It's grim out there.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

….and what do they do? they put their bleedin prices up!!

 

thai economics 101 - when the going gets tough, make it just a little bit tougher!

 

bob.

 

That's GLOBAL economics right now bob.

 

Go ahead, try and find affordable housing in Dulwich or a cheap paella in Calella de Palafrugell or a decent priced public city car park in Buenos Aires.

[itsari]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

somethings gotta give.

 

tourists aren’t stupid (well, most aren’t anyway) and they know when they are being ripped off.

 

when I saw that 170 baht for a big beer I laughed.

That’s 110 baht PER BOTTLE that they are making in profit.

 

scandalous!

 

bob.

Taking the Mick I would call it 

Often the fridge they use is hopeless as well .

 

 

[bob smith]

Just now, itsari said:

Taking the Mick I would call it 

Often the fridge they use is hopeless as well .

 

 

yep.

 

lukewarm beer seems to be the order of the day at the minute!

 

bob.

[Ralf001]

yeah to many tourists for my liking at the moment... wish we could go back to covid times.

[Olmate]

Yu, all better briefly visit Pattaya, place is working sweetly, $hit holes gone for good, new and covid surviving  operations are top hole!  I say visit briefly because you really dont deserve the experience!! lol

[bob smith]

7 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Yu, all better briefly visit Pattaya, place is working sweetly, $hit holes gone for good, new and covid surviving  operations are top hole!  I say visit briefly because you really dont deserve the experience!! lol

…..how many have you had this afternoon?

 

bob.

[geisha]

9 hours ago, stoner said:

 

i live in phuket bob. 

Phuket has some nice beaches, as for the rest…. 
Tourists  generally go for the best beaches, not the dirty water of Pattaya Jomtien or the ugly beach of Hua Hin. But there are other much nicer beaches than Phuket, the smaller islands for example. Less tourists as not easy to get to. Good. I’m happy with that. 

[ujayujay]

🤤🤭Bob not noticed yet....its low season

[rct99q]

22 hours ago, Prubangboy said:

Nimman, Chiang Mai, is heaving. There's never an off-season here. 

I was going to add Nong Khai is packed, seen busier periods before COVID, but restaurants are busy, hotels (the good ones) are full, bridge is packed, seeing lots of families, so not sure what it is down south.

[Yellow Fever]

22 hours ago, bob smith said:

yesterday I went for a walk in a major tourist hotspot.

All I could see around me were empty bars, restaurants, pubs etc..

 

Not to mention all the boarded up buildings, for sale signs, call to rent signs etc.

Establishments seem to be closing just as fast as they open!

This place is famous worldwide and it is on it's knees.

 

The Thai economy must be in dire straits at the moment.

I was on the blower to a pal of mine who lives really close to another famous tourist hotspot and he said it's the same there too.

 

I have also noticed a steep increase in the prices at certain establishments.

170 baht for a large local beer!

the retail price is between 55-60 baht..

what is going on??

 

The touts also seem extra pushy at the minute.

one tuk-tuk driver tried to physically usher me into his car for a ride.

you can see the worry and angst in their eyes.

maybe some days they don't make anything..

 

It almost makes me feel sorry for them, but then I remember how they treat foreigners when the going is good so it's no wonder they aren't coming back!

about the only place in Thailand that seems to be doing well is Phuket.

but for the life of me I can't figure out why!

 

bob.

Patraya still doing ok too, there are still plenty of sex tourists about 

[steven100]

Bob,  I started early yesterday at around 11.30am and I was hammered .... I don't remember the toasted sandwich or going to bed. 

haha ...

[shdmn]

Ah yes, low season.  That magical time of year when the doomers dust off their Thailand is totally dying this time for sure fever dream threads after a night of drinking too much lao khao.  Just like when it was absolutely totally going to happen after covid.  The doomer threads on this site are so comically and consistently wrong someone should write a book with all the greatest hits.

[save the frogs]

you're grim, bob.

