Video: For Sale - Pattaya's once famed nightlife

[webfact]

Picture: TNA

 

Thai media TNA once again highlighted the desperate state of the nightlife scene in Pattaya with a video and news report.

 

They said that places like Walking Street remained completely shut despite the government's much vaunted November 1st reopening. 

 

It's been closed down for the best part of two years, they said, and with the continuing alcohol ban there is no end in sight.

 

Only restaurants are allowed to open their doors and serve a drink, they said in a report that concentrated on the once famed nightlife area of Walking Street in South Pattaya.

 

Still completely absent are the throngs of curious tourists and party-goers.

 

In their place are "for sale" signs and "property for rent".

 

One presenter said there were more signs than customers. 

 

Those businesses that remain viable might have been given some relief by landlords but many haven't and are still having to pay full rents and staff salaries. 

 

Elsewhere hotels were doing only a little better.

 

Weekday occupancy was a mere 10% and this in the high season that should by now be in full swing.

 

At weekends there was 30% occupancy and long weekends hoteliers were reporting 50-60%. 

 

The video showed what amounted to little more than a ghost town for sale after the ravages of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

 

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[Gottfrid]

It´s the buyers market! Nice to here. Time to get up with the money bags.

[sungod]

Must be all of a week since we saw an article like this.

[animalmagic]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

It´s the buyers market! Nice to here. Time to get up with the money bags.

They have probably already decided who the buyers will be!

[Gottfrid]

8 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

They have probably already decided who the buyers will be!

You just crushed my big dream of becoming a real life pimp stinking of sweat bar owner with a beer printed wife beater in Pattaya.

Edited November 12, 2021 by Gottfrid

[xylophone]

This video confirms what I heard from a couple of youngish guys I met last week in a rock band bar in Patong, as they had come from Pattaya to experience the nightlife here, as they said that Pattaya was dead!

[KhunLA]

youtube shows that for all the int'l tourist areas, Samui, Phuket, Patts. 

 

Guessing it will be that way for a long time, certainly the rest of this high season, as the few true tourist trickle in.

 

They really need to direct their attention and develop the domestic tourism market for the 70 million potential customers here.  Sandbox schemes basically killed the Samui & Phuket domestic market.

 

Myself, not vax'd, others not completely vax'd have no desire to roll the dice with a test, and get a 2 week overpriced holiday in a hospital.  Was on Phuket 3 times in the last year.  Guess I won't be going back anytime soon.

[Ralf001]

11 minutes ago, xylophone said:

This video confirms what I heard from a couple of youngish guys I met last week in a rock band bar in Patong, as they had come from Pattaya to experience the nightlife here, as they said that Pattaya was dead!

Yeah if you come for beers, boobies and chrome poles ya might be a tad disappointed but other than that, Pattaya is doing ok

[rtco]

32 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Pattaya is doing ok

Is it!!! That's not from what I see with all the shuttered businesses (not just to bars, pubs & clubs) and the people on the streets with no income and nowhere to live. This is all part of the Governments end-game to kill the sleezy image of Pattaya and try and turn it into whoever knows what. I certainly don't. 

[Ralf001]

20 minutes ago, rtco said:

Is it!!! That's not from what I see with all the shuttered businesses (not just to bars, pubs & clubs) and the people on the streets with no income and nowhere to live. This is all part of the Governments end-game to kill the sleezy image of Pattaya and try and turn it into whoever knows what. I certainly don't. 

Where in Patts are you seeing that ?

[RichardColeman]

And the amount of hoops you need to jump through to get to the apocalypse wasteland is ridiculous

[KhunBENQ]

Pattaya nightlife might shrink and move but not be killed completely.

Walking street is a depressing view since more than a year.

 

Some of the huge beer bar areas around town might never come back.

E.g. I had seen Soi Made In Thailand being cleared.

What the move of the Tuesday/Friday market at Soi Buakhao means? (for rent)

Last I saw was heavy machinery flatten and resurface the plot?

 

But I could also see how much renovation, rebuilt, new built is going on in the Soi Buakhao/LK Metro area. If this would be going south some investors will need a rope.
 

[NVass]

From talking to various bar owners. This isn't going to kill the nightlife scene. Not all, but many larger places have let the staff go ( and the premises if they are forced to pay rent) and they are sitting on there money to reopen once they are allowed. I am 100% sure it will spring back quickly once it can (Even though it might change somewhat).

The only people this is truly hurting are the little people, mostly staff and small bar owners.

The main problem I see is the image of Thailand portrayed to the rest of the world by crippling the night life industry, leaves Thailand as a "me too" destination. There are lot's of beaches and temples and amazing food all over Asia. What differentiated Thailand from the rest was its fantastic Night Life (Not just Go Go Bars) and without this Thailand becomes just another voice in the crowd. They really don't get what made Thailand special and I think they will live to regret it!

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by NVass

[dlclark97]

56 minutes ago, rtco said:

Is it!!! That's not from what I see with all the shuttered businesses (not just to bars, pubs & clubs) and the people on the streets with no income and nowhere to live. This is all part of the Governments end-game to kill the sleezy image of Pattaya and try and turn it into whoever knows what. I certainly don't. 

Drove from Dolphin Circle to Walking Street entrance 2 days ago.  Pretty bleak scene.  Very few seen that I would consider to have been tourists and many (most) shops usually crowded with tourists are shuttered.  Even Central Festival Mall had few customers.  Recovery will take years and some current restrictions and newly enacted laws must be drastically modified or dismissed before tourists are back in any quantity.  Those who have come may end up being very disappointed unless they fully expected to spend their 3-4 week holiday in a lounge chair on the beaches.  The many places that used to attract and cater to tourists are almost non existent at this time.  What Floating Market?

