It's Getting Worse...More Shops Closing Down

[Pattaya Spotter]

It's really amazing how central Pattaya and the Darkside, while a part if the same urban area are such different places. Being a Darksider, I don't spend as little time as I can in the "city," mainly just coming over occasionally to a favorite resto, doing computer/electronics shopping, or visiting Central Beach Mall. Once or twice a month I'll also come over for a bar crawl. 

 

If I never came over to Pattaya City I'd hardly know there was a pandemic about or that Chinese visitors are no longer in town. More or less all business are open on the Darkside. However, it is gloomier by the week in the city. On my last pass through a couple weeks ago, I'd estimate 50-60% of the businesses along the main arterials were closed. On a drive down Second Road tonite, from the base of Pratumnak Hill to North Pattaya Road, at least 70-80% of the businesses are shut down. Central Beach was empty at 7 p.m. How many will re-open when this is all over who can say. Vast swaths of town are closed...how much more can Pattaya take?

[FarFlungFalang]

20 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

.how much more can Pattaya take?

By your estimates Pattaya could take another 20-30% before reaching 100% closure. 

[sezze]

No tourists , so yes it will get worse . As long as no tourists allowed and/or vaccines are widespread available , do not expect it to change . My guess , at least 1y more ...

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, sezze said:

No tourists , so yes it will get worse . As long as no tourists allowed and/or vaccines are widespread available , do not expect it to change . My guess , at least 1y more ...

TAT: TVF has always refused to acknowledge the existence of domestic tourism and obviously still does. Do not expect it change. Actually, though, things are vastly better than during the lockdown and, as adjustments continue, aren't overall appreciably worse than a mere 2 weeks ago. Weekends and holidays are best for the reason that can't exist, so that's indeed puzzling. But the big news is the Thai gov't is considering measures to loosen the fat purse strings of the remaining Big Spenders, those real economic engines of Thailand:

 

 

Now if this happens we can expect many more businesses to open. 

Edited September 1, 2020 by BigStar

[Poet]

9 minutes ago, BigStar said:

TAT: TVF has always refused to acknowledge the existence of domestic tourism and obviously still does. Do not expect it change.

In the context of businesses being able to remain open, he clearly meant "no tourists with money".

Domestic tourists clearly have different tastes and levels of expenditure. Businesses that have evolved over many years to appeal to foreign tastes do not do so well with Thai tourists.

[warcy]

As long as the government fellows still get their salaries paid every month to their bank accounts, this situation of business closing is ignored.

 

After all, the domestic tourism can prop them up, implies the government.

Edited September 1, 2020 by warcy

[BigStar]

14 minutes ago, Poet said:

In the context of businesses being able to remain open, he clearly meant "no tourists with money".

Yup. That's the reason that Thais can't be tourists: we don't allow that any Thais have money.

 

14 minutes ago, Poet said:

Domestic tourists clearly have different tastes and levels of expenditure. Businesses that have evolved over many years to appeal to foreign tastes do not do so well with Thai tourists.

Yup. Businesses that have evolved over many years, or fewer, to appeal to Thai tastes, or to foreign as well as Thai, do well with Thai tourists and some foreigners still here for whatever reason.

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by BigStar

[Poet]

9 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Yup. That's the reason that Thais can't be tourists: we don't allow that any Thais have money.

No. We acknowledge that Thais have money but generally have better things to spend it on.

For example, Thai families will often go to more expensive restaurants but of a different type. They would consider most of the restaurants in the tourist areas of Pattaya to offer extremely poor quality for the prices charged.
 

 

9 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Yup. Businesses that have evolved over many years, or fewer, to appeal to Thai tastes, or foreign as well as Thai, do well with Thai tourists.

Now you're getting it!

This thread is about the irreperable damage being done to a certain category of businesses, catering to certain categories of customer, and which tend to cluster in certain areas, and which primarily serve the needs of the members of this forum.

