Unthinkable a year ago! Video shows how COVID-19 has turned Walking Street in to a ghost town

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, johng said:

 

The arch was moved to the Bali Hai end around this time (2006)

Thank you for the photo of the TEN YEAR anniversary that was in TWO THOUSAND AND SIX.

 

Will a certain poster now admit I was right ( I'm not holding my breath )?

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

I thought the US GIs preferred PatPong in BKK?

I visited Bkk in the 70s but it was a dump, IMO, with terrible traffic jams. Patpong was probably more exciting back then, but the tour group leader advised us not to go there as it was too dangerous.

I'd imagine most GIs would prefer not to be in Bkk, as long as they had booze and girls.

I'd have certainly preferred not being in Bkk if I were a GI.

[BigStar]

23 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

I thought the US GIs preferred PatPong in BKK?

They did, as Pattaya had nothing for them. BKK was the big R&R area. Pattaya had a few GIs around for visiting the beach, and at least once a large group came in for the same purpose. That always gets embroidered, however, into a sex tour, with no evidence to support that congenial idea. Pattaya couldn't possibly support a sex tour, and military authorities wouldn't permit it anyway. 

 

The working girls serving U-Tapao were located and regulated, even with mandatory STD checks, at a place called Newland about 10 miles in the opposite direction from Pattaya. That was to keep the servicemen out of the nearby towns where they'd make a nuisance of themselves and get in trouble.

 

So the "scene" in Pattaya got under way after the war and the GIs had gone, starting with Germans and Australians.

 

What we have here is always the repetition of a lot of ignorance parroted from tourist brochures and guides treated as "official" history. It's important for many of our posters never to let go of it or their old brains simply can't. Sometimes a false memory from some later time gets invoked. However, we've had testimonials from former US soldiers here and indeed an old friend of mine, now 82, was stationed at U-Tapao as a bomber pilot and verifies exactly what I just said.

 

It's already been rehashed numerous times on the forum.

Edited October 20, 2020 by BigStar

[VBF]

21 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

And you are claiming you know everything better?

Yes.

 

 

Before it became Walking Street it was just a road with bars and restaurants on it. The traffic didn't stop driving on it at 6pm.

It became known as Walking Street because the traffic was stopped and people could walk along it without getting run over. It had an official opening ceremony and they put out tables and chairs like a beer garden, though later they stopped doing that. The Walking Street didn't go all the way to Bali Hi.

Perhaps the GIs called it walking street, but it wasn't Walking Street.

 

The big LCD screen was put up many years after it became Walking Street.

 

 

All correct from one who's been visiting Pattaya on and off since 1989.

[BigStar]

On 10/20/2020 at 9:12 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Will a certain poster now admit I was right ( I'm not holding my breath )?

Never, I can tell you. Silence is the admission.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/20/2020 at 3:12 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

 

Thanks for that photo. Although it is 2006 the girls are straight out of the 90s- slim, cheerful and attractive.

During the past decade the standard of Pattaya bar totty has gone down substantially IMO, and some were actually "chubby"- the horror, the horror.

 

I miss Pattaya as it used to be in the glory days.

Edited October 21, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/20/2020 at 3:51 PM, BigStar said:

They did, as Pattaya had nothing for them. BKK was the big R&R area. Pattaya had a few GIs around for visiting the beach, and at least once a large group came in for the same purpose. That always gets embroidered, however, into a sex tour, with no evidence to support that congenial idea. Pattaya couldn't possibly support a sex tour, and military authorities wouldn't permit it anyway. 

 

The working girls serving U-Tapao were located and regulated, even with mandatory STD checks, at a place called Newland about 10 miles in the opposite direction from Pattaya. That was to keep the servicemen out of the nearby towns where they'd make a nuisance of themselves and get in trouble.

 

So the "scene" in Pattaya got under way after the war and the GIs had gone, starting with Germans and Australians.

 

What we have here is always the repetition of a lot of ignorance parroted from tourist brochures and guides treated as "official" history. It's important for many of our posters never to let go of it or their old brains simply can't. Sometimes a false memory from some later time gets invoked. However, we've had testimonials from former US soldiers here and indeed an old friend of mine, now 82, was stationed at U-Tapao as a bomber pilot and verifies exactly what I just said.

 

It's already been rehashed numerous times on the forum.

While I am aware that U Tapao had it's own bar girl area, didn't GIs on R and R visit Pattaya? It's not like Pattaya had much to get into trouble over with, from most accounts, just a fishing village.

It's almost impossible to find information from servicemen that were there now, but I've read bits and pieces over the years that seem to confirm GIs did visit it. It was probably the best beach close to Bkk in those long ago days.

