Before: Pattaya never sleeps! After: Everyone in bed by 11 pm: Resort is dead say Thais

[Spellforce]

3 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

How did the thread get taken over by drunk drivers

 

Because there was a time in Pattaya when all the beer bars were crowded at 11PM (all year), everybody was a little drunk, and the police didn't bother us.

[flyfrog]

Probably all scared to go out with all the police controls for alcohol????

[Spellforce]

3 minutes ago, flyfrog said:

Probably all scared to go out with all the police controls for alcohol????

Certainly for the expats because if they catch you twice, you will be deported/blacklisted.

 

PS: Maybe I wrote too long today, because I have a normal life for many years now, I'm no more interested in bars.

[fred110]

5 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

I got a really bad feeling when they started to widen Beach Road.

I figured that the project was poorly planned, but  i had no idea that it was a harbinger of radical change.

Pattaya was the Las Vegas of South East Asia.

Have you ever been to Vegas? Pattaya has never been anything like it.

[BobinBKK]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

although I highly respect most of your posts and find them to be a good read - you are way off with this one.

 

Having lived here a very long time I see no evidence of changes of the type you are suggesting.

 

 

What has happened however are three fold

 

- Thailand has become very expensive mostly down to the strength of the baht, people I know that came here on a regular basis are no longer coming.

 

- the authorities decided to treat western tourists with contempt, they are making it harder and harder for tourists from the west to travel and stay here, so why are they doing this - to my 3rd point

 

- they have foolishly overestimated the value that tourists from places like India and China bring here, there may be big numbers arriving but what are they doing when they get here - certainly not spending money because they generally don't have much, I see Indians wondering about in groups just looking, they may spend some time in hanging in massage joints looking for cheap relief but that is about the height of it

 

 

Thai authorities think that big numbers translate to big revenue - well it doesn't, they have alienated the big spenders who are now going elsewhere - to places were they fell welcomed and treated properly

I agree with you 100%. I have lived in Thailand (Bangkok) going on 17 months now. I travel around SE Asia often and feel much more welcome in other countries than I do in Thailand. I talk to many Asian people in the surrounding counties and they don't seem very fond of Thailand and Thai people. And as always passing through Thai immigration at the airport coming and going, I still get looks of utter contempt and loathing from the IO's. So I always make it a point to smile and be polite speaking in Thai because I know for a fact it upsets them even more ????

[torturedsole]

3 hours ago, Somnambulist said:

Hong Kong hotel rooms are deeply discounted at the moment, I hear.  And if you are not looking for trouble you can make your way around town.  Pattaya hotel operators could learn a lesson here.  

Should I take an umbrella, mask and hardhat?

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Should I take an umbrella, mask and hardhat?

Nope, you can buy those things there.

[Pilotman]

32 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

They made it an offence not to carry your passport or a photo copy of it several years ago. We all hurried off to the nearest photo shop and got copies made just in case. I got mine done in the shop in Bhukaow near Hellfire Crossing. I still have it.

 

I've never heard of that regulation being lifted.

 

Anyway you would not get very far with the Thai plod not producing your passport when ordered to.

 

A friend of mine spent a week in the jail for working in his cafe until he coughed up the 30K baht they demanded. His 'work' consisted of sitting at his PC browsing the internet.

 

When the Thai police tell you to do something you do it unless you're a half wit.

 

Wait till you fall foul of them.

sorry, but that is not true.  The regulations do not require you to produce your passport to a Plod 'on the spot'.  A statement to that effect was made by the government over a year ago.  Certainly carrying a photo copy, or a pic on your phone, is sensible, but is also not required. Your friend was presumably caught out for working without a WP, that is a whole different circumstance. Its a great pity that many on this forum distribute false or misleading information, anecdotes and wild stories about the BiB and their doings, when it often turns out that they were breaking the law ( no bike helmets, no licence etc, drunk or just obnoxious to the plod).  I'm not defending the RTP,  they are far from the best Police Force in the world, but  they are not the worst either (try many South American countries) and spreading  false and alarming misinformation is not helpful.   

[jastheace]

2 hours ago, Singh sahib said:

But luckily i spend 10k baht per day I was alone there lol so 

is this poster India's KP ?

[jimn]

Nonsense total FAKE news. Shame on you Thai Visa

[brokenbone]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

although I highly respect most of your posts and find them to be a good read - you are way off with this one.

