Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?

[Leaver]

18 minutes ago, polpott said:

High season is feasable next year. If, and only if, all current additional requirements for entry are removed. Even the $100,000 covid insurance would dampen the number of ferang visitors to Pattaya. particularly if the majority have been vaccinated by then.

I agree, they will have to rescind current requirements to even have a chance of attracting tourists, but come high season 2021, what will be left of Pattaya, as they knew it, that would want them to come back? 

 

Many return tourists may not want to come back until Pattaya is 70% or more back to pre covid normal.  That will take years, if it happens at all.  

[Leaver]

5 minutes ago, polpott said:

I have heard that every year since I've lived here, "This high season has been very quiet, Pattaya is finished". Personally I avoid high season because its too busy. Went out one night in January and literally couldn't get a seat in Billabong. Heaving.

You went out 1 night last high season, to 1 bar, and gauge high season on that one evening, and that one establishment? 

 

Look at Retox Game On, for an example.  Always rammed with customers, but there had been a decline over recent time, and then a big decline this past high season, so much so, they put the bar up for sale.  

[polpott]

Just now, Leaver said:

I agree, they will have to rescind current requirements to even have a chance of attracting tourists, but come high season 2021, what will be left of Pattaya, as they knew it, that would want them to come back? 

 

Many return tourists may not want to come back until Pattaya is 70% or more back to pre covid normal.  That will take years, if it happens at all.  

If the tourists come back so will the bars. There needed to be a sea change in the business model of bars. The days of beer bar complexes with girls trapped inside the bars and punters trapped outside playing connect 4 are over. MIT, Soi Diana, many bars on soi 7/8, Drinking Street etc are gone. Open shophouse bars where staff and customers intermingle will survive. There is a continuing growth in GCs in Central Pattaya on similar lines to the old Soi 6 closed bars. They are the future. Also most Gogos have been mothballed, could be up and running again in a week.

[Leaver]

23 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Richard Barrow did a Twitter survey, most people will be waiting

What is the sample size of this survey?

[treetops]

9 minutes ago, Leaver said:

What is the sample size of this survey?

It says 3,394 votes.

[Leaver]

4 minutes ago, polpott said:

If the tourists come back so will the bars. There needed to be a sea change in the business model of bars. The days of beer bar complexes with girls trapped inside the bars and punters trapped outside playing connect 4 are over. MIT, Soi Diana, many bars on soi 7/8, Drinking Street etc are gone. Open shophouse bars where staff and customers intermingle will survive. There is a continuing growth in GCs in Central Pattaya on similar lines to the old Soi 6 closed bars. They are the future. Also most Gogos have been mothballed, could be up and running again in a week.

In my opinion, government requirements aside, it's a standoff scenario.  That is, the tourists will not return until the girls return, and the girls will not return until the tourists return.  Basically, most will not spend money to come back to Pattaya until it's worth it for them.

 

I agree, the days of tin roof beer bars are over.  Total waste of time and money owning one, or being a customer in one these days.  

 

I also agree that GC's are the way forward here.  I have no idea why The Nightwish Group would go with all open bars, not offering even a few enclosed bars.  Their idea of diversification is monopoly.  ????

 

Some gogo's may be mothballed, others closed and for sale.  Sure, they can open in a week, but would still run at a loss for months.  

[polpott]

Just now, Leaver said:

You went out 1 night last high season, to 1 bar, and gauge high season on that one evening, and that one establishment? 

 

Look at Retox Game On, for an example.  Always rammed with customers, but there had been a decline over recent time, and then a big decline this past high season, so much so, they put the bar up for sale.  

No I didn't judge it on one night in one bar, you're being patronising now. I used to visit Retox regularly, my mate who visited regularly always ate in there. The las time we went in we both agreed that we wouldn't eat there again. Our arms literally stuck to the table, the place was filthy. The food was a pale shadow of what it was when it opened too. Thats the decline. Standards drop, customers no longer visit.

 

I think that the owner/owners lost interest some time ago and just want out. Have divested Retox Soi Lengkee, Retox Darkside and RHT. Only Retox Soi Honey remains.

