BUT GUYS!!!

You have to admit all of this, including the rise in suicides, domestic violence, bankruptcies etc. are all preferable to the dangers of catching infections with a ~99.9% survival rate! It's completely justified to run down economies to enforce protection of the risk groups (mostly against their will as I've noticed, but that's also ok, considering).
 

The Sports and Tourism Minister is or was Kobkarn Wattanvarankul will be delighted no doubt to see Pattaya like this.

On 1/11/2021 at 12:00 PM, bkk6060 said:

She looks cute.

I like her hair. ????

I think I took her home one night, .

3 hours ago, rott said:

I sympathise with you, but if you don't have permanent residence you don't live here. 

What utter tosh.

And the truly astonishing aspect of this, that few seem to be discussing, is that this could have been at least partly avoided, had Prayuth and Anutin, two stunningly incompetence men, taken action early, and decisively. Instead, the whole country is made to suffer the consequences of inaction, of not locking down ground zero, Samut Sakorn (just a relatively small section of the province, actually) the first day of the second outbreak. It is beyond comprehension. It should have been locked down like a maximum security penitentiary. Cordoned off. Nobody comes in or out. And can anyone guess why it wasn't? It is one of the largest seafood distribution centers in Thailand, and it would have meant the loss of a small fortune, for some. So, it came down to sacrificing a large fortune, and the nations economy, for a relatively small out of money, coming from those seafood sales. Nothing else makes sense. No other explanation means anything, or comes close to breaking down why this action as not decisively taken. Sure, the main market was closed. But, people were allowed to travel freely, and become super spreaders. Just incredibly dumb policy and a nearly unforgivable lack of action. Samut Sakorn should have been completely locked down, within 24 hours, instead of a partial and anemic lockdown days later. As always with this administration, too little, too late.

 

I would love to do a poll, and ask how many of us and how many Thais, thought the army would use this latest outbreak to their advantage? To flex their feeble muscles, even more? To put down the return of the promised protests? To contain the masses?
 
How about if we turn this around on them. I don't know about you, but I am quite angry right now. They allowed this to happen, after all. This could have been so easily prevented. So, what the ex-pat community, and the Thai people should be asking is:

1. How can you demonstrate to us, that you are up for the task of leadership?
2. What are you doing to prove that you can and will protect us?
3. Instead of contact tracing us, how about we trace you, and make sure you are doing your job? How about you report to us daily, and let us know how you are handling and containing this epidemic that happened on your watch? Stop talking, and start working, and doing your jobs.
4. Why did you not prevent this? How did you allow these corrupt officials to let infected people in? Why is nobody in a position of power being arrested? Why aren't heads rolling?
5. Why are you not making the vaccines more of a priority? Why isn't the army sacrificing some of its huge budget for the people? 
6. What are you planning on offering the people in the way of assistance, so they can survive this disaster you helped create?
7. Can you demonstrate to us why you think Anutin, who has no background whatsoever in the filed of health, is up for the task of tackling this emergency?
8. And why are you shutting down so many businesses, yet you allowed ground zero to remain open to people coming and going since this latest outbreak happened, only closing the province down yesterday? Why such bad decisions, and such extreme incompetence? How do you justify that? How do you explain that? Thousands of cases emanated from Samut province. You knew that would happen. 
9. How about a compulsory level of competence and experience, for all future administration appointments to key positions?
10. Why have you been so hard on foreigners, making it so incredibly difficult to fly in, yet so lax on the borders?
11. Why should we allow you to remain in power? What have you done lately to deserve that power? 
 

Looks like she has visited one of those dodgy clinics for a face lift.

5 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

I don't  think Walking Street ever go back to how it used to be.
I think many of the businesses there will be bought out by the wealthy Chinese. 

to build up Gambling Shops in the back rooms?

On 1/11/2021 at 8:15 AM, webfact said:

Pattaya: Creepy pictures

 

I've seen creepier pictures of Pattaya.

Yes I found Chucky in Pattaya....bwahahaha

35 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

1. How can you demonstrate to us, that you are up for the task of leadership?

Who's asking?

 

33 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What utter tosh.

I have been here 23 years, the last 9 on a retirement extension. 

All visas, permits, whatever can be revoked. People can find themselves unable to remain due to ill-health, unemployment, divorce, currency fluctuations etc. This is the reality of the situation. Not a problem for me, I can live with it as can most here. 

 

The people who "live" here but were unable to return to their homes and families due to Covid may not think it tosh. 

On 1/11/2021 at 8:15 AM, webfact said:

Creepy pictures sum up dire state of tourism

 

Does the doll have a pin (needle)????