 

Having lived here a very long time I see no evidence of changes of the type you are suggesting.

 

 

What has happened however are three fold

 

- Thailand has become very expensive mostly down to the strength of the baht, people I know that came here on a regular basis are no longer coming.

 

- the authorities decided to treat western tourists with contempt, they are making it harder and harder for tourists from the west to travel and stay here, so why are they doing this - to my 3rd point

 

- they have foolishly overestimated the value that tourists from places like India and China bring here, there may be big numbers arriving but what are they doing when they get here - certainly not spending money because they generally don't have much, I see Indians wondering about in groups just looking, they may spend some time in hanging in massage joints looking for cheap relief but that is about the height of it

 

 

Thai authorities think that big numbers translate to big revenue - well it doesn't, they have alienated the big spenders who are now going elsewhere - to places were they fell welcomed and treated properly

agree on some points but when i on the odd occasion go out on gogo now,

i see more asians then westerners as customers,

and generally a whole while world less customers then it used to be

back in the day before the relative strength of the baht.

 

anyway, while the night life has died off,

the traffic jam in the day time is as rotten as ever,

many are the times when i give up my attempt to get a cappuchino

in the middle of the day, its just too jammed roads

Edited November 29, 2019 by brokenbone

[emptypockets]

9 minutes ago, BobinBKK said:

I agree with you 100%. I have lived in Thailand (Bangkok) going on 17 months now. I travel around SE Asia often and feel much more welcome in other countries than I do in Thailand. I talk to many Asian people in the surrounding counties and they don't seem very fond of Thailand and Thai people. And as always passing through Thai immigration at the airport coming and going, I still get looks of utter contempt and loathing from the IO's. So I always make it a point to smile and be polite speaking in Thai because I know for a fact it upsets them even more ????

It must be you. I travel through swampy every month and have done for the last five years. I've never experienced what you describe from any IO.

[WhatupThailand]

It's not nice to pick on Old Folks.

So now enjoy the Karma.

 

[jastheace]

2 hours ago, Duck J Butters said:

HahahahahaHahahahahahahahahahaga

Gahahagahahwgagagagagagagaagaaggaagagagahag. 

you must be in 'boyz town'

sounds like somethings tickling the tonsils ...

[yogi100]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

sorry, but that is not true.  The regulations do not require you to produce your passport to a Plod 'on the spot'.  A statement to that effect was made by the government over a year ago.  Certainly carrying a photo copy, or a pic on your phone, is sensible, but is also not required. Your friend was presumably caught out for working without a WP, that is a whole different circumstance. Its a great pity that many on this forum distribute false or misleading information, anecdotes and wild stories about the BiB and their doings, when it often turns out that they were breaking the law ( no bike helmets, no licence etc, drunk or just obnoxious to the plod).  I'm not defending the RTP,  they are far from the best Police Force in the world, but  they are not the worst either (try many South American countries) and spreading  false and alarming misinformation is not helpful.   

It is true or it was if as you say it's no longer necessary.

I remember it distinctly. We were informed that it was a legal requirement to carry a passport or a copy, this was about 10 years ago.

 

Very few of us are familiar with Thai law. Few of us can even speak or write the lingo. But we can understand when a cop talks about 5K baht or the monkey house.

 

And the cafe owner was held in the jail till he agreed to pay the plod 30K. If you don't want to believe it then that's up to you.

 

You can't argue the toss with the cops in the LOS like you can in the UK or wherever it is you come from. You go to the ATM or the jail, up to you.

[EdrigoSalvadore]

6 hours ago, metempsychotic said:

i have seen an increase this year of friends and friends of friends traveling this way. they are coming for islands like koh phangan, or doing wakepark tours of bkk and phuket. they are all 30-45 and are travelling for lifestyle and activities now and pattaya is not on the radar. 

they want proper massages, good food, beaches, sunsets, hikes etc. 
 

My friends who has businesses (proper massage shops and resorts) on koh samui said they are bleeding and suffering. Tourists are not comming any longer.

[Denim]

Pattaya is dead.

 

 

Long live Bognor Regis.

[anexpat]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

 

- they have foolishly overestimated the value that tourists from places like India and China bring here.

 

Thai authorities think that big numbers translate to big revenue - well it doesn't, they have alienated the big spenders who are now going elsewhere - to places were they fell welcomed and treated properly

Yes. I don’t care why they treat Westerners with contempt, (I missed that ‘contempt’ paragraph) but I *don’t holiday in countries that have that attitude. There are plenty of friendlier places to visit!

