I haven't been to Big C Extra on Pattaya Glang for a while. Today I noted all scaled down, supermarket and food court. I also read farlang in Pattaya are fewer. I don't frequent tourist areas so often. Can someone please help answer these questions.

 

Why are farlang fewer? Is EU making the Europeans poor so they can not travel? Is Thailand intentionally attracting Indians and Gulf tourists instead? Why? 

 

Is Big C scaling down because farlang are fewer? But where do the Indians and Arabs shop? Is this the same trend in Festival and Walking Street (where I seldom go). Someone said BigC  actually is preparing to expand and build larger areas or repairing a leaking roof?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 hours ago, thailandsgreat said:

But where do the Indians and Arabs shop?

 

With so many Indians in Pattaya, they must have their own supermarkets? 

 

And I just did a quick google search and there are several Indian supermarkets ... Siam Grocery, Jivan's Mart ...

Might be useful if you want to source ingredients to cook Indian at home? 

 

 

8 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

With so many Indians in Pattaya, they must have their own supermarkets? 

 

And I just did a quick google search and there are several Indian supermarkets ... Siam Grocery, Jivan's Mart ...

Might be useful if you want to source ingredients to cook Indian at home? 

 

 

But Big C Extra is a big, reasonably priced (compared to a mall like Festival) department store. How can it have reduced its merch by about 1/3? Such department stores always attract customers.

 

Is the pattern the same in Lotus etc?

sorry dont know

someone else likely will 

Big C's are being chopped up into Mini Big C's.

 

And it's pretty obvious why Pattaya attracts fewer Europeans.  It ain't what it was.

4 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

Big C's are being chopped up into Mini Big C's.

 

And it's pretty obvious why Pattaya attracts fewer Europeans.  It ain't what it was.

 

Strange. Mini Big C have much less items. You don't go there to hang out.

 

And what is Pattaya missing? The bar girls are still here.

 

The alleged downfall of Pattaya makes no sense to me.

 

I wear a thick tin foil hat and start to suspect the NWO and Soros are behind it all. 😋 Pattaya is intentionally repelling the farlang?

 

 

I've seen a few Big C's with little stock and almost no customers.  My guess is Lazada & Shopee are hurting them and Big C is rapidly switching to convenience stores.

41 minutes ago, thailandsgreat said:

I haven't been to Big C Extra on Pattaya Glang for a while. Today I noted all scaled down, supermarket and food court. I also read farlang in Pattaya are fewer. I don't frequent tourist areas so often. Can someone please help answer these questions.

 

Why are farlang fewer? Is EU making the Europeans poor so they can not travel? Is Thailand intentionally attracting Indians and Gulf tourists instead? Why? 

 

Is Big C scaling down because farlang are fewer? But where do the Indians and Arabs shop? Is this the same trend in Festival and Walking Street (where I seldom go). Someone said BigC  actually is preparing to expand and build larger areas or repairing a leaking roof?

 

Big C is just changing some stores ground floor. And it's slow season, I'm sure it will be very busy come December.

Was at Central Pattaya today. Most noteworthy thing was a long queue of young thais and other people buying Balulu toys. Pulling out loads of 1000 baht notes. Looks like there's life in that trend still. Otherwise a range of people - not that busy - but it is low season. Low season is best for me - quieter and less pollution and more bang for buck. 

Other thing I notice around and about are how huge some of the new developments are e.g. second Copacabana in Jomtiem. Lots of cranes here and there. They must feel there's a lot of demand. 

      I don't think you can look at one grocery store and draw any assumptions regarding city population trends from what you find there.   Pattaya offers a lot of grocery shopping options these days, including home delivery.  I, myself, think the Big C Extra shopping center is sorely in need of a major makeover--which might be affecting foot traffic.   If Big C Extra is scaling back it could be for a number of reasons.  But, I don't think it is because of a decrease in the expat population of Pattaya.  

     Google gives mixed results regarding the expat population but, in my opinion, it is increasing and I think it is larger than when I arrived in 2010--and more spread out.  In the past 15 years, dozens of large, mega condo projects have been built, plus numerous smaller ones.  Many have their foreign quota filled, or nearly filled, so maybe 30 to 40% or more of these new units were purchased by foreigners.  And, more mega condo projects are currently being built and at least a half dozen are in the pipeline.   That doesn't mean everybody is here all the time.

     That's just condos.  On the Darkside, dozens and dozens of housing projects have been built in the past few years--and occupied.  And, as with condos, more are being built and planned.  Many of the projects are not huge but, collectively, they add up.  The last housing project I lived at was fairly typical.  Newly built, it had 28 pool villas, all sold and occupied except one in the construction stage and one still to be sold.  

     I think what is somewhat different these days is the demographics of the owners.  As I've said in a past post, it was a real UN of owners.  We had several Russian, Chinese, and Indian families.  We also had three or four from America, several from Britain and Thailand, plus Ireland, Holland, Dubai, Italy, and Israel, of those I knew.  Likely other nationalities were also represented.  This was also the case at two other housing projects that I lived briefly at--big mix of owners.

