Old photos of Pattaya show beach resort of a bygone era

[Kerryd]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Same as everywhere I have been early, before the crowds. 

 

Sihanoukville in the late 90's, early 00's was a similar paradise. Now completely ruined by the Chinese.

Indeed. In addition to the development in Sihanoukville, the Chinese have also built a mega-resort nearby and a "military grade" airport as well as having the "secret" deal to lease most/all of the Ream Naval base.
And all of that is in the same small area around that bay.

I remember in the early 2000's when people were whining about how big (and expensive) Pattaya was getting and were suggesting that "we" should all go to Sihanoukville where it was more like "the old days".

I think their hope was that they'd get in early, buy all the prime real estate and then resell (or re-lease) it to everyone who followed. They probably weren't expecting all those who followed to be Chinese though !

Very few places every retain their "pristine" beauty as the more popular they become, the more developed they become and the more people who arrive looking to make money from the place.

Think about this.

1970  - world population - 3.6 billion.
2020 - world population - 7.8 billion.

Over double the size in 50 years while the number of "pristine" holiday destinations has stayed pretty much the same.

[gk10012001]

On 7/26/2021 at 12:21 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Good report.

 

I was recommended the Mike Hotel near Royal Garden Mall and stayed there for years. Good hotel in it's day, but fallen on hard times last time I went to Pattaya.

I eventually moved to the Sawasdee hotels, as cheaper, 300 baht, but no lift.

 

Just to be correct, Walking Street wasn't Walking Street in the early 90s, and it was just a street. I think it became Walking Street in '96. Whenever it was, I was at the opening. More like a beer garden to start and none of those farang wannabe cops. In fact no cops at all. The street didn't even go all the way to Bali Hi, and the restaurants at that end lost out badly.

 

The Marine Disco was the place from when it opened till sometime after midnight, and then I'd go to another disco behind the Lucky Star bars which was open till well after dawn. I never managed to stay there till it closed, and I had to run the katoey gauntlet at the Beach road entrance to go back to my hotel.

Back then, there was always a bar open somewhere, and not unusual to see farangs drinking early morning.

That happy situation continued till Thaksin's evil henchman did his best to destroy the Pattaya farang scene. He even sent cops from Bkk to destroy it. I saw them assembled as I was leaving to go to the islands. I'm happy I missed the disaster that was to be visited on Pattaya by that man. IMO it's never recovered to what it was before. Sad.

 

The best street back then of course was Soi 8. Never even heard of Buakhao or Soi 6 back then. The sois by the Boy Town ( not sure if that's the correct name ) were also popular.

Plenty of small gogos to be found around town, but not like the big ones to come on Walking Street. Tahitian Queen was probably the best known. I never bothered with them though, as the Bkk ones had spoiled me.

 

Beach Road had a lot more bars along it than now. It would have been hard to walk far without a bar complex.

Naklua had a good collection of bars not far up from the Dolphin.

 

Only 3 malls then The Big C one near the Dolphin, the Mike and the Royal Garden. They were plenty enough though. The Mike was where all the tour buses went in the evening, and the car park on Second was full of buses.

 

It wasn't as easy to get to Pattaya back then. 4 hours from Ekamai, and longer while they were building the overhead expressway. One needed a Walkman to while away the time in the horrendeous traffic jams.

 

No farang with sense swam in Pattaya Bay, but apparently it was better than in the 80s. Jomptien was the beach for swimming.

Every morning dozens of speedboats came down Beach road to be launched, and the bay was full of big boats. We went out to them on a small boat for trips. Loads of ?Japanese tour groups walking down to the beach all with the same regulation hotel towels to go out on the big boats.

 

For those that remember the Malibu Show, that was a big deal back then and always packed with customers. The 2 big lady boy shows, Alcazar and Tiffanies were very popular with Asian tourists. I suppose they are closed at the moment.

 

Since those happy days, the nice beach promenade has been destroyed, the walkway around the headland to Naklua beach collapsed, the derelict marina was built, the ghastly Waterfront monstrocity was erected, the promenade to the Lighthouse was turned into a speedboat park, and the nice grassy park at Bali Hi had a stupid carpark built on it. Seems the leaders are only good at bad constructions. They couldn't even make 3rd road wide enough for increased traffic in later years, despite it going through empty fields.

