Pattaya: Reports of resort’s demise greatly exaggerated, tourists still here, say beach vendors

 

Image: Sophon

 

Thai media in Pattaya has said that reports stating that the resort is deserted are well over the top.

 

There are tons of Europeans down on the beach and the deck chair vendors are doing a roaring trade.

 

Earlier a business leader had suggested that tourism in Pattaya was virtually dead because of the Covid-19 situation and would only get worse over the next six months.

 

Many posters on Thaivisa who live in Pattaya suggested it was not as bad as it was painted.

 

Now the comments of the busy deckchair ladies bring to mind US author Mark Twain's famous "exaggerated" quote, relayed to the press after erroneous reports that he was dead.

 

 

Sophon said on Facebook that they went to Dong Tan beach at Jomtien and found things pretty much as normal. Plenty of European tourists packing out the beach enjoying the sun.

 

They headlined their report with: "We're still smiling - we have the Europeans".

 

"Somjai" said there were plenty of customers for her beach business - about the same as this time last year.

 

"Jampee" confirmed this saying that the virus had not affected her business at all. After all her customers were not Chinese or Asian in the first place. So if they were not coming it wasn't making any difference to her.

 

She conceded there were less people than in January but that was normal.

 

"The tourists keep coming," she said.

 

Sophon published many pictures of a healthy number of tourists yesterday down on the Jomtien sands.

 

Source: Sophon

 

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More likely a mixture of local farang enjoying the beach without all the Chinese everywhere .

1 minute ago, keith101 said:

More likely a mixture of local farang enjoying the beach without all the Chinese everywhere .

Probably Russian and northern european snowbirds. 

i can't believe some of them are getting in the water 

 

 

The only people reporting tourism down are those that are trafficking and gouging Chinese tour groups

I was in Pattaya last week and everything seems normal except that Chinese coaches were missing.

5 minutes ago, brakar said:

I was in Pattaya last week and everything seems normal except that Chinese coaches were missing.

That must be a big plus!

Looks like the face mask sales went through the roof in pattaya.

 

Those photos and vender reports are from Jomtien. Russians / Scandinavians. I would guess 60/40. Definitely more crowded than Pattaya. 

Edited February 22, 20206 yr by morrobay

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Sophon published many pictures of a healthy number of tourists yesterday down on the Jomtien sands.

 

Not Pattaya, jomtein is busy, (compared to Pattaya beach which is dead,) with the usual Scandis Germans and a lot more Russian this year,, all be gone by the end of next month anyway. 

Another 2 weeks or so, and all the Snow Birds from Scandinavia and Russia will fly back home.

Then the picture will be different, with all these vendors that are now saying there is no problem holding out their grubby mitts for Gov,t money

Oh dear, the usual TV resident Pattaya bashers won't like this. Can't get a better source of information than the vendors themselves! 

28 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

Looks like the face mask sales went through the roof in pattaya.

 

One of the problems with all these reports is they use stock photos.

This one could have been taken 10 years ago, where's all the mobile phones?

Nobody with a phone, or earphones, or reading a digital book ........ how likely is that today?

Edited February 22, 20206 yr by BritManToo

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

One of the problems with all these reports is they use stock photos.

This one could have been taken 10 years ago, where's all the mobile phones?

Nobody with a phone, or earphones, or reading a digital book ........ how likely is that today?

The girl laying on a towel must be staring intensely at the sand then. Several people are hunched over, must be more sand staring 

You can't see a clear pic of most hands either 

Trust me vendors don't fudge the numbers up, that makes zero sense! 

 

Edited February 22, 20206 yr by madmen

19 minutes ago, madmen said:

The girl laying on a towel must be staring intensely at the sand then.

Or a book......  remember those?

36 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

This one could have been taken 10 years ago, where's all the mobile phones?

 

 

And remember: the majority is not generation Z

And there were no white plastic deck chairs ages ago.

I remember fiddling with these wood/fabric ones.

Always good for a laugh.

Edited February 22, 20206 yr by KhunBENQ

same in Hua Hin. very busy.

11 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

same in Hua Hin. very busy.

yes, I pray for May..

quoting the end of the world articles are definitely more lucrative (3 to 4 x the # of responses)..

Beach vendors of Jomtien may be fine but the bars of around Soi 2 Soi 3 Soi 6 Soi 7 and Soi 8 are utterly deserted

Have never see anything like it.

I'd estimate that Soi 8 at 11pm last night had no more than 10 guys the entire length of the soi. Ghost areas

32 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

yes, I pray for May..

me too...

The Europeans here now did their reservations long ago, it's winter holiday season. Nobody in their right mind is planning to book now. Wait a couple of weeks and euros will have left the building. 

3 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

i can't believe some of them are getting in the water 

Definitely not locals. Russians, probably, they don't care.

4 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Definitely not locals. Russians, probably, they don't care.

Vodka kills off all germs and viruses. Only 2 Corona virus cases reported in Russia. They must be the 2 teetotalers.

2 hours ago, madmen said:

Oh dear, the usual TV resident Pattaya bashers won't like this. Can't get a better source of information than the vendors themselves! 

I agree with the vendors, it is busier in Jomtien now then it has been for years.

1 hour ago, Chivas said:

Beach vendors of Jomtien may be fine but the bars of around Soi 2 Soi 3 Soi 6 Soi 7 and Soi 8 are utterly deserted

Have never see anything like it.

I'd estimate that Soi 8 at 11pm last night had no more than 10 guys the entire length of the soi. Ghost areas

Buakhao and LKM are doing just fine. Soi 7-8 have been in decline for ages. Soi 2-3, well they have killed that area for nightlife, malls, condos and hotels needed only. Soi 6, the bars are all the same, which is not what they were!

3 hours ago, keith101 said:

More likely a mixture of local farang enjoying the beach without all the Chinese everywhere .

Mainly Russians at Jomtien with a smattering (????) of locals. The beach is very busy every day at the moment. At weekends it also includes the locals. The night market on the main road was literally full with queues for food.

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

me too...

Yes, but who is this May girl?

12 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

Yes, but who is this May girl?

which one?