     My spouse and I know the developer of this project I mentioned.  She's not a big name brand, sort of small potatoes, but she, alone, has built at least a dozen projects on the Darkside, most with around 10 to 25 or so houses in each project.  Plus several more projects in the works.  When you figure in all the other house developers, including some big ones like Supalai and Sansiri, it indeed adds up.

4 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Was at Central Pattaya today. Most noteworthy thing was a long queue of young thais and other people buying Balulu toys. Pulling out loads of 1000 baht notes. Looks like there's life in that trend still. Otherwise a range of people - not that busy - but it is low season. Low season is best for me - quieter and less pollution and more bang for buck. 

Other thing I notice around and about are how huge some of the new developments are e.g. second Copacabana in Jomtiem. Lots of cranes here and there. They must feel there's a lot of demand. 

Yes. Building is going on. But farlang are shipping out. P. Mail wrote that. I wonder where they are going. The gang on the benches outside Big C supermarket all looked like they had been here for decades. And then you are no longer suited for life back home 😁 

I dont know what you are allowed to link here. I just cut this from a page and have read similar in several places

 

The assumption being made is that tourism in Pattaya will thrive in the next 10 years with Asian visitors. Americans, Europeans and Aussies are no longer the center of attention.

 

I read an  ad on FB yesterday one of the expat shops (forgot name) will close permanently end of this month. Surely not because he couldn't handle customers any more

1 minute ago, thailandsgreat said:

I dont know what you are allowed to link here. I just cut this from a page and have read similar in several places

 

The assumption being made is that tourism in Pattaya will thrive in the next 10 years with Asian visitors. Americans, Europeans and Aussies are no longer the center of attention.

 

That's already the case and has been for sometime.  That doen't mean the western market is unimportant--it is important, but as your article says, it's not the 'center of attention'. 

1 hour ago, thailandsgreat said:

Is EU making the Europeans poor so they can not travel?

 

Correct.

Yes it has changed. This is from P mail.

 

While Pattaya’s image as a European holiday haven still lingers in the local imagination, hard data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows a different reality. The city’s tourism survival in 2025 is increasingly thanks to its Asian neighbors—not long-haul European visitors.

 

And Big C was a farlang place. I think there is a connection. We'll see come the high season.

 

"An obedient EU citizen will holiday within the EU." - and in a few years nothing else will be allowed 😉

 

Wonder why farlang are fewer. Do they have less money to throw after bar girls or is Thailand intentionally attracting Asians instead?

 

China and Asia are taking over us in more than one way. Russia and China will beat Musk to the moon by years.

1 hour ago, thailandsgreat said:

I haven't been to Big C Extra on Pattaya Glang for a while. Today I noted all scaled down, supermarket and food court. I also read farlang in Pattaya are fewer. I don't frequent tourist areas so often. Can someone please help answer these questions.

 

Why are farlang fewer? Is EU making the Europeans poor so they can not travel? Is Thailand intentionally attracting Indians and Gulf tourists instead? Why? 

 

Is Big C scaling down because farlang are fewer? But where do the Indians and Arabs shop? Is this the same trend in Festival and Walking Street (where I seldom go). Someone said BigC  actually is preparing to expand and build larger areas or repairing a leaking roof?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same thing has happened in Bangkok. The Big C at Rachaprasong underwent a major rennovation and now primarily stocks goods aimed at Chinese tourists: junk food, cosmetics, souvenirs, Thai snacks. The supermarket has been reduced by about 50 percent and a majority of the customers seem to be Chinese.

1 hour ago, Lee65 said:

Big C's are being chopped up into Mini Big C's.

 

And it's pretty obvious why Pattaya attracts fewer Europeans.  It ain't what it was.

And Europe, as well as the whole world, is not what it was 20, 30 and 50 years ago. It is not as if only Pattaya and Thailand changed and everything else stayed the same. Far from it. 

I think Europeans account for less than 5-7% of all tourists that come to Thailand.

 

Almost everybody is is from China, Malaysia, India, S. Korea, Russia. 

Big C extras downfall started the day they got rid of the FREE plastic bags for bagging groceries in 2020 right before covid...

It may seem like a small thing but if you only bring one bag you will then limit what you buy...

 

Many stores have gone back to giving away free plastic bags....Why has not Big C Extra?

 

Why has Big C extra  not gone back to selling meat again?.....

The meat counter has been Dead Dead Dead all day long every day since they had that other company run and triple meat prices.

 

Before the meat department was Busy Busy Busy all day every day....

 

Big Cs downfall  is a lot of their own making....

 

I just said screw big C Extra and mostly shop at Makro now...

 

Move to the other side of the gulf. They do have a very nice Big C Extra at Blueport in Hua Hin. It even has a section for tourists. 

4 hours ago, Lee65 said:

Big C's are being chopped up into Mini Big C's.

