Pattaya Darkest Hour

[Leaver]

10 hours ago, BigStar said:

One had promised that he'd leave if the Sunday roasts stopped.

 

That would be me, and you have quoted me out of context.

 

I basically said, pre covid, and then again in covid times, if businesses catering for westerners keep closing down to the point I can not find a decent Sunday roast around Pattaya,  I will leave.  

 

Many western businesses were closing pre covid, with more and more Chinese tourists coming to Pattaya.  Think, Sihanoukville.  

[Leaver]

15 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

The people lining up all turn up on motorbikes (see bottom of photo) the real homeless on beach road seem to miss out.

 

Anyway the video just exaggerates the issue how about for balance including new places opening and all the new condos being built

 

I think you will find all those motorbikes are owned by Youtubers who are filming the food hand outs.  ????  

[Leaver]

58 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

I'd be in trouble then as all I know is Pattaya and Bangkok, but mainly Pattaya.

 

I'm no longer interested in travelling around SEA and just want a place to call home, somewhere I'm comfortable. I've seen just enough of Thailand and SEA to know that Pattaya is high on the list of places to live. Sure, there are others, but its on the list. It's pretty hard to make a case for living in another country in the region. Philippines - done 5 years - no thanks. Malaysia, no thanks, Where else would you suggest is a contender. Communist Vietnam? I wouldn't even mention Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia or Myanmar. There just aren't that many good options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you ever truly call Thailand home?  We are all only here on visas.  We don't have residency status.  Do you have a Plan B?

 

Vietnam is my Plan B.  

 

Maybe Bali - Indonesia would be my Plan C.  

[JensenZ]

11 hours ago, huangnon said:

Concerns me that with so many people rapidly losing their jobs and incomes without much of any support from their supposed Govt, this place might turn into a dangerous place to live.

People thought that at first, last year, but it didn't.

[JensenZ]

Just now, Leaver said:

 

Can you ever truly call Thailand home?  We are all only here on visas.  We don't have residency status.  Do you have a Plan B?

 

Vietnam is my Plan B.  

 

Maybe Bali - Indonesia would be my Plan C.  

I call it home. Plan B, back to Philippines, Plan C - back to Australia. The visa sh*t doesn't concern me too much. It's one of the reasons Pattaya is a good place as the immigration tends to be less hassle than in other locations. Sure, they have their moments, but overall it's one of the better offices.

[HashBrownHarry]

1 hour ago, Leaver said:

I will leave.  

Promise?

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Leaver said:

I basically said, pre covid, and then again in covid times, if businesses catering for westerners keep closing down to the point I can not find a decent Sunday roast around Pattaya,  I will leave.  

Yep, and I basically said you said that, and, truth to tell, them decent Sunday roasts have stopped, meaning you can not find any decent Sunday roasts around Pattaya. A Grab-delivered styrofoam roast counts as both improper and indecent, sorry; no squirming and wiggling out the commitment.

 

So: you will leave. When? Packing yet? We been hearing about that no-decent-Sunday-roast Plan B for at least a year now.

 

 

[Golden Triangle]

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

I'd be in trouble then as all I know is Pattaya and Bangkok, but mainly Pattaya.

 

I'm no longer interested in travelling around SEA and just want a place to call home, somewhere I'm comfortable. I've seen just enough of Thailand and SEA to know that Pattaya is high on the list of places to live. Sure, there are others, but its on the list. It's pretty hard to make a case for living in another country in the region. Philippines - done 5 years - no thanks. Malaysia, no thanks, Where else would you suggest is a contender. Communist Vietnam? I wouldn't even mention Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia or Myanmar. There just aren't that many good options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I live out on the Darkside of Pattaya, I have 16 years history of Thailand, 10 actually living here, before I moved here I had already visited many places, mainly up country, visiting friends & basically having a good time away from sin city, myself & the mrs have been as far North, South, East & West as one can go, and all places inbetween, I think we have done in excess of 15,000 km driving around the country.

 

One just needs the wheels & want, the want to see the real country on a daily basis, not the BS that is Walking St Pattaya, I rarely go into town now except for shopping, there are some truly stunning restaurants around the lake, just waiting for them to open again with a full service & me & the mrs have both been double jabbed.