Pitiful.

my first visit was in Sep 2004.  I so loved the late nights or early mornings after I hit the sack early but then at 3 or 4 am was awake.  Could stroll down to walking street and that bar complex near soi diamond that had like gate posts but no real gate was always open. So many girls went there after work.  Good hook up time without bar fines.  And of course all along soi 7 or soi 8 as well as other streets.  Some times I had the flight from the USA that got into BKK at 0130 am.  No problem.  Take a taxi to Pattaya, check into FLipper lodge or whatever.  Then about 3 or 4 am now still easy to walk around the sois and many bars were still quietly open, with the lights low. Easy to find some company.  Gosh it was heaven.  And walking home late after closing but just wandering around, the burger carts on the side streets were great to sit and get a cheese burger fries and a coke.  Met some interesting people at 330 am.  7 11 always fun at those times also. and of course KISS was open 24 hours.  What a great getaway.  I am a small butterfly and just loved the fact one could do these things if they wanted.

 

  I so agree with the malls.  Garden, Mike and Big C were plenty. Kept the smallish town feeling of Pattaya.  Loved the trees and natural shade along beach road.  remember metal park benches to sit on.  There were flower beds towards the north side of beach road.  Just beautiful.  Now cold, sterile, trees hacked, obscene bright stadium lights ruin the night time scene.  Tops market corner of Pattaya Klang and Second road was all a tourist needed for light food shopping.  Fresh bread, some cheese.  Great snack for the hotel fridge.  Internet shops were fun.  I had no thai phone or anything like that so used to use some of the little phone stalls now and then to check my USA voice mail. (remember the red english phone booth place)? Pig and Whistle was packed with euro expats and tourists.  Loved the full english breakfast.  The Pattaya girls were so much leaner and more fit than most are today.  Much more chubbiness due to western food I guess, KFC and what not.  Killing myself now just thinking of when to head back for trip 16 and semi retirement.  Gonna give the COVID thing a few more months before I make any trips there and hope things sort out well

[gk10012001]

Remember the Welcome Inn over on soi 3-4?  The ultimate short time place.  How about the walkway around the point and against the cliff from Pattaya to Naklua?  That fell down around 2005?  Soi Yume behind what was then Carre 4 was dirt.  My buddy always stayed at nantana Gardens down that way.  Diana Inn now gone.  What a nice outdoor pool area that had.  How about just actual Low and High seasons?  Traffic gone in low seasons.   Some pretty good videos of days gone by from some German or Austrian chaps on u tooob.  The one showing the view from big buddha Hill with not a single big hotel in Pattaya is amazing

[khaowong1]

On 7/25/2021 at 10:34 PM, Kerryd said:

My first trip was in Feb '93.

Started off in a hotel on the north end of Pattaya Beach (around soi 2).
First night I walked all the way down to the Marine Bar on Walking Street. There was some shops and restaurants past the "Big Buddha Tree" but not much for "entertainment" so I went back to the Marine Bar.
Ended up changing hotels and going to the brand new "DayNight 2" hotel which was much cheaper (further from the beach though which wasn't an issue for me) and quieter.

I'd gone to one go-go bar in Bangkok on the first night of my trip. It was boring so I never even looked at the (one or two) that were on Walking Street at the time. I think there was Happy's (on soi Happy) and the Electric Blue on Walking Street.

Next trip was in '98 and I think they were only up to about a dozen a-go-gos by then, maybe 20 by the time I came back in 2000, all on Walking Street. 

Then it started to explode. In 2004 there were a couple dozen. By 2006 there was probably 3 dozen plus. I remember calculating that if you spent 1 hour per club from 8pm to 3 am, it would take one full week to hit every go-go bar on Walking Street.

2006-2010 was boom time. I think the total number of go-gos in Pattaya went up to around 75. They were popping up on Soi 7 and soi Bhukhao for the first time as well as in Jomtien. I remember going to the first one that opened off of Walking Street (I think it was "We are the World" and was at the bottom of Soi 7, just before Beach Rd.)
The little side sois off of Walking Street were hosting a lot of go-gos as well. They were springing up everywhere !
 

