Jomtien - changes since 2005 - your take?

[henrik2000]

Hello, what changes did you notice in Jomtien (not Pattaya) since 2005 or so? 

 

When did influx of Russians become very noticeable? Which changes did that bring generally?

Changes in beach etiquette?

Attitudes of Thai locals?

Business models going up, going down?

Number of people milling streets and beaches? 

Amount of traffic, what kind of change?

Property building?

Changes relative to other beach resorts like Pattaya, Phuket etc?

Changes in your desire to go there for a few hours, days, years - and why? 

 

Thanks for your experiences!

 

[Pattaya57]

Lol that you think Jomtien is not part of Pattaya. I switched off after that 

[uttradit]

26 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Lol that you think Jomtien is not part of Pattaya. I switched off after that 

Less trashy version.

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, uttradit said:

Less trashy version.

Not sure about that..... 

[Henryford]

The new Thappraya Road, a big improvement, when was that 2006? The main change is the number of new condos, even from my balcony i can count 6 or 7 and we have the Grand Solare 2000 units next year. So traffic is much worse of course plus the mess they made of Thepprasit Road.

[Mentors65]

I remember as first 2 bars in Jomtien opened at Thappraya Rd. mid of the 90's.

Rompho was just swamp. 

[henrik2000]

Hi, thanks for some interesting observations so far.

 

Agreed about the Thepprasit mess.

[Guderian]

Between 2004 and 2011, I lived in Jomtien Complex Condo (JCC), the twin towers near the beach. When I first moved in, Jomtien Plaza Condo opposite it had been built, as had VT (View Talay) 1 and 2 up on Thappraya, and the smaller Grand and Jomtien Condos by the beach. While I was living there, they built VT 5c and 5d, and then VT 7 right in front of JCC. During much of this period, they were also widening Thappraya Road back to South Pattaya (I hate to think how much Pattaya dust I ate driving along there in those days), and creating the new Jomtien Second Road. I drove the bike along it all the way to Suk long before it opened, and the last stretch was just dirt at the time. Most of it went through farmland, it surprised me to see herds of cattle grazing not very far from Jomtien Beach. Nowadays, just 10 or 15 years later, it's mostly been built up along there, with plans for a new 66-storey condo. I used to shop out at Tesco Lotus on Suk and, to get there, the best route was to go via what's now the Rompho bar beer complex, though back then it was just jungle, and cut through the lake country which was one of the nicest drives on the Bright Side. All gone, now, of course, the lakes have all been filled in and new condos are being built on them. Then there was also one of the best property scams in the history of the city, the 90-storey Ocean 1 Tower I think it was called, to be built next door to Soi 5. You'll remember that one if you were around at the time. On a smaller scale, for many years my favourite bar was KR Bar, between JCC and the beach, spitting distance from the Dongtan Police Station. This was before smart phones robbed the bar beer business of its youngest and prettiest girls, and I had two gorgeous ladies aged 19 and 20 who ministered to me every day in exchange for a few drinks and some other occasional perks back in the condo, lol. Happy days. After KR Bar closed, we started drinking in Fantasy Bar within the commercial area behind JCC (now called Super Town or some such nonsense), owned by a Norwegian guy, which had the best  selection of spirits I've seen anywhere. Then Lovejoys opened up on Thappraya selling beer at 30 Baht a bottle, and we were regulars while it lasted. Not long after that went belly-up, the first bars at Rompho opened and we started drinking out that way, and I still drink there quite often even now, though I long ago moved well away from the entertainment zone.

[prakhonchai nick]

I lived in Jomtien Soi 1 from 1987 until January 2001  Had a house built from scratch

My house was alongside the Royal Jomtien Hotel's rear car park (built after I moved there) which suffered a disastrous fire in July 1997 with dozens of deaths. It was reconstructed and later reopened under a new name .  There were reports of ghosts everywhere, and on one occasion when escorting a young lass along the soi leading to my home. she stopped and refused to go any further.

My house was purchased for use as weekend guest house for Bangkok trippers.  I heard that after the first guests saw ghosts, word quickly spread, and the house was never rented out again.