[dlclark97]

4 minutes ago, NVass said:

From talking to various bar owners. This isn't going to kill the nightlife scene. Not all, but many larger places have let the staff go ( and the premises if they are forced to pay rent) and they are sitting on there money to reopen once they are allowed. I am 100% sure it will spring back quickly once it can (Even though it might change somewhat).

The only people this is truly hurting are the little people, mostly staff and small bar owners.

The main problem I see is the image of Thailand portrayed to the rest of the world by crippling the night life industry leaves Thailand as a "me too" destination. There are lot's of beaches and temples and amazing food all over Asia. What differentiated Thailand from the rest was its fantastic Night Life (Not just Go Go Bars) and without this Thailand becomes just another voice in the crowd. They really don't get what made Thailand special and I think they will live to regret it!

 

Amen!

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Walking street is a depressing view since more than a year.

It was depressing before Covid.

[wwest5829]

Over the years I had read the comments of those who came to Thailand in the 70s, 80s, etc. Often they reflected their nostalgia in memories of past experiences. Having gotten to visit in 2009 and 2010 and then retiring here in 2011 I find reason to fondly look back myself on a time seemingly gone (OK, definitely currently gone). Ah, Thailand, I cannot fully express how my “interaction” with Thai females resulted in literally falling in love with your culture. Now, years later, fond memories but happily settled with my Thai wife and Stepdaughter.

[Ralf001]

9 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Over the years I had read the comments of those who came to Thailand in the 70s, 80s, etc. Often they reflected their nostalgia in memories of past experiences. Having gotten to visit in 2009 and 2010 and then retiring here in 2011 I find reason to fondly look back myself on a time seemingly gone (OK, definitely currently gone). Ah, Thailand, I cannot fully express how my “interaction” with Thai females resulted in literally falling in love with your culture. Now, years later, fond memories but happily settled with my Thai wife and Stepdaughter.

I fondly look back on my visits to X-Zone, Ahhh those were the days.

[wwest5829]

8 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

I fondly look back on my visits to X-Zone, Ahhh those were the days.

The only thing that upset me was learning, from personal observation, that some of the girls were, evidently unable to afford undergarments. Wait, sorry, that may have been on Soi Cowboy.

[Ralf001]

23 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

The only thing that upset me was learning, from personal observation, that some of the girls were, evidently unable to afford undergarments. Wait, sorry, that may have been on Soi Cowboy.

Not only a lack of under garments the poor clueless dears mistook my fist for a bar stool.

[HappyExpat57]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

One presenter said there were more signs than customers. 

There are more homeless on Pattaya Beach Road than tourists. I see this almost every day. SUCH a grand reopening.

[Ralf001]

Just now, HappyExpat57 said:

There are more homeless on Pattaya Beach Road than tourists. I see this almost every day. SUCH a grand reopening.

I thought they were Bangkok visitors !

[HappyExpat57]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Where in Patts are you seeing that ?

I LIVE in "Patts." Pretty much everywhere is dead. I ride a pushbike up Pattaya Klang on my way to Lake Mabprachan then back to Pattaya Beach Road daily, weather permitting. The majority of shops are closed, possibly forever. ALL these shops supported both family-friendly and adult entertainment venues. THAT'S what Pattaya was all about.

[HappyExpat57]

59 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

It was depressing before Covid.

Daytime? Yes.

Night time? As far from depressing as any place on this planet could be!

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Where in Patts are you seeing that ?

Where do you live, the dark side of the moon ? The city is trashed at the moment.

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Pattaya nightlife might shrink and move but not be killed completely.

Walking street is a depressing view since more than a year.

 

I agree.  The nightlife will be smaller, and the focus of the nightlife will move, but there will still be nightlife here.

 

There will not be enough "paying" tourists to sustain the high rents on Walking Street for quite some time, most likely around 2 years.  Also, the Soi LK, Tree Town, Baukhao area is now in direct competition with Walking Street.  

 

Unless the Thai landlords on Walking Street have a reality check, and compete with the cheaper rents being offered elsewhere, I can only see vacant and derelict buildings remaining, and more closures of businesses that did survive, on Walking Street in the future.  

[grego49]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

I fondly look back on my visits to X-Zone, Ahhh those were the days.

And the buffalo bar,5555

[mickyr55]

3 hours ago, rtco said:

Is it!!! That's not from what I see with all the shuttered businesses (not just to bars, pubs & clubs) and the people on the streets with no income and nowhere to live. This is all part of the Governments end-game to kill the sleezy image of Pattaya and try and turn it into whoever knows what. I certainly don't. 

The beach from Dusit Thani all the way down to Walking Street was well full last weekend with the Music Festival, not packed but very busy with people eating and drinking and dancing having a good time, police on the street but never ventured onto the beach. 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

4 hours ago, rtco said:

Is it!!! That's not from what I see with all the shuttered businesses (not just to bars, pubs & clubs) and the people on the streets with no income and nowhere to live. This is all part of the Governments end-game to kill the sleezy image of Pattaya and try and turn it into whoever knows what. I certainly don't. 

Where in Patts are you seeing that ?

Several videos on line showing hundreds queuing for food handouts, mostly arranged by foreigners as the government has done next to nothing to help. And today I watched a video in which an enormous area of beer bars was being torn down. An area large enough to build a massive hotel or shopping mall. Many people came for such areas and spent money on hotels and food. No longer.

[Bangkok Barry]

27 minutes ago, mickyr55 said:

The beach from Dusit Thani all the way down to Walking Street was well full last weekend with the Music Festival, not packed but very busy with people eating and drinking and dancing having a good time, police on the street but never ventured onto the beach. 

And today?