I was bored out of my mind in Pattaya

[JimTripper]

6 minutes ago, Silencer said:

Pre paying for 7 weeks was a big mistake, so many places you could have visited in Thailand. Hop a bus to Bangkok. Train to wherever. Did you read all about Pattaya before you came? What were you expecting to do? Pay the first week and wing it from there would have been my advice. However, If you are not into the party and girl scene why pick Pattaya in the first place. I'm not going to rag on Pattaya, I had many great holidays there years ago, but it would not be the first place I would think of visiting in Thailand for intelectual conversations and uplifting and interesting cultural experiences.  

So what is?

[georgegeorgia]

3 hours ago, JimTripper said:

That complex actually looks pretty nice on google maps. If you're into having a yarn or enjoy ghetto tourism you need to check out places like pattaya pad, flybird, etc. It gets much more depressing then 2b or nirun type buildings.

 

That's where you get some down and out's with dirty tank tops, smelly, etc. Just being in a bar at all is not that bad. Down the stream you get guys that need to buy at 7-11 and drink outside the building or at the condo enterance type of scene. Occasionally they can be seen in the big c food court but usually eat at cheap hole in the wall thai places right near the condo and don't seem to stray far from their rooms for the most part. I checked out pattaya pad at one point and just left after a walk around. That's were you get real broke poor foreigners, probably on the way to cambodia depending on the visa situation.

 

You stop complaining about "geezers by the pool" when you see places with no hope of a pool at all. 🤣

Yes I went to Flybird last month when I was there , I think it was building C ,the first building on the left , no lights in the stairways, 4 floors of no or dimly lit lights , depressing 

I have no idea where Pattaya Pad is,you say it's much worse than Flybird ?

 

[Nick Carter icp]

19 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Yes I went to Flybird last month when I was there , I think it was building C ,the first building on the left , no lights in the stairways, 4 floors of no or dimly lit lights , depressing 

?

 

 

   Do you deliberately seek out the worst hotels to stay in and the worst bars to drink in ?

  Do you look for the dirtiest beach to sit on ?

[susanlea]

7 hours ago, Silencer said:

Pre paying for 7 weeks was a big mistake, so many places you could have visited in Thailand. Hop a bus to Bangkok. Train to wherever. Did you read all about Pattaya before you came? What were you expecting to do? Pay the first week and wing it from there would have been my advice. However, If you are not into the party and girl scene why pick Pattaya in the first place. I'm not going to rag on Pattaya, I had many great holidays there years ago, but it would not be the first place I would think of visiting in Thailand for intelectual conversations and uplifting and interesting cultural experiences.  

He likes to clean floors instead so he said.

[georgegeorgia]

15 minutes ago, susanlea said:

He likes to clean floors instead so he said.

Im back in my normal routine 

But yes pre booking for a month was a mistake I made 

It was cheaper at 12k than a hotel but in hindsight not a great idea 

[susanlea]

7 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Im back in my normal routine 

But yes pre booking for a month was a mistake I made 

It was cheaper at 12k than a hotel but in hindsight not a great idea 

Try Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. 2 weeks each.

[JimTripper]

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Yes I went to Flybird last month when I was there , I think it was building C ,the first building on the left , no lights in the stairways, 4 floors of no or dimly lit lights , depressing 

I have no idea where Pattaya Pad is,you say it's much worse than Flybird ?

Pattaya Pad a bit better, maybe between flybird and nirun. Flybird still has a skeleton of order even if it's not well maintained, probably some sort of HOA. I think lower then that you just get grungy rooms with no real management, community or upkeep. After that maybe the cinder block and tin roof structures with dirt or concrete floors where people put down linoleum and rugs as flooring and use padlocks for the door.

 

Edited June 12 by JimTripper

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/10/2024 at 5:40 PM, Hummin said:

Nice place, but last time I was there, the bungalows falling apart, and it was interesting and spiritual atmosphere among those who lived there 🤓

That's interesting. Perhaps being hard to get to has kept away a lot of customers. There were at least 3 resorts on Than Sadet, so were they all falling apart? Did the Scottish lady still run MaiPenRai? She had a great music collection.

 

If I had the money, I'd live there till I died. It had a great vibe that is lacking on more popular beaches. I don't need electric 24 hours, or cable tv or even hot water. Comfy bed, restaurant, great scenery, and a friendly face to wake up to are all I need.

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's interesting. Perhaps being hard to get to has kept away a lot of customers. There were at least 3 resorts on Than Sadet, so were they all falling apart? Did the Scottish lady still run MaiPenRai? She had a great music collection.

