What is the current status of Pattaya?

[Silent Tiger]

Allegedly couple of bars open behind closed doors on 6 & buakhao !!! 

[sungod]

On 6/22/2020 at 7:38 PM, mikeyjj said:

Who goes to Pattaya for the beach ? It’s filthy I wouldn’t even let my dog swim there 

Posts usually by people who dont live there or have no idea. Was down there this morning walking my dog along the front, it was looking great with vendors keeping their plots in good condition. Personally wouldn't want to sit on chairs next to the road though.

[kingofthemountain]

11 minutes ago, Silent Tiger said:

Allegedly couple of bars open behind closed doors on 6 & buakhao !!! 

The Pattaya police thank you for posting this and making their work more easy

Edited June 28, 2020 by kingofthemountain

[Wongkitlo]

18 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

The Pattaya police thank you for posting this and making their work more easy

I'm sure the police know and are happy to get back to collecting their payments and can't wait for all to open to make up lost revenue.  It is just when City Hall decide to have a crackdown they have to interrupt their business and go and make a presence. 

[Silent Tiger]

22 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

The Pattaya police thank you for posting this and making their work more easy

You think they dont know ???? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ???? ???? 

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, Wongkitlo said:

I'm sure the police know and are happy to get back to collecting their payments and can't wait for all to open to make up lost revenue.  It is just when City Hall decide to have a crackdown they have to interrupt their business and go and make a presence. 

Just like some Thai landlords will have to lower rent, or lose a tenant, I wonder if the police will give a reduction in tea money, or face no tea money from an establishment?  ????

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, Silent Tiger said:

You think they dont know ???? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ???? ???? 

Yeah, they likely get quite a few calls in their own language, so poring over this forum is unnecessary..

[jacko45k]

Beer Garden opening 1st July... he gets both tourists and Expats, have to see if it is worthwhile. Myself, well if there is nowhere to go after eating and a few drinks there, will I bother?

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Beer Garden opening 1st July... he gets both tourists and Expats, have to see if it is worthwhile. Myself, well if there is nowhere to go after eating and a few drinks there, will I bother?

If he can get enough freelancers to go there it will do well, see how Treetown took off

[kinyara]

9 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If he can get enough freelancers to go there it will do well, see how Treetown took off

I think he might want to think about a temporary promotion on his prices if he wants to attract a significant number of beer guzzling residents until the selfie location seeking tourists return.  ????

[elgenon]

On 6/28/2020 at 12:48 AM, jacko45k said:

More go to Jomtiem, but some years ago they used the North end very much. No parking spaces part of the problem.

I personally would love to see more hot Thai girls in bikinis. But that's just me.

[kingofthemountain]

26 minutes ago, elgenon said:

I personally would love to see more hot Thai girls in bikinis. But that's just me.

It's not really in the local ''culture''

in public most of the thais are shy and modest

they still go in the sea with full clothes on (Jean+tshirt)

[elgenon]

I know but i can hope. same with Mexicans. Thais are modest all the time. Lovely. And non-confrontational. The bar girls learn to be otherwise.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

53 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

It's not really in the local ''culture''

in public most of the thais are shy and modest

they still go in the sea with full clothes on (Jean+tshirt)

which is odd when before 1941ish they all walked around topless, they were the days, according to the photos anyway

[Kerryd]

The good news is, Pattaya is still here. Despite the "doom and gloom" that some have predicted, the city is not a "ghost town" though it may have less traffic than normal (and way fewer tour buses thankfully) and it is probably a lot easier to get things done now (especially at Immigration).

The bars are allowed to open today and, slowly, the customers will start coming back (and according to that poster shown in a different thread, they can "come everyday !")

So we will surely but slowly descend into the chaos that it was like before and a year or two from now, people will barely remember what it was like during the "lockdown".

 

2 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

It's not really in the local ''culture''

in public most of the thais are shy and modest

they still go in the sea with full clothes on (Jean+tshirt)

That's part (current) "culture" and part "Oh my god don't let me get any sun or my skin will turn "black" and everyone will think I am of a lower social status than I want them to think".

Seriously. Ever seen how people will walk/park/stop in the shade even if it's short of where they should be (or want to be) ? Like those pics of people at a stoplight under an overpass, where the sun is at an angle and all the scooters are also at an angle that keeps them in the shade.

Or how people will ride their scooters with their jackets on backwards to keep the sun off their neck/chest/shoulders, least they get a little darker.
Or how some people that work outside will be wearing hats, gloves, long sleeved shirts and wool toques (balaclavas) in the heat of the day, just to try and avoid getting too "dark".

The girl I was seeing back in '98 was like that. On one trip she went with me everywhere. Elephant riding, river rafting, hiking to various temples. But then she stopped and told me she wanted to stay at the resort because she was "turning black". 
I didn't get it at first. When we got back to Pattaya her friends were all laughing at her and her "black skin". I never noticed the difference until I saw a "before" and "after" pic and saw that she was considerably "darker". Which wasn't an issue for me but was a pretty big deal for her.

And of course we know what the "skin whitening" market is like here. It almost seems like some people would rather buy the latest exotic "whitening" cream than food.

And it was just after 1938 when Thailand started trying to get women to start dressing more "Western" and stop walking around topless. It was actually the Japanese influence in the country that prompted the locals to start trying to get women to "cover up". The then Prime Minister (Phlaek Phibunsongkhram) was very anti-Chinese and pro-Japanese at the time. Supposedly the Japanese were aghast at the sight of Thai women walking around topless and that lead to the change.

