More delusional garbage. Thailand has had its day for quality tourists. The place is going down like the sinkhole in Bangkok. The whole country has gone to crap during the past 10 years. Many better options now

On 9/26/2025 at 8:26 AM, jacko45k said:

We might be doing better than Bangkok, where buildings crumble into dust or tumble into the subway system. 

Yup. Ride the Bkk BTS. 90% locals still masked up. That city indeed needs a clean.🙃🙃

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

My usual route is down Kao Talo where it can take four or five red lights before you even get on Suk.  Tai was supposed to be much easier after illegally parked cars/bikes were removed, but that, like the helmet enforcement, seems to have died the death of all such measures.  The stretch from Suk to 3rd Road is slow as drivers attempt U-turns without being able to reach full lock thus requiring lots of back & forths.  Negotiating past Soi Bukao entrance is slow as tuk-tuks presume they have right of way and selfishly block all traffic till they emerge.  2nd Road is slow even since the completion of the 3 year road works.  There are two pedestrian crossings designed to allow snails to inch their way over which creates a log-jam.  Coming back, since the erection of the new, multi-million baht, pointless signage was finished, Beach road narrows to 2 lanes causing another jam if the lights are on red at 2nd Road.

 

So the short answer to your question is; nothing has changed; still no police presence; roads are peopled by selfish morons who cannot drive.

Thanks for the update 😀 

On 9/25/2025 at 8:38 PM, mikebell said:

Does that mean visible police?  Two hours driving round town on Tuesday revealed a total of none.

 

Did you try some of the local bars and restaurants?

On 9/26/2025 at 5:03 AM, smedly said:

what surge ?            how are you calculating this surge .........total nonsense 

 

 

 

Pattaya gets smashed every weekend with visitors from BKK.

 

Friday afternoon on the 7 motorway is heavily congested.

3 hours ago, mikebell said:

My usual route is down Kao Talo where it can take four or five red lights before you even get on Suk.  Tai was supposed to be much easier after illegally parked cars/bikes were removed, but that, like the helmet enforcement, seems to have died the death of all such measures.  The stretch from Suk to 3rd Road is slow as drivers attempt U-turns without being able to reach full lock thus requiring lots of back & forths.  Negotiating past Soi Bukao entrance is slow as tuk-tuks presume they have right of way and selfishly block all traffic till they emerge.  2nd Road is slow even since the completion of the 3 year road works.  There are two pedestrian crossings designed to allow snails to inch their way over which creates a log-jam.  Coming back, since the erection of the new, multi-million baht, pointless signage was finished, Beach road narrows to 2 lanes causing another jam if the lights are on red at 2nd Road.

 

So the short answer to your question is; nothing has changed; still no police presence; roads are peopled by selfish morons who cannot drive.

 

Where are the 4 or 5 red lights on Khao Talo ?

3 hours ago, Mad Mustang said:

More delusional garbage. Thailand has had its day for quality tourists. The place is going down like the sinkhole in Bangkok. The whole country has gone to crap during the past 10 years. Many better options now

No way it did developed like crazy. Look at the number of luxury malls. Many new cars too. They increase and becoming like Korea. 

On 9/26/2025 at 9:04 AM, newnative said:

 British and US visitor numbers are up for 2025 and both will likely reach or come close to the record numbers for 2019.   Pattaya, along with Phuket and Bangkok, has been on Mastercard's top 20 visited cities in the world list.  Pattaya has been attracting at least 15 million visitors a year, domestic and foreign, for some time now.  This year Pattaya is easily surpassing that 15 million mark if it is already at 18 million.

source(s)???

No-one was disputing that domestic numbers are good. Try reading the OP and my reply........

10 hours ago, mikebell said:

My usual route is down Kao Talo where it can take four or five red lights before you even get on Suk.  Tai was supposed to be much easier after illegally parked cars/bikes were removed, but that, like the helmet enforcement, seems to have died the death of all such measures.  The stretch from Suk to 3rd Road is slow as drivers attempt U-turns without being able to reach full lock thus requiring lots of back & forths.  Negotiating past Soi Bukao entrance is slow as tuk-tuks presume they have right of way and selfishly block all traffic till they emerge.  2nd Road is slow even since the completion of the 3 year road works.  There are two pedestrian crossings designed to allow snails to inch their way over which creates a log-jam.  Coming back, since the erection of the new, multi-million baht, pointless signage was finished, Beach road narrows to 2 lanes causing another jam if the lights are on red at 2nd Road.

 

So the short answer to your question is; nothing has changed; still no police presence; roads are peopled by selfish morons who cannot drive.

 

 

I would never dream of driving in Thailand.

Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road, but they don't know how to drive, they're all crazy and armed.

And to top it all off, the U-turn death traps.

 

 

 

 

57 minutes ago, Dilligaph98 said:

source(s)???

No-one was disputing that domestic numbers are good. Try reading the OP and my reply........

      You may need to try re-reading your reply to the OP yourself, where you say, "Overall, incoming is down and won't return."  I pointed out that British and US tourist numbers are not down but, actually up this year.  And, compared to the record year of 2019, tracking shows both groups will likely come close to their 2019 numbers.  Britain, for example, was already at 531,000 visitors by mid-June 2025.  2019's total was either 946,000 (Google) or 994,000 (TAT).  Should be able to reach 994,000 or more this year. 

    So, contrary to your belief, these two groups have, indeed, 'returned', along with some others.  The drop in tourist numbers this year is mainly from just one group, the Chinese.  Sources are Google, TAT, and Mastercard data.

9 minutes ago, Espanol said:

Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road,......

As do Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Brunei, Maldives, East Timor,South Africa, Australia, New Zealand,etc etc.

Over 70 countries.

10 hours ago, Espanol said:

 

 

I would never dream of driving in Thailand.

Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road, but they don't know how to drive, they're all crazy and armed.

And to top it all off, the U-turn death traps.

 

 

 

 

The side of the road works well for me, one needs the right hand close to the window sometimes! I am in Pattaya usually and it is sometimes best to avoid the busy times, I often attribute the bad driving I see to Bangkokians in town for the weekend. Ignorant drivers. 

On 9/25/2025 at 6:26 PM, henryford1958 said:

Pattaya is far less safe than it used to be with loads of young stoners roaming the sois looking for trouble.

 

Ha ha ha . That's hilarious.