On 1/11/2021 at 12:11 PM, ezzra said:

I know for a fact that the good times will be back again, we can't just dismiss Pattaya and Thailand as a whole just because some fakakate virus hitting it right now, remember these words, given time, Thailand and Pattaya will be back as strong as ever...

Possibly, but Thailand itself needs to find a way of stopping these coups, as soon as a peoples government gets elected, it will only be a matter of time before another army General with the support of other Generals will see how the present unelected "PM" and his Generals have became richer, and how easy it was to just storm in and take over.

Hmmm.... Agalmatophillia

22 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Who's asking?

 

The name is Choochoo, Prayut Choochoo, whose asking.

There's a Chinese family living under the sand

On 1/11/2021 at 1:11 PM, ezzra said:

I know for a fact that the good times will be back again, we can't just dismiss Pattaya and Thailand as a whole just because some fakakate virus hitting it right now, remember these words, given time, Thailand and Pattaya will be back as strong as ever...

It will come back a few missing in action casualty of war.

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Right now I am still having "good times". 2020 was a pleasant year, now I am working at 2021. 

Me too, but luckily I've become to old for the 'good times' that involved nightclubs and hookers, and have moved onto the 'good times' that involve carpet slippers and a hot drink before bed.

8 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

Current situation can be summed up in one word, "COMPLACENCY" by the Government.

That's actually 4 words, as you have to explain who's being complacent.......

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And the truly astonishing aspect of this, that few seem to be discussing, is that this could have been at least partly avoided, had Prayuth and Anutin, two stunningly incompetence men, taken action early, and decisively. Instead, the whole country is made to suffer the consequences of inaction, of not locking down ground zero, Samut Sakorn (just a relatively small section of the province, actually) the first day of the second outbreak. It is beyond comprehension. It should have been locked down like a maximum security penitentiary. Cordoned off. Nobody comes in or out. And can anyone guess why it wasn't? It is one of the largest seafood distribution centers in Thailand, and it would have meant the loss of a small fortune, for some. So, it came down to sacrificing a large fortune, and the nations economy, for a relatively small out of money, coming from those seafood sales. Nothing else makes sense. No other explanation means anything, or comes close to breaking down why this action as not decisively taken. Sure, the main market was closed. But, people were allowed to travel freely, and become super spreaders. Just incredibly dumb policy and a nearly unforgivable lack of action. Samut Sakorn should have been completely locked down, within 24 hours, instead of a partial and anemic lockdown days later. As always with this administration, too little, too late.

 

I would love to do a poll, and ask how many of us and how many Thais, thought the army would use this latest outbreak to their advantage? To flex their feeble muscles, even more? To put down the return of the promised protests? To contain the masses?
 
How about if we turn this around on them. I don't know about you, but I am quite angry right now. They allowed this to happen, after all. This could have been so easily prevented. So, what the ex-pat community, and the Thai people should be asking is:

1. How can you demonstrate to us, that you are up for the task of leadership?
2. What are you doing to prove that you can and will protect us?
3. Instead of contact tracing us, how about we trace you, and make sure you are doing your job? How about you report to us daily, and let us know how you are handling and containing this epidemic that happened on your watch? Stop talking, and start working, and doing your jobs.
4. Why did you not prevent this? How did you allow these corrupt officials to let infected people in? Why is nobody in a position of power being arrested? Why aren't heads rolling?
5. Why are you not making the vaccines more of a priority? Why isn't the army sacrificing some of its huge budget for the people? 
6. What are you planning on offering the people in the way of assistance, so they can survive this disaster you helped create?
7. Can you demonstrate to us why you think Anutin, who has no background whatsoever in the filed of health, is up for the task of tackling this emergency?
8. And why are you shutting down so many businesses, yet you allowed ground zero to remain open to people coming and going since this latest outbreak happened, only closing the province down yesterday? Why such bad decisions, and such extreme incompetence? How do you justify that? How do you explain that? Thousands of cases emanated from Samut province. You knew that would happen. 
9. How about a compulsory level of competence and experience, for all future administration appointments to key positions?
10. Why have you been so hard on foreigners, making it so incredibly difficult to fly in, yet so lax on the borders?
11. Why should we allow you to remain in power? What have you done lately to deserve that power? 
 

I do love your rants, this one was spectacular, I even read it twice !!

On 1/11/2021 at 9:50 AM, Tropicalevo said:

That should read 'thanks to the government.

Why knock  the government if they had done nothing would you be happier.

This picture should find its way to an art gallery.

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Source of your facts? Or is it wishful thinking from someone who has no idea that it's a very big world out there which is often better value, has better infrastructure, better attitude towards visitors, all closer to home. Numbers were dropping even before Covid, even including the Chinese.

