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

[Pattaya Spotter]

14 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Things are really bad if starbucks is shut twice, lol

For some reason, I couldn't edit out the double SB photo...it stayed in despite my best efforts to delete it. A ghost in the TV server!

[polpott]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I have no doubt that tourists will return and businesses will re-open once the pandemic is truly in the rear-view mirror.

I wish I shared your optimism.

[Peterw42]

Its certainly a sad situation in some parts but you can also find areas were its business as usual, maybe even a bit busier than pre-covid.

The for sale signs in soi sexpat has never been an indicator of the broader Thai economy.

 

My local area in Jomtien, yes the place that was selling 300 baht hamburgers to tourists has shutdown, but the local Thai restaurant is business as usual. The local mom and pop hardware doing ok with a sign out for staff wanted. The local wet market looks as busy as its always been.

[Pattaya Spotter]

7 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Its certainly a sad situation in some parts but you can also find areas were its business as usual, maybe even a bit busier than pre-covid.

The for sale signs in soi sexpat has never been an indicator of the broader Thai economy.

 

My local area in Jomtien, yes the place that was selling 300 baht hamburgers to tourists has shutdown, but the local Thai restaurant is business as usual. The local mom and pop hardware doing ok with a sign out for staff wanted. The local wet market looks as busy as its always been.

My op noted, as you too report, that non-tourist areas are basically normal, like my home on the Darkside. This doesn't do anything for all those employed and invested in the tourist areas. As Pattaya is a tourism town, central Pattaya is the main economic engine of the area, and one wonders if soon there will be spillover effects in other areas.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Pattaya Spotter

[sungod]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

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

Traffic on the dark side is horrendous, you should move to the city for the quiet life ????

[BigStar]

1 hour 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.

 

The closed businesses above have never reopened since the lockdown. They were exactly the same 2 weeks ago. Speaking of Pattayaland, I noticed yesterday (again) that the Shamrock bar is open and made a mental note to stop by for a beer sometime for old times' sake.

[BigStar]

5 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 do think the number of rent/sale signs has increased just recently around Pattaya. Lemme preempt our doomsters: it's going to get worse and worse. Sure might, but we'll see.

[Maha Sarakham]

You know, I'm all for peace and quiet as much as the next guy, but at what point does Pattaya stop being a fun destination?  The beach isn't anything special and I can't really think of any other redeeming values if all these shops, restaurants, and bars start closing in large numbers and the girls get fed up with no customers and go back home to Isaan.

 

What's left that's appealing?  Honest question... seems like there are countless better places to live in Thailand if Pattaya loses its original appeal and luster.

[geriatrickid]

10 hours 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.

 

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

ok. And what do those people do with their vast amounts of money?  Change it into coins and play in the piles like Scrooge McDuck?  Thais are spending their money.

 

Yes, i understand that a vacation based  city is having problems. What did people expect when the principal reason for  its existence was one principal industry?     Yes, some retail outlets are  hit, but are these quality retailers?

Look at who is closing: Usually a small dirty stall that sells the same  items as a dozen dirty little stalls all within spitting distance. They were marginal operations. Yes some fastfood retail outlets have closed.  They were traffic driven and there is no traffic now.  Their outlets in other  regions are doing just fine.   Retailers like Homepro and Tesco are doing just fine. Uniqlo, H&M are still chugging along.  And underpinning all this is the continued growth of online sales. The days of small shops selling  similar products are coming to an end, Online retailers are  taking their customers.  Delivery firms are  taking away the need to visit a food outlet.

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by geriatrickid

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

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.

Some of these businesses will merely reopen elsewhere, a point often ignored. I know of case similar to the above. The Indian Thai landlord refused to lower the rent, so the business simply moved 2 doors where the landlord charged reasonably for the times. The old location is now vacant. In another case of a long-standing very successful business, the owners had a talk w/ the landlord and won immediate relief. They then also changed the opening hours, cut back on staff (regrettable but necessary), and are currently doing well enough.

[Guderian]

Not a single one of the shops and supermarkets I use regularly has closed down, in fact I've been pleasantly surprised that the availability of farang-oriented food in Pattaya (like top-quality imported steak and fresh bread) has not declined at all since the start of the pandemic, other than in the Central Food Hall/Tops perhaps. Friendship, Foodmart and Siamburi's are at least as busy as they were a year ago. The Big-C's and Tesco's are missing the Russian toursits buying cheap, decent-quality clothes, but not much else. The only shop I'm missing is Findig for decent quality footwear, but there are several alternatives so it's not really a problem. I'd guess that most of the closed businesses the OP is referring to on Second Road are completely tourist-dependent; tourist souvenir and gift shops, cheap tee-shirt and clothes places, and Indian bars and restaurants and the like. When the tourists eventually return (not for a while yet, please!) the tourist places will reopen, but in the meantime enjoy la Pattaya profonde, lol.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Guderian

[steven100]

1 hour ago, AlfHuy said:

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.

