Pattaya is the best place in Thailand!

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Amari completely redeveloped, open and very nice indeed. All the above have sea views, the best CM can do is a wall!

Good point, I should stop by there and take a look.

[lkn]

7 hours ago, yogi100 said:

Now it's a city. I know of no metropolis in the world that has grown so quickly. So it must be doing something right!

Isn’t that the case for most of the main tourist destinations in Thailand? They were built from a small fishing village over the last 20-35 years.

 

But this is also part of the criticism. Building a city from scratch in such short time, rather than have it develop organically, takes a lot of planning, but such planning has not been done in Pattaya, furthermore, Pattaya has really been driven by one type of tourist: Single (older) men interested in cheap sex, beer and (it seems) English / Australian food.

 

This means the city lack diversity, it lack what comes naturally from cities that have developed organically over many hundreds of years and influenced by people from all walks of life.

 

Majority of Pattaya is just poorly constructed and poorly decorated shop houses with old guys drinking beer and lots of prostitutes. Nothing edgy about that.

 

I am sure Pattaya is great for older men on a budget, and it’s obvious the city is trying to widen its appeal and have successfully managed to attract a lot of Chinese tourists, but what they actually do there is a total mystery to me (well, they do the dinner cruise, the guided tour through walking street, one of the ladyboy cabarets, and then possibly visit some of the places specially built for tourists, like Art in Paradase, Mini Siam, Sanctuary of Truth, go to Central Festival, etc.).

 

[brokenbone]

28 minutes ago, lkn said:

I am sure Pattaya is great for older men on a budget, and it’s obvious the city is trying to widen its appeal and have successfully managed to attract a lot of Chinese tourists, but what they actually do there is a total mystery to me (well, they do the dinner cruise, the guided tour through walking street, one of the ladyboy cabarets, and then possibly visit some of the places specially built for tourists, like Art in Paradase, Mini Siam, Sanctuary of Truth, go to Central Festival, etc.).

 

1] i think pattaya is a whole lot greater for young men tbh, and at any budget at that.

 

2] the chinese hang out in big c south pattaya, kfc especially

[JimmyJ]

On 3/3/2020 at 2:56 PM, cdemundo said:

I like Pattaya as well.

It seems like "respectable people" don't like Pattaya and never go there.

Makes me think of Marlena Dietrich in the movie Shanghai Express :

"Don't you find respectable people terribly... dull?"

 

Impressively esoteric quote.

 

Von Sternberg fan?

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, lkn said:

Building a city from scratch in such short time, rather than have it develop organically, takes a lot of planning, but such planning has not been done in Pattaya

Pattaya developed organically in a short time in accordance with having no planning. Nobody ever thought Pattaya would become nearly as large as it has. But such is typical with Asian cities. Posters here never thought so either, typically sneered at any new construction, and, moreover, typically resist and complain about any planning they themselves didn't approve in advance. Meanwhile the incessant drumbeat about planning goes on and on. Roll with the flow.

 

2 hours ago, lkn said:

This means the city lack diversity, it lack . . . .

The city hasn't lacked diversity for more than decade.

 

2 hours ago, lkn said:

Majority of Pattaya is just poorly constructed and poorly decorated shop houses with old guys drinking beer and lots of prostitutes. Nothing edgy about that.

No. Some construction is poor, other excellent. No, old guys drinking beer etc. are in the great minority. Nobody said they have anything to do with edgy. Mostly they have to do with silly stereotyping here. Every square meter of a city doesn't have to be edgy for you to find some edginess if you're looking for it.

 

2 hours ago, lkn said:

I am sure Pattaya is great for older men on a budget, and it’s obvious the city is trying to widen its appeal and have successfully managed to attract a lot of Chinese tourists, but what they actually do there is a total mystery to me (well, they do the dinner cruise, the guided tour through walking street, one of the ladyboy cabarets, and then possibly visit some of the places specially built for tourists, like Art in Paradase, Mini Siam, Sanctuary of Truth, go to Central Festival, etc.).

 

Pattaya attracts far more than just older men on a budget and Chinese tourists. Tourists are doing what tourists do most anywhere else and they're all over town. The only mystery is why you don't know what they're doing and think they should be acting otherwise.

 

Total ignorance of domestic tourism and of the business convention market. Never heard of Russians. Best just to keep quiet about subjects you know nothing about currently.

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by BigStar

[yogi100]

1 hour ago, lkn said:

Isn’t that the case for most of the main tourist destinations in Thailand? They were built from a small fishing village over the last 20-35 years.

 

But this is also part of the criticism. Building a city from scratch in such short time, rather than have it develop organically, takes a lot of planning, but such planning has not been done in Pattaya, furthermore, Pattaya has really been driven by one type of tourist: Single (older) men interested in cheap sex, beer and (it seems) English / Australian food.

