Those that have read my posts before know that I am no fan of Pattaya, as it is now and that is a understatement.  I once liked the place very much, but not anymore. However, today, Mrs P and I decided to brave it, drive into the City and go to Central Plaza, shop at TOPS and have a coffee or two. It was almost a pleasure.  Traffic was very light, even down Beach Road, beaches were mainly clear and clean , as much as we could tell, parking easy and the Mall was a pleasure to walk around.  Numbers of people was at a minimum, no tourists that I could see and the coffee shop has just couple of people there.  I know that this time not good for the businesses that depend on large numbers of visitors,  but it was a very pleasant day and a pleasant change from 'normal times'.  It will no doubt soon be back to its old self, polluted, too much traffic thousands of coaches blocking the roads and the place inundated with Chinese and Indian tourists and we will then stay clear, but it is nice while it is lasting.   

So, you are the only foreigner allowed to visit Pattaya, while others should stay clear?

 

A bit selfish. No?

 

And what was so wrong with Pattaya before except that it was a tourist trap, 10 times less worse than say.... Phuket? 

 

Patterz in the best. 

Depends on what one likes, I'll bet there are quite a few sex tourists in mourning.

14 minutes ago, Pravda said:

So, you are the only foreigner allowed to visit Pattaya, while others should stay clear?

 

A bit selfish. No?

 

And what was so wrong with Pattaya before except that it was a tourist trap, 10 times less worse than say.... Phuket? 

 

Patterz in the best. 

None of that makes any sense to me. 

14 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Depends on what one likes, I'll bet there are quite a few sex tourists in mourning.

And in the afternoons too!

15 hours ago, Pilotman said:

pleasant

????

 

9 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

And in the afternoons too!

I think they come out in the evening to mourn.

15 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

 

Patterz in the best. 

 

 

 

Depends how low your expectations are.

 

 

I would NEVER say Pattaya is the best................ of anything. 

 

 

 

However, Pattaya is all things to all men and I shall no doubt visit in the next few days and enjoy the parts that I enjoy. That won't include malls, or Beach Road, but I agree with the OP that getting around (and life in general) is much more pleasant without hordes of Chinese and their bl00dy tour buses.

It really is a pleasant place to be at the moment.

 

Makes me laugh at the people crying in past threads claiming that iam just trolling when I've said this.

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Depends on what one likes, I'll bet there are quite a few sex tourists in mourning.

Plenty of offerings available morning noon and night for those seeking out that past time.

A reduced number of people ( visitors ) improves the quality of life . Not only in Pattaya ...

Our family visited Pattaya a few weeks ago, just after they opened, it was a pleasure. We hadn't been there for a long time. Went to terminal 21, had a good breakfast at foodland, shopped at Tops. Took a drive along beach road, through walking street and up the hill past the Royal Cliff complex, no traffic, no Chinese parachuters buses, all empty.

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I once liked the place very much, but not anymore.

Same here.

 

Twenty years ago, I was addicted to Pattaya, then it changed, not because of the Chinese, but because of the Russians (the Chinese came much later) who brought their families, a first, and were ready to pay anything for everything, also a first.

 

From then on, around 2005, it all went downhill...

I live in Pattaya and I for one don't think it's better as a ghost town! As i tend to walk to most places it was a joy to wander into a bar for a refreshing beer (one of the reasons I walk.)

If you want to drive to a dead zone I suggest you go to the wife's village where you can sit on your own all day every day.

Leave us who may be getting on a bit (71) but still have a bit of life in us alone.

2 minutes ago, rocketdave said:

I live in Pattaya and I for one do think it's better as a ghost town! As i tend to walk to most places it was a joy to wander into a bar for a refreshing beer (one of the reasons I walk.)

If you want to drive to a dead zone I suggest you go to the wife's village where you can sit on your own all day every day.

Leave us who may be getting on a bit (71) but still have a bit of life in us alone.

so, let me get this right, you like the Ghost Town as you put it, but then you seem not to do so?  And mate, if you think living a life at 71 is just being in Pattaya, that is about the saddest thing I've read for quite a while. 

I am glad you enjoyed it. People of every race is the heartbeat of Pattaya. Without them there is no soul. I do not like it the way it is at the moment, thats why I am going back to the UK, with all its problems, for hopefully only 4 months. If I cant return when I want I will just have to wait. I love Pattaya but not the way it is at the moment, sorry.

9 minutes ago, jimn said:

I am glad you enjoyed it. People of every race is the heartbeat of Pattaya. Without them there is no soul. I do not like it the way it is at the moment, thats why I am going back to the UK, with all its problems, for hopefully only 4 months. If I cant return when I want I will just have to wait. I love Pattaya but not the way it is at the moment, sorry.

if its normal life is a 'soul' then it's a mighty dark one. That 'soul' had been sold to the devil. 