In 1987 there were virtually no hotels/guest houses, shops or bars. The beach was deserted except for stray dogs

Baht buses only went to Jomtien if they had a passenger to deliver

In the early 90's a large shopping complex was built half way along Jomtien Beach Road, but despite signs announcing who had rented space, it never opened.

By the early 90's the Thais from Bangkok descended at weekends and  hotels and guest houses opened. Then came the foreign tourists followed by a few bars.

When I left in 2001, traffic was heavy. Jomtien 2nd road was partially built and condos were being built everywhere. It was then basically an extension of Pattaya

I recall when Thepprasit Road was just a dirt track from one end to the other

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, prakhonchai nick said:

I lived in Jomtien Soi 1 from 1987 until January 2001  Had a house built from scratch

My house was alongside the Royal Jomtien Hotel's rear car park (built after I moved there) which suffered a disastrous fire in July 1997 with dozens of deaths. It was reconstructed and later reopened under a new name .  There were reports of ghosts everywhere, and on one occasion when escorting a young lass along the soi leading to my home. she stopped and refused to go any further.

My house was purchased for use as weekend guest house for Bangkok trippers.  I heard that after the first guests saw ghosts, word quickly spread, and the house was never rented out again.

In 1987 there were virtually no hotels/guest houses, shops or bars. The beach was deserted except for stray dogs

Baht buses only went to Jomtien if they had a passenger to deliver

In the early 90's a large shopping complex was built half way along Jomtien Beach Road, but despite signs announcing who had rented space, it never opened.

By the early 90's the Thais from Bangkok descended at weekends and  hotels and guest houses opened. Then came the foreign tourists followed by a few bars.

When I left in 2001, traffic was heavy. Jomtien 2nd road was partially built and condos were being built everywhere. It was then basically an extension of Pattaya

I recall when Thepprasit Road was just a dirt track from one end to the other

 

It seems hard to imagine that in your time there they regularly had to deliver fresh water from Pattaya. Probably electric outages as well.

 

Not many Russians though?

[prakhonchai nick]

32 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

It seems hard to imagine that in your time there they regularly had to deliver fresh water from Pattaya. Probably electric outages as well.

 

Not many Russians though?

We did have mains water most of the time, but during the hot months tankers were sent from the Pattaya reservoirs to top up my tank.  Electric never seemed to be a  problem

 

As for Russians, there just were not many people of any nationality at the beginning.

 

Snakes a plenty! During my years there, I probably despatched 250/300--big buggers too!

[morrobay]

'Changes relative to other beach resorts'. I would say Pattaya has changed alot more than Jomtien since 2005.  Also would say Jomtien now is more like Pattaya in 2005. IE :Than Pattaya now is like Pattaya 2005

 

 

Edited February 12 by morrobay

[henrik2000]

Hi all, thanks for some very interesting, detailed re-views! Interesting to learn about the very dramatic change in a short time and about your personal involvement including ghosts, snakes and dust.

 

If now anything more springs to mind, let's hear!

 

One wonders if other backwaters may change as rapidly and dramatically as once-backwater Jomtien, for instance Na Jomtien and Bang Saray, both no mere fishing villages anymore by now, maybe even over the edge.

 

One wonders if the change will also take place further away from Bangkok, also in coastal places that look now quaint, like Bang Saphan Yai (PKK). And if anything like that would happen on a place not on the beach.

[Rimmer]

We lived in View Tallay villas back then, bought back in 2001 when the road outside (second Road) was not not even made up, it was all very quite and laid back, then Rompo road opened up and the bars and market moved in so  we moved out as it turned in to a nightmare of noise and traffic.

[decca60]

To make a long story short about the difference between Jomtien in the 90s and Jomtien in 2024, imagine a jungle and lake location on which they dropped millions of tons of concrete and rebars to build rabbits cages called 'luxury condominiums' .......  and snakes replaced by rats.....For those who where there in the 90s I remember with nostalgia the good time spent at the Tarzan Hut ......