 

This means the city lack diversity, it lack what comes naturally from cities that have developed organically over many hundreds of years and influenced by people from all walks of life.

 

Majority of Pattaya is just poorly constructed and poorly decorated shop houses with old guys drinking beer and lots of prostitutes. Nothing edgy about that.

 

I am sure Pattaya is great for older men on a budget, and it’s obvious the city is trying to widen its appeal and have successfully managed to attract a lot of Chinese tourists, but what they actually do there is a total mystery to me (well, they do the dinner cruise, the guided tour through walking street, one of the ladyboy cabarets, and then possibly visit some of the places specially built for tourists, like Art in Paradase, Mini Siam, Sanctuary of Truth, go to Central Festival, etc.).

 

Diversity!

 

What's so great about diversity?

 

I come from one of the most 'diverse' cities in Europe. Its 'diversity' has led it to become the knife crime capital of the continent.  One of my son's workmates got stabbed to death last year over a cigarette!

 

As far as I'm concerned they can shove this 'diversity' where the sun does not shine and water cannot enter.

 

You get all age groups from all over the world in Pattaya but they're all just visitors and the 'old men' you condemn for wanting a bit of fun in their last few years don't go round stabbing people.

 

Pattaya gives ordinary male punters what they want in life for a few weeks and in some cases rather longer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. None of these old boys go round fighting or even behaving violently and absolutely none of them resort to knife crime.

 

However when a town that you used to regard as home becomes known as 'Stab City' you then that it's a city that has become truly diverse.

 

Some may hate Pattaya for what it is probably because their wives have forbidden them from setting foot in the place but millions of unattached men of all ages and from all walks of life have been there and will continue to go there. They do so because they can and love it for what it is.

[shdmn]

I agree with everything the OP said and no apologizing necessary.  People just love to complain about Thailand and especially Pattaya for some reason.  Probably because so many of the complainers live there.  I suspect they will never be happy no matter where they live and that is probably part of the reason they complain so much.  Because Pattaya attracts those types I guess. It promises to have it all (and in a lot of ways it does) so that would naturally attract people who are never satisfied with their situation and always looking to blame someone or something such as where they live.

 

I would add one more thing about location which OP sort of touched on,.  It's close to the airport.  I would never consider someplace like Chang Mai or Issan because going to from would always have to be through Bkk which is just one more hassle and extra expense I don't need. With Pattaya, it's a short car or bus ride away and will be even more convenient when the high speed rail line is finished.

Edited March 12, 2020 by shdmn

[lkn]

2 hours ago, yogi100 said:

None of these old boys go round fighting or even behaving violently and absolutely none of them resort to knife crime.

You are rather uninformed if you are not aware of the stabbings, shottings, and even fist fights, that have ended up with one or more people dead.

 

Some of it are just drunks getting into fights, other is organised crime, as Pattaya attracts a lot of that.

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, lkn said:

You are rather uninformed if you are not aware of the stabbings, shottings, and even fist fights, that have ended up with one or more people dead.

 

Some of it are just drunks getting into fights, other is organised crime, as Pattaya attracts a lot of that.

You are rather uninformed if you don't know that this happens all over Thailand. Also happens in the UK and on a much greater scale in the US.

[MRTELLYOUSTRAIGHT]

[JustAnotherHun]

2 hours ago, lkn said:

You are rather uninformed if you are not aware of the stabbings, shottings, and even fist fights, that have ended up with one or more people dead.

 

Some of it are just drunks getting into fights, other is organised crime, as Pattaya attracts a lot of that.

Wow, what a lucky guy I am living here so many years without being rubbed, stabbed, cheated or murdered.

 

BTW: People on budget usually don't buy 50-million baht houses and luxury condos.

On your next visit, try other places than Soi 6,7.8 and Buakao. You'll be amazed.

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, BigStar said:

Total ignorance of domestic tourism and of the business convention market. Never heard of Russians. Best just to keep quiet about subjects you know nothing about currently.

An extra a'hole nicely torn.

 

Good job!

[yogi100]

4 hours ago, lkn said:

You are rather uninformed if you are not aware of the stabbings, shottings, and even fist fights, that have ended up with one or more people dead.

 

Some of it are just drunks getting into fights, other is organised crime, as Pattaya attracts a lot of that.

On the contrary I'm very well informed. In 1999 a group of five of us came to Pattaya for a holiday. Two insurance agents, two publicans and an international courier, not an organised criminal among us. And we were typical of the huge majority of visitors to Thailand, both then and now.

 

I've since been a regular visitor and every fellow I've met has been in a regular job or retired. Not one hardened criminal among the lot of them.

