Thailand's tourist haven Pattaya devastated as coronavirus hits travel

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Oh I understand, it's just that I can do better and I am not alone.  My concept of romance does not involve an uncouth, crass, tramp stamped prostitute who's nether regions have been visited by people I want nothing to do with.  Many foreigners meet some decent Thai ladies, just as many  Thai ladies meet some quality foreign males.

Unfortunately you apparently have little to no idea of what the Pattaya bar girls were actually like ( I say "were" as apparently few around now ), but there was always the occasional rotten one to be found, just as in any occupation anywhere.

 

uncouth, crass, tramp stamped

Unfortunately I've met a few western women like that, and they were not prostitutes. I never met a Thai bar girl that fitted that description.

[Destiny1990]

41 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Most visitors to Pattaya's bars ( ie farangs ) were probably on visa exempt and didn't need to extend as on holiday, like I was for most of the times I visited.

Your personal situation doesn’t match the reality why so many foreigners have stopped doing their long extended holidays here. 

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I'd say it's much easier here, if you're married and working.

In most other Western societies, being married suffices. That in itself, makes them easier surely. 

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

The more traffic, the more accidents, that is logical. However, there is a thresh-hold where there is so much traffic, that when any accident occurs, it happens at such a slow speed, it does not result in a life-threatening condition. The majority of accident that kills people at times of high traffic (Songkran, New Year) are motorcycles, these are drunk youth stumbling onto their bikes going from one karaoke bar to the next on the backstreets of rural areas. Any accidents on the main highways for example between Korat and Bkk, where the average speed is 30 - 40 km/h, involves cars and results in fender benders and headaches.

So you are saying that Chonburi's 2nd worst road figures are down to no traffic and high speeds?

I maintain that with a higher % of farang drivers v Thai, these poor statistics are directly proportional to poor policing.  It is no secret that a posting to Pattaya is seen as a licence to print money and priced, by the BIB, accordingly.  There is little evidence of any active police interest in saving lives but plenty to show money is the primary motivation.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Your personal situation doesn’t match the reality why so many foreigners have stopped doing their long extended holidays here. 

Do you have any actual stats as how many were "long extended" as opposed to less than a month? Not many occupations that I know of allow more than a few weeks holiday a year.

Thank about why they use the term "two week millionaire" to describe the farangs that flocked to Pattaya.

[Melbun]

19 hours ago, maddox41 said:

When this pandemic finishes  perfect time for Pattaya to reset clean itself up and actually become a real family tourist destination. 

Hahahh - Maybe Pattaya should invite you to leave, and leave everyone else to their business.

[Melbun]

17 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Where there's a Tree and a Rope they will know what to do !

No tourists, no sales, confinement - means a tumble for the Thai economy - did I hear all the cheers ???

[KC 71]

It may take a while for business to recover

[Neeranam]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

In most other Western societies, being married suffices. That in itself, makes them easier surely. 

Which country do you mean? In the UK you have to wait 3 years then pass quite a hard English exam. In Thailand, you don't need to pass a Thai exam. I think it takes 10 years in the US, but less in Thailand.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Neeranam

[Neeranam]

9 hours ago, Melbun said:

You mean Pattaya beach of course - no more floating fecal matter to attract families (phew) ??

My mate went to Pattaya on his honeymoon! This was 25 years ago and they didn't know about the reputation. What a nightmare! 

[Destiny1990]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Do you have any actual stats as how many were "long extended" as opposed to less than a month? Not many occupations that I know of allow more than a few weeks holiday a year.

Thank about why they use the term "two week millionaire" to describe the farangs that flocked to Pattaya.

So why Pattaya got 20% less visitors in 2019 in comparison with 2018?

[Leaver]

16 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

So why Pattaya got 20% less visitors in 2019 in comparison with 2018?

Because Vietnam got 28.9% more visitors.  ????

[BritManToo]

29 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Because Vietnam got 28.9% more visitors.  ????

As one of those visitors (4x), I can say each trip was great.

Saigon 2x, Da Nang 1x, Hanoi 1x.

[joecoolfrog]

On 3/30/2020 at 4:48 AM, Neeranam said:

Better for the image of the normal expat and foreign tourist.

Yes, better for the prostitutes. Try working in a drug and alcohol rehab like I have for 15 years, and you'll see the OTHER side of girls forced into the sex trade, often by their parents/husbands. I know there are many monger that are in total denial, like all addicts.

Prostitution has been part of every culture, but Pattaya has been turned into a place where the dregs of Thailand meet sad old sex addicts and dregs of the world(pimps, organised crime/mafias, etc). 

Some of us here integrate into society, learn the language, have kids,apply for Naturalization, etc The 60 year-year-old Change vest fatty with a 25 year year old prostitute are a huge embarrassment to us and we are often tarred with the same brush.

As I said , 90% of prostitution in Thailand is geared to domestic demand, if you are a professional in the field you know that.