I believe you mean Patpong ....  it's been dead for ages.  

[Susco]

8 minutes ago, Guderian said:

in fact I've been pleasantly surprised that the availability of farang-oriented food in Pattaya (like top-quality imported steak and fresh bread) has not declined at all since the start of the pandemic

In Big C extra, farang oriented ready made food is almost non- existent since about a month.

 

I used to shop at Big C extra almost daily, now I go there once a week, and still wonder why I even bother.

 

The imported farang food I believe is mostly products ordered months ago, but I have such a feeling that it will disappear also soon

[Pattaya Spotter]

21 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

You know, I'm all for peace and quiet as much as the next guy, but at what point does Pattaya stop being a fun destination?  The beach isn't anything special and I can't really think of any other redeeming values if all these shops, restaurants, and bars start closing in large numbers and the girls get fed up with no customers and go back home to Isaan.

 

What's left that's appealing?  Honest question... seems like there are countless better places to live in Thailand if Pattaya loses its original appeal and luster.

Actually Pattaya is a very nice place to live with or w/o the bar scene. Many, such as myself, choose to live outside the central city area and rarely have occasion to go there (but the attractions and services available in a larger city are nice to have on occasion).

[RoadWarrior371]

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Actually Pattaya is a very nice place to live with or w/o the bar scene. Many, such as myself, choose to live outside the central city area and rarely have occasion to go there (but the attractions and services available in a larger city are nice to have on occasion).

Spot on.  Pattaya is a huge area that covers about 15+ miles of shoreline, and extends inland by the same.  Some never leave the 4 square blocks around the Hungry Hippo. ????

[Pattaya Spotter]

20 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Some of these businesses will merely reopen elsewhere, a point often ignored. I know of case similar to the above. The Indian Thai landlord refused to lower the rent, so the business simply moved 2 doors where the landlord charged reasonably for the times. The old location is now vacant. In another case of a long-standing very successful business, the owners had a talk w/ the landlord and won immediate relief. They then also changed the opening hours, cut back on staff (regrettable but necessary), and are currently doing well enough.

And good for businesses that are able to adapt...but it doesn't change the fact that 70-80% of the businesses along the main arterials of Beach and Second Road are closed. Sure they depended on foreign tourists and they havent been here for 7 months but doesn't make the situation any better. Just commenting on these unprecedented times.

[mike787]

Shops don't matter...bars and beer take preceendence.

[polpott]

13 minutes ago, Susco said:

In Big C extra, farang oriented ready made food is almost non- existent since about a month.

 

I used to shop at Big C extra almost daily, now I go there once a week, and still wonder why I even bother.

 

The imported farang food I believe is mostly products ordered months ago, but I have such a feeling that it will disappear also soon

How many tourists shopped in Big C Extra? The expats are still here and shopping in Big C. I have noticed no difference.

[polpott]

4 minutes ago, mike787 said:

Shops don't matter...bars and beer take preceendence.

Birds, bars and beer. Get your priorities right.

[Pattaya Spotter]

3 minutes ago, polpott said:

How many tourists shopped in Big C Extra? The expats are still here and shopping in Big C. I have noticed no difference.

Last time I was there, I noticed expanded farang good offerings...like ready made sandwiches and hot pizza slices. The fresh bread bakery selection is as good as ever.

[kinyara]

I don't think anyone is/was expecting Central Pattaya supermarkets or global/local chains in T21 or Central to close, we'd have to be in real trouble if that started to happen. The reduced activity in those malls is to be expected, I've no doubt tourist spend was a significant part of their business model whether it's shop purchases or the couple of floors that are eatery orientated. That's why they were built in the first place. They are most able to weather the storm. 

[newnative]

1 hour ago, Maha Sarakham said:

You know, I'm all for peace and quiet as much as the next guy, but at what point does Pattaya stop being a fun destination?  The beach isn't anything special and I can't really think of any other redeeming values if all these shops, restaurants, and bars start closing in large numbers and the girls get fed up with no customers and go back home to Isaan.

 

What's left that's appealing?  Honest question... seems like there are countless better places to live in Thailand if Pattaya loses its original appeal and luster.

     Pattaya Beach is actually quite nice now.  Besides that, you ask what's left that is appealing.  For my partner and I, as year-round residents, some of the things appealing to us are: wide variety of housing choices, both in homes and condos, in a number of different neighborhoods, each with its own character; good health care at a reasonable cost with a number of hospital choices; lots of great restaurants as we like to eat out (as others have mentioned, none that we frequent has closed); we love the ocean views from our condo and the beach community vibe; good year-round weather;  wide variety of shopping choices for all our needs; large international airport and a major city only 2 hours away; Pattaya, for us, is not too large and not too small; movie theaters in English; and a nice group of expat friends that we have met that also live here.   Pattaya suits us well.  