 

Admittedly a fellow might approach you and say, "Hello I'm a criminal, I'm a drug trafficker and I rob banks" but the one or two I've met who fancy themselves as such gangsters and villains have turned out to be idiots who live in as big a world of fantasy as the wannabe 'special forces' fantasists who are said to come to Pattaya.

 

Any real criminals would never tell you about what they actually get up to. And those who believe these Walter Mitty types who tell others about their exciting secret lives of gun running and cocaine importing are just as daft as the day dreamers they're listening to. Or even more so.

 

The worst most of them ever get up to is taking a few boxes of Kamagra gels or sleeves of cigarettes back home to sell to their chums in their local boozer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by yogi100

[Leaver]

22 hours ago, BigStar said:

Pattaya isn’t a world class destination

Yet, if I say that, I am Pattaya bashing. 

 

22 hours ago, BigStar said:

The opinion that Pattaya’s economy has contracted, is contracting, or is going to contract is the typical doomster opinion

So, what's your opinion on the local Pattaya economy?  Do you think it's booming, stable, or contracting?

 

22 hours ago, BigStar said:

Yep, if Pattaya were listed I’d invest.

So would I, as a short seller.   ????

[Leaver]

19 hours ago, yogi100 said:

Single blokes like attractive, agreeable female company. It's the same all over the world. And will often do what ever they can to get it.

 

It's a normal, healthy masculine desire that can be satisfied in Pattaya more easily than any other place you can name anywhere else on the planet.

 

It's the reason we came to Thailand in the first place no matter how much some may try to deny it. No red blooded male travels thousands of miles at considerable expense to look at monuments and temples.

 

 

 

 

 

This is what made Pattaya famous, and many Thai's rich. 

 

Then, they got greedy, and wanted families and package holiday makers, and every other tourist you can think of to come here as well. 

 

Thai landlords raised rents on commercial premises to a point it out priced Pattaya in the region, despite the readily available sex.  

 

They should have just stuck with Pattaya's proven formula for success, sustainability, and profitability, which is selling sex to mongers.   ????

[Leaver]

19 hours ago, brokenbone said:

cause you can dine out every meal and have a maid that does all the cleaning

so theres a grand total of zero reason to have anything to do with woman ?

Most try to <deleted> the waitress, and are already shagging the maid.  Not that I would do such a thing.  ????

[lkn]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

I've since been a regular visitor and every fellow I've met has been in a regular job or retired. Not one hardened criminal among the lot of them.

You claimed to come from the knife capital of the world: So in your hometown, have you regularly met hardened criminals that tell you that they go around stabbing people? Because apparently that is the way you measure whether or not a city has criminals.

 

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, lkn said:

You claimed to come from the knife capital of the world: So in your hometown, have you regularly met hardened criminals that tell you that they go around stabbing people? Because apparently that is the way you measure whether or not a city has criminals.

 

Have you regularly met these people in Pattaya?

[Leaver]

21 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Have you regularly met these people in Pattaya?

A lot of con men here, and guys living off the proceeds of crime from their home country, but the other 80% of guys are all good guys because they are ex SAS and Special Forces.  ????

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Leaver

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, Leaver said:

A lot of con men here, and guys living off the proceeds of crime from their home country. 

How many do you know personally?

[Leaver]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

How many do you know personally?

I don't know any con men, but I know hundreds of con women here.  ????

[DannyCarlton]

Just now, Leaver said:

I don't know any con men, but I know hundreds of con women here.  ????

Very few living off the proceeds of crime. Quite a few Walter Mittys though.

[Leaver]

5 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Very few living off the proceeds of crime. Quite a few Walter Mittys though.

A lot of Russians here wanted for fraud in Russia.  A lot of westerners on the run here from drug supply charges in their home country.  

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, Leaver said:

A lot of Russians here wanted for fraud in Russia.  A lot of westerners on the run here from drug supply charges in their home country.  

"A lot", bit of an exaggeration there.

[Leaver]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

"A lot", bit of an exaggeration there.

So, do you accept they are here?

[DannyCarlton]

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

So, do you accept they are here?

A handful. Nowhere near the numbers that were in Puerto Banus and Marbella in the 80s. At that time extradition from Spain was "difficult". No such problem with Thailand today.

[Logosone]

On 3/11/2020 at 8:51 PM, BigStar said:

Good try but you’ve not any evidence that Chiang Mai’s massages are any better than Pattaya’s. I guess it’d take years to visit all our massage parlors. ????

 

We got Hilton, Marriot, Holiday Inn, Centara, Dusit etc. Quite nice, and any Chiang Mai old lady could be comfortable in one of them and enjoy a sea view.  

 

Every street in Pattaya has its own character as well with characters roaming around on them, not to mention the shop owners, and some of the variety within the chaos can be pretty amazing. However, you’d have to stop clutching your pearls long enough to observe and interact.

