Hi guys and gals,

 

Since I was stuck in Taiwan during COVID 19 and then moved onto a farm in Isaan I often think about the unique things and persons that made Pattaya:

 

There was always a homeless farang for years at the police hut Sukumvit Rd - Soi Khao Talo. I remember that many Thais stopping by an gave him food and water.

He was just there from the morning till evening and watching the traffic... 

 

There was a bar in walking street which had a sign: We respect your religion but we enjoy drinks and woman here, so we cannot allow muslims entering this place..

 

and last: My wife called him, "da Maaaan". 

Never spoke a word and just smiling, cycling down beach road, turned around via soi 2 and back.. Day in and day out... He was a unique in Pattaya wasn't he?

 

there are so many other things that are disappeared in Pattaya... You remember some? 

Edited August 23, 20232 yr by Reginald Prewster

More generally across Thailand

 

Common sense and rational approach to risk (gone 2020 - covid, 24/7 masking, borders closed, 6 week alcohol ban, bleach footwells at shopping centers ???? etc.., the walk-in disinfector at emperiorum ???? not limited to covid - crazyness will repeat for life as briefest of moneypox scares  showed)

Democracy (okay that's about 11 years but a few more nails in the coffin yesterday)

Blanket winner on cost of living title (half a basket of groceries same price in the UK now, where cheaper nows it's just things like coffee, cheese, beer, wine)

No issue entry any way you cut it, from 2MYR form filling or 100baht in the passport at sadao, through to overstay a year, here's 20k have a good trip, you come back today or tomorrow? okay no problem, availability of 24k yearly volunteer visas, and get a 3 month non-imm B which just an invite to any company and a small gesture to grease wheel, and hundreds of schools doing 15month visas...

 

Bars have always recycled, but of course many owners will tell you covid killed their business, so don't really notice much difference now than before in terms of what's on the street, family mart gone that's about it. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 20232 yr by circa02

I would think a lot of businesses that didn't own their building, simply had to close due to no customers to cover overhead.  Especially those tourist driven that the locals really didn't support.

 

Pretty much county wide.  We were O&A quite a bit during 2020 & early 2021 and it was dismal, w/90% or more shuttered early on, though a couple ol' favorites were doing a brisk business, as never targeted the tourist industry, even on Phuket, surfside.  

 

Coastal Phuket & Krabi were ghost towns, except a couple surfside restaurants @ Kamala & Kata.

 

Really strange seeing 7-11s, and USA fast food chains closed in tourist areas.  When inland a bit, all was normal, sort of.

3 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

Hi guys and gals,

 

Since I was stuck in Taiwan during COVID 19 and then moved onto a farm in Isaan I often think about the unique things and persons that made Pattaya:

 

There was always a homeless farang for years at the police hut Sukumvit Rd - Soi Khao Talo. I remember that many Thais stopping by an gave him food and water.

He was just there from the morning till evening and watching the traffic... 

 

There was a bar in walking street which had a sign: We respect your religion but we enjoy drinks and woman here, so we cannot allow muslims entering this place..

 

and last: My wife called him, "da Maaaan". 

Never spoke a word and just smiling, cycling down beach road, turned around via soi 2 and back.. Day in and day out... He was a unique in Pattaya wasn't he?

 

there are so many other things that are disappeared in Pattaya... You remember some? 

 

Glitterman!! What a character he was, I met him one time back in 2010 when he turned up at a Thai Visa get together in Pattaya.

 

2 hours ago, circa02 said:

More generally across Thailand

 

Common sense and rational approach to risk (gone 2020 - covid, 24/7 masking, borders closed, 6 week alcohol ban, bleach footwells at shopping centers ???? etc.., the walk-in disinfector at emperiorum ???? not limited to covid - crazyness will repeat for life as briefest of moneypox scares  showed)

Democracy (okay that's about 11 years but a few more nails in the coffin yesterday)

Blanket winner on cost of living title (half a basket of groceries same price in the UK now, where cheaper nows it's just things like coffee, cheese, beer, wine)

No issue entry any way you cut it, from 2MYR form filling or 100baht in the passport at sadao, through to overstay a year, here's 20k have a good trip, you come back today or tomorrow? okay no problem, availability of 24k yearly volunteer visas, and get a 3 month non-imm B which just an invite to any company and a small gesture to grease wheel, and hundreds of schools doing 15month visas...

 

Bars have always recycled, but of course many owners will tell you covid killed their business, so don't really notice much difference now than before in terms of what's on the street, family mart gone that's about it. 

 

 

 

 

Did you take the time to read what you wrote?

Perhaps it’s just a stream of consciousness all coming out at once. But if you want anyone else to read and understand it, perhaps you should do so yourself before pressing that submit button. I tried twice and then gave up. 

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I would think a lot of businesses that didn't own their building, simply had to close due to no customers to cover overhead.  Especially those tourist driven that the locals really didn't support.

The other problem is when you do not live above your small business and have to pay two rents!

 

 

It seems to me that there are many more Farang owned bars, and less Thai owned bars in the tourist areas than before covid. 

Farang owned bars are usually more expensive, with fewer smiles.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

Tim "Sharky" Ward

4 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

There was a bar in walking street which had a sign: We respect your religion but we enjoy drinks and woman here, so we cannot allow muslims entering this place..

Not sure about Walking Street but there was a bar near Palmer's Bar that had that sign, or something similar. Can't remember the name but think it was hangout for golfers.

The greatest disappearance in Pattaya was the fun aspect, and that I think came with the mobile phone.

3 hours ago, NextG said:

Did you take the time to read what you wrote?

Perhaps it’s just a stream of consciousness all coming out at once. But if you want anyone else to read and understand it, perhaps you should do so yourself before pressing that submit button. I tried twice and then gave up. 

Commonly known as a word salad 

7 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

there are so many other things that are disappeared in Pattaya... You remember some? 

Yeah, good GGBs on soi 15!

20 hours ago, Rimmer said:

 

Glitterman!! What a character he was, I met him one time back in 2010 when he turned up at a Thai Visa get together in Pattaya.

 

Cool, that must be a picture from the guy on the picture I posted in his early times...

I still don't know anything of this fellow beside my wife and sisters went crazy when they saw them on the street.. "look, da Maaaan! He is baa maak maak" and I responded to the girls that he must make some living out of it, because he was part of Pattaya for many years..  

Some decent girls , all on Scam mode , families being harassed by banks girls being harassed by families to fund the Family 

On 8/23/2023 at 2:55 PM, Mintyy said:

Tim "Sharky" Ward

If you miss him just catch the lift to the top penthouse condo at view talay and knock on the door. He will not mind. Hes not on the juice anymore and looks rather skinny. Building next to the hilton. cheers

On 8/23/2023 at 8:08 PM, Reginald Prewster said:

Cool, that must be a picture from the guy on the picture I posted in his early times...

I still don't know anything of this fellow beside my wife and sisters went crazy when they saw them on the street.. "look, da Maaaan! He is baa maak maak" and I responded to the girls that he must make some living out of it, because he was part of Pattaya for many years..  

He moved back to Wembly many years ago. 

On 8/23/2023 at 2:55 PM, Mintyy said:

Tim "Sharky" Ward

Recently sold his house in Aus and is back living in his View Talay penthouse.

On 8/23/2023 at 4:50 PM, morrobay said:

Commonly known as a word salad 

Or literary diarrohea

Disappeared from Pattaya IN the last 10 years?   ME!

Damn I'm outside the time range to count, last time I was there was 2008, 15 years