 

If I had the money, I'd live there till I died. It had a great vibe that is lacking on more popular beaches. I don't need electric 24 hours, or cable tv or even hot water. Comfy bed, restaurant, great scenery, and a friendly face to wake up to are all I need.

It was just the impression I got at the end of covid I think it was, and did not talk to anyone. We had a fresh coconut at the beach, and thats it. The pig was walking around happy. 

[scubascuba3]

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's interesting. Perhaps being hard to get to has kept away a lot of customers. There were at least 3 resorts on Than Sadet, so were they all falling apart? Did the Scottish lady still run MaiPenRai? She had a great music collection.

 

If I had the money, I'd live there till I died. It had a great vibe that is lacking on more popular beaches. I don't need electric 24 hours, or cable tv or even hot water. Comfy bed, restaurant, great scenery, and a friendly face to wake up to are all I need.

20k-30k a month is all you need for basic living. How do Thais survive on less?

[susanlea]

16 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

20k-30k a month is all you need for basic living. How do Thais survive on less?

Thais share rooms so his 25-30k covers two people. 

[JimTripper]

46 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

20k-30k a month is all you need for basic living. How do Thais survive on less?

Easy, a cheap room is 3k. The security guard in my building makes 18k a month. Do the math, that's 500 baht a day to live on after rent.

Edited June 12 by JimTripper

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, JimTripper said:

Easy, a cheap room is 3k. The security guard in my building makes 18k a month. Do the math, that's 500 baht a day to live on after rent.

Enough for food and some drinks. Not much else.

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Easy, a cheap room is 3k. The security guard in my building makes 18k a month. Do the math, that's 500 baht a day to live on after rent.

exactly he could do it easy if he really wanted, but he'd rather just talk about it

[scubascuba3]

31 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Thais share rooms so his 25-30k covers two people. 

Thais share rooms on much lower income than that

[susanlea]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

Thais share rooms on much lower income than that

And their lives are basic. 

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, susanlea said:

And their lives are basic. 

yeah which is what the poster was suggesting he'd be happy with

[Hummin]

49 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

20k-30k a month is all you need for basic living. How do Thais survive on less?

In Isaan our basic living costs is 30k a month including pay my wife parents who work a few days a week for us. That include food for our live living stock to as well 4 pets. 

 

When we are not there, we transfer 20k a month for her parents to live at hour farm which cover pay, food for everyone and electric.

 

I wouldnt live on 30 k in Koh Phangan, even my bungalow at that specific beach was 5k a month pluss electric and water. That doesnt give much room for a decent life. I would rather lived in Pattaya on low budget than an Island. Or Chiang Mai

[JimTripper]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

20k-30k a month is all you need for basic living. How do Thais survive on less?

There is an employment office near me that lists jobs and pay in the window. Most of them are in the 20k a month range or lower. Sometimes you get a 25k or 30k. I sometimes look on it out of curiosity and think, that sucks. Seems low even for Thailand.

Edited June 12 by JimTripper

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

In Isaan our basic living costs is 30k a month including pay my wife parents who work a few days a week for us. That include food for our live living stock to as well 4 pets. 

 

When we are not there, we transfer 20k a month for her parents to live at hour farm which cover pay, food for everyone and electric.

 

I wouldnt live on 30 k in Koh Phangan, even my bungalow at that specific beach was 5k a month pluss electric and water. That doesnt give much room for a decent life. I would rather lived in Pattaya on low budget than an Island. Or Chiang Mai

Koh Phangan would bore me after 3 months. Chiang Mai or Hua Hin I can drive somewhere or catch a bus or train.

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Koh Phangan would bore me after 3 months. Chiang Mai or Hua Hin I can drive somewhere or catch a bus or train.

Hua hin is quite expensive for decent standard in my opinion, but with a decent budget I put Hua Hin above Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Still with larger budget, Koh Phangan anytime.  I have choosed Isaan with a larger budget, gives more freedome having large land, no neighbours, 288m2 buildings and outside facilities, including garage and gym. 

 

[scubascuba3]

21 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I wouldnt live on 30 k in Koh Phangan, even my bungalow at that specific beach was 5k a month pluss electric and water. That doesnt give much room for a decent life. I would rather lived in Pattaya on low budget than an Island. Or Chiang Mai

Yeah but he's quite elderly just looking for a quiet basic life, dreaming really, but why not

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Hua hin is quite expensive for decent standard in my opinion, but with a decent budget I put Hua Hin above Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Still with larger budget, Koh Phangan anytime.  I have choosed Isaan with a larger budget, gives more freedome having large land, no neighbours, 288m2 buildings and outside facilities, including garage and gym. 