 

That's something, BTW, underrated about Pattaya--a lot of Thai characters live here who are quite funny & interesting if you're at all a student of character. However, speaking with them and getting to know them a bit requires some Thai language skills.

 

Chiang Mai is rather fake in that the nightlife it’d normally have in a free market is repressed. Not much around and not open late, at least not that which is conveniently located. It lacks the natural Thai chaos that Pattaya has in such abundance. ????

 

Oh, well, Christmas is so commercialized. Even your kid's birthday party ain't free, pal. You pay the caterers of course and then everybody has a good time. They do; you do. Most people who come to Pattaya for that in particular do in fact have a good time and just wish they could afford to come back. The stories they tell. Even some of the conversations to be had in Pattaya about Pattaya experiences are most entertaining. Had a great laugh the other day and another day in the retelling.

 

Yeah, for every obsessed "repulsed" little basher here, there're a thousand Brits dreaming in their council estates how they can move here permanently.

 

By all accounts the best Thai massage schools  are in Chiang Mai.

https://www.traditionalbodywork.com/best-thai-massage-schools-in-thailand-for-western-students/

 

Like Bangkok and Pattaya we also have a Healthland here but the local spas are a cut above, the women are more skilled and more attractive.

 

Okay, you got Hilton and Marriot, Centara. I notice the Centara is not even a Centara Grand? Tsk, tsk, tsk....its not bad, but it's not exactly the top quality, is it? It's not a Four Seasons, Shangri-La...or Dhara Dhevi Mandarin Oriental...allright so you lost that one as well.

 

Crazy Thai characters here as well, I mean it's also Thailand. 

 

Wait, Chiang Mai night life is fake? Repressed? Not the last time I went out, lots of young people shaking their stuff to great music and having nice drinks, you should drop by. You'd like it.

 

Granted, you do need a car, it's not all on one street, you win that one.

 

Allright, the working women are entertaining, but they are here too, all that you can have in Pattaya in that regard, you can have in Chiang Mai as well. Entire entertainment complexes dedicated to that. And Chiang Mai is a university city. Many universities here. Many young female students. Why you keep talking of old ladies, I have no idea, Chiang Mai is one of the youngest cities, Thai wise, I've seen.

 

Council Estate Britishers want to move there? Not a recommendation I would be giving, but, hey, I'm happy that you love Pattaya this much. This is great. For you. But don't pretend Pattaya is the best place in Thailand. It most definitely is not.

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Logosone

[lkn]

58 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Have you regularly met these people in Pattaya?

@yogi100 was saying that Pattaya does not need diversity, because he lives in the knife murder capital of the world “because of diversity” (whatever that means) and Pattaya has nothing of this (knife stabbing thing).

 

To which I replied he was uninformed, if he was unaware of what goes on in Pattaya (multiple tourists are murdered every year), which made you butt in to say that this goes on everywhere (which is not really true, and certainly not if you look at the statistics per capita).

 

I replied to @yogi100’s anecdote about how he personally has not met any hardened criminals in Pattaya, asking if he had personally met knife stabbers in his home capital, to make the point that just because he hasn’t met them, doesn’t mean they do not exist.

 

Again you butt in, seemingly unaware of the context, and now ask if I have regularly met hardened criminals in Pattaya, whatever that is supposed to prove, as we know for a fact they are there, one of them just got his death sentence upheld.

 

Though matter of fact, even though I have only been to Pattaya a handful of times, I have certainly seen my share of people that I would not want to get into a fight with or in any way upset.

 

It’s sort of beyond the point though, as my originally stated dislike for Pattaya did not mention anything about the criminals that hang out there, it was the lack of diversity, which @yogi100 somehow equates to knife stabbings, and proudly tell us that Pattaya has no diversity, yet it does have what he thinks stems from diversity…

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by lkn

[owl sees all]

A bar-girl friend, back in the day, said Pattaya was not the top massage place in Thailand. She had been a masseur in her younger days, but gave it up 'cause many farang wanted 'happy ending' before the massage started.

 

She became disillusioned with the massage scene and took up cashiering in soi 6. 

 

A nurse now, caring for sick people.

 

So there we have it, straight from the horse's mouth.

Edited March 12, 2020 by owl sees all

[Traubert]

12 hours ago, lkn said:

have successfully managed to attract a lot of Chinese tourists, but what they actually do there is a total mystery to me (well, they do the dinner cruise, the guided tour through walking street, one of the ladyboy cabarets, and then possibly visit some of the places specially built for tourists, like Art in Paradase, Mini Siam, Sanctuary of Truth, go to Central Festival, etc.).

 

That's exactly what they do, plus tons of shopping and lots of temples, much to the chagrin of those who say they don't spend money. Correction, they don't spend money on the same things you do.

 

Regrettably, they won't be spending their money for another few weeks, but they'll be back with a vengeance soon enough.