Your attempt to pretend that this legitimate observation is some sort of biased refusal to acknowledge a completely different category of customer is irrelevant and inappropriate. I get so tired of these fragile egos who turn everything into an opportunity to signal their virtue.

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by Poet

[BigStar]

9 minutes ago, warcy said:

As long as the government fellows still get their salaries paid every month to their bank accounts, this situation of business closing is ignored.

No. They weekly come out with a new scheme for opening up the country.

 

11 minutes ago, warcy said:

After all, the domestic tourism can prop them up, implies the government.

Seems generally helpful, actually. You may be confusing spending with revenue generated, a common mistake here.

[BigStar]

41 minutes ago, Poet said:

No. We acknowledge that Thais have money but generally have better things to spend it on.

For example, Thai families will often go to more expensive restaurants but of a different type. They would consider most of the restaurants in the tourist areas of Pattaya to offer extremely poor quality for the prices charged.

No, TAT: TVF says that Thais only spend on som tam and Sangsom and don't stay in hotels & condos. However, if domestic tourists did actually exist, they'd be found, for example, to spend in a full range of Thai & Thai-foreign restos, very much including those in the tourist areas of Pattaya, some which have a high concentration of such. Perhaps OP can't see any of those because Thais are in them. This is commonly the case with shopping malls, where no shoppers have ever been seen.

 

41 minutes ago, Poet said:

This thread is about the irreperable damage being done to a certain category of businesses, catering to a certain category of customers, and which tend to cluster in certain areas, and which primarily serve the needs of the members of this forum.

It isn't as written, but to those who don't acknowledge domestic tourism, it of course must seem so. The businesses throughout Pattaya, and notably those in Central (which the OP specifically mentions), serve the wants and needs of all people, not just members of this forum.

 

41 minutes ago, Poet said:

Your attempt to pretend that this legitimate observation is some sort of biased refusal to acknowledge a completely different category of customer is irrelevant and inappropriate.

Limiting the "category of customer" only to TVF members is simply your own irrelevant and inappropriate restriction, not the OP's, and my observation that about as many businesses are open as 2 weeks ago, with many doing better on weekends and holidays, is a legitimate observation, though puzzling.

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by BigStar

[scubascuba3]

the 500 baht for expats should save the day.

 

Most expats living in central Pattaya are enjoying it, quieter, prices coming down. Yes Thais are abandoning Pattaya, but they'll be back

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Poet said:

No. We acknowledge that Thais have money but generally have better things to spend it on.

For example, Thai families will often go to more expensive restaurants but of a different type. They would consider most of the restaurants in the tourist areas of Pattaya to offer extremely poor quality for the prices charged.
 

 

Now you're getting it!

This thread is about the irreperable damage being done to a certain category of businesses, catering to certain categories of customer, and which tend to cluster in certain areas, and which primarily serve the needs of the members of this forum.

Your attempt to pretend that this legitimate observation is some sort of biased refusal to acknowledge a completely different category of customer is irrelevant and inappropriate. I get so tired of these fragile egos who turn everything into an opportunity to signal their virtue.

 

While it's tragic for those that put their life into businesses that cater exclusively for farang tourists, nature always punishes those that are oblivious to threats to a certain way of life.

Pattaya ( for the farang tourists ) was going to fail anyway IMO, so corona just hurried it up.

The Pattaya that attracted me and others of my ilk was a cheap and cheerful place that was rightly referred to as "fun city". What it had become, IMO, before corona was a fun devoid, congested, shambles and sanuk had left the building.

IMO the blame can be laid at the feet of the city council that sought to convert fun city into some sort of Riviera on Pattaya Bay, but stuffed up everything they touched. The result was a dump on a polluted bay, which was fun for no one.

 

Soooooo, whether it happened in a few years, or now, IMO those businesses that can't convert to the new reality were going to fail anyway.

