After a visit to immigration yesterday I decided to drive down Pattaya Tai, down Second Road, on to Beach Road before returning home. My normal weekly exposure to Pattaya is the motorway to Big C, Pattaya Klang,  then straight back home, so I don't really see the City.  It was late morning and it looked like I remember UK towns to be on a Sunday in the 1970s, closed and shuttered, hardly any traffic to speak of and hardly any people walking about. I had read the reports of course,  but it still came as quite a shock to see first hand.   This is going to take some recovering from, if it ever does.  I popped in to a local pharmacy to pick up some meds and I asked the lady about her experience.  She said that it is only a matter of a few weeks before she shuts up shop, as she is hardly seeing any customers.  She sees no point in staying, on the off chance that recovery will come soon for the City.  The partial lock down restitutions are obviously working. 

Maybe at night it livens up a bit in certain restricted areas, but it sure looks dead and dying right now.  

It doesn't take much these days with technology to create fear, TV, media and some ugly looking dudes in suits who are in powerful positions, also wearing a mask, and having been vaccinated.

 

The light at the end of the tunnel are vaccines, and for those who take them, you will be rewarded and get your vaccine passports to travel and life will be back to normal.

 

We can then live happily ever after.

If anyone read "The Dark Tower" series, they'll understand the term "the world has moved on."  Yes, everything is shut down by decree and will probably go on an "open/shut" roller coaster for a year or two.

 

The sex industry was Pattaya's forte. That's been demolished. The girls found out they can make a fortune online without ever swapping bodily fluids. I don't think it will ever return to its glorious apex of the previous decade. I'm just seriously grateful I got in as many soapies as I did!

 

The world has moved on.

14 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

After a visit to immigration yesterday I decided to drive down Pattaya Tai, down Second Road, on to Beach Road before returning home.

All areas that depended on tourism, which of course is more or less extinct in Pattaya.

Had you driven around the areas that people actually live in things might be different.

 

I think the council is missing a golden opportunity to demolish the entire area and construct a proper beach promenade 4 times wider, build 4 or even 6 lane roads with bus lanes and with proper wide pavements, put in some proper drainage that can handle the rain, and even put the monorail in. That way when tourism returns, as it will, things would be better.

However, I remember how after the tsunami wiped all the accommodation off Phi Phi they rebuilt the same <deleted> <deleted> as it was before, so I have no hope the council will take the opportunity to improve Pattaya. A golden opportunity wasted.

It,s called a "blip" albeit a rather large one....Pattaya will return as Pattaya as before sometime not in the too distant future....leaner/meaner and keener as never before,as I type lessons from retired bar ladies are being passed onto their younger siblings in readiness for the farangs return to sin city.....????????????

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

 

I think the council is missing a golden opportunity to demolish the entire area and construct a proper beach promenade 4 times wider, build 4 or even 6 lane roads with bus lanes and with proper wide pavements, put in some proper drainage that can handle the rain, and even put the monorail in. That way when tourism returns, as it will, things would be better.

 

Too much common sense...they don`t go in for that here ????

1 minute ago, petermik said:

It,s called a "blip" albeit a rather large one....Pattaya will return as Pattaya as before sometime not in the too distant future....leaner/meaner and keener as never before,as I type lessons from retired bar ladies are being passed onto their younger siblings in readiness for the farangs return to sin city.....????????????

LOL. IMO the bar scene was dying before corona because the clever girls had gone on line. They have no reason to return to being bored in a bar pretending to like farangs.

1 minute ago, petermik said:

Too much common sense...they don`t go in for that here

Too much work too..... successful projects are in short supply.

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. IMO the bar scene was dying before corona because the clever girls had gone on line. They have no reason to return to being bored in a bar pretending to like farangs.

Wait and see......always plenty of opportunities for the gals that like to "weigh up" potential customers first hand..."hey hansum man...my friend like you" this is a regular mating call that cannot be done online.....????

town with infrastructure already in place on the beach.  It'll recover just fine...if the governments quit the tyranny game of control.

if they don't.  People will move and live here, not just visit.  Beach front area's do not stay empty.

 

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

All areas that depended on tourism, which of course is more or less extinct in Pattaya.

Had you driven around the areas that people actually live in things might be different.

 

I think the council is missing a golden opportunity to demolish the entire area and construct a proper beach promenade 4 times wider, build 4 or even 6 lane roads with bus lanes and with proper wide pavements, put in some proper drainage that can handle the rain, and even put the monorail in. That way when tourism returns, as it will, things would be better.

However, I remember how after the tsunami wiped all the accommodation off Phi Phi they rebuilt the same <deleted> <deleted> as it was before, so I have no hope the council will take the opportunity to improve Pattaya. A golden opportunity wasted.

You are right, what an opportunity this is, but they will miss it with their wishful thinking of better times very soon.

 

As to your first point, yes Big C is always reasonably busy; not as before, but a few people around enjoying the lack of crowds. 

Give it three months and Pattaya will have become the Miami of SE Asia.........mark my words..

2 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Pardon me ladies..TnA inspector......everybody relax ????

 

 

Is that his vaccine passport?

47 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

It was late morning and it looked like I remember UK towns to be on a Sunday in the 1970s, closed and shuttered, hardly any traffic to speak of and hardly any people walking about.

