Bangkok Vs Pattaya

[thai1on]

i realize bangkok is many times larger than pattaya and must have more expats than pattaya,but think pattaya has more expats per capita than bangkok.

does anyone know the numbers of expats living in each city and which city is easier for newly arrived non-thai speaking expats to settle in?

[SiamSquare123]

you might want to visit first and see which one you like better cause pattaya requires certain tastes (or lack there of).

[britmaveric]

you might want to visit first and see which one you like better cause pattaya requires certain tastes (or lack there of).

Ignore the above comment!!!!

Patters has a very large and close knit expat community. I see it more visible than in BKK - bit more on your own up there.

[manuchaomk]

Bangkok vs Pattaya (1 / x / 2)

-) social welfare : 2

-) shopping : 2

-) clubbing : 1 / X

-) food: 1

-) pollution and air quality: 2

-) ladies: 1 X 2

-) Katoeys: 2

-) gay: 1 x 2

...it depend on the reason of your visit/ stay....probably

[The Skipper]

Pattaya is cheaper ...and as the saying goes... you get what you pay for...

[jumnien]

Hua Hin?

[keebone]

Not only is Pattaya generally cheaper but it's friendlier aswell I'd say. Lot of the people in Bangkok both Thai and Farang seem to be living under the impression their shit dont stink !

Hua Hin is like watching paint dry. Crap beach and crap bars.

[jumnien]

shit... crap... crap...

There's a Pattaya boy for ya!

[keebone]

Oh dear, a couple of semi rude words

Somebody best call the Tourist Police right away

[Gary A]

I didn't actually live in Pattaya. I lived in Jomtien. I did live in Bangkok for about 7 years. In my opinion it is much easier to get acclimated in the Jomtien/Pattaya area. More people speak English and by being much smaller, different things a farang may want are closer. Jomtien/Pattaya is also cheaper. I live out in the boonies now and if I ever (doubtful) go back it would be to Jomtien.

[cdnvic]

Hua Hin?

aka "Pattaya with a bath and a shave"

[jumnien]

If one has a predisposition to jumping off the balconies of high-floor condos, I'd pick Bangkok over Pattaya; seems to be a lot less of the "look at me, I can fly!" type of farang about town. That said, the jumpers keep the rents in Pattaya at a very good value; vacancies opening up every day!

[glaitong]

Bangkok more expats for groups others just loners. Pattaya relationships are much closer.

[bendix]

The key difference between the two is that the farangs who wear their Beer Chang muscle shirts in Bangkok at least make the effort to wash them once a week.

To counter that, the average farang's neck is a lot thicker in Pattaya, and shaved heads are more common.

Take your pick.

I'd say the farang community is closer in Pattaya too, in the same way that prisoners in a particular prison wing are close-knit. The grunted conversation would be the same too.

It's up to you if you think that's a good thing.

[Heng]

Much easier to fly in and out of Bangkok for those who travel often or even semi regularly.

[calibanjr.]

I'll just skip the handbag fight up above and continue manchuchok's method of specific (subjective, of course) comparison. I lived in Pattaya for about 10-11 months in 2003-2004, lived in Bangkok (Sukhumvit, by Bumrungrad Hospital) for about 2 years 2004-2006 (now live in CM) so my info is a bit dated, though I visit Bangkok (and Pattaya, rarely) on occasion.

Lifestyle in General:

Cheap life, Pattaya (for me). I like that you can hit the beach, scooter around and get out of dodge away from people at the drop of a hat. That just isn't easy to do in BKK.

"Cash-holding" life, Bangkok, just has more stuff more things to do, better city-style townhouse living.

Food: Bangkok both western and thai, cheap and expensive, any kind, No Comparison. Pattaya is fine, you can eat well, cheaply or not-so-cheap, your choice. Bangkok is one of my favorite cities for food ever. I still miss my ritual daily breakfast of two sauteed veg and fish styles, served over just a bit of rice and topped with two poached eggs (w prik nam plaa). Breakfast of champions, glory days.

Housing: Pattaya cheaper, Bangkok more choices. Two different animals really.

Ladies Same as Housing

As mentioned above, you really will need to go hang in each place for a month. I'm a bit jealous, really, finding out about new places and living through the good and bad is a rare pleasure.

When you get your "ya-ya's" out and get to be an old 'un like me (i'm 40) get up to Chiang Mai and chill out!

Edited June 17, 2007 by calibanjr.

[borracho]

It's up to you if you think that's a good thing.

Why wouldn't that be a good thing?

You know the saying about attitudes and a..holes don't you?

Bangkok has to much pollution for most to be comfortable.

Pattaya simply rocks!

Phuket's not bad either for a change of scenery.

[calibanjr.]

I left pollution out of my comparison , a salient point!

I rarely, if ever, went out in mid-day in BKK. The heat never got to me, but the heat combined with the "kwan-rot" (car exhaust) beat me down. Really is a valid life-style issue.

[Neeranam]

The key difference between the two is that the farangs who wear their Beer Chang muscle shirts in Bangkok at least make the effort to wash them once a week.

To counter that, the average farang's neck is a lot thicker in Pattaya, and shaved heads are more common.

Take your pick.

I'd say the farang community is closer in Pattaya too, in the same way that prisoners in a particular prison wing are close-knit. The grunted conversation would be the same too.

It's up to you if you think that's a good thing.

Lol, now that's funny and very true.

I suppose pattaya is easier to adapt to if you come from a council estate in Peckham.

[cdnvic]

Of course if you try hard you can veer off Sukhumvit and discover a Thailand outside the farang ghettos.

Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Isaan, Rayong, Trang, etc...

[chinthee]

Much easier to fly in and out of Bangkok for those who travel often or even semi regularly.