Walking Street - 1979                                                            (Taken by someone coming down "Big Buddha Hill")
 


                  Pattaya Bay - 1970                                                                   Pattaya Bay 2017
                       


Pattaya Bar Girls (circa late 1960s)

I think I know them, or maybe it's their grand-daughters.  LOL

 

[Kerryd]

3 minutes ago, khaowong1 said:

I think I know them, or maybe it's their grand-daughters.  LOL

 

I don't know, it could still be "them" just with different hairstyles !!

I did know one woman who was dancing in a go-go bar and let me know her (20 year old) daughter was "available" - she was the cashier !

It gets scarier when you realize you've been coming here for over 20 years (or 28 years) and start to wonder if any of those girls up on stage may be your daughter. (Or daughters.)

[khaowong1]

10 hours ago, Kerryd said:

I don't know, it could still be "them" just with different hairstyles !!

I did know one woman who was dancing in a go-go bar and let me know her (20 year old) daughter was "available" - she was the cashier !

It gets scarier when you realize you've been coming here for over 20 years (or 28 years) and start to wonder if any of those girls up on stage may be your daughter. (Or daughters.)

ha ha ha ha .. yep, I was there in 69 on R&R.  Maybe a daughter or son running around. 

[LongTimeLurker]

On 7/26/2021 at 10:34 AM, Kerryd said:

My first trip was in Feb '93.

 

On 7/26/2021 at 10:34 AM, Kerryd said:

I'd gone to one go-go bar in Bangkok on the first night of my trip. It was boring so I never even looked at the (one or two) that were on Walking Street at the time. I think there was Happy's (on soi Happy) and the Electric Blue on Walking Street.

Happy and Electric Blue didn't exist in 1993.

 

Soi Happy didn't even exist then!

[Kerryd]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

Happy and Electric Blue didn't exist in 1993.

 

Soi Happy didn't even exist then!

OK.
Apparently Happy started "over 20 years ago" so 2000/2001 ? I thought it was much older than that.

I was sure there had been 1 or 2 go-gos on Walking Street back then but maybe I had the year wrong.
Quite frankly, a lot was a blur. I do recall though that I made a conscious decision to stay away from go-go bars in Pattaya but that may have been on the 2nd trip I made.
Was there in '93, '98 (twice), 2000 and 2002. Back in again in 2004 when I rented my first apartment and started making month long trips 2-3 times a year.

[1FinickyOne]

On 7/25/2021 at 3:30 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Not too busy and fun, fun, fun.

until daddy took the T-Bird away? 

[1FinickyOne]

I was there in 1974 - but there was very little there, there... 

[bangkok19]

I used to do the Hash Runs in the mid-80's. 

I still have a 2 hour VHS tape here somewhere with a video recording of the after-run highlights... the drink truck and all the singing, drinking (in the circle) afterwards until it got dark and the beer went dry. Jessie was the Hash Master at the time (may he Rest In Peace).

We'd later kick-on back to a Pattaya bar for more drinks.  Got some video in one of the bars with DOORS music in the background.

In those days I had a BIG Panasonic Video camera that recorded on the actual VHS Video Cassette...   so, straight out of the camera and into the Video Player to watch on TV.

I can remember one night returning to the Tahitian Queen and we played part of my video on their TV.

We were all telling the dancing darlings to get out of the way so we could see the TV.

Crikey...  the guys and gals in that video would all be 36 years older if they're still around.

Scarey!

[Pattaya Spotter]

On 7/24/2021 at 11:22 AM, saakura said:

Looks so beautiful. How they have destroyed it by encouraging mass tourism & group tours. 

I rather like having air-con malls, a plethora of dining and hotel options, AND a nice beach...especially as I'm not in the military. To each their own.

[LongTimeLurker]

18 hours ago, Kerryd said:

OK.
Apparently Happy started "over 20 years ago" so 2000/2001 ? I thought it was much older than that.

I was sure there had been 1 or 2 go-gos on Walking Street back then but maybe I had the year wrong.
Quite frankly, a lot was a blur. I do recall though that I made a conscious decision to stay away from go-go bars in Pattaya but that may have been on the 2nd trip I made.
Was there in '93, '98 (twice), 2000 and 2002. Back in again in 2004 when I rented my first apartment and started making month long trips 2-3 times a year.