 

And it's pretty obvious why Pattaya attracts fewer Europeans.  It ain't what it was.

my first trip was in 2004.  Yes, the American and European presence is greatly different now.  Total different vibe.  I remember when there were real low seasons compared to high seasons which was Ok.  Easy to cross second road without getting run over.  Then the russian invasion began.  Place was over built.  too many grocery stores now.  They can't sustain that

10 hours ago, thailandsgreat said:

 

Strange. Mini Big C have much less items. You don't go there to hang out.

 

And what is Pattaya missing? The bar girls are still here.

 

The alleged downfall of Pattaya makes no sense to me.

 

I wear a thick tin foil hat and start to suspect the NWO and Soros are behind it all. 😋 Pattaya is intentionally repelling the farlang?

 

 

Maybe it is Lazada and Shopee's influence, i buy most things online, even food sometimes so makes sense eventually Big C would need to reduce, Lotus North Pattaya already has

10 hours ago, Lee65 said:

I've seen a few Big C's with little stock and almost no customers.  My guess is Lazada & Shopee are hurting them and Big C is rapidly switching to convenience stores.

I doubt that really, Big C is a more for food items and Lazda and Shopee less so. They haven't really cut back on the floor space of the supermarket upstairs ... more has been taken off other  areas. I thought they were closing to refurb as they fixed the collapsing roof. Place s 30 plus years old now. 

12 hours ago, thailandsgreat said:

...Is EU making the Europeans poor so they can not travel?...

 

Given the tens of thousands of English-speaking expats and visitors, I'm not sure your point about the EU impoverishing these people is relevant.

Google AI is not the ultimate truth, but it says this:

 

 

do europeans have less purchasing power lately

 

Yes, many Europeans have experienced a significant decrease in purchasing power, primarily due to high inflation driven by factors like the COVID-19 pandemic fallout and the war in Ukraine. While some sources report a recent increase in disposable income and declining concerns about purchasing power in specific areas or timeframes, surveys from 2023 and 2024 indicated that a majority felt their purchasing power had declined, with rising prices cited as the main reason. This situation has put many households in a precarious financial position, disproportionately affecting lower-income individuals and certain regions of Europe.

 

...

 

And these factors hit harder when Thailand has become more expensive. Another factor is that more tourists are going to Vietnam, Bali ...

 

In addition the world is closing up. Trump tariffs. EU trade war with US and similar with China. War with Russia. Europeans are more and  more supposed to stay in Europe. Tourism to US also falling.

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe it is Lazada and Shopee's influence, i buy most things online, even food sometimes so makes sense eventually Big C would need to reduce, Lotus North Pattaya already has

 

Try Makro Pro online and you won't be disappointed.

 

Moreover, hypermarket customers are declining throughout the Western world for one simple reason: fierce competition from distance selling platforms.

This method of distribution without having to travel is more convenient, it also allows for better inventory management, and is therefore infinitely less expensive than in-store sales.

 

Personally, I think that all hypermarkets will inevitably be doomed to a sharp decline. Some compensate with direct delivery, but even then, they will one day be overtaken by warehouses without windows, which are even less expensive.

11 minutes ago, thailandsgreat said:

Google AI is not the ultimate truth, but it says this:

 

 

do europeans have less purchasing power lately

 

Yes, many Europeans have experienced a significant decrease in purchasing power, primarily due to high inflation driven by factors like the COVID-19 pandemic fallout and the war in Ukraine. While some sources report a recent increase in disposable income and declining concerns about purchasing power in specific areas or timeframes, surveys from 2023 and 2024 indicated that a majority felt their purchasing power had declined, with rising prices cited as the main reason. This situation has put many households in a precarious financial position, disproportionately affecting lower-income individuals and certain regions of Europe.

 

 

Just for fun, I asked the same question for Americans, Britons, and Australians.
Google AI gave me the exact same answer.

1 hour ago, thailandsgreat said:

farlangs

If you’re gonna spell it wrong, might as well go for broke.

 

Ferlung.

20 minutes ago, Toc-Toc said:

Just for fun, I asked the same question for Americans, Britons, and Australians.
Google AI gave me the exact same answer.

Buy Europe has slipped back considerably, compared to the US. But google calls it US outpacing us. We took all the refugees from the US wars. Now we buy expensive US LPG instead of cheap Russian.

 

All westeners are falling back. China taking over. But Europe more than US.

 

All westerners are probably fewer in Pattaya now.

 

is european exonomy slipping back after the us

 

No, the European economy is not simply slipping back after the U.S.; rather, the U.S. economy has consistently outpaced Europe in growth and productivity for decades, leading to a growing economic divide. While there's been a recent shift in sentiment toward Europe, with some upgraded growth forecasts and increased portfolio flows into the region, Europe still faces significant structural challenges like high energy costs, low investment in high-growth sectors, and sluggish productivity growth, preventing it from matching U.S. performance.