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

[Moo 2]

Comparing to International popular beaches where you'll be lucky to find a spot to lay your towel,

this beach looks half empty, or half full if you are optimistic!

[KhunBENQ]

28 Jan 2016

Still shaky wooden chairs:

Edited February 23, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[moto77]

23 hours 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?

According to Google Images this didn't exist on the internet until two days ago, so not a stock photo. End of conspiracy theory. 

[maechanman]

Was on Pattaya Beach Rd about half an hour ago, didn't see many tourists using the deck chairs however there was plenty of people on the beach.

The paragliding people weren't busy at all, I counted no more than 5 in the air at any one time during my walk.

[Krataiboy]

Always easy to get some busy beaches shots if you take your camera to popular sunbathing spots near big hotels.

 

The true litmus test for visitor numbers, I would have thought, is the rise or fall in accommodation bookings, conspicuous in this Sophon report by their absence. 

[Stargeezr]

If the stupid government would let the vendors work 7 days a week it would help them and the tourists that are in Thailand out.I have yet to see one group of people cleaning any beach on the  Wednesday of any week. What a stupid, silly idea it is to shut down the beaches at all. Are you listening Prayut?

Geezer

[MonkeyLoo]

The Airports are the place to gauge wether tourism is down. Don Mueang was a breeze when a went through last week.... 

[martin3]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:50 AM, keith101 said:

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

I live in Jomtien,it is very busy with Russian and other europeans and i dare say a number of expats that live here.

I think this report is pretty much on the money!

[martin3]

23 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

same in Hua Hin. very busy.

yes just back from Hua Hin and i have to say it was busy just like Jomtien.

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm.... maybe all the empty bars are just imagination? All these thousands of tourists sit at home and watch TV at night of course. TIT

[Jumbo1968]

I walked along Beach Road In Pattaya the last 2 Sunday’s around 1 o’clock it was deserted with very few pedestrians, the Beach Chairs had very few customers, there were a few farangs in the Bars but not packed out.

[natway09]

Which means that it is the way it should be.

Who wants to have to push & shove just to sit on the beach

[barryofthailand]

Pattaya is bz don't believe these lies that they don't have tourists. Traffic is still crazy and lots if people shopping even some Chinese tourists 

[miamiman123]

Local euros and Russians.... the foreign teachers are leaving I’m hearing...because soon there may be a international ban on air travel.

the Thai stats are not real...it’s as fake on the corona stats as China! 
 

[shackleton]

Well as long as the vendors are happy making good business sales

Same the restaurants 

It seems only the hotels and bars are losing customers

Looking at the news on the spread of the Chinese virus 

South Korea and Italy getting worse

Cant see any positives for Thailand in future tourist numbers 

[Millcx]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:09 PM, GeorgeCross said:

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

 

 

I think they have thought that Poo is the same as mud bath 5555

[nauseus]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:50 AM, keith101 said:

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

Yep, an invasion from the Darkside while the coast is clear - pardon da pun. 

[nauseus]

1 minute ago, ScotBkk said:

I was in Pattaya last week and prostitutes were giving away free sex To take the edge off any virus worries.

So you ended up with two?

[CliffH]

Business has been very poor for the Pattaya beach chair/lounger vendors over the last three months, much worse than recent years.  Noise/mess from drainage roadworks along with the 100 baht per lounger hasn't helped, plus the fact that farang tourism is well down.

The Wednesday no-chairs beach cleaning nonsense was dropped for the high season, but has now been reintroduced.

[chuck holmes]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:52 AM, URMySunshine said:

Probably Russian and northern european snowbirds. 

Exactly

[Timebandit]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:59 PM, 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?

Well noticed. A lot of those trees are also gone.

[Thomas Hannah]

On 2/22/2020 at 5:51 AM, 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! 

its not pattaya its jomtien.jomtien will soon be dead aswell,when the russians and scans go home.they sit on the beach all day,drink and eat from 7/11.Not pattaya bashers.Is telling the truth a basher.The place is finished to what it used to be.And they have brought it on themselves.

[KC 71]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

28 Jan 2016

Still shaky wooden chairs:

With pixelated faces

[Skallywag]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:59 PM, 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?

True, you can tell by the distance to where the sand ends and water starts in the photo.  The photo is stock, and not recent.  The "new" beach extends much further since they added all the sand.  

Some days seems pretty busy, some days not.  I walk 3-4 times a week on the Pattaya beach road.  Jomtien is definitely busier than Pattaya beach.  Then up north at some of the Naklua beaches I have walked to also seem busy, but with all the new condos and hotels built in the last 20 years....when I say busy, I mean the same number as 20 years ago busy.  Amazes me how developers can even get financing in a small town already overbuilt for the last 10 years or so.  The city should buy up all the old hotels and condos, tear them down and turn the land into parks or parking lots. 

[Patanawet]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:51 PM, 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! 

This is Jomtien, NOT Pattaya.

[CygnusX1]

3 minutes ago, Thomas Hannah said:

its not pattaya its jomtien.jomtien will soon be dead aswell,when the russians and scans go home.they sit on the beach all day,drink and eat from 7/11.Not pattaya bashers.Is telling the truth a basher.The place is finished to what it used to be.

Jomtien’s always been like that, far more seasonal than Pattaya. I think it’s the reason why it can’t support a shopping mall or even a large supermarket, despite the huge number of condos.

[madmen]

2 minutes ago, Patanawet said:

This is Jomtien, NOT Pattaya.

Look up up up 

What's the topic headline? 

[peterb17]

On 2/22/2020 at 2:12 PM, 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

Maybe the demographic has changed - the old days when you boarded the plane to Bangkok and the queue was full of single dodgy guys looking for cheap sex has disappeared.

The bar scene is dying - the younger woke millennial generation will have nothing to do with prostitution 

About time . 

[Tony125]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:41 PM, spiekerjozef said:

 

Are your reporters dense or just don't know their way around Thailand ?  There have been reports for weeks that there were still many EU/Russian tourists in Jomtien/Hua Hin on the beach and in restaurants.  Jomtien and Hua Hin are not Pattaya or Walking Street.  Were few Chinese or EU/Russians on Pattaya Beach when I was there last week and no tour busses. Few Chinese at Kow Yai Clothing Outlet  and ChoChai Farm Steakhouse where I am now, no buses just individual families.

Also the baht is dropping against the US $ now 31.58

Edited February 23, 2020 by Tony125

[KenKadz]

With so many Commentors questioning the Photos I have to ask is TV publishing Fake News now?