[Leaver]

11 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Yep, and I basically said you said that, and, truth to tell, them decent Sunday roasts have stopped, meaning you can not find any decent Sunday roasts around Pattaya. A Grab-delivered styrofoam roast counts as both improper and indecent, sorry; no squirming and wiggling out the commitment.

 

So: you will leave. When? Packing yet? We been hearing about that no-decent-Sunday-roast Plan B for at least a year now.

 

 

 

The lock down is temporary.  Dining in will return.

[Leaver]

40 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Promise?

 

As always, great content from you, Harry.  

 

 

[JensenZ]

2 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

I live out on the Darkside of Pattaya, I have 16 years history of Thailand, 10 actually living here, before I moved here I had already visited many places, mainly up country, visiting friends & basically having a good time away from sin city, myself & the mrs have been as far North, South, East & West as one can go, and all places inbetween, I think we have done in excess of 15,000 km driving around the country.

 

One just needs the wheels & want, the want to see the real country on a daily basis, not the BS that is Walking St Pattaya, I rarely go into town now except for shopping, there are some truly stunning restaurants around the lake, just waiting for them to open again with a full service & me & the mrs have both been double jabbed.

There's no need to apologize for Walking Street. I've lived on the bright side of Pattaya for 15 years and very close to Walking Street, but hardly ever went there (when the lights were still on). As a Pattaya resident, it's not a compulsory activity.

[HashBrownHarry]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

As always, great content from you, Harry.  

 

 

Thanks

[jacko45k]

8 hours ago, JensenZ said:

There just aren't that many good options.

Bali Indonesia is quite nice......

[Caldera]

9 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Can you ever truly call Thailand home?  We are all only here on visas.  We don't have residency status.  Do you have a Plan B?

 

Vietnam is my Plan B.  

 

Maybe Bali - Indonesia would be my Plan C.  

Fair point about residency status, or the lack thereof, here in Thailand. But how would you get that in Vietnam? I've seen many people mention Vietnam as a Plan B over the years, but isn't the visa situation there actually even worse?

[rumak]

18 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

You mean gambled using it as collateral and lost it all to the loan sharks. 

there are some good thais as well as the losers.    I don't know the percentages........

 

I have generalities (many unfavorable)  about westerners,  expats,  women,  men,  as well.

 

the generalities about people in power however........... are all true

[mighty]

On 8/6/2021 at 8:16 PM, Mickeymaus said:

Pattaya is a big red light district. And sadly this kind of business has a problem now. Perhaps it should try to get transformed into a high quality family tourist destination and/or a normal city like Bangkok that doesn't depend on party and sex tourism so much. But not everything is lost. There is still a stretch even now in front of Tree Town with many hookers and farangs every day. It seems to be an allowed area - we had the same last year. Sadly at this time an entertainer picked up at this party mile got killed by a Farang. Was in the news everywhere. Hard to forget. And one more thing is surprising. Many shops close but they build new bars like crazy - now at this time. So the future of Pattaya might be - more of what it has been already. 

u could be right

Edited August 8, 2021 by mighty
wrong

[Rampant Rabbit]

17 hours ago, johng said:

I have an idea   the palm trees provide next to no shade

You  might  want to reconsider  that being as there are thousands of different palm trees , wife for scale

[redwood1]

1 hour ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

You  might  want to reconsider  that being as there are thousands of different palm trees , wife for scale

This maybe true but the Palm Trees that they are in love with and plant everywhere are the type that don't give much shade at all....

[redwood1]

19 hours ago, johng said:

More bloody palm trees...why oh why do they hate the huge shade trees that grow on the shoreline naturally ?

I have an idea   the palm trees provide next to no shade  so the deck chair and umbrella vendors have a "captive" market ( when/if the tourists ever return)

the vendors of course have to pay for the concession to  use the beach.

I think they honestly dont give a rats-azz about the deck chair vendos, the deck chair vendors have never been treated that well.....