[BigStar]

4 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

And good for businesses that are able to adapt...but it doesn't change the fact that 70-80% of the businesses along the main arterials of Beach and Second Road are closed. Sure they depended on foreign tourists and they havent been here for 7 months but doesn't make the situation any better. Just commenting on these unprecedented times.

Which is better than 100% and about the same as 2 weeks ago, no matter the exact percentage--which is anyone's guess, but it's quite high, certainly. Sadly. Who doesn't know that? Now the ABSOLUTE FINAL DEATH BY VIRUS of Pattaya was promptly trumpeted at the beginning the pandemic. Some businesses were already closed, BTW--everything has been closing down since 2010--and we've had an active death watch thread running since last August.

 

Yes, yes, the pandemic has indeed taken a heavy toll, much as it has worldwide esp in areas depending on international tourism. Nobody knows the future but everyone has an opinion to express--repeatedly.

 

What does unquestionably and obviously make the situation better is when businesses are able to adapt and stay open or find ways to open. What if I dared say there's gon' be more of that? OMG. The current Spaniard in the works for the exclusively farang-oriented businesses is the Sept 27 deadline. We'll see if that holds or gets worked around.

[BigStar]

51 minutes ago, polpott said:

Birds, bars and beer. Get your priorities right.

Bashing. Haven't we all been missing that? Must be down 70-80%.

[spidermike007]

On the darkside, as you state, there are alot of expats who continue to support their local establishments, and it might not be a boon city, but it is enough for them to remain in business. Elsewhere, the nation is hurting. Some places seem to be thriving, while most are just hanging on. Spending is way, way down. Income is way, way down. Government assistance and creative programs to help the lower income majority, is virtually non existent. So, where is all of this going to lead when they cannot even agree to let ANY and ALL foreigners in, who are willing to pay for, and subject themselves to quarantine? Such timidity and a stunning lack of courage on the part of the administration. So weak. So incompetent. My heart goes out to the average Thai. 

[polpott]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

On the darkside, as you state, there are alot of expats who continue to support their local establishments, and it might not be a boon city, but it is enough for them to remain in business. Elsewhere, the nation is hurting. Some places seem to be thriving, while most are just hanging on. Spending is way, way down. Income is way, way down. Government assistance and creative programs to help the lower income majority, is virtually non existent. So, where is all of this going to lead when they cannot even agree to let ANY and ALL foreigners in, who are willing to pay for, and subject themselves to quarantine? Such timidity and a stunning lack of courage on the part of the administration. So weak. So incompetent. My heart goes out to the average Thai. 

They are increasing the eligibility for foreigners to enter Thailand in a controlled and manageable way.

 

Its an imposition for me but I'm happy to be living in a Covid free country.

 

Patience is a virtue.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Susco said:

In Big C extra, farang oriented ready made food is almost non- existent since about a month.

I was shopping there recently, it seemed normal, plenty of pies and baked stuff. I buy steaks there which are farang foodstuffs... they even have whole rows of shelves dedicated to imported footstuffs. Are you talking of something more specific?

Edited September 2, 2020 by jacko45k

[Susco]

50 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I was shopping there recently, it seemed normal, plenty of pies and baked stuff. I buy steaks there which are farang foodstuffs... they even have whole rows of shelves dedicated to imported footstuffs. Are you talking of something more specific?

Yes not everyone is British and is interested in pies.

 

In the same fridge you would have daily made Vol au vent - lasagne - 3 types of mashed potatoes - stuffed tomatoes and aubergines, and a few other dishes I don't recall as I didn't buy them frequently.  It is all gone indefinitely.

 

The baked potatoes are also hit or miss together with a few other foreign oriented dishes.

 

It are all dishes, made by Big C, in contrary to the pies that are provided by third parties

 

The booth next to the fridge where the pies are, and which also caters to foreigners as well as the middle class Thai, has increased the prices of their products by 30 - 40% over the last 3 weeks.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Susco

[JusticeGB]

I take my ex and daughter out to dinner twice a month. We often eat on the dark side as there are more restaurants of a decent quality open there. In Pattaya over 50% of Italian/French style restaurants have closed. The big fish restaurants in Walking Street were closed last time I was down there. Its disastrous for the future of tourism in Pattaya until the virus has gone and the unrealistic ideas of the Tourism Authority are gone too.

[Pattaya Spotter]

18 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

I take my ex and daughter out to dinner twice a month. We often eat on the dark side as there are more restaurants of a decent quality open there. In Pattaya over 50% of Italian/French style restaurants have closed. The big fish restaurants in Walking Street were closed last time I was down there. Its disastrous for the future of tourism in Pattaya until the virus has gone and the unrealistic ideas of the Tourism Authority are gone too.

I definitely agree with you that many of Pattaya's best restaurants are on the Darkside (and usually cheaper by 25% or more as well). I actually feel sorry for my friends who live in central Pattaya and pay "tourist" prices for (often mediocre) food. Such places don't survive over here.