No to nightlife, yes to vaccinations: can Thailand’s Pattaya rebrand and reopen?

[webfact]

A solitary man sits on the Pattaya beach. Photo: Xinhua

 

● The resort city has launched a campaign to inoculate much of its population in a bid to offer quarantine-free travel to foreign tourists

 

● It is also looking to pivot from its reputation for go-go bars and sex work to more upmarket and family-friendly businesses

 

Vijitra Duangdee

 

The city of Pattaya has for decades been one of Thailand’s top tourist draws, but the Covid-19 pandemic has proved catastrophic to local businesses. Wellness entrepreneur Chairat Rattanopas puts it best: “We’ve hit rock bottom.”

 

Mass vaccinations  appear to be the only way forward for Thailand’s battered tourist industry, which before the pandemic accounted for a fifth of Southeast Asia’s second largest economy – likely more, if businesses in the informal sector such as tuk-tuks and food stalls are included.

 

But the combination of ongoing travel restrictions, a deadly new wave of the pandemic that has killed more than 1,000 people, and a slow vaccine roll-out have piled bad news upon bad news for Thailand’s tourist hotspots.

 

From Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Hua Hin to Pattaya, bars and restaurants have been closed and visitors have stayed away as near-lockdown conditions extend into an eighth week.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3136134/no-nightlife-yes-vaccinations-can-thailands-pattaya-rebrand-and

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-06-08

 

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[sammieuk1]

Keeping the already vaccinated out defies any real logic then ????

[RichardColeman]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

● It is also looking to pivot from its reputation for go-go bars and sex work to more upmarket and family-friendly businesses

I would imagine the sex industry is exactly the target market Pattaya should be concentrating on for the next 12 months. Families are not going to come any time soon, working age people are probably behind with bills after the pandemic and the only others really left are horny old retired guys - who will spend money

[smedly]

walking street might change but I see no changes to LK or soi 6, if they were earnist in their convictions to rebrand Pattaya bulldozers would be flattening soi 6 as we speak - never a btter opportunity than right now

 

not happening 

[sezze]

11 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I would imagine the sex industry is exactly the target market Pattaya should be concentrating on for the next 12 months. Families are not going to come any time soon, working age people are probably behind with bills after the pandemic and the only others really left are horny old retired guys - who will spend money

100% right . Families are not going to fly across the world right now , not gonna happen . You can even offer many free things , but right now , or even next year , chances of families visiting are close to 0 . Add on some difficult rules and you are down to 0.0 .

Who is interested of coming to Thailand ? People with some kind of ties with Thailand , like relatives , GF , business , and people who can change travel plans easy and fast . This all equates to the group of single man ( the business , and people with relatives in Thailand will try to come no matter what ) who is interested in coming . Like Thailand made it to holiday destination in the past , like it was expensive/difficult to get there , the people coming weren't the families but single people .

[madmen]

Whenever Thailand and Pattaya fully open around 2024 there will be thousands of farm girls on busses making a beeline 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Keeping the already vaccinated out defies any real logic then ????

When a country reaches 100% of it's people having been double vaccinated along with zero new infections for 30 days, perhaps we can add it to a green list and allow direct tourists. 

[davidmann]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I would imagine the sex industry is exactly the target market Pattaya should be concentrating on for the next 12 months. Families are not going to come any time soon, working age people are probably behind with bills after the pandemic and the only others really left are horny old retired guys - who will spend money

have learned over the years that everything comes to a end. ,Pattaya  and the world. will never be the same. 

blame game. CHINA , Thailand to many eggs in one Basket. ,got get new chicken 

[bkk6060]

Millions of males in the world want to come.

Lockdowns, divorces and bad relationships they want to escape their purgatory lives and be here.

The 2 week millionaires do in fact provide a plus to the economy in many ways ie: airlines, restaurants, hotels, transportation, domestic travel/activities, etc.  Not just girls in bars.

 

I do not see Pattaya's demise.  

 

[Fex Bluse]

Everyone plays so coy. Pattaya will be successful as long as there are tens of thousands of pretty girls selling themselves. 

 

Nothing else matters from its side. 

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

Everyone plays so coy. Pattaya will be successful as long as there are tens of thousands of pretty girls selling themselves. 

 

 

 

Not at the moment, most have gone back home and are planting rice.

[ChipButty]

The question is, who would come to Thailand right now? only single guys who are free to travel as for families that is not happening I do know a few people who do want to come back but are afraid of any lockdown again, 

I have told my own family stay where you are it's safer

[Dialemco]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I would imagine the sex industry is exactly the target market Pattaya should be concentrating on for the next 12 months. Families are not going to come any time soon, working age people are probably behind with bills after the pandemic and the only others really left are horny old retired guys - who will spend money

Fully agree sex workers support families and children who are suffering for more than a year now most unregistered so have not received any Government help

[BestB]

All I see is khaosan road dejavu. Destroyed it with some delusional visions , then spent 25 million dollars on ideas only to return to its original concept and purpose but without the needed customers 

[Millcx]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Keeping the already vaccinated out defies any real logic then ????

Logic ??? Logic 555555

[Card]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I would imagine the sex industry is exactly the target market Pattaya should be concentrating on for the next 12 months. Families are not going to come any time soon, working age people are probably behind with bills after the pandemic and the only others really left are horny old retired guys - who will spend money

I am one of your supposed 'horny old retired guys'. I don't spend much money, no need to, and I am no longer horny.

