Video: Pattaya ghost town...Coronavirus decimates tourism as staff go home for high season

[gerritkaew]

like there's only Chinese toerist coming to Pattaya?  and where are the well spending Indians,, quality torist..

[Jimbo2014]

How do they know theres no-one there?  I cant see through all the pollution!

[Megolith]

If the government was smart, it would allow visa runs again, and stop restricting people from coming in multiple times on Tourist visas.

 

This is the best way to increase tourist arrivals and prevent the economy from crashing. 

 

My guess, however, is that.........  there is a lack of intelligence at the top of the Thai government.

[mrmicbkktxl]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

+1

Posters should make clear their situation and gripe before universally launching into a criticism. 
The average tourist goes on holiday to another country for a few days or weeks. For those wanting to stay longer, there are bigger hoops to jump over but not impossible by any means. Thai immigration has stated clearly that they don’t welcome long stayers on tourist visas. This is not unreasonable. 

In the 90s me and  my friends came 5-6 times per year to Thailand.For a week,five days,10 days,whatever.It wasn't a problem at all at that time.Bought a ticket for 600DM(300Euro}Hotel 1000Baht a night,plus 2000DM pocket money for a week.Try the same today,after your 2nd arrival immigration will ask you stupid questions and this is not reasonable.Bothering genuine tourists who want to spend their hard earned money here is never reasonable,I would call that very unreasonable and totally stupid

[Jack Cook]

Just getting what they deserve. Thailand why would anybody even bother anymore - Really??

[tonysilly]

Thai Friendly in pattaya must be filled with lonely ladys looking for a good meal  ???? Signing in now 

[RichardColeman]

Can only say what i see. I was on the beach this morning (10 am) with my daughter collecting shells. I'd say there was at best a couple hundred on the beach - about 50 under the umbrellas, about 60 I'd say that were Chinese waiting for 2 boats only, the rest made up of few energetic farang jogging and what appeared to be a work out for oversized Europeans. And that was basically the WHOLE of the beach in Pattaya, not a 100m or so. If you can run a resort on 200 beach tourists, I'll take my hat off to you

[ftpjtm]

 

"Despite it being a beautiful, breezy day of clear skies....Sohotown - usually bustling with Chinese tour busses was all but deserted."

 

Coincidence?

 

Am I the only one who hopes it stays this way?

[sahibji]

8 hours ago, khwaibah said:

No BF and ST&LT at rock bottom.????

what is BF  n ST&LT

[champers]

I would estimate that deckchair sellers have lost half their business, at least. Almond and pineapple sellers it is near 100%. Never a great living has become non-existent overnight. Same for boat operators; Koreans and Indians keep some ticking over. I feel very sad for the Thais who are losing out through no fault of their own. For their sakes I hope this panic is short lived and things pick up soon.

[sahibji]

it is sad and unfortunate but seems the norm in many destinations.

 

time to reflect on how to be good hosts.

[shackleton]

Some people on here will be reading this story on pattaya being a ghost town

Will be thinking I have gone to heaven 

[Skallywag]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

Have you noticed a difference in the western tourist numbers in recent times, particularly before the virus outbreak? 

 

Would you say western tourist numbers were up, down, or equal, to last season, and would yo then say they are up, down, or equal, to 3 years ago?   

I can say bars were full of western tourists along Soi Buakow, the triangle bar, and the LK Metro Promenade on Saturday 10:30 PM +.  All seemed to be drinking and having a good time.  

Cannot report on previous years for those areas. 

Soi 6 seems is not too crowded in the evenings before 8 or 9 pm, but am only walking through or visiting once or twice a week. 10-15 years ago I visited soi 6 frequently on my 2-3 week holidays.  Seems same-same.  Times have changed, cell phones are entertainment and maybe some girls are not as friendly, but I am of course 10-15 years older and dont buy as many drinks, am not as young or attractive as I was back then either

Yes Fridays and Saturdays are most often busier, but can be a Wednesday or Thursday and it is full of mostly younger western guys.

I am 61, so by younger I mean anyone under 45-50 .

my 2 cents.  

Peace ✌️

[allenberg]

2 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

I don’t think any Thai person cares about what you think or say. 

Yeah, I think you're probably right about that, and not many TVFers care about what you say either. Only the three or four in your cheering section...

[kwak250]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i hope all my girlfriends are OK on Soi 6.

 

 

They are looking a bit thin.

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, 30la said:

It is very convenient for you, for all that has happened in the past, decrease of tourists, poor economy, recession (all things you didn't want to hear anything about) blame the Corona Virus.
Realize that Pattaya has always been a destination for sex tourism, you have decided to raise it to 1. Class family resort, this is one of the main reasons for the loss of tourists!

When bars in Jomtien are selling beers for 40 baht a bottle and still ain't got customers...really says something, yet surf kitchen at night has a queue of patrons waiting for a table... 

[allenberg]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

I spent the last 30 years working for two of the biggest travel companies in the world. I’ve forgotten more about zero dollar tourism than you will ever learn. It’s guys like me that the press quotes at events like ITB and WTM. 

Better there than here...lmao

[RitzG]

3 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

errr, have another look at those pictures - it was a horrible smoggy day with AQI up over 150.

 

 

 

 

Oh yea AQI was over 150. There were at least 150 "Average Quality Inhabitants" in Pattaya on this day... It's an all time high for this time of the year...

 

[Skallywag]

1 minute ago, RitzG said:

Oh yea AQI was over 150. There were at least 150 "Average Quality Inhabitants" in Pattaya on this day... It's an all time high for this time of the year...

The 2 million western tourists are all in bed with their beautiful Thai companions in the morning as the air quality is so bad 555 - Beach is overrated anyway

[CGW]

41 minutes ago, Megolith said:

If the government was smart, it would allow visa runs again, and stop restricting people from coming in multiple times on Tourist visas.

Indeed, the couple of hundred people at most that this currently restricts would go a long way in making up for the loss of 800,000 Chinese every month.

[Soikhaonoiken]

7 hours ago, JomtienRay said:

There are plenty of farang tourists in Jomtien.. 

Probably ex Pats, enjoying the lack of Chinese tourists ????????

[dogfish180]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i hope all my girlfriends are OK on Soi 6.

 

 

The ones in WhyNot bar are asking for you ????

[bkk6060]

Interesting.

Not saying it is all untrue, I just got back from a motorbike ride and there is traffic and many people at the main tourist spots.

Could not even find a parking place for my M/B at Terminal 21.

Whatever, doesn't seem that slow to me.

[manchega]

9 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Does that make it a buyer's market - or will the logic state that the price has now tripled to make up for the lack of victims?

 

For some reason this logic does not hold, apparantley I can take my custom elsewhere?

[ross163103]

As a a full time Pattaya resident..........sound good to me!

[robsamui]

AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP.
NEVER PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.

Even if  this was tattooed across every Thai politicians forehead (in Thai!) they still wouldn't have a clue what it meant.

[sambum]

"Pattaya ghost town...Coronavirus decimates tourism as staff go home for high season"

 

"What happened to all the farangs?"  Som nam na springs to mind!

[TexanInUdon]

I was there all last week, it looked crowded to me.

Many many Eastern Europeans for sure.

The islands were also full ... boats in and out.

 

I guess it could have changed since Saturday.

[kensawadee]

GREAT.  Let the tourism people 'learn to keep a backup plan'.  Such as 'EX-PATS'

[dallen52]

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Condo market hysterical as usual?

Plenty of older ones furnished, around the 500k mark...