 

Just in passing, smedly, you mentioned the value that tourists from China bring as ‘overestimated.’ I guess you haven’t seen Chinese women get revved up for a high-end shopping binge! Like, fire in the hole!

Edited November 29, 2019 by anexpat

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, JMSIII said:

 

Then throw in that they openly ridicule us in Thai, think we are stupid,

 

I surprise that. Not our culture for that = make face loss.

 

What they say?

 

 

2 hours ago, JMSIII said:

 

 

   I was in 7-11 last week when two very pretty, very sexy, European women walked in, and the Thai girls working there immediately started looking at each other giggling, making quiet comments in Thai.  After the two politely made their purchase, and walked out, the Thai girls started laughing out loud saying all kind of things in Thai.

 

What things they say?

 

 

 

[sapson]

5 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Lunatic laws like the licencing of dart boards and banning of bar games like Connect Four and Jenga. Powercrazy madmen running the Country. 

http://www.thailandroad.com/blog/connect-four-banned-in-thailand/

Totally shocked by this ban as above, it seems they are completely deluded, they have for years allowed the jet ski scam to prosper at great detriment to the tourist industry yet bar games are considered offensive.

 

Amazing Thailand! what next? maybe they will soon announce their new space program ?

 

 

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

fireworks festival going on now.

 

all my regular places on Agoda are booked.

Mine are saying 'hurry,last 50 rooms" ???? 

[torturedsole]

43 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Nope, you can buy those things there.

Thanks for clarifying.  Is a bow and arrow entirely necessary?

[Jane Dough]

48 minutes ago, BobinBKK said:

I agree with you 100%. I have lived in Thailand (Bangkok) going on 17 months now. I travel around SE Asia often and feel much more welcome in other countries than I do in Thailand. I talk to many Asian people in the surrounding counties and they don't seem very fond of Thailand and Thai people. And as always passing through Thai immigration at the airport coming and going, I still get looks of utter contempt and loathing from the IO's. So I always make it a point to smile and be polite speaking in Thai because I know for a fact it upsets them even more ????

Wow....you have been in Thailand for 17 months, by my reckoning that is about a year and a half. Your Thai must be great.....but are you sure it is the best place for you?

 

Rooster

[beautifulthailand99]

6 hours ago, Spellforce said:

@KhunBENQ

The problem are the DUI check: 2 beers and you'r done:

- 1st time is just a night soi 9 + a fine in tribunal

- 2nd time and you might be deported and blacklisted ! If you are an expat, you can't no more drive & drink in bars, that's the new rule.

 

And you can't murder with impunity (unless you are the government or rich) what on earth is the world coming too....I'd say with the highest rate of motorcycle deaths in the world that is one change that is for the good. 

[Jane Dough]

14 minutes ago, sapson said:

Totally shocked by this ban as above, it seems they are completely deluded, they have for years allowed the jet ski scam to prosper at great detriment to the tourist industry yet bar games are considered offensive.

 

Amazing Thailand! what next? maybe they will soon announce their new space program ?

 

 

Connect Four was an April Fool's perpetrated by Thaivisa. In years past I heard they suggested that you could get some immigration matters done at 7/11. People still believe that too!

 

Rooster

[gerritkaew]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

hotels won't lower their prices

good for them,, lets wait some time iff the still keep there prices high.

 

[my friend you]

3 hours ago, FalangJaiDee said:

 

S. Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan

[torturedsole]

48 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I'm not defending the RTP,  they are far from the best Police Force in the world, but  they are not the worst either ...

My wife and I have come across the checkpoints on many an occasion and always found our welcoming RTP representatives friendly and accommodating and the absolute majority even have a sense of humour.  A smile and a wave, along with abiding by the law goes a long way.  

[beautifulthailand99]

5 hours ago, hansnl said:

The rot started to set in around 2000 or so, under Thaksin, who thought double pricing, black money, hating farang, were all good ideas.

As seems to be many seem to have very short memories.

There should be a Godwin's Law for Thailand that replaces 'Hitler' with 'Thaksin'.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

 

[torturedsole]

30 minutes ago, Denim said:

Pattaya is dead.

 

 

Long live Bognor Regis.

80s weekend at Butlin's is cheap and cheerful and doesn't involve an expensive 6k mile flight.  You might even get lucky and catch Kajagoogoo live.