     Source of your facts?  I'm not trying to be a wiseguy--I'm curious as to what statistics you are using that indicate Pattaya's tourist numbers were dropping even before covid.   I live in Pattaya year-round and both 2019 and 2018 seemed very busy to me with lots of tourists.

     I know you can do a quick Google and get some articles on declining tourism but when you call them up to read you find it's some clueless hotel official saying occupancy is down (hello, Airbnb!).  Or, it's an article saying numbers are down from European travelers--with no mention of the huge increase in Asian tourists. 

     We know tourist arrivals to Thailand were up in 2019 from 2018 numbers.  They have increased every year for the past 10 years except for 2014, the year of the coup.  In 2010, the number was 15.94 million.  In 2019, the number was 39.8 million.  Statistics for just Pattaya alone seem to be harder to find than statistics for Thailand.  But, I think it would stand to reason that if Thailand's numbers were rising, Pattaya's were likely rising, too. 

    I did find one statistic.  Mastercard does a yearly ranking of popular tourist destinations around the World and it had Pattaya with 9.4 million tourists in 2018 and 9.44 million in 2019.  Not much of an increase but not a drop, either.  It also had Pattaya as #18 on its top tourist destinations around the World.  I think its figures are fairly conservative; the mayor stated recently that Pattaya had 15 million visitors in 2019, I assume counting both domestic and foreign.  

    As for Chinese tourists declining, I did not find any evidence of that, either.  Statista has the numbers for Thailand as follows:  2017, 9.81 million.  2018, 10.54 million.  2019, 12 million.  Again, no breakdown on how many of them visited Pattaya but if the total numbers were increasing each year I think it's likely that Pattaya's numbers would not be declining. 

7 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Yeah , i agree, that is something that they should not have done.
But  just the purpose of a vacation is pretty selfish & dangerous. 

Rather misunderstanding  the facts are'nt you.

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Thought I also saw some posts with Chucky the doll at the Bus station and a few other locations as well on the news this morning when they saw the Doll sitting in the middle of the road.

 

All part of the upgraded Covid app

Have to catch all the dolls (like Pokemons)

If you scan all their QR codes you win a voucher for a free packet of "Final Pattaya Coffin Nails"

9 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Source of your facts?  I'm not trying to be a wiseguy--I'm curious as to what statistics you are using that indicate Pattaya's tourist numbers were dropping even before covid.   I live in Pattaya year-round and both 2019 and 2018 seemed very busy to me with lots of tourists.

     I know you can do a quick Google and get some articles on declining tourism but when you call them up to read you find it's some clueless hotel official saying occupancy is down (hello, Airbnb!).  Or, it's an article saying numbers are down from European travelers--with no mention of the huge increase in Asian tourists. 

     We know tourist arrivals to Thailand were up in 2019 from 2018 numbers.  They have increased every year for the past 10 years except for 2014, the year of the coup.  In 2010, the number was 15.94 million.  In 2019, the number was 39.8 million.  Statistics for just Pattaya alone seem to be harder to find than statistics for Thailand.  But, I think it would stand to reason that if Thailand's numbers were rising, Pattaya's were likely rising, too. 

    I did find one statistic.  Mastercard does a yearly ranking of popular tourist destinations around the World and it had Pattaya with 9.4 million tourists in 2018 and 9.44 million in 2019.  Not much of an increase but not a drop, either.  It also had Pattaya as #18 on its top tourist destinations around the World.  I think its figures are fairly conservative; the mayor stated recently that Pattaya had 15 million visitors in 2019, I assume counting both domestic and foreign.  

    As for Chinese tourists declining, I did not find any evidence of that, either.  Statista has the numbers for Thailand as follows:  2017, 9.81 million.  2018, 10.54 million.  2019, 12 million.  Again, no breakdown on how many of them visited Pattaya but if the total numbers were increasing each year I think it's likely that Pattaya's numbers would not be declining. 

There's a certain member who won't believe these numbers coz he knows all about the pending ( even before CV-19 ) downfall of Pattaya, i'm sure he'll be along soon....lol

3 minutes ago, Regyai said:

 

All part of the upgraded Covid app

Have to catch all the dolls (like Pokemons)

If you scan all their QR codes you win a voucher for a free packet of "Final Pattaya Coffin Nails"

do I get the hammer as well, or just use the cell phone with the Morchana app on it to beat the nails in..

This image is an entirely artificial construct which bares no reality to the Pattaya I live in. This false imagery is false news.

4 hours ago, SuwadeeS said:

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

 

I remember all the rip off's!!!

Taxi etc.

 

You been to Samui too ?

4 hours ago, Sujo said:

Wouldnt this be the perfect time to demolish the illegal buildings on beach side of walking st.

What a bloody good idea.