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I am aware that U Tapao had it's own bar girl area, didn't GIs on R and R visit Pattaya? It's not like Pattaya had much to get into trouble over with, from most accounts, just a fishing village.

It's almost impossible to find information from servicemen that were there now, but I've read bits and pieces over the years that seem to confirm GIs did visit it. It was probably the best beach close to Bkk in those long ago days.

R and R in the sense of visiting a quiet beach area, privately and informally, yes. There were some small restos and beer, but no P4P "scene" as asserted in the embellished fake history. The GIs didn't need that scene as it existed not far away w/ the blessings of officialdom and subject to health regulation, too.

 

Anyone not stationed at U-Tapao who wanted P4P and "fun" had the official R&R stopover of Bangkok, unbeatable and closer to the other bases. Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans.

 

Edited October 21, 2020 by BigStar

[thaibeachlovers]

13 minutes ago, BigStar said:

R and R in the sense of visiting a quiet beach area, privately and informally, yes. There were some small restos and beer, but no P4P "scene" as asserted in the embellished fake history. The GIs didn't need that scene as it existed not far away w/ the blessings of officialdom and subject to health regulation, too.

 

Anyone not stationed at U-Tapao who wanted P4P and "fun" had the official R&R stopover of Bangkok, unbeatable and closer to the other bases. Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans.

 

Thanks.

Pattaya was built on the backs of bargirls, despite the protestations of those that disprove of such.

I contributed quite a lot of money to it's development.

It was a lot more sanuk before the authorities decided they wanted to make it a "world class beach resort". Pity they can't stop the sand vanishing every time it rains.

[Leaver]

On 10/21/2020 at 2:32 PM, BigStar said:

Anyone not stationed at U-Tapao who wanted P4P and "fun" had the official R&R stopover of Bangkok, unbeatable and closer to the other bases. Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans.

 

Are you suggesting no GI's went to Pattaya during the war?  

[BigStar]

7 hours ago, Leaver said:

Are you suggesting no GI's went to Pattaya during the war?  

Are you? My post makes no suggestion or implication whatsoever that "no" GI's went to Pattaya during war. On the contrary.

Edited October 31, 2020 by BigStar

[Leaver]

On 10/21/2020 at 2:49 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

It was a lot more sanuk before the authorities decided they wanted to make it a "world class beach resort".

They want Pattaya to be everything, for everyone.  It was never going to work.  

[3NUMBAS]

l bs having new silcon implants so they cant attend just yet ,bigger size

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/31/2020 at 11:54 PM, Leaver said:

Are you suggesting no GI's went to Pattaya during the war?  

He didn't say that.

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He didn't say that.

Purposely misunderstanding, misreading, ignoring, changing the subject, repeating, moving the goalpost, non-sequitur, and putting words into others' mouths a usual technique of specious argument. Attempting to make a cogent, reasonable point is about like Jordan Peterson's attempting to so against Cathy Newman on Channel 4.

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by BigStar

[Leaver]

On 11/1/2020 at 1:01 AM, BigStar said:

Are you? My post makes no suggestion or implication whatsoever that "no" GI's went to Pattaya during war. On the contrary.

"Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans."

 

Your use of the word "after" suggests after the war.  

[Leaver]

On 11/2/2020 at 7:23 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

He didn't say that.

 "Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans."

 

The use of the word "after" could be taken as meaning "after" the war.  

[Leaver]

On 11/2/2020 at 12:49 PM, BigStar said:

Purposely misunderstanding, misreading, ignoring, changing the subject, repeating, moving the goalpost, non-sequitur, and putting words into others' mouths a usual technique of specious argument. Attempting to make a cogent, reasonable point is about like Jordan Peterson's attempting to so against Cathy Newman on Channel 4.

 

I have directly quoted you.  Nothing to misunderstand about that.

[BigStar]

55 minutes ago, Leaver said:

I have directly quoted you.  Nothing to misunderstand about that.

Normally (as another poster verifies), unless one tries purposely to do so by redefining the word after to mean "during." Then of course one must arrive at a "misunderstanding." Or perhaps English is your second language????? A few going to Pattaya during the war, as I in fact mentioned, doesn't mean or imply "building Pattaya" in the sense of building a sex scene according to the commonly accepted myth, which happened after the war and after the GIs had left.

Edited November 7, 2020 by BigStar

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Leaver said:

 "Hence the Scene in Pattaya started up after the GIs had left and Pattaya wasn't "built" by the Americans."

 

The use of the word "after" could be taken as meaning "after" the war.  

Funny. Why, yes, it really, really can.???? But your imagined issue concerns "during."

[Leaver]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

A few going to Pattaya during the war, as I in fact mentioned, doesn't mean or imply "building Pattaya" in the sense of building a sex scene according to the commonly accepted myth, which happened after the war and after the GIs had left.