[LALes]

I've been in Jomtien since 2007 and it gets worse and worse every year.  More condos, more traffic and nothing else.

Nothing good has come of all this "progress".  I can't think of one thing that's better in Jomtien now.  More bars, more

average restaurants, more people, more noise,  more traffic.  I'd move to Bangkok if I could afford it.

[geisha]

On 2/11/2024 at 6:28 AM, Guderian said:

Between 2004 and 2011, I lived in Jomtien Complex Condo (JCC), the twin towers near the beach. When I first moved in, Jomtien Plaza Condo opposite it had been built, as had VT (View Talay) 1 and 2 up on Thappraya, and the smaller Grand and Jomtien Condos by the beach. While I was living there, they built VT 5c and 5d, and then VT 7 right in front of JCC. During much of this period, they were also widening Thappraya Road back to South Pattaya (I hate to think how much Pattaya dust I ate driving along there in those days), and creating the new Jomtien Second Road. I drove the bike along it all the way to Suk long before it opened, and the last stretch was just dirt at the time. Most of it went through farmland, it surprised me to see herds of cattle grazing not very far from Jomtien Beach. Nowadays, just 10 or 15 years later, it's mostly been built up along there, with plans for a new 66-storey condo. I used to shop out at Tesco Lotus on Suk and, to get there, the best route was to go via what's now the Rompho bar beer complex, though back then it was just jungle, and cut through the lake country which was one of the nicest drives on the Bright Side. All gone, now, of course, the lakes have all been filled in and new condos are being built on them. Then there was also one of the best property scams in the history of the city, the 90-storey Ocean 1 Tower I think it was called, to be built next door to Soi 5. You'll remember that one if you were around at the time. On a smaller scale, for many years my favourite bar was KR Bar, between JCC and the beach, spitting distance from the Dongtan Police Station. This was before smart phones robbed the bar beer business of its youngest and prettiest girls, and I had two gorgeous ladies aged 19 and 20 who ministered to me every day in exchange for a few drinks and some other occasional perks back in the condo, lol. Happy days. After KR Bar closed, we started drinking in Fantasy Bar within the commercial area behind JCC (now called Super Town or some such nonsense), owned by a Norwegian guy, which had the best  selection of spirits I've seen anywhere. Then Lovejoys opened up on Thappraya selling beer at 30 Baht a bottle, and we were regulars while it lasted. Not long after that went belly-up, the first bars at Rompho opened and we started drinking out that way, and I still drink there quite often even now, though I long ago moved well away from the entertainment zone.

Loved the Fantasy Bar! Great staff, good cocktails, and the statues around the bar were Fantastic. Those glass shelves and the hundreds of different alcohols, amazing. Was sad when it closed, I often wonder why it wasn’t taken over as it did good trade. 

 

[In Full Agreement]

On 2/10/2024 at 6:09 PM, Pattaya57 said:

Lol that you think Jomtien is not part of Pattaya. I switched off after that 

 

 

Bye.

[henrik2000]

Hi, thanks for more reminiscences!

[balo]

I guess it was more fun 15 years ago.   If you know you know....

  

[morrobay]

There goes Jomtien: These people just can't stop screwing this place up with their bogus kickback/contracts .https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/15/pattaya-plans-major-makeover-for-jomtien-beach/

[morrobay]

Have a last look.

[johng]

Yep they really don't like trees  that give a nice shady place to sit

only scrawny palm and coconut trees if anything at all..

Just take a look at the south end of Jomtien  where they have completed the " nourishment" program  just a vast swathe of baking hot sand  which by the way now never gets cleaned by the seawater

🤮

 

[Espanol]

1 hour ago, morrobay said:

There goes Jomtien: These people just can't stop screwing this place up with their bogus kickback/contracts .https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/15/pattaya-plans-major-makeover-for-jomtien-beach/

 

5 years!

[dddave]

I first stayed in Jomtien in 2003 at what I think was called White Sands Villa near where soi Whitehouse is now.  Even then, there was a lot of Danish presence there.  