So what was your purpose in going to Pattaya? And why there as opposed to anywhere else?

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

None of that makes any sense to me. 

Read it again and you might understand. It makes sense to me. 

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I think they come out in the evening to mourn.

i think the right description would be they are looking for some  moaning

I guess that you live in BKK and find yourself smart, right ?

5555

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

so, let me get this right, you like the Ghost Town as you put it, but then you seem not to do so?  And mate, if you think living a life at 71 is just being in Pattaya, that is about the saddest thing I've read for quite a while. 

     I don't think he used the word 'just' in his post.  Putting 'just' in changes his meaning quite a bit.  He seems to be enjoying his retirement life in Pattaya, as am I.   I don't see anything sad in that at all.  Sad, for me, would be stuck in some cold climate country where I would be hibernating indoors 3 or more months of the year and likely counting my pennies.   Instead, I have nice weather year-round and can be active outdoors every day--as the poster mentioned.  Pattaya, itself, has everything I like and want in a place where I choose to live, at less cost.   I don't see how living in Pattaya would be any sadder than you living somewhere outside of Pattaya.  You are, apparently, happy where you are living and that's great--I would never post how sad it must be for you to live where you are.  In turn, please don't judge those of us who prefer a more urban life.

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

So what was your purpose in going to Pattaya? And why there as opposed to anywhere else?

If your post is referring to me, see my original post. 

36 minutes ago, newnative said:

     I don't think he used the word 'just' in his post.  Putting 'just' in changes his meaning quite a bit.  He seems to be enjoying his retirement life in Pattaya, as am I.   I don't see anything sad in that at all.  Sad, for me, would be stuck in some cold climate country where I would be hibernating indoors 3 or more months of the year and likely counting my pennies.   Instead, I have nice weather year-round and can be active outdoors every day--as the poster mentioned.  Pattaya, itself, has everything I like and want in a place where I choose to live, at less cost.   I don't see how living in Pattaya would be any sadder than you living somewhere outside of Pattaya.  You are, apparently, happy where you are living and that's great--I would never post how sad it must be for you to live where you are.  In turn, please don't judge those of us who prefer a more urban life.

if what makes you happy is to live in a normally over populated, stinking, crime ridden polluted City, cram full of ignorant tourists, with terrible traffic problems, a normally trash filled beach and a sewage filled sea, with a scam around every corner, then I am happy for you. 

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

so, let me get this right, you like the Ghost Town as you put it, but then you seem not to do so?  And mate, if you think living a life at 71 is just being in Pattaya, that is about the saddest thing I've read for quite a while. 

I would say dying at 71 would be much sadder, and if that occured after a long spell of loneliness, even sadder. It is quite fantastic that Pattaya can offer real enjoyment to men in their autumn years. You can be in a lot of loneliness in a UK City, or Nakhon Nowhere. In Pattaya, I see many very happy older men.

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

if its normal life is a 'soul' then it's a mighty dark one. That 'soul' had been sold to the devil. 

The devil is not in "the market" for any more black souls at this time, shop is full of those who are furthering the CV19 "agenda" for personal gain! ????

6 hours ago, Don Mega said:

It really is a pleasant place to be at the moment.

 

Makes me laugh at the people crying in past threads claiming that iam just trolling when I've said this.

Just that it seems odd to choose to live in a place that owes it's existence to tourism and complain about the tourists. 

3 minutes ago, rott said:

Just that it seems odd to choose to live in a place that owes it's existence to tourism and complain about the tourists. 

I was here first!

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I would say dying at 71 would be much sadder, and if that occured after a long spell of loneliness, even sadder. It is quite fantastic that Pattaya can offer real enjoyment to men in their autumn years. You can be in a lot of loneliness in a UK City, or Nakhon Nowhere. In Pattaya, I see many very happy older men.

Seriously,. and I am being serious now, Yes, I understand what you are saying,  but most of the old men I see around Pattaya look miserable, often bored and lonely.  Take a stroll along those bars on the beach end of Soi 6, I have never seen so many miserable faces as you can see there in the day time. Yesterday, sitting  in the coffee shop, even Mrs P remarked that the two other tables, occupied by single older men, that they looked  bored and unhappy.  Not usual for her to notice such things, never mind remark on them. Sometimes, when I see such people, I feel incredibly sad for them. Maybe I am just reading too much into the expressions of people I don't know?  

23 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

if what makes you happy is to live in a normally over populated, stinking, crime ridden polluted City, cram full of ignorant tourists, with terrible traffic problems, a normally trash filled beach and a sewage filled sea, with a scam around every corner, then I am happy for you. 

Not too heavily populated. 

Might smell in parts but generally not stinking. 

Not crime ridden, pretty safe. 

Many places have traffic problems. 

Very rarely go to the beach. 

Scam on every corner? News to me. 

Your point is???