[Salerno]

56 minutes ago, polpott said:

Even the $100,000 covid insurance would dampen the number of ferang visitors to Pattaya. particularly if the majority have been vaccinated by then.

 

Personally I don't see that being much of a factor other than to those that always travel without health insurance (who gets health insurance with less coverage?). Quick check of the small print, if not covered, change provider - sorted. Regardless of vaccine or not.

[Leaver]

2 minutes ago, polpott said:

No I didn't judge it on one night in one bar, you're being patronising now. I used to visit Retox regularly, my mate who visited regularly always ate in there. The las time we went in we both agreed that we wouldn't eat there again. Our arms literally stuck to the table, the place was filthy. The food was a pale shadow of what it was when it opened too. Thats the decline. Standards drop, customers no longer visit.

 

I think that the owner/owners lost interest some time ago and just want out. Have divested Retox Soi Lengkee, Retox Darkside and RHT. Only Retox Soi Honey remains.

I saw the same of a similar place, in a nearby location, The Sportsman.  A nice establishment, with constantly good food and service.  Very quiet as well.  

 

I also saw Billabong as quiet last high season, so I disagree with your assessment, and I was at Billabong quite often last high season.  Tables outside used to all be full, not so the last high season.   

[scubascuba3]

12 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Personally I don't see that being much of a factor other than to those that always travel without health insurance (who gets health insurance with less coverage?). Quick check of the small print, if not covered, change provider - sorted. Regardless of vaccine or not.

The price of the $100,000 covid insurance is about £1,000 for a year, a good travel insurance for a year with £5m coverage was around £400 last time I bought it, some people will just not want to be milked by these requirements 

[Salerno]

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The price of the $100,000 covid insurance is about £1,000 for a year

 

My heads spinning with all the changes. From where?

 

As I understand it the US$100K is any insurance policy so why would I change my normal policy other than if it didn't cover covid?

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

 

My heads spinning with all the changes. From where?

 

As I understand it the US$100K is any insurance policy so why would I change my normal policy other than if it didn't cover covid?

Many insurances don't explicitly say Covid 19 is covered, even if the insurance company says it is so it's rejected by the Thai consulates and people are forced to buy the very poor value Thai $100k cover. A friend confirmed that recently, he had to buy even though he had unlimited coverage health insurance 

[Leaver]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

some people will just not want to be milked by these requirements 

Yes, so they will wait until such requirements are lifted.  

 

Just when the Thai government will lift these requirements is anyone's guess, but most likely after the global deployment of the vaccine, which is many months away.  

[Salerno]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

A friend confirmed that recently, he had to buy even though he had unlimited coverage health insurance 

 

Last question if I may as it's drifting OT, but seeing you know someone with personal experience, did he get the documentation confirming it covered covid (three signatures from the provider or whatever it is) or didn't he bother?

[scubascuba3]

10 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Last question if I may as it's drifting OT, but seeing you know someone with personal experience, did he get the documentation confirming it covered covid (three signatures from the provider or whatever it is) or didn't he bother?

he said he went back and forth with insurer and consulate and it wasn't sufficient so had to buy the shiite 100k insurance. Health insurance T&Cs don't usually list all illnesses covered it just has exclusions, that went over the head of the consulate

[Salerno]

@scubascuba3 Thanks for the info, much appreciated, will take into consideration when I can escape here.

 

Sorry for the small tangent folks ... normal service now resumed, so, is Pattaya dead yet?  ????

 

[mike787]

4 hours ago, Leaver said:

You may be waiting a while.  Best to search for a new favourite bar.  

yep, Been doing that like everyone else....

[polpott]

9 hours ago, mike787 said:

yep, Been doing that like everyone else....

All of my favourite bars have stayed open. Not one bar that I have visited multiple times has closed. What I have noticed is that some of my regular bars have become much raunchier. I don't know if that's due to competition for customers, easing off of supervision by police or what but it gets my vote.

[chrisandsu]

17 minutes ago, polpott said:

All of my favourite bars have stayed open. Not one bar that I have visited multiple times has closed. What I have noticed is that some of my regular bars have become much raunchier. I don't know if that's due to competition for customers, easing off of supervision by police or what but it gets my vote.