"Thai Culture" poster that was brought out under the rule of PM Phlaek Phibunsongkhram:



It did take quite a few years before it caught on everywhere, as there are pics of topless Thai women dating back to 1941 (and probably later).

The "White Skin" craze is probably the result of a stronger Chinese influence though. Since ancient times in China, people of higher social classes (including royalty of course) didn't have to work in the sun all day like the common peasants. They could afford servants to hold umbrellas for them and rode in shaded conveyances instead of walking or riding on the back of a cow.
As a result, their skin naturally became a lighter shade - and the envy of the lower classes. An envy that carries on to this day in much of SE Asia. 

(Sorry for those of you who think they are trying to be more like "white westerners". Not even close. It's all about trying to appear to be in a higher social class than they really are.)

Kinda wish that Chinese influence would translate into more Chinese Food restaurants (real ones, not the "just like we make it in the UK" ones that seem to be the only ones around here). 
Better Dim Sum restaurants would be nice too. (I'm spoiled. I spent years in Vancouver where most of the Chinese restaurants have cooks who came directly from China and the ingredients are fresh and authentic, unlike other places where they use substitute or powdered ingredients.)
I order some stuff from "Chinese" restaurants here, like Beef in Black Bean Sauce or Lemon Chicken or Sweet and Sour pork and it was like I was ordering soups as they all arrived absolutely swimming in sauce - and tasted like <deleted>.

[VocalNeal]

5 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

"Thai Culture" poster that was brought out under the rule of PM Phlaek Phibunsongkhram:



 

Funny that many tourists still dress to resemble the left hand side of the image. 

[Kerryd]

5 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Funny that many tourists still dress to resemble the left hand side of the image. 

I was laughing when I was in the Immigration Lines coming back from Cambodia and saw all the "backpackers" wearing the colourful pants because they looked "hippy" and not even realizing that they only sold those in the "women's clothing" sections.

It is sad though how many foreigners (usually from Western countries) think that they should be allowed to dress in stained "wife beater" undershirts, dirty shorts and flip flops and go into any restaurant, shop or government office in the city like that because "Pattaya is a beach resort". (Or the sweaty ****s that walk around shirtless and go into malls and restaurants like that with the attitude that everyone should be grateful for their presence.)

The eatery in Foodland (Took Lae Dee) is like that quite often. Usually crowded enough that you can't avoid being brushed against by people, let alone some ***hat that thinks he so cool that no one should care if he rubs his sweaty body on them while they are trying to eat.

And then they rush to an internet forum to complain about the way they were treated when they went (wherever) because of course nothing is ever their fault.

Who knows, maybe in a few decades (when we are too old to enjoy it) the "culture" will shift and people will wander around topless again so they can "reconnect" with their heritage !
(Probably around 10 years or so after the Zombie Apocalypse when people start running out of clothes to wear and have no choice but to go "native" again !)

[mike787]

Do it!!   Come by its awesome.  best place on earth.

[Leaver]

On 7/1/2020 at 12:38 PM, Kerryd said:

Kinda wish that Chinese influence would translate into more Chinese Food restaurants (real ones, not the "just like we make it in the UK" ones that seem to be the only ones around here). 

Lengkee restaurant has good duck.  

[jacko45k]

On 7/3/2020 at 7:02 PM, Leaver said:

Lengkee restaurant has good duck.  

With a large bill?

[Don Mega]

On 7/1/2020 at 1:19 PM, Kerryd said:

Who knows, maybe in a few decades (when we are too old to enjoy it) the "culture" will shift and people will wander around topless again so they can "reconnect" with their heritage !
(Probably around 10 years or so after the Zombie Apocalypse when people start running out of clothes to wear and have no choice but to go "native" again !)

Its taken a while but ive managed to convince the misso to walk around at home  topless.

 

Reminds me, I need to buy her some breasts.

[newnative]

     It was encouraging last night to look out and see lots of lights on at nearby hotels I can see that have reopened: Mytt, A-01, Holiday Inn, Centre Point, Mercure, Dusit, Cape Dara, and some of the smaller hotels.  Central Festival was fairly busy when I was there yesterday and, at around 9:30 this morning as I type this, there's already a good number of people on the beach and more arriving.  Nice to see some life returning.  

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

With a large bill?

80 baht for duck and rice, very nice. Or buy the duck and rice separately and somehow it's 200+, marginally bigger maybe

[kingofthemountain]

5 hours ago, newnative said:

Central Festival was fairly busy when I was there yesterday and, at around 9:30 this morning as I type this, there's already a good number of people on the beach and more arriving.  Nice to see some life returning.  

Pretty normal as it's a long week end with the ''Buddha holiday''

and some people from Bangkok come here to enjoy a week end on the sea side.

Be prepared to see them returning to work in BKK after tomorrow and Pattaya

returning to be a very quiet city,

It could be even worse at the end of the month, with the end of the amnisty

and the departure of some thousands of tourists still here. Nobody is ready to

replace them yet and i don't see the ''travel bubbles''and others alternatives

solutions working before the end of the year

[Leaver]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

80 baht for duck and rice, very nice. Or buy the duck and rice separately and somehow it's 200+, marginally bigger maybe

I think you missed his joke.  Duck bill, not restaurant bill.  ????

 

I find their duck is good, and prices reasonable.