 

Chiang Mai has 60 baht gyms, 150 baht on Koh Pha Ngan. Chiang Mai has lots of restaurants. Islands sound good but you can see it all in 3 months or less and the food just won't match a large city.

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Chiang Mai has 60 baht gyms, 150 baht on Koh Pha Ngan. Chiang Mai has lots of restaurants. Islands sound good but you can see it all in 3 months or less and the food just won't match a large city.

When we talk about quality of life, we do not talk about running around like a tourist, we are settled with hobbies, and normal on daily basis activities, as well go out and eat lunch and dinner a few times a week at max. 

a gym is 60 or 150 baht is way down on my list for what is important. I can do well just with anchors and elastic power bands to maintain my physics. I still enjoy the social aspect of joining a gym. There are plenty of quality gyms at Koh Phangan. 

And to be true, the quality of restaurants in Koh Phangan was surprisingly high, combined with Macro, I can do well for months before I have to leave for a roundtrip. Can't say the same for Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Hua Hin, or Isaan for that sake where we travel at least once a month for holiday or a long weekend.

Edited June 12 by Hummin

[JimTripper]

11 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Chiang Mai has 60 baht gyms, 150 baht on Koh Pha Ngan. Chiang Mai has lots of restaurants. Islands sound good but you can see it all in 3 months or less and the food just won't match a large city.

Some guys like CM, but they are the types that enjoy going to the same place each time. I had a neighbor there who ate and drank at pretty much the same foreigner oriented establishment each time. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not my cup of tea. He knew everyone there very well and a close knit group. Similar to the television show "Cheers" in the USA where it becomes a second home of sorts. If I ever wanted to find him I just went to that bar/restaurant.

Edited June 12 by JimTripper

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

when we talking about quality life, we do not talk about running around like a tourist, we are settled with hobbies, and normal on daily basis activities, as well go out and eat lunch and dinner a few times a week at max. 

You're right there, Susan appears to still be in tourist mode, waterfalls, beaches etc

[susanlea]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

When we talk about quality of life, we do not talk about running around like a tourist, we are settled with hobbies, and normal on daily basis activities, as well go out and eat lunch and dinner a few times a week at max. 

a gym is 60 or 150 baht is way down on my list for what is important. I can do well just with anchors and elastic power bands to maintain my physics. I still enjoy the social aspect of joining a gym. There are plenty of quality gyms at Koh Phangan. 

And to be true, the quality of restaurants in Koh Phangan was surprisingly high, combined with Macro, I can do well for months before I have to leave for a roundtrip. Can't say the same for Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Hua Hin, or Isaan for that sake where we travel at least once a month for holiday or a long weekend.

Pattaya and Chiang Mai have outstanding restaurants. You must be smoking something.

[susanlea]

9 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Some guys like CM, but they are the types that enjoy going to the same place each time. I had a neighbor there who ate and drank at pretty much the same foreigner oriented establishment each time. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not my cup of tea. He knew everyone there very well and a close knit group. Similar to the television show "Cheers" in the USA where it becomes a second home of sorts. If I ever wanted to find him I just went to that bar/restaurant.

I know 7 quality restaurants in Chiang Mai plus they have a German buffet and that's only a fraction of the ones that would exist. Be lucky to find 2 on Koh Pha Ngan. Samui would be better, more gyms, more restaurants.

[JimTripper]

2 minutes ago, susanlea said:

I know 7 quality restaurants in Chiang Mai plus they have a German buffet and that's only a fraction of the ones that would exist. Be lucky to find 2 on Koh Pha Ngan. Samui would be better, more gyms, more restaurants.

Yeah, I'm talking years though, not weeks. Choices become limited when you are going out every day. Even in Pattaya I'm having trouble finding new places to eat near me after a year.

 

That's one of the reasons I like Bangkok. There's new places to explore without traveling too far.

Edited June 12 by JimTripper

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Pattaya and Chiang Mai have outstanding restaurants. You must be smoking something.

Appreciate your polite feedback when I'm not clear in my reply so you understand what I meant. Apologise for that. 

 

I can't stay in cities or Isaan for longer periods before I get the urge to get out of there, and make a holiday or longer weekend trip for a change from my daily life.