Surveys have shown that 80% of Thai men visit a prostitute at least once a month , so if you truly wish to integrate into society....

 

 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, joecoolfrog said:

As I said , 90% of prostitution in Thailand is geared to domestic demand, if you are a professional in the field you know that.

Surveys have shown that 80% of Thai men visit a prostitute at least once a month , so if you truly wish to integrate into society....

 

I don't think anyone would argue that most prostitution is for locals, pretty obvious.

 

I don't believe that survey for a second. Is it survey of 1000 Pattaya sexpats? A link would be interesting.

[gamb00ler]

On 3/29/2020 at 10:48 PM, Neeranam said:

Are you saying gaining Citizenship is easier in the US than in Thailand?

 

I'd say it's much easier here, if you're married and working.

The level of difficulty to gain US citizenship varies according to how you start the process.  My stepson (dual US/Thai) lived in Thailand and married a Thai girl.  Immediately she applied for Permanent Resident visa to US.  They waited about 6 months in Thailand before approved for PR.  She got the physical PR card about a month after she entered US.  Three years later she became citizen by passing civics and language test.

 

For most foreigners the application process for US PR takes several years on a waiting list before entry to US allowed.  The wait time is dependent on the annual quota for your country and/or priority assigned according to relationship to US resident sponsor.  A further 5 years as PR holder once inside US before gaining citizenship.

 

I took a different route through employment on a work visa.  An interoffice transfer took me to work in LA from Canada.  Just before my 2 year visa expired I applied for PR.  My employer had to advertise my position and then show that I was more qualified than ALL US applicants.  That process took more than a year.  PR card was issued soon after passing interview.

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Which country do you mean? In the UK you have to wait 3 years then pass quite a hard English exam. In Thailand, you don't need to pass a Thai exam. I think it takes 10 years in the US, but less in Thailand.

So what, plenty of Thai wives living in the UK now with UK passports. Not so many Westerners with full Thai citizenship I know of. What is this of not needing to pass a Thai exam?... PR certainly requires one, an ED Visa can make you subject to one, and I certainly do not regard a one year Permission of stay as any form of residence!

[Boomer6969]

On 3/30/2020 at 9:16 AM, spidermike007 said:

More people died last year in Italy, of pulmonary issues in two weeks time, than the total number of worldwide deaths to date from corona. 

Frankly you should check your figures before posting  such nonsense. When you wrote there 38000 deaths worldwide, (and we have more than serious doubt about the Chinese figures) so you are saying that in Italy only there are (38000 x 26) 988000 people a year dying from pulmonary disease.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Boomer6969

[Leaver]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I certainly do not regard a one year Permission of stay as any form of residence!

Yes, it can simply be viewed as a 1 year tourist visa. 

 

Someone on a 1 year retirement visa has no more rights here than someone on a 2 month tourist visa.

[jacko45k]

21 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Someone on a 1 year retirement visa has no more rights here than someone on a 2 month tourist visa.

To be fair, I get a longer validity local driving licence and maybe easier to open a bank account, but that pales into insignificance compared to the rights and facilities and benefits an immigrant has access to in the UK.

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

To be fair, I get a longer validity local driving licence and maybe easier to open a bank account, but that pales into insignificance compared to the rights and facilities and benefits an immigrant has access to in the UK.

So, for 800k baht in a Thai bank for 12 months, 400k baht of it unable to be used, perpetually, TM30's, 90 day reports, re-entry permits etc, all you get is a longer validity driving / riding license, which is true. 

 

Now I can see the incentive.  Definitely worth it.   ????  

[HashBrownHarry]

5 hours ago, Leaver said:

Yes, it can simply be viewed as a 1 year tourist visa. 

 

Someone on a 1 year retirement visa has no more rights here than someone on a 2 month tourist visa.

Not true, can stay 90 days ( with 60 day extension )

 

Or get a 1 year extension ( i think ).

[Leaver]

2 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Not true, can stay 90 days ( with 60 day extension )

 

Or get a 1 year extension ( i think ).

Huh?

 

I think you missed my point.

 

Someone on a tourist visa can buy or lease a property, start or buy a business, register a sim card, open a bank account, buy a vehicle, open a utilities account Eg. electric, get married, have kids etc etc etc etc.

 

It's true what jacko45k said, which I already knew, but disregarded as important, the only extra you qualify for with a 1 year retirement visa is a 5 year validity driving / riding license.  That's it. 

 

So, for all the hoops you jump through, and cost, that all you get extra than a 2 month tourist visa.  ????

[3NUMBAS]

its now at year zero.... start from scratch again

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

its now at year zero.... start from scratch again

I wouldn't call it year zero.  Buildings are in place, roads intact, water and electric are being supplied.  Telecommunications and retail supply chains still operational. 

 

I know the analogy you are getting at, but Pattaya hasn't been hit by a 10 magnitude earthquake, or similar. 

 

I think any surviving businesses will have to start from scratch again, and be prepared to be here for the long haul.  The question is, why would they?  The rebuild could take 1 to 2 years.  Difficult to recoup those losses on even a 10 year lease.   