It was just as the SARS epidemic was gaining steam and Pattaya/Jomtien emptied out in a hurry.  I was finally asked to leave the hotel as I was the last paying guest.  Most hotels were closing.

Sure wish I knew then what I know now.  People were panic selling condos and anybody with cash in hand and a bit clairvoyance could have made a killing.  Most of the buildings along sois 3,4,& 5 had just been built and were empty, like a ghost town actually, as they were all white.   I fondly remember the beautiful stands of trees along the beach, along the commercial side as well in spots.

In later years, I used to always stay at a very nice little bungalow resort on Soi 6, now knocked down.  One time, on the bus from Bangkok, a lovely Korean girl sat next to me. Turned out she was on the wrong bus as she wanted to go to Koh Samed but we discovered the error too late.  Ended-up spending 5 delightful days and nights in those bungalows learning Korean.

Edited February 16 by dddave

[henrik2000]

On 2/16/2024 at 9:05 AM, johng said:

Just take a look at the south end of Jomtien  where they have completed the " nourishment" program  just a vast swathe of baking hot sand

This is indeed a very sad view, and the multitudes of customers in Pupen Seafood (must) look at it, or not.

[henrik2000]

On 2/16/2024 at 8:51 AM, morrobay said:

These people just can't stop screwing this place up with their bogus kickback/contracts

 

Indeed. The intro to the linked article reads:

 

Pattaya City has partnered with Dynamic Group Products to spearhead a comprehensive improvement project

 

It couldn't sound more frightening. One wishes they'd stick to spearheading fish

[SGD]

I moved into the top floor of View Talay 2 (Building B) in 2003 and stayed for about 4 years.

I'd previously lived in central Pattaya and it was refreshing to get out of the centre, even if you had to put up with the shambles of a road up to Jomtien.

 

Baht buses didn't go much past about Jomtien Soi 5, if you were lucky to get that far and you could stand for ages waiting for one, though not as bad as now with them refusing to move until full or privately hired. Back then you could hire a bus for Bt50/70 to VT2 from central Pattaya.

 

We got the first 500kb broadband when I was there and that was a game changer, though there was no real streaming service, just downloads and some forums but it was lightening fast compared to the previous dial up or even slower. TV was Sophon cable - dire repeats on about a 3 hour loop.

Local bars were cheap and attentive but usually lower quality than Pattaya. However, Pattaya was hardly expensive and before mobile really hit home in 2007, it was a virtual paradise, though not what it had been in the decade previously of course.

 

Life was simpler. We needed less and we got more. Today, it is far too clinical, too money driven and too materialistic. Whatever humanity it had has gone and Jomtien today has no more than Pattaya but just worse built up with an endless ever decreasing size of condos.

[Guderian]

On 2/11/2024 at 1:13 PM, prakhonchai nick said:

I lived in Jomtien Soi 1 from 1987 until January 2001  Had a house built from scratch

 

Interesting. Back in about 2008 or 2009, I guess, I was getting bored with condo life in Jomtien and looking at renting a house instead. One place I looked at was pretty much exactly where you describe, on Soi Eurostar as it was often called back then. I liked the place but it was way too big for my purposes. I had an idea of sub-letting a room to a bar girl desperate for some decent accommodation, but in the end that didn't seem like a good idea at all, drunken hussies, possibly with their customers, coming back at all hours of the night, lol. The house I was looking at was one of these, I think the one on the right:

 

 

Out of curiosity, do you remember what you paid for the land back in 1987, or what it was going for in that area per rai or talang wah?

Edited February 20 by Guderian

[prakhonchai nick]

The photo you show looks like town houses, some 7 of which were built next to my large detached house to the East.

My house was built on some 90 tarang wah**, and I think the price I paid for the land at the end of 1986 was 450,000THB The house came in at 550,000THB.  Sold up end of 2000 for 2.5 million baht.   **Strangely that small plot had 7 chanotes!!!!!

Back in 1986 my then Thai wife was not permitted to buy land. I had to buy in her Father's name, and to safeguard my investment I granted Father a mortgage, which was registered on each of the chanotes. He could not sell unless he repaid the mortgage!😀