There's more going on in Pattaya than you might think. Beer with lunch? Local massage in shop (save the jokes, just massage)? Just ask or look around. Of course your choices are limited.

7 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Still a very long time to wait...we are in May, not in June...

End of May... Just a little more than 33 days...

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Still a very long time to wait...we are in May, not in June...

Sorry. I'm a glass half full kinda guy. Less than 5 weeks. Time to plan the party.

Stuck in vietnam

12 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Stuck in vietnam

 

 

 

Is that so bad ?

Wow awesome shame im not living there anymore, sounds like its back to the way it was the first time i went to pattaya in 1990

Plenty busy over in my soi on the darkside.

3 minutes ago, Darksidedude said:

Wow awesome shame im not living there anymore, sounds like its back to the way it was the first time i went to pattaya in 1990

It's actually pretty good at the moment, bit of annoyance the whole face mask/temp scan/signing into Foodland as Batman etc etc etc but I can deal with them.

12 hours ago, Phil McCaverty said:

Sorry. I'm a glass half full kinda guy. Less than 5 weeks. Time to plan the party.

With most places shuttered up and most of the staff returned to the villages, 5 weeks isn't long enough to get things up and running.

And where are the customers supposed to be coming from ?

4 minutes ago, fulhamster said:

With most places shuttered up and most of the staff returned to the villages, 5 weeks isn't long enough to get things up and running.

And where are the customers supposed to be coming from ?

On the Darkside, the majority of customers in bars are expats, particularly at this time of year. We're still here. It takes a day or 2 to reopen a business as restaurants have proved. Some girls never left, some girls have already returned and the rest are desperate to return. It only takes a phone call and they'll be on the next bus to Pattaya.

 

 

On 5/27/2020 at 4:34 PM, Phil McCaverty said:

Over here on the Darkside, where most expats live, life is pretty much back to normal. No reason to go into Pattaya, although I've been in a couple of times, lunch at Bake 'n Brew (x2) and dentist. Over here, things will be 100% back to normal when the bars open and restaurants serve alcohol again.

Phil - How is the darkside bar scene these days, and the restaurant/farang deli's one for that matter too? I ask as we are probably moving there May next year, I've spent the odd night there before, is it the same deal with bars just scattered around invariably not very busy, and are there any new indoor aircon bars around? Finally, are there many police stops/checks in the evenings?

 

Thanks for any answers. I would go and see for myself but 'stuck' in Ubon at the mo. cheers.

15 hours ago, Mac98 said:

There's more going on in Pattaya than you might think. Beer with lunch? Local massage in shop (save the jokes, just massage)? Just ask or look around. Of course your choices are limited.

Even some bars are open already and nobody cares. 

On 5/27/2020 at 5:54 PM, Brunolem said:

Around 2010, there were over 40,000 farangs with a retirement visa in Pattaya... and that was only those with this specific visa... (that was headline news in the Pattaya Mail at the time). 

 

I doubt that these numbers have gone down since... on the contrary... 

there no 40.000 farangs here in pattaya now

51 minutes ago, thaiboss said:

On 5/27/2020 at 12:54 PM, Brunolem said:

Around 2010, there were over 40,000 farangs with a retirement visa in Pattaya... //

I doubt that these numbers have gone down since... on the contrary... 

there no 40.000 farangs here in pattaya now

According to this Wikipedia page :

"In 2018, Thailand issued almost 80,000 retirement visas, //"

So, I really doubt that half of them were farangs in Pattaya. 

 

About "now", I am stuck abroad, but from my friends,

looks like most Pattaya expats are still in Pattaya.

3 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

According to this Wikipedia page :

"In 2018, Thailand issued almost 80,000 retirement visas, //"

So, I really doubt that half of them were farangs in Pattaya. 

 

About "now", I am stuck abroad, but from my friends,

looks like most Pattaya expats are still in Pattaya.

A fair percentage of expats are on visas other than "Retirement".

On 5/27/2020 at 5:54 PM, Brunolem said:

Around 2010, there were over 40,000 farangs with a retirement visa in Pattaya... and that was only those with this specific visa... (that was headline news in the Pattaya Mail at the time). 

 

I doubt that these numbers have gone down since... on the contrary... 

It seems you don't know that there aren't any bars/pubs open in Thailand and no alcohol is officially sold in restaurants. That's why people stay at home night time. FYI,there are still 200 baht buses running in Pattaya/Jomtien, and you can see them every minute and the streets are not empty. 

Can't speak for Patts, as I am as far away from Pattaya as one can get in Thailand, in the deep southern town of Narathiwat. Here though, after the Islamic month of Ramadan, life has returned to town as normal. Face masks as still very common and the bars are all closed, but at least most restaurants offer dine-in options again.

On May 27, 2020 at 5:22 AM, JohnBZ said:

Pattaya has to let all businesses to open before tourists are back.  If there is no fun, why go to Pattaya.

But everyone there is saying it's so much better there than the west????????, glad I'm home, life is great here. Pattaya- Stalingrad.

On 5/26/2020 at 7:37 PM, bkk6060 said:

Everything you say is true.

I will guess there will be more people wandering around when the bars open.

Walked the beach promenade yesterday afternoon for almost an hour and saw just a handful of people.

Truly an eerie ghost town.

 

All this is evidence the economy in Pattaya cannot sustain itself with locals.

No way no how, it is way too big now.  I would guess 90%+ of this place is supported by tourism.

 

So, I guess the plan is to gut it out until the tourists come back.  In the mean time many for rent, for sale, and totally closed/gutted structures/businesses clutter the landscape.

It will be interesting to see if and when this place ever comes back to what it was.

 

When will the bars open?

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

When will the bars open?

July 1st.

On 5/29/2020 at 2:19 PM, Ron jeremy said:

But everyone there is saying it's so much better there than the west????????, glad I'm home, life is great here. Pattaya- Stalingrad.

US - virus central.

Dark side is quiet around my soi. Some walkers out and about between 5 and 6.  Watched a few lose weight over the past 2 months doing the walking!

It's true that Pattaya is a shadow of its former self but the comeback has started. Massage shops and beach opens today. I'm still having restaurant takeaways. Massages etc were available before today but less choice. Thaifriendly fully loaded. Maybe Buakhao atmosphere will pick up now some massage shops will open. It gets very busy with girls coming out for food after 4pm

On 5/29/2020 at 8:19 PM, Ron jeremy said:

But everyone there is saying it's so much better there than the west????????, glad I'm home, life is great here. Pattaya- Stalingrad.

Say that again in December-January. I know which one will look more like Stalingrad.....

2 hours ago, Phil McCaverty said:

July 1st.

From where do you get this information?

At the moment afaik there is no any official

anouncment for the reopening of the bars

On 5/28/2020 at 4:33 PM, Ties V said:

A lot of farang early evening in Jomtien beach road every day. Also in soi Buakao. 

Few chinese do the show too

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/06/01/chinese-man-and-his-thai-girlfriend-arrested-after-public-altercation-in-front-of-pattaya-police-station-video/

most of the cams seem to be turned off....or showing old film...........

34 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

From where do you get this information?

At the moment afaik there is no any official

anouncment for the reopening of the bars

There has been an announcement that, all being well, all restrictions will be lifted on July 1st.

I just had a look about on the motorbike and definitely busier out, Bali Hai, Buakhao, Klang, can see the massage ladies out, good to see. Some shops remain closed though, probably victims of the restrictions 

1 hour ago, Phil McCaverty said:

There has been an announcement that, all being well, all restrictions will be lifted on July 1st.

It seems already open the borders to international tourism is not included in the ''all''

so wait and see and hope for the best