I arrived in 1994 and there were a few go-gos in Soi Diamond, Baby and Carousel, and notably the open air Carousel Bar in the middle of the soi that rotated. TQ2 was on Soi BJ, and along Walking Street there was The Blackout Bar which was the best of the lot. There was another that I don't remember the name of, just by Linda's bar.

 

On Soi 13 (?) there was The Classroom and (something) Jack's (someone help me out here), an Aussie themed bar, it later became Rodeo Bar I think.

 

I remember Happy opening so I know it wasn't there in 1993, and Electric Blue is one of the new ones I've never been in.

[johng]

13 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I arrived in 1994 and there were a few go-gos in Soi Diamond, Baby and Carousel, and notably the open air Carousel Bar in the middle of the soi that rotated.

2003    25th anniversary bash.

 

 

 

[Kerryd]

17 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I remember Happy opening so I know it wasn't there in 1993, and Electric Blue is one of the new ones I've never been in.

Electric Blue was just down the street from where Peppermint is now. It was probably 2000 when I dared enter (but it could have opened long before that). 
I remember it was my first "dart show". 
I used to hang out in the Lucky Star Bar across from the Marine Bar, close to where the Blues Factory used to be. Took me a long time before I started going to the gogos instead. 
Used to love Polo when it was running. Was my favourite gogo for years. Also used to go to the Wet n' Wild (formerly the Blue Lagoon before they moved to Beach Rd). It was on the bottom floor of the Center Condo complex not far from my apartment on Soi DayNight 2.

The residents of Center Condo weren't so thrilled with the place though ! Or the things I used to do in their pool, sauna and jacuzzi !

[LongTimeLurker]

18 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Electric Blue was just down the street from where Peppermint is now

I thought Electric Blue was up one of the side sois, not on WS itself?

[Kerryd]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I thought Electric Blue was up one of the side sois, not on WS itself?

I see there used to be a "Club Electric Blue" which opened in Pattaya in 2007 and then moved to soi 15 in 2015.

[delboy]

I first visited Pattaya with my friend in August 1981, on a stopover coming back from Hong Kong.  We stayed at the Orchid Lodge, near the Dolphin Roundabout.  The Grace and the Marine Bar were the big 2 bars in South Pattaya (Walking Street hadn't been named then), with a free Katoy show at the Simon Bar.  

Walking north on Beach Road after the Bus Station was a bit desolate, only a few small bars sprinkled about.  I met my future wife in one of those small bars in 1982 just where the Police Station, next to the Festival. is today.  We stayed in the Green Hotel.

Second Road Soi 4          Tahitian Queen                 

Second Road was very lightly populated.  No bar fines in those days, all the girls were free agents.  400 baht short time, 500 baht all night.

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

There was another that I don't remember the name of, just by Linda's bar.

Hooty's?

[Kerryd]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Hooty's?

There have been so many bars/shops/restaurants in that area over the years. Just looking at Google's Street View since 2012 and you can see all the changes just in the last 9 years.

But the go-go I remember going to that one time would have been in the area near Linda's. I don't recall it being past the "Big Buddha tree" but it could have been (maybe around where the FLB bar used to be).

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, delboy said:

Second Road was very lightly populated.  No bar fines in those days, all the girls were free agents

Great photos, thanks.

 

The bay used to be full of those big boats back in the early 90s.

I'm surprised it developed so fast between the 70s and early 80s. I thought it took longer.

[LongTimeLurker]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:03 AM, jacko45k said:

Hooty's?

No, don't recognise that name.

 

It was just past Linda's, opposite the Red Lion with the entrance door set well back from the road, low stage on the left when you went in?

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

No, don't recognise that name.

 

It was just past Linda's, opposite the Red Lion with the entrance door set well back from the road, low stage on the left when you went in?

Afraid it is all a bit of a blur.... near where Crazy House was?