[MiKT]

On ‎3‎/‎30‎/‎2020 at 9:11 AM, Boomer6969 said:

Isn't COVID a golden opportunity to rethink this place 100%? They should hire consultants from Korea or Singapore to come up with some plan plan as no-one in Thailand has the brain, nor backbone, for that sort of achievement.

WHAT? like living in 2Km square Singapore with is few meters of artificial - oil polluted beaches, island wide terrible air pollution, draconian laws and many hours wait to get in or out to Malaysia by road on weekends, instead of Thailand - with air pollution mostly limited to cities, good beaches and thousands of attractive holiday venues. You have to be joking. Only good thing is the Mass Transit railway and Thailand is catching up fast.

 

And Korea, nothing exciting about living there, couple of nice mini mountains and good train services, but terrible traffic jams to get in or out of Seoul at weekends. Traffic a daily nightmare worse than Bangkok and more aggressive driving + miles and miles of identical high rise housing.  Also bloody cold and snowy in the winter, lousy, lousy beaches for the most part and very limited places to go due to the mountainous topography of the entire county. Also, also shopping in Thailand is much, much better (and cheaper) than either Singapore or Korea.

 

Brain or backbone ??? What could they teach Thailand, with some amazing architecture compared to Singapore or Korea? - rail services yes, but Thailand is expanding these fast. And Singapore is such a tiny blot on the ocean compared to Thailand that it can only be compared with KT not the whole of Thailand.

 

Sure, like everywhere in Thailand Pattaya suffers from lack of proper planning and the roads are terrible, but its more fun and has many more amenities and attractions (and at much lower prices) than anywhere in Singapore or Korea.

Plus, both of those countries rely on Thai girls for their "entertainment" and make up a good proportion of the visitors who come to Pattaya for their "fun" as its sooooooo boring staying at home.

 

Why is Thai knocking so prevalent, I was just talking to one of my (many)daughters (a Thai one) who lives in England and its a shambles, with masks and gel unavailable and nobody bothering to wear them anyway, but police forcing everybody to stay at home, tracking your movements by your mobile phone and fining you if you go out twice in one day. its getting to be worse than China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KhunFred]

Thailand will learn NOTHING from this situation. Through history, Thailand has shown they cannot make decisions based on anything but raw, misplaced emotion. Farang mai dee.

[Leaver]

8 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Thailand has shown they cannot make decisions based on anything but raw, misplaced emotion.

And money.

[tropo]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

Photos were taken at 11 pm on March 31:

 

 

 

[Melbun]

On 4/2/2020 at 4:47 AM, MiKT said:

WHAT? like living in 2Km square Singapore with is few meters of artificial - oil polluted beaches, island wide terrible air pollution, draconian laws and many hours wait to get in or out to Malaysia by road on weekends, instead of Thailand - with air pollution mostly limited to cities, good beaches and thousands of attractive holiday venues. You have to be joking. Only good thing is the Mass Transit railway and Thailand is catching up fast.

 

And Korea, nothing exciting about living there, couple of nice mini mountains and good train services, but terrible traffic jams to get in or out of Seoul at weekends. Traffic a daily nightmare worse than Bangkok and more aggressive driving + miles and miles of identical high rise housing.  Also bloody cold and snowy in the winter, lousy, lousy beaches for the most part and very limited places to go due to the mountainous topography of the entire county. Also, also shopping in Thailand is much, much better (and cheaper) than either Singapore or Korea.

 

Brain or backbone ??? What could they teach Thailand, with some amazing architecture compared to Singapore or Korea? - rail services yes, but Thailand is expanding these fast. And Singapore is such a tiny blot on the ocean compared to Thailand that it can only be compared with KT not the whole of Thailand.

 

Sure, like everywhere in Thailand Pattaya suffers from lack of proper planning and the roads are terrible, but its more fun and has many more amenities and attractions (and at much lower prices) than anywhere in Singapore or Korea.

Plus, both of those countries rely on Thai girls for their "entertainment" and make up a good proportion of the visitors who come to Pattaya for their "fun" as its sooooooo boring staying at home.

 

Why is Thai knocking so prevalent, I was just talking to one of my (many)daughters (a Thai one) who lives in England and its a shambles, with masks and gel unavailable and nobody bothering to wear them anyway, but police forcing everybody to stay at home, tracking your movements by your mobile phone and fining you if you go out twice in one day. its getting to be worse than China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  On 3/30/2020 at 1:11 PM, Boomer6969 said:

Isn't COVID a golden opportunity to rethink this place 100%? They should hire consultants from Korea or Singapore to come up with some plan plan as no-one in Thailand has the brain, nor backbone, for that sort of achievement.

 

 

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHat ?? Go jump.

Singapore is a police state and Korea is starting to embrace feminism. Oh charming great idea Boomer 6969 to infect Thailand with that way of life.