 

No, I think the dislike for shade trees and seating is because, they don't want people hanging out relaxing and socializing on the beach....Which is exactly what was happening before 2013 when the beach promenade was a beautiful place, that everyone loved, with loads of shade and seating......

 

Cut down all the shade trees, plant a bunch of shadeless Palm trees, remove all the seating..........And Wa-la.......No one goes to or hangs out on the beach any more in the daytime because its scorching hot most of the year and there is no place to sit.......

 

This shadeless beach it looks like they will be making is just another nail in Pattaya's coffin....

No one and I mean absolutely no one wants a promenade without seating or shade.....

Edited August 8, 2021 by redwood1

[JensenZ]

18 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Ok maybe there have been a few but in past years the frequency of fallers/jumpers was unbelievable, especially for a city the size of Pattaya... 

It's hard to fall off high rise balconies in rural areas, and in Pattaya they sensationalize each and every suicide. I think you'll find, on deeper analysis, that suicides per capita in Pattaya are the same as the rest of Thailand. 

[chrisandsu]

On 8/6/2021 at 4:11 PM, Rampant Rabbit said:

Woman in red doesnt exactly look malnourished neither do the people in the queue getting  food, not exactly dainty are they. What they miss is  the "easy  life" jobs are available but they DONT want to do them, shortage of  people to work on the land for a  start , sitting on your ass  all day in a bar or  selling food is easier.

Or waiting for a farang with a pension to support her lardy ass with sprogs  in tow . 

[JensenZ]

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Bali Indonesia is quite nice......

I've been there 3 times. It might be OK for a vacation, but that's about it.

[Ralf001]

On 8/6/2021 at 9:04 PM, Chris.B said:

It would be a good setting for a Zombie movie though. In fact I was expecting some to come out when I was watching the video. ????????

 

Had the displeasure of needing to go over brightside this to beach road... sorted what I had to get done and came home via Soi Buakhao.

 

Many elderly farangs walking/shuffling around just like zombies do !!

Edited August 8, 2021 by Ralf001

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/7/2021 at 1:18 AM, Chris.B said:

A bit of over the top, artistic licence used here!

 

What's with all the derelict and partly demolished buildings, they weren't down to Covid.

 

Seemed like the same scenes played over and over. Doesn't mean that ALL of Pattaya is like that.

[jacko45k]

53 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

I've been there 3 times. It might be OK for a vacation, but that's about it.

I would prefer Thailand myself.. but did talk with Westerners who lived there, and they seemed very happy. Personally I found getting around the place a real pain, with awful roads and traffic... people are a big plus.

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Had the displeasure of needing to go over brightside this to beach road... sorted what I had to get done and came home via Soi Buakhao.

 

Many elderly farangs walking/shuffling around just like zombies do !!

It is true that in high season Soi Buakhao often looks like a Walking Dead episode

[Ralf001]

10 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It is true that in high season Soi Buakhao often looks like a Walking Dead episode

Walking dead TV set sums it up perfectly.

 

So so many shuffling round like zombies on a movie set..... I actually put my mask on and I was alone in my car !!

[JensenZ]

17 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

The lock down is temporary.  Dining in will return.

With daily infections around the 20,000 mark and deaths between 100 - 200 a day, it's not likely to be anytime soon IMO.

[Leaver]

14 hours ago, Caldera said:

Fair point about residency status, or the lack thereof, here in Thailand. But how would you get that in Vietnam? I've seen many people mention Vietnam as a Plan B over the years, but isn't the visa situation there actually even worse?

I have a couple of ex Thailand friends there.  One opened a bar and is living there on a Temporary Resident Card.  From memory, they last about 2 or 3 years. 

 

The other is married, so he's on a 5 year marriage visa for about $50USD, no other hoops.  That's a pretty good deal.  

[Leaver]

5 hours ago, JensenZ said:

With daily infections around the 20,000 mark and deaths between 100 - 200 a day, it's not likely to be anytime soon IMO.

 

It's in the hands of the Thai's now.  The faster they can procure or manufacture vaccines, and administer them, the faster they can open the country up.  

 

The date, the vaccination program here has been a shambles.