To expand this analysis a bit, for those of you who keep a Bangkok base and a second beachside home elsewhere in Thailand here is my analysis.

I've had homes in Phuket and BKK for years, and travel internationally frequently out of BKK. I used to spend the workweek in BKK, and go to Phuket on weekends. Eventually, I got so tired of the flying I just now end up staying longer in BKK and going to Phuket in high season. I analyzed the total travel time spent per trip, and after that I reasoned it would be much better to have a place in either Pattaya or Hua Hin, and simply drive it. However, I don't particularly like Hua Hin, as it's boring and I don't care for floods and dirty ugly beaches; and I don't like Pattaya much as I don't care for BGs and dirty ugly farangs. But I think the surrounding areas to Pattaya could be nice. Also Pattaya has all the services you would need, so in spite of the grubby image, it's still probably best in terms of speed of getting to BKK, etc.. I also heard there is a subtle "gentrification" process ocurring, but I was just there last weekend for a day and didn't really notice it.

Anyway this is all fantasy in my case because my wife has a long standing business in Phuket. But if I were considering where to live in this situation anew, I'd probably pick (outside of) Pattaya somewhere, maybe Ban Sang or something?

Lastly, and please, no Samui lovers. I know it well, and it's expensive by plane with BKK airways monopoly lock, it's a pain in the azz to drive and wait 5 hours for a ferry, the roads are bad and infrastructure inadequate, but I do have to say the beaches and vistas are lovely.

[JimmyTheMook]

Hua Hin?

aka "Pattaya with a bath and a shave"

Not even close.

[Jimjim]

Hua Hin's beach and water is tons better than Pattaya.

Pattaya just seems like a crazy place to me. Bangkok is too, but in Pattaya I often get a creepy feeling about me. For young guys, Bangkok is great. For older, perhaps Pattaya.

[alexth]

Pattaya is a rathole, Bangkok is OK.

[cdnvic]

The best way to tell which would suit you best is to look where you felt more at ease back home. London or Blackpool? New York or Atlantic City? Berlin or....Pattaya?

[JR Texas]

Hua Hin?

aka "Pattaya with a bath and a shave"

Not even close.

JR Texas: Both Bangkok and Pattaya-Jomtien are overcrowded and polluted. But Bangkok is worse. Both have traffic problems......but Bangkok's traffic jams are worse. Both have lots of things to do for expats....the main difference is everything seems to be more accessible in Pattaya-Jomtien.

Both have horrible, overpriced, coffin-like condos for sale. In Bangkok you can get a view of the river. In Pattaya-Jomtien you can get a view of the ocean.

The only advantage I can see of Pattaya-Jomtien is that you can walk to the edge of the beach and look at the ocean and imagine the city is not there......unfortunately, eventually you have to turn around and face reality....it is still there and it is going downhill fast.

In my optimistic view, both places have been ruined by population growth and real estate development. Unless forced to do so, I would not live in either Bangkok or Pattaya-Jomtien. Thailand is running out of nice places to live. Too bad......it used to be a nice place to retire.

Oh.....forgot given my age.........Pattaya-Jomtien is most definitely turning into a community for geriatric expats.......the insane visa rules are creating this situation.

[BigSnake]

Bangkok has more for sure, unless or until a big old ship full of HORNY Sailors and Marines dock.

[Nibor1945]

I would suspect that Pattaya has by far a greater concentration of farangs, like most people I started in Pattaya. for a "non Thai" speaker it is easy to get by speaking English, however it is for the most part a "party City" and most of the population reflect that fact. there is also large resident farang population, who live and work in various occupations in and around the City. Those are the guys to get advice from, but of course as with anywhere there are some "crooked rascals" so don't trust anybody until proven otherwise! Spend some time reading Thai Visa, there is some very relevant and useful information amongst the dross.

I would advise that you start in Pattaya, use it as a base to explore what Thailand has to offer. Do not make any decisions based on your initial time there, I personally found it too "in your face" and "bugged out" after 3 months partying. if you intend settling down then unless you are going to be involved in the "tourist service industry" you will probably move out sometime in the future. remember as your circumstances change so do your priorities, and what is fun now may "wear a bit thin" as time goes by.

So, rent don't buy, party till you drop and when the hangover subsides have a look around to see what the real world has to offer.

Enjoy.

[jimmym40]

I would suspect that Pattaya has by far a greater concentration of farangs, like most people I started in Pattaya. for a "non Thai" speaker it is easy to get by speaking English, however it is for the most part a "party City" and most of the population reflect that fact. there is also large resident farang population, who live and work in various occupations in and around the City. Those are the guys to get advice from, but of course as with anywhere there are some "crooked rascals" so don't trust anybody until proven otherwise! Spend some time reading Thai Visa, there is some very relevant and useful information amongst the dross.

I would advise that you start in Pattaya, use it as a base to explore what Thailand has to offer. Do not make any decisions based on your initial time there, I personally found it too "in your face" and "bugged out" after 3 months partying. if you intend settling down then unless you are going to be involved in the "tourist service industry" you will probably move out sometime in the future. remember as your circumstances change so do your priorities, and what is fun now may "wear a bit thin" as time goes by.

Have you ruled out ChiangMai completely. Weather is much nicer than Bankok, people are very friendly. Depends on your age and desires, check out CMai. It's pretty laid back, not much night life, many good western restaurants, and only two malls to go shopping. Much easier to get around than bkk or pattaya.

So, rent don't buy, party till you drop and when the hangover subsides have a look around to see what the real world has to offer.

Enjoy.

[alexth]

JR Texas, get some geography classes. Pattaya-Jomtien is not at the ocean. That's the sea and you'll find anything from condoms, bottles, som tam remains, etc. Both the thai and farang community sucks big time. Like I said, Pattaya it's a rathole.