Yep my old pal says the same thing . Been in Thailand and patts 30 years and this is the best he’s known it ! but then again I doubt he’s noticing the BG s are getting older and more haggard as he’s not getting any younger himself . 

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

''Nope, i just have faith in the future of Pattaya''

well....What can you answer to that !?

Yes, I too think the place will recover.

[polpott]

50 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

Yep my old pal says the same thing . Been in Thailand and patts 30 years and this is the best he’s known it ! but then again I doubt he’s noticing the BG s are getting older and more haggard as he’s not getting any younger himself . 

Actually they're not. I live and play on the Darkside. My favourite bar cleared out most of the staff during the lockdown. Only 2 of the original staff remain. As the Darkside hasn't suffered the loss of customers to the extent that Central Pattaya has, a lot of girls who previously worked in Central Pattaya, even gogos have relocated to the Darkside. Before lockdown, girls could pick and choose which bar they worked in, now its the bar owners who can pick and choose which girls work for them. We've never had it so good!

[jacko45k]

11 minutes ago, polpott said:

Actually they're not. I live and play on the Darkside. My favourite bar cleared out most of the staff during the lockdown. Only 2 of the original staff remain. As the Darkside hasn't suffered the loss of customers to the extent that Central Pattaya has, a lot of girls who previously worked in Central Pattaya, even gogos have relocated to the Darkside. Before lockdown, girls could pick and choose which bar they worked in, now its the bar owners who can pick and choose which girls work for them. We've never had it so good!

I think you are correct but feel it is also true of the main area bars too. Young and pretty I have seen on Soi 6, Soi LK Metro, Soi Honey and Soi Boomerang. I haven't visited, but I hear Pinups on Walking St is packed with them. Chatted to some who are here from Samui and Phuket, where they say 'no customers'....

[kingofthemountain]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, I too think the place will recover.

Maybe, maybe not

it depends how long the quarantine stay in place

i am not very optimist on this one.

One thing is sure, a lot of businesses here will never reopen

they are closed forever, Few of them are not a big loss, but some iconic places are lost

[polpott]

44 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

some iconic places are lost

Such as?

[kingofthemountain]

2 hours ago, polpott said:

Such as?

The Beergarden and Marine disco come in my mind

but there are probably much more

[new2here]

most of the places I go, restaurants wise, have made some adjustments.  Several are closed a few days a week - like mid-week (Tue/Wed) or have trimmed operating hours down.. None so far have flat out closed, but clearly they’re having to take steps to stem the losses. They are pushing their promos (some of which is quite good) just in hopes of filling tables as best as possible.

 

Ive spoken casually to a few of the shift and GMs at the places I frequent and most say that for right now, it’s not a matter of “thrive” - they said the notion of a reliably turning a profit isn’t really out there realistically, but it’s more pure survival mode.... several have said that they really only have a shot at a “profit” on the weekends and the special long weekends... all the other days are either barely break even or small loss.

 

Surprisingly, several told me they didn’t cut back on staff (ie layoffs) rather at the early stages (like March/April) some staff voluntarily left to go back to their hometowns.. so that reduced the need to do forced RIFs.

[TaaSaparot]

59 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

The Beergarden and Marine disco come in my mind

 

Neither are lost.

[kingofthemountain]

1 minute ago, TaaSaparot said:

 

Neither are lost.

Wait and see

[polpott]

1 hour ago, kingofthemountain said:

The Beergarden and Marine disco come in my mind

but there are probably much more

The Beergarden should be opening soon. The owner originally planned to close it until tourists return. However, he has renegotiated the lease and plans to reopen in the near future.

 

If its true about Marine, its no loss.

[kingofthemountain]

14 minutes ago, polpott said:

The Beergarden should be opening soon. The owner originally planned to close it until tourists return. However, he has renegotiated the lease and plans to reopen in the near future.

 

If its true about Marine, its no loss.

I wasn't a customer of the Biergarden, nor a fan of Marine disco

still imo they were iconics in the Pattaya's entertainment scene

like was also the Bamboo bar in the same area,now closed forever.

 

As i said wait and see for the Beergarden, the tourists return in

enough numbers could be only in 2022, it's a long wait even with a low lease

Edited November 30, 2020 by kingofthemountain