 

your grim tales of pattaya remind me of edgar allen poe.

 

 

[bob smith]

17 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Bob,  I started early yesterday at around 11.30am and I was hammered .... I don't remember the toasted sandwich or going to bed. 

haha ...

...you never disappoint, steven.

 

what time you starting today?

 

bob.

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...you never disappoint, steven.

 

what time you starting today?

 

bob.

haha ....  i'm not sure ...  maybe 2.30pm   but just 3-4 bottles today ....  take it steady eddie. 

[bob smith]

10 minutes ago, steven100 said:

haha ....  i'm not sure ...  maybe 2.30pm   but just 3-4 bottles today ....  take it steady eddie. 

i'm off it today..

 

well, for now I am.

 

 

bob.

[save the frogs]

19 minutes ago, steven100 said:

haha ....  i'm not sure ...  maybe 2.30pm   but just 3-4 bottles today ....  take it steady eddie. 

let us know when your liver falls out

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, save the frogs said:

let us know when your liver falls out

who asked you, frogs?

 

bob.

[newnative]

23 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Pattaya is still busy.  With any shops/bars that have closed,  new complexes have opened.  3rd road has Several new venues clubs or live music. 

Several larger bar complexes off 2nd and 3rd road.

My opinion the places that have closed is because they were old lousy businesses run by idiots.  

 

Another place is near the Dolphin circle across from Terminal 21.  The entire corner is boarded up they are building a large bar, restauarnt, shop complex.

Naklua is seeing several projects ongoing.

      Yes, indeed.  We are seeing a great deal of old retail of all kinds being replaced by newer and better all over Pattaya.   In addition to 2nd and 3rd Road, a lot of development is going on in North Pattaya and Wongamat/Naklua.  The corner piece of property you mentioned is very big--stretching around the corner in both directions with all that old ticky-tacky that was there being torn down and redeveloped.  Up the street, another 'Once' condo project is being developed next to the new Ankara Hotel.

      Probably the biggest project currently going on in this area of Pattaya is Centre Point 3, on a huge piece of property in front of Cape Dara.  Worth a look if you are in that area.  The project is so big that they will not be using concrete trucks but, instead, making the concrete onsite.  Centara Grand Resort, perhaps mindful of this new competition going up just down the street, has started what looks to be an extensive renovation of the whole resort.  Pattaya continues to grow and change.

[shackleton]

Can't be Phuket to many Russian tourists there according to reports buying up property  Plus  have new businesses. 🤑

People there complaining to many of them some are thinking of 

moving out 😱

[Mason45]

29 minutes ago, newnative said:

      Yes, indeed.  We are seeing a great deal of old retail of all kinds being replaced by newer and better all over Pattaya.   In addition to 2nd and 3rd Road, a lot of development is going on in North Pattaya and Wongamat/Naklua.  The corner piece of property you mentioned is very big--stretching around the corner in both directions with all that old ticky-tacky that was there being torn down and redeveloped.  Up the street, another 'Once' condo project is being developed next to the new Ankara Hotel.

      Probably the biggest project currently going on in this area of Pattaya is Centre Point 3, on a huge piece of property in front of Cape Dara.  Worth a look if you are in that area.  The project is so big that they will not be using concrete trucks but, instead, making the concrete onsite.  Centara Grand Resort, perhaps mindful of this new competition going up just down the street, has started what looks to be an extensive renovation of the whole resort.  Pattaya continues to grow and change.

I walk past that construction site next to Cape Dara on my early early morning daily walk. When it's completed it's going to be huge. Let's hope they don't use the same architects as Cape Dara as it's plain ugly.

[ignore it]

 

Some things in life are bad  

They can really make Bob mad  

Other things just make Bob swear and curse  

When you're chewing on life's gristle  

Don't grumble, give a whistle  

And this'll help things turn out for the best

 

And...

 

Always look on the bright side of life  

Always look on the light side of life

[harryviking]

On 7/9/2024 at 3:33 AM, 2baht said:

Phuket is highly over rated!