 

I grew up on the south coast of the UK. In winters the resort areas were shuttered and deserted. The only difference with Pattaya is at least the rain is warm and it's often sunny.

 

28 minutes ago, petermik said:

It,s called a "blip" albeit a rather large one....Pattaya will return as Pattaya as before sometime not in the too distant future....leaner/meaner and keener as never before,as I type lessons from retired bar ladies are being passed onto their younger siblings in readiness for the farangs return to sin city.....????????????

 

It will likely bounce back somewhat. There's millions of men around the world who haven't had a <deleted> for over a year. Many will hurry back to Pattaya once they can.

 

Thailand will have to review its development model.
In the decade to come, it will no longer be possible to rely entirely on the international tourism sector. 
This implies a clear reappraisal of tourist sites, including Pattaya.

32 minutes ago, J Town said:

If anyone read "The Dark Tower" series, they'll understand the term "the world has moved on."  Yes, everything is shut down by decree and will probably go on an "open/shut" roller coaster for a year or two.

 

The sex industry was Pattaya's forte. That's been demolished. The girls found out they can make a fortune online without ever swapping bodily fluids. I don't think it will ever return to its glorious apex of the previous decade. I'm just seriously grateful I got in as many soapies as I did!

 

The world has moved on.

As soon as folks can leave their house and travel, that online <deleted> will evaporate in a NY Minute...think I am wrong, look at the Vegas hotel bookings...going up, up, up.....life will return to normal in one year.

1 minute ago, soi3eddie said:

 

It will likely bounce back somewhat. There's millions of men around the world who haven't had a <deleted> for over a year. Many will hurry back to Pattaya once they can.

 

Yes, and the scams will continue unabated....this is just Karma <deleted> with all those Birdies who scammed horny tourists back in the day....55555

1 minute ago, soi3eddie said:

 

There's millions of men around the world who haven't had a <deleted> for over a year. 

 

Holiday?

18 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Someone please think of the poor thieving Pattaya ladyboys looking for gold wearing fools...

Trust me, the LBs are not the only ones who steal...just ask the the thousands of nice dudes who got scammed by the Go Go Birdies....and lost a <deleted> load of money.

3 minutes ago, zhounan said:

Thailand will have to review its development model.
In the decade to come, it will no longer be possible to rely entirely on the international tourism sector. 
This implies a clear reappraisal of tourist sites, including Pattaya.

You obviously don't work for TAT..........and never will, with that attitude......555

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

All areas that depended on tourism, which of course is more or less extinct in Pattaya.

Had you driven around the areas that people actually live in things might be different.

 

I think the council is missing a golden opportunity to demolish the entire area and construct a proper beach promenade 4 times wider, build 4 or even 6 lane roads with bus lanes and with proper wide pavements, put in some proper drainage that can handle the rain, and even put the monorail in. That way when tourism returns, as it will, things would be better.

However, I remember how after the tsunami wiped all the accommodation off Phi Phi they rebuilt the same <deleted> <deleted> as it was before, so I have no hope the council will take the opportunity to improve Pattaya. A golden opportunity wasted.

Trust me dude, this is the plan...they will build it for the upper middle class Chinese and Indians who have billions to spend.  Same thing is happening to Amsterdam and Vegas...it is all about family with easy money.  They can make billions turning that area into a Disneyland style walking street .....Billions!

55 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

 The light at the end of the tunnel are vaccines,  

 

But look at the UK. The people were promised that once all the vulnerable people had been vaccinated, things would swiftly return to normal. This happened some time ago, but many restrictions are still in place.

All of thailand is dead and dying nowadays. Complete shock at the lack of people on the streets and businesses closed when I am driving around bangkok, chiang mai, chiang rai, etc.

3 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Trust me dude, this is the plan...they will build it for the upper middle class Chinese and Indians who have billions to spend.  Same thing is happening to Amsterdam and Vegas...it is all about family with easy money.  They can make billions turning that area into a Disneyland style walking street .....Billions!

Curious, whatever happened to that Indian Walking Street that was being built in the Avenue complex?

4 minutes ago, at15 said:

when I am driving around bangkok, chiang mai, chiang rai,

Boy!....You get about!!

The sad part are that this scenes of desertion and emptiness should have been brought about from the onset of the virus running amok without a care in the world to stop it and all the while allowing Songran festivities to go on as normal with millions would be Covid carriers are let to roam the whole of the country unimpeded and unchecked... and this IS the price Thailand is paying now...

2 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Boy!....You get about!!

over 2000 km in the past month

1 minute ago, at15 said:

over 2000 km in the past month

On Thai roads.....how do you cope!

 

I used to do around 40,000 miles a years, but that was on sedate, UK motorways........4,000 miles a year in Thailand would be more than enough for me.

1 minute ago, Surelynot said:

On Thai roads.....how do you cope!

 

I used to do around 40,000 miles a years, but that was on sedate, UK motorways........4,000 miles a year in Thailand would be more than enough for me.

Yes, i know what you mean its rough. But its an old five speed honda i dont care about and so i can drive it hard and have fun. I do truly understand why thailand driving is some of the most dangerous in the world. Anyone out there please be very careful.