 

Hey, why are you in Thailand? To spend as little as possible and live like a monk? Give me a break.

[Card]

3 hours ago, sezze said:

100% right . Families are not going to fly across the world right now , not gonna happen . You can even offer many free things , but right now , or even next year , chances of families visiting are close to 0 . Add on some difficult rules and you are down to 0.0 .

Who is interested of coming to Thailand ? People with some kind of ties with Thailand , like relatives , GF , business , and people who can change travel plans easy and fast . This all equates to the group of single man ( the business , and people with relatives in Thailand will try to come no matter what ) who is interested in coming . Like Thailand made it to holiday destination in the past , like it was expensive/difficult to get there , the people coming weren't the families but single people .

Hey, there are many Asian tourists come to Thailand. You seem to have factored them out. Ethnocentric?

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

It is also looking to pivot from its reputation for go-go bars and sex work to more upmarket and family-friendly businesses

A leopard can't change it's spots.

Dress it up how you like, call it what you like..

Pattaya will be teeming with girls again swinging around dancing poles, parading around on a stage with a number on them, sitting in front of every bar, selling themselves as soon as the tourists come back.

The go-go establishments, bars etc will return as normal, will Bang Lamung or Soi 6 and the rest suddenly change... no way -Jose.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Not at the moment, most have gone back home and are planting rice.

Open the doors and those girls will stop planting rice and be back to Pattaya to open-up again faster than you could ever imagine.

[ChrisKC]

It doesn't need re-branding. Needs to eliminate scams and overcharging, keep the beaches clean.. 

 

Calling the place something else won't attract a new market. 

[shdmn]

1 hour ago, davidmann said:

have learned over the years that everything comes to a end. ,Pattaya  and the world. will never be the same. 

blame game. CHINA , Thailand to many eggs in one Basket. ,got get new chicken 

Trust me when I tell you the worlds oldest profession is not coming to an end in Pattaya.  Not even close.  You doomsayers crack me up sometimes. 

[sezze]

17 minutes ago, Card said:

Hey, there are many Asian tourists come to Thailand. You seem to have factored them out. Ethnocentric?

I cant talk about other countries then mine ( i count my country as Europe ) . Close by countries , yes sure , prob options there . Since most of the people here are from the "Western" world i can only vote for them. I do not know about any of the Burmese / Chinese / Japanese / Indonesian/... tourists . There might be a market there , if that is racist , well then it is . I can only see what i know and not what others will or wont be interested in . For Europeans , families right now is just a no go , is this a better quote ? I do not want to offend anyone , and if that is racist , yes then i prob am .... but i believe im not since i do not care what color , religion , sex pref anybody got. Good enough for you ?

[Tony Pak]

Pattaya Mayor have funds for buy vaccines but Government not allow yet ? Mayor send letter to PM that Pattaya have funds to buy vaccines independently not burden on Government. Hopefully if like that no government have right to play with life’s this all for safety of Public in city . Government must allow immediate and people safe and the tourist can start all bussiness are waiting and waiting just all depends on who quickly we do vaccines in city . More then year mostly all bussiness are shut down in Pattaya . Different country support help in pandemic period to all country business persons but in Thailand nothing support for business community. Hope government can do only please allow province to buy vaccines and stability for country if you not help bussiness people to country can open . Thanks 

[GeorgeEboy]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Not at the moment, most have gone back home and are planting rice.

Excellent rice harvest next year.

[kingstonkid]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

walking street might change but I see no changes to LK or soi 6, if they were earnist in their convictions to rebrand Pattaya bulldozers would be flattening soi 6 as we speak - never a btter opportunity than right now

 

not happening 

I agree about metro and 6 but I think keeping them either where they are or moving them is important.  Street girls after dark on beach road is not an issue.

 

However Pattaya has to find a balance with providing not only a draw for tourists but also for Thai's.

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Keeping the already vaccinated out defies any real logic then ????

 

Does it really? Being fully vaccinated is purely a personal protection that should reduce the severity of the symptoms of any infection. Being double-shotted does not prevent you catching it or spreading it and offers no protections to others, vaccinated or otherwise.

 

Vaccine 101.

[keithkarmann]

3 hours ago, madmen said:

Whenever Thailand and Pattaya fully open around 2024 there will be thousands of farm girls on busses making a beeline 

A lot of new ones as well?

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

walking street might change but I see no changes to LK or soi 6, if they were earnist in their convictions to rebrand Pattaya bulldozers would be flattening soi 6 as we speak - never a btter opportunity than right now

 

not happening 

 

Why would one need a bulldozer to change the business demographics of Soi 6 or any Soi for that matter? They certainly didn't need a bulldozer to change it from a 'Soi Yodsak', a quiet commercial precinct with the city library, dozens of travel and law offices and the town's first supermarket into Pattaya's own 'four floors of whores'.

[chang1]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Does it really? Being fully vaccinated is purely a personal protection that should reduce the severity of the symptoms of any infection. Being double-shotted does not prevent you catching it or spreading it and offers no protections to others, vaccinated or otherwise.

 

Vaccine 101.

Being vaccinated reduces your chance of infecting others as well so not just a personal choice. Your decision whether to vaccinate or not can affect others. 

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

tens of thousands of pretty girls selling themselves.

Where?