Tourism: Indians "last hope" for Pattaya as Thai media reports massive high season decline

[johng]

16 hours ago, fhickson said:

i even when started going there for a beer. if they put seats outside its all over, mikey.

Quite a few 7/11 now have a small seating area...not seen anyone drinking there  mostly just people using their mobiles and tablets ( free charging ports )

[FalangJaiDee]

I have a theory that Indians and Chinese are having the red carpet rolled out for them, while conditions are being made as inhospitable as possible to farang, PRECISELY to accelerate the demise of the naughty boy scene in Pattaya. I can only speculate on the ultimate motivation of the higher ups in Thailand, but I think its part of the "Thailand 4.0" agenda.

[ivor bigun]

All i can say is if Indians are the last hope ,God help Pattaya ,

[tabarin]

Lol, I am visiting for a night next week and was checking Agoda for rooms, wasn't looking for a dorm but it is worth sharing LOL.

 

 

[garyk]

On 11/26/2019 at 9:06 PM, joebrown said:

A few years ago I was in a very busy 7/11 on Pattaya Nua , just along from the Town Hall. A group of about 6 Indian males were directly in front of me in the queue. They asked a cashier to bring down 2 boxed bottles of spirits from the top shelf. They told the cashier to open the boxes and show them the bottles, which they all examined closely. They then proceeded to haggle over the price of one of them. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. Thankfully the cashier told them the label price several times, and they then walked out without buying anything.

Indian tourists spending 10,000bt a day! What a crock of s##t.

In the US where I worked, if a India owned business wanted service. You were directed to be so busy you could not possibly help them. I had a run in with a business owner and it was crazy. I finally just left with him still trying to short change me on price. 

I personally will not spend another dime in Thailand. 

[sunnyboy2018]

On 11/27/2019 at 10:56 PM, DannyCarlton said:

They've already been here for a lot of years. Now, they too are abandoning Pattaya. Drinking Street was always the epicentre of Arabs in Pattaya. Arab music and shisha freely available even when they were banned in the rest of Pattaya. Now what few customers they have are Indian, Indian music etc.

Actually the epicenter of Arab and Iranian people was around soi 17 WS....still is...isnt DS a long way down Sai Song?

[sunnyboy2018]

On 11/28/2019 at 2:53 AM, rct99q said:

I have not encountered many travellers from India while living in Nong Khai.

However we have been at the koh chang paradise resort many times, twice we have encountered Indian weddings.

Many many people. Perhaps half the resort was filled with family members i assume.

Initially not too impressed...my wife has a dislike for people from India, claims stinky. After a couple of days we were having a great time. Our daughter 5 at the time had the time of her life. Most of the children played well together ... Lots of fun.

Most of the adults were very polite and fun to be around. Many times they included us in lunch or dinner and many drinks...never asking for any money or for us to pay. They just stated it was their pleasure to have us join them.

 

This past july we were there again and with another wedding happening and much the same only this time our daughter got to be part of the activities on one of the days.

Only two real interactions we have had but both times were great. I believe my wife still facebooks with one of the families.

 

In all both times the families were certainly spending a TON of money both at the resort and shopping.

 

Like everybody there are good and bad travellers.

A nice positive, life enhancing post.

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, tabarin said:

Lol, I am visiting for a night next week and was checking Agoda for rooms, wasn't looking for a dorm but it is worth sharing LOL.

Joiner fee? ????

[Leaver]

On 12/5/2019 at 8:05 PM, kingofthemountain said:

The number of 7\11 in Pattaya has literally exploded in Pattaya 

i don't have the exact data but i wouldn't be surprised if it was

at least X2 in the last 10 years.

 

Could explain why a lot of bars and restaurants are now often empty.

 

The few Family mart shops do not seem to be too busy in comparison.

Yes, the 7/11's are very busy.  Go inside and you will see it's the current majority of tourist demographic that are their main customers. 

[Leaver]

On 12/5/2019 at 11:58 PM, fhickson said:

sure are. they are a revolving door, or should i say beeping?

 

people seem to be living off the cheap junk food thats sold there with little nutritional value, ok the bananas are healthy.

 

i even when started going there for a beer. if they put seats outside its all over, mikey.

 

imagine the dent these places could make with a tapped keg outside for people walking in and out of the store. they would make a killing. it would be leveraging the traffic base they already have without much outlay (except for street space lol).

I have seen Chinese and Indian tourists buying alcohol in them,  No doubt for a party in their hotel room.

[DannyCarlton]

57 minutes ago, Leaver said:

I have seen Chinese and Indian tourists buying alcohol in them,  No doubt for a party in their hotel room.

With the Chinese it's common to see them buying drinks at a 7/11 and taking them to a restaurant. They have no shame.

[Leaver]

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

With the Chinese it's common to see them buying drinks at a 7/11 and taking them to a restaurant. They have no shame.

The restaurants are now stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Turn them away, and lose money on food sales, or accept them, and lose money on beverage sales.

 

The Chinese beat all the businesses here down to their rock bottom price, particularly the Chinese tour groups.

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, Leaver said:

The restaurants are now stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Turn them away, and lose money on food sales, or accept them, and lose money on beverage sales.

 

The Chinese beat all the businesses here down to their rock bottom price, particularly the Chinese tour groups.

Often the food is sold a bit cheap as the profit margin is on the drinks. There used to be a prohibition on bringing ones own drinks into a restaurant.... stop it now, next step they will be bringing their own food and asking for plates and chopsticks.

[Leaver]

18 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Often the food is sold a bit cheap as the profit margin is on the drinks. There used to be a prohibition on bringing ones own drinks into a restaurant.... stop it now, next step they will be bringing their own food and asking for plates and chopsticks.

No, next step will be they will be bring their own food, alcohol, and cutlery from China, and not even going to a restaurant.  ????

[jacko45k]

17 minutes ago, Leaver said:

No, next step will be they will be bring their own food, alcohol, and cutlery from China, and not even going to a restaurant.  ????

I had a pal who had a concession on a restaurant in a hotel. The guests (no need to say where from), used to buy pot noodles at the 7-11, and ask him to fill them from his water heater/flask for free. And the fool did.

[Leaver]

On 12/9/2019 at 6:10 PM, jacko45k said:

I had a pal who had a concession on a restaurant in a hotel. The guests (no need to say where from), used to buy pot noodles at the 7-11, and ask him to fill them from his water heater/flask for free. And the fool did.

The Thai authorities knew this demographic of tourists did not have as much disposable income as the traditional western tourist market.  This is why they knew they needed huge numbers of them, in order to get some revenue flowing. 

 

I would think they are now a little shocked at just how little they actually spend here.