Lol! Absolutely true! 😄

[The Theory]

On 7/9/2024 at 8:26 AM, bob smith said:

170 baht for a large local beer!

the retail price is between 55-60 baht..

what is going on??

They believe higher price attract more people and they get rich in very short time. 🤔🤪😆🤣

[NanLaew]

On 7/9/2024 at 9:17 AM, bkk6060 said:

Pattaya is still busy.  With any shops/bars that have closed,  new complexes have opened.  3rd road has Several new venues clubs or live music. 

Several larger bar complexes off 2nd and 3rd road.

My opinion the places that have closed is because they were old lousy businesses run by idiots.  

 

Another place is near the Dolphin circle across from Terminal 21.  The entire corner is boarded up they are building a large bar, restauarnt, shop complex.

Naklua is seeing several projects ongoing.

 

But that's retail churn you are commenting on. Businesses closing to be replaced by new ones doesn't mean the new ones are going to be any more successful than the "old lousy businesses run by idiots".

 

I believe that the "place is near the Dolphin circle across from Terminal 21" is going to be another hotel rather than a bar, club and restaurant enclave.

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, newnative said:

      Yes, indeed.  We are seeing a great deal of old retail of all kinds being replaced by newer and better all over Pattaya.   In addition to 2nd and 3rd Road, a lot of development is going on in North Pattaya and Wongamat/Naklua.  The corner piece of property you mentioned is very big--stretching around the corner in both directions with all that old ticky-tacky that was there being torn down and redeveloped.  Up the street, another 'Once' condo project is being developed next to the new Ankara Hotel.

      Probably the biggest project currently going on in this area of Pattaya is Centre Point 3, on a huge piece of property in front of Cape Dara.  Worth a look if you are in that area.  The project is so big that they will not be using concrete trucks but, instead, making the concrete onsite.  Centara Grand Resort, perhaps mindful of this new competition going up just down the street, has started what looks to be an extensive renovation of the whole resort.  Pattaya continues to grow and change.

 

"If you build it, they will cum."

[arick]

The rest of the countries doing fine even during covid the North part of the country was doing excellent The south was dead but the rest of the country north of Bangkok was doing fine economically that new houses are being built everywhere they're new roads new electricity new businesses starting everywhere.

[Phil1964]

On 7/9/2024 at 2:35 AM, bob smith said:

"I agree.

But the tourists seem the love it"!

bob.

Maybe, just the new emigrés the Soviets seem to like it along with those who have lived there a long time? 

[newnative]

54 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

But that's retail churn you are commenting on. Businesses closing to be replaced by new ones doesn't mean the new ones are going to be any more successful than the "old lousy businesses run by idiots".

 

I believe that the "place is near the Dolphin circle across from Terminal 21" is going to be another hotel rather than a bar, club and restaurant enclave.

     Retail churn is found everywhere.   One business closes, for whatever reason, and another one opens.  Normal.  Does anyone remember the old, failed eyesore shopping center that was on the large site that now houses the successful Terminal 21?   New businesses can fail, of course, but they can also succeed.   And, often, the new is better than the old.  Something, I can't even remember it was so forgetable, was on the site that now has Centre Point Space, also a success.  The constrution wall says something called Again Pattaya will be built by Dolphin Circle.  I don't know if it will have a hotel component but it's a large plot to be redeveloped.

[scubascuba3]

12 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Retail churn is found everywhere.   One business closes, for whatever reason, and another one opens.  Normal.  Does anyone remember the old, failed eyesore shopping center that was on the large site that now houses the successful Terminal 21?   New businesses can fail, of course, but they can also succeed.   And, often, the new is better than the old.  Something, I can't even remember it was so forgetable, was on the site that now has Centre Point Space, also a success.  The constrution wall says something called Again Pattaya will be built by Dolphin Circle.  I don't know if it will have a hotel component but it's a large plot to be redeveloped.

I've never seen retail churn like in Pattaya, maybe a world record