[dabhand]

On 7/30/2021 at 12:02 PM, delboy said:

I first visited Pattaya with my friend in August 1981, on a stopover coming back from Hong Kong.  We stayed at the Orchid Lodge, near the Dolphin Roundabout.  The Grace and the Marine Bar were the big 2 bars in South Pattaya (Walking Street hadn't been named then), with a free Katoy show at the Simon Bar.  

Walking north on Beach Road after the Bus Station was a bit desolate, only a few small bars sprinkled about.  I met my future wife in one of those small bars in 1982 just where the Police Station, next to the Festival. is today.  We stayed in the Green Hotel.

Second Road Soi 4          Tahitian Queen                 

Second Road was very lightly populated.  No bar fines in those days, all the girls were free agents.  400 baht short time, 500 baht all night.

Excellent pics and many thanks for posting them.

 

Your timeline matched almost exactly with mine. I first visited Pattaya around July 1981 (from Saudi) and also met up with my future wife in 1982 - although that was a Bangkok meetup. Early years stayed mainly at Ocean View on Beach Road before buying a place in The Village on 3rd Road around 1988.

 

Really happy to have experienced Pattaya way back then, although still a 'late arrival' for some of the early birds!!

 

Yes, in those days the Marine Bar was the go to place. Even recall the space invader machines located at the back. Stories about other games are best left untold...... Was lucky to be in the Marine Bar, in 1984, when the QE2 was in port and some of the crew took on the local Muay Thai guys with predictable results. Recorded for posterity as part of a Whicker's World show.  

 

Oh for a Time Machine.

[JensenZ]

On 7/24/2021 at 1:17 PM, NCC1701A said:

many old photos of Thailand with old cars and fashions but one thing really stands out to me, no massive piles of cables on power poles.   

Most of the cables are internet and TV cables. There was neither back then.

[delboy]

3 hours ago, dabhand said:

 

 

Yes, in those days the Marine Bar was the go to place. Even recall the space invader machines located at the back. Stories about other games are best left untold...... Was lucky to be in the Marine Bar, in 1984, when the QE2 was in port and some of the crew took on the local Muay Thai guys with predictable results. Recorded for posterity as part of a Whicker's World show.  

 

Oh for a Time Machine.

I used to stay at the Ocean View, as well

 

I think the Thai boxing was filmed in the bar just at the start of Walking Street.

 

The whole Whickers World episode is on Youtube  

 Or the shortened Pattaya portion (not the whole of the Pattaya part)

 

 

[sungod]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:03 AM, jacko45k said:

Hooty's?

Wasn't Hooty's the old Baby Go Go 3?

[Kerryd]

Yeah, on my first trip to Pattaya, when I walked down to "Walking Street" there was a big beer bar complex on the right side (just before Beach Road curved towards South Pattaya road) that had a Muay Thai ring in it. I watched it for a couple of minutes before wandering further down where I came across the Marine Bar which also had a ring.

Didn't take long to figure out the fights were staged, especially when the guys you'd just seen at one spot turn up at the other one. Some of the women around the place knew who the fighters were and who was "supposed" to win each match.

And of course, every so often some foreigner who'd taken a Muay Thai lesson or two back home would want to get in the ring and test his skills against  a Thai fighter (who was usually much smaller).

You could see the foreigners would be fighting for "real" while the Thai guys would be playing like it was an exhibition match for fun. Until the foreigner did something stupid (like grab the Thai guy in a corner and throw him to the mat). Then it would be "bap bap whack smack and thump" as the foreigner hit the canvas.

Back then, between the matches they'd have a "traditional dance" show (half a dozen women dressed in traditional costumes and doing traditional style dances) for 10 minutes or so and then maybe a "snake" show.

Years later they dropped the dance and snake acts and I swear the Muay Thai guys were the same ones that had been there years earlier.

Loved looking at the "Disco" clothing the girls were wearing - and the one guy's afro. 

 

[sharecropper]

Inspired by this great thread I just looked out a couple of photos I took over Jomtien from the Metro condo in 2005. No Second Road, just mostly wetlands, grazing cattle and marsh birds.

[2009]

On 7/25/2021 at 3:30 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Didn't look like that in 1993, but it was as good as it gets back then. Not too busy and fun, fun, fun.

What was more fun compared with revent years?