Pattaya was already popular with Bangkokians on weekends, and I don't see that changing, but I don't see a return to "fun" city under the present city administration.

If they had a clue they would change the business model to accommodating farang retirees with policies that encouraged, rather than discouraged long stay farangs. That might save a few bars too.

Unfortunately the jury is out as to whether they have a clue or not.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

No, TAT: TVF says that Thais only spend on som tam and Sangsom and don't stay in hotels & condos. However, if domestic tourists did actually exist, they'd be found, for example, to spend in a full range of Thai & Thai-foreign restos, very much including those in the tourist areas of Pattaya, some which have a high concentration of such. Perhaps OP can't see any of those because Thais are in them. This is commonly the case with shopping malls, where no shoppers have ever been seen.

 

It isn't as written, but to those who don't acknowledge domestic tourism, it of course must seem so. The businesses throughout Pattaya, and notably those in Central (which the OP specifically mentions), serve the wants and needs of all people, not just members of this forum.

 

Limiting the "category of customer" only to TVF members is simply your own irrelevant and inappropriate restriction, not the OP's, and my observation that about as many businesses are open as 2 weeks ago, with many doing better on weekends and holidays, is a legitimate observation, though puzzling.

 

It's great to see you back on form. Your posts are always entertaining and I missed you while you were away.

[polpott]

7 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Once or twice a month I'll also come over for a bar crawl. 

I do my bar crawls on the Darkside. Better, livelier bars over here. Still 2 or 3 decent restaurants in Central Pattaya but no other reason to visit.

[scubascuba3]

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

The Pattaya that attracted me and others of my ilk was a cheap and cheerful place that was rightly referred to as "fun city". What it had become, IMO, before corona was a fun devoid, congested, shambles and sanuk had left the building.

Pattaya for the expat is the best it's been for years, a pity those out the country can't enjoy it

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Pattaya for the expat is the best it's been for years, a pity those out the country can't enjoy it

I forgot to post that I wish I was there. The photos of deserted streets are wonderful for those that hated  ( and I mean HATED ) Pattaya traffic. Tragic for those losing life savings, but wonderful for any of us that like a bit of peace and quiet.

It's an ill wind and all that.

[RichardColeman]

being stuck outside of thailand currently in the uk, it is hard to comment on business closures. what i can say though from my wife is that in the estate where we live in pattaya, whilst the normal for rent/sale houses numbered about 5 usually in 400, this is now closer to 30. And no-one is coming to rent them even with prices dropping, as for sales, people move in one day assuming the bank will say yes, only to disappear a day later when the banks say no

[jacko45k]

Yes it is a slow rotting of the City now. Coincidentally, I noticed yesterday on Soi Buakhao that a small restuarant had given up and closed, not making enough to cover the rent. Also talking to a guy with 2 shops telling me he would likely close one of them and amalgamate, the reason being one owner would not give him a break on the rent, obviously that would be the one to be closed. So next step is landlords making little money, but first killing off the businesses due to their own intransigence.

[kinyara]

I agree it's getting worse by the week in Central Pattaya purely looking at the number of people around who would translate into custom for businesses. Whilst I enjoy the more pleasant less congested environment it is a little depressing seeing so many businesses shuttered up and places that are open pretty much devoid of customers. 

 

Sundown when the joggers etc hit beach road is the nicest time when a bit of life returns to the place, but it doesn't translate into much business for central outlets. 

 

They'll hopefully be a bit more than average here this long weekend for a mini boost but it's not going to change the downward trend at the moment in my view. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

Just as an example, I sat in a bar in Soi Made In Thailand for an hour between 8-9 p.m., and MAYBE there were 50-75 customers sitting at the bars or wandered through. At least half the bars were shuttered. 

 

Being a full-timer, I appreciate the drop in traffic and crowds as much as anyone, but it's too the point where it's eerie and there is a lot of undeserved pain out there.