And why do you think it happened after the war?  

 

Who do you think think spread the word, and the heroin?  

[Leaver]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

yes, it really, really can.

Yes, it can.  

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

And why do you think it happened after the war?  

 

Who do you think think spread the word, and the heroin?  

Merely because it did. There was no sex scene in the area known as Pattaya during war and no need for it to exist.

 

So if the sex scene didn't arise after the GIs left, then it didn't arise at all. But most people agree that it did.

 

There was no word about any sex scene in Pattaya to think think was spread while the GIs were here. And you have no evidence to think think that the few GIs who visited Pattaya in those days had anything to do with any heroin you think think was spread at the time, either. 

 

[Irate priest]

3 hours ago, BigStar said:

Merely because it did. There was no sex scene in the area known as Pattaya during war and no need for it to exist.

 

So if the sex scene didn't arise after the GIs left, then it didn't arise at all. But most people agree that it did.

 

There was no word about any sex scene in Pattaya to think think was spread while the GIs were here. And you have no evidence to think think that the few GIs who visited Pattaya in those days had anything to do with any heroin you think think was spread at the time, either. 

 

 

Try to get out for a pint more often calm yourself down a bit

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, BigStar said:

Funny. Why, yes, it really, really can.???? But your imagined issue concerns "during."

Frankly, after all this time, does it matter "when" it started, and I find it hard to understand why a certain poster would make such a big deal about it unless for some "other" reason?

 

Anyway, unless some ex GI who was in fact in Pattaya at the time in question posts, it's going to remain in the realms of probablility, and the probability, IMO, is that as U Tapao had it's own bar scene, the beaches were closer to U Tapao than Pattaya, and Bkk had it's own GI bars ( I visited one in 1974 ), it's highly unlikely a sex scene was started in Pattaya, hours away from Bkk, and Pattaya was unlikely to have the hotels and bars necessary to create a sex industry. Cha Am and Hua Hin were connected by rail to Bkk so way easier to get there than Pattaya.

 

What I'd like to know though, are the origins of Pattaya city, whenever it started, and why a small beach difficult to reach from Bkk became fun city in the 80s.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Irate priest said:

 

Try to get out for a pint more often calm yourself down a bit

A new poster with 3 posts telling posters to calm down. Hmmmmmm what is wrong with this picture?

Edited November 7, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[morrobay]

48 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

 

What I'd like to know though, are the origins of Pattaya city, whenever it started, and why a small beach difficult to reach from Bkk became fun city in the 80s.

 

The origins of the scene are go-go bars: Thai go-go girl dancers at a seaside town close to Bangkok. Was not here before the 2000's but believe the go-go bar scene was transplanted to Thailand from the West/U.S. So go-go bars at the beach is certainly an attraction. 

[morrobay]

https://www.pattayaunlimited.com/history-of-go-go-bars/

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, morrobay said:

https://www.pattayaunlimited.com/history-of-go-go-bars/

Thanks for that.

From the web site

Go-Go Dancing became popular in Thailand during the Vietnam War era. The GP Go-Go Club in Bangkok is thought to be the first Go-Go club in Thailand, it opened in 1969 and attracted an audience of local ex-pats and American G.I’s. The trend didn’t take long to spread, Bangkok’s nightlife venues, especially Patpong were soon populated with Go-Go clubs.

It was some nine years later that Pattaya’s first Go-Go bar the Tahitian Queen opened.

 

Which makes it 1978 that Tahitian Queen opened, long after the Vietnam war ended for the American GIs.

 

 

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Frankly, after all this time, does it matter "when" it started, and I find it hard to understand why a certain poster would make such a big deal about it unless for some "other" reason?

Good question. I think you're on the right track there.

 

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Anyway, unless some ex GI who was in fact in Pattaya at the time in question posts, it's going to remain in the realms of probablility

I personally know a former bomber pilot stationed at U-Tapao during the war. Now 82, he's normally (stuck in the USA at the moment) living in BKK with his Thai wife whom he met working in a shop outside the base. Who says a marriage to a Thai can't last?

 

He's continued to visit Pattaya over the years and still does once in a while, too. We've discussed this exact subject several times and he's confirmed exactly what I've posted earlier. Nothing really to do in Pattaya then, no sex scene, a few places to stay, quite boring. He likes it much, much better now.???? Or did, pre-COVID. I sent him the recent depressing vid on Sois 7 - 8.

 

We've also had some previous threads on the subject here and a contemporary serviceman said the same thing amid the usual chorus of ignorant, simple-minded knee jerks and blusters from the clueless.???? I'm not going to bother looking those up those old threads, however. The tourist brochure histories will never be updated, so this same discussion will inevitably recur.