone there more often. 

whats recently gone will evolve into new bars and restaurants in the future. and i for one look forward to exploring the refurbished pattaya jungle . whenever that will be...

I have no doubt there will be some new bars to replace the old bars, but also, some buildings will sit idle.  

 

Some places have been "mothballed" which is  term being used now.  

 

It's early days, but I really hope Pattaya does not become Chinatown, like Sihanoukville.  Before anyone laughs that off, I went there and saw it for myself.  

 

Pattaya is ripe for their picking now, casinos aside.  

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

It's early days, but I really hope Pattaya does not become Chinatown, like Sihanoukville.  Before anyone laughs that off, I went there and saw it for myself.  

 

Pattaya is ripe for their picking now, casinos aside.  

i went to 'snooky' in 2007/08/09/10. first time when the trip from Trad border took most of the day, before the new roads and bridges, when there were around 3 or 4 ferry crossings. and 'snooky' was in 3 parts, 2 beach areas and the central part around the market. 

i have only seen pictures of the place as it is now, and would never want to visit as it is now. if the same happened in a rejuvenated pattaya, i would imagine only the chinese(?) would find any attraction to it.

let's hope that is never on the cards. a scary prospect indeed.

hopefully the rules on foreign ownership (the ones which we hate and complain about) will prevent this from being reality. if pattaya/ thailand comes out of this just the same as it was, we should breathe a sigh of relief.

2 minutes ago, jastheace said:

i went to 'snooky' in 2007/08/09/10. first time when the trip from Trad border took most of the day, before the new roads and bridges, when there were around 3 or 4 ferry crossings. and 'snooky' was in 3 parts, 2 beach areas and the central part around the market. 

i have only seen pictures of the place as it is now, and would never want to visit as it is now. if the same happened in a rejuvenated pattaya, i would imagine only the chinese(?) would find any attraction to it.

let's hope that is never on the cards. a scary prospect indeed.

hopefully the rules on foreign ownership (the ones which we hate and complain about) will prevent this from being reality. if pattaya/ thailand comes out of this just the same as it was, we should breathe a sigh of relief.

Good post.

 

I was last in Sihanoukville in 2018, and I saw the colonization with my own eyes.

 

Let's hope similar doesn't happen here, because if it does, Pattaya would change dramatically.  

53 minutes ago, jastheace said:

i went to 'snooky' in 2007/08/09/10. first time when the trip from Trad border took most of the day, before the new roads and bridges, when there were around 3 or 4 ferry crossings. and 'snooky' was in 3 parts, 2 beach areas and the central part around the market. 

i have only seen pictures of the place as it is now, and would never want to visit as it is now. if the same happened in a rejuvenated pattaya, i would imagine only the chinese(?) would find any attraction to it.

let's hope that is never on the cards. a scary prospect indeed.

hopefully the rules on foreign ownership (the ones which we hate and complain about) will prevent this from being reality. if pattaya/ thailand comes out of this just the same as it was, we should breathe a sigh of relief.

Pattaya used to be just like snooky back in the day ... now we are celebrating the condos / high rise buildings / restaurants / nightlife . Maybe we will one day celebrate snooky for all it has to offer.

3 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

You can say many things about Tony's gyms, but expensive you can't say !

I paid 15'000 B for a "lifetime" membership in 2007 and never paid anything else after that.

So it's about 1'250 B/year only (!) for me, and going down every year.

For this same price I would just have 1 month in your club...

Tony on 3rd road was ok for my use (badminton, basket, treadmill, bike, ...)

Once upon a time I considered joining a Gym. So I went for a "looksie-looksie".

 

What I saw shook me to the core and it took me days to recover. I saw mostly old Farangs, trying to kill themselves.

I didn't know how much sweat a person can produce. Didn't know that a normally pale face can take on the colour of a ripe Tomato. Didn't know that at some point a human can produce the sounds of a dying Elephant.

 

- Right then, I knew that this is not for me.

 

Also, I have always noticed Farangs on the run on Beach Road. At first I thought that they were Pickpockets running away from the Police or Farangs running away from militant ex-wifes with revenge on their minds. Later I was told that they do this to "keep fit" with the ultimate goal to eventually dye healthy.

 

How furtunate I was in comparison. In a place like Pattaya, there were always Ladies, willing to keep my fitness level "up to par". It may well be, that (on occasion) I also uttered sounds resembling those of a dying Elephant. But I insist, if those sounds originate from a bedroom, they are far more meaningful than if the same sounds were produced in a neighborhood Gym.

 

PS: Thankfully, the male-penis is not a muscle. Otherwise half of the male population would spend the most part of their spare time at the Gym, strenghtening the "muscle".

 

- Not wanting to hyjack the thread. The man "with the iron fist" (Leaver, not Prayut) said that it is OK to expand on the subject.

A number of posts and replies that were not related to Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent? have been removed. 

On 10/17/2020 at 3:08 PM, Leaver said:

 

 

Only those transferred here for work, or offered a job here, may have come to Pattaya "sight unseen."  

 

 

First time I came I stayed for two years. Meant to go travelling around S E Asia but decided it was just too easy here. 

Samantha's in Soi Yamato has closed and the Bistro next door is expanding into it. 

6 hours ago, rott said:

First time I came I stayed for two years. Meant to go travelling around S E Asia but decided it was just too easy here. 

i can relate to that. took me 3 years to realise that pattaya wasn't for me. but then i was on a bungee. had to return a few days each month, just to blow the cobwebs away. thailand's great. but pattaya...........in my heart