[bert bloggs]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

being stuck outside of thailand currently in the uk, it is hard to comment on business closures. what i can say though from my wife is that in the estate where we live in pattaya, whilst the normal for rent/sale houses numbered about 5 usually in 400, this is now closer to 30. And no-one is coming to rent them even with prices dropping, as for sales, people move in one day assuming the bank will say yes, only to disappear a day later when the banks say no

I also have noticed that there are far more for rent and sale boards ,on older properties when we are out ,as my wife looks after quite a few  ,but was talking to our sons girlfriend who is an agent on new estates, business is very good ,no change due to covid she reckons . in fact she is very busy.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Starbucks at Beach Road and Yamato closed...

McDonald's Beach and Post Office closed...

McDonald's near Walking Street closed...

OMG...a closed 7-Eleven Beach and Pattayaland

Alt Heidelberg near Walking Street still plugging along!

 

Some photos from a recent walk along Beach Road around sunset.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Pattaya Spotter

[petermik]

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Pattaya for the expat is the best it's been for years, a pity those out the country can't enjoy it

Keep them out I say....that,s why Patts is so good now,selfish attitude I know but it,s the truth

[Peterw42]

12 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Starbucks at Beach Road and Yamato closed...

McDonald's Beach and Post Office closed...

McDonald's near Walking Street closed...

OMG...a closed 7-Eleven Beach and Pattayaland

Alt Heidelberg near Walking Street still plugging along!

 

Some photos from a recent walk along Beach Road around sunset.

Things are really bad if starbucks is shut twice, lol

[Matzzon]

It´s never a question if it will open up again after the pandemic. It´s only a question of how long time it will take.

There are two different scenarios:

1. The previous owners will start up again.

2. New owner will buy it and start it up.

 

It´s very easy to understand. Even when it was overloaded with open businesses, restaurant and bars it was always another idiot that believed the best investment in Thailand was to open a bar in Pattaya. ????????????

[petermik]

8 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Just as an example, I sat in a bar in Soi Made In Thailand for an hour between 8-9 p.m., and MAYBE there were 50-75 customers sitting at the bars or wandered through. At least half the bars were shuttered. 

 

Being a full-timer, I appreciate the drop in traffic and crowds as much as anyone, but it's too the point where it's eerie and there is a lot of undeserved pain out there.

I,ve been coming (now living) for 13 years and never once have I been attracted to this bar complex...if they had that number of customers they are doing well....New Plaza has died,LK and Buakhow are pretty busy but after the 26th what will happen no one knows

As an aside I,ve been down to Ao Nang Krabi a couple of times lately....now that place is really dead.

[polpott]

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

There are two different scenarios:

1. The previous owners will start up again.

2. New owner will buy it and start it up.

3. Western tourists never return in appreciable numbers.

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 minute ago, petermik said:

I,ve been coming (now living) for 13 years and never once have I been attracted to this bar complex...if they had that number of customers they are doing well....New Plaza has died,LK and Buakhow are pretty busy but after the 26th what will happen no one knows

As an aside I,ve been down to Ao Nang Krabi a couple of times lately....now that place is really dead.

As I said...it's just an example...not an opinion if it's a good bar complex or not. In "normal times," the place would be crowded with punters. I'm sure Krabi is even deader...the Holiday Inn in Ao Nang has been closed for months...my understanding is they plan to re-open October 1st.

[Pattaya Spotter]

3 minutes ago, polpott said:

3. Western tourists never return in appreciable numbers.

I have no doubt that tourists will return and businesses will re-open once the pandemic is truly in the rear-view mirror. When that is is still a guess...at least 2-3 years is my best guess (for full on normality) but it does nothing to mitigate the business and personal losses taking place right now and in the interim.

[AlfHuy]

I have been out with a friend last Saturday.

First we went to a few bars around Phrom Pong and they were almost empty.

Later he took me to Patong (never been there before/honest). This place was completely empty too.