Report Pattaya’s Safety Facelift Meets Skepticism from Long-term Expats

[wensiensheng]

On 5/31/2025 at 2:12 PM, kuzmabruk said:

I think Central Festival is very safe.  Terminal 21 too.   The rest of Pattaya is a toilet.  I brought my father to visit me in 2005 and we went to walking street and he said “this is an open sewer, your stepmom and I will return to Bangkok tonight and go to Singapore rather than visit with you and your brother in this cesspool”.  Dirty, unsafe nothing good you can say other than - the girls are so much younger and better than back home in Vancouver. 

You took him to walking street?

 

Theres your problem right there

[wensiensheng]

9 hours ago, mikebell said:

Agreed but here is a microcosm of the whole TAT Empire: my daughter/Son-i-L are snowbirds and want to fly South for the Winter.  They've chosen Vietnam - no TDAC; a much more generous tourist visa, rather than going to Immigration here to extend Thai visa & forcing me to fill in TM30s.

Well, visa length I can understand. But the online TDAC is a piece of cake. It’s required in Singapore and is to be introduced in Schengen countries and the UK.

 

Literally, it’s less than 5 minutes done in the comfort of your own home whilst sipping a glass of wine. God knows I complain about a ton of things in this country that drive me bonkers, but TDAC, it’s a non issue

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, Emdog said:

Do it on line.... I used to go in just for rubbernecking what sort are coming here now, but the on line thing is quick and efficient. Amazing Thailand and all that

I had been out of the country this time, so had to attend the office. Usually I do use on-line. 

[mikebell]

14 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

TDAC, it’s a non issue

Unless you are 82: do not have a smart phone; are not tech savvy; and alone in a foreign country; all of which is going to apply to me in 3 weeks time in Spain, having secured my multiple re-entry permit.