@ morrobay  I do believe I've been to that bar, and a lot more. Started in 2002. Back in the old FLB days when Americans came and weren't ashamed of what their country had become. I was a one month millionaire back then. Retired and moved to Udon 2010. Pattaya and all that went with it is but a shadow of its former self never to return. 

Prices are triple, the women ah well, most are women. Plenty of Ladyboys if that's your choice. Around 2004 Pattaya started getting the younger crowd that had no respect for the women. I said back then if you treat the women like whores then we will all be treated like Johns. Became true quickly. Many back then were looking for someone to care for them and making money the best they could. Lack of education, jobs etc. sent the young women of Issan south. Many did not really want to be there. That is no longer the reason.  As the education levels rose so did the jobs. I would wager most of the lookers these days are there for money. And yea, the internet.

 

The glory days are long gone never to return. I've got the memories and some surviving pictures. A nice quiet house, a wonderful Lao lady that takes care of me after knowing each other for 13 years. Agent Orange took my Larynx, but thanks to the VA I'm still alive. I've got my Mustang GT that I need to get on the drag strip. And while I can complain, ain't nobody gonna' listen...lol.

 

Semper Fi, 250th Marines. 

As someone who was here back then, I wish it was still like the 90s.

It's not high season yet - November is shoulder season

 

13 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

Did I trigger you? Good

See if you can trigger me. Go ahead. Make my day. 

4 hours ago, kwilco said:

It's not high season yet - November is shoulder season

 

 

No, it's leg.

On 11/12/2025 at 9:19 AM, snoop1130 said:

File photo for reference only

 

As Pattaya enters its peak tourist season, visitors are greeted with the familiar frustration of stagnant business offerings. Despite a rise in tourist numbers and increased hotel occupancy, many massage shops, beer bars, and nightlife venues struggle to keep up due to outdated practices and confusing regulations.

 

Tourism demand is strong, with long-term visitors and Western tourists significantly contributing to the local economy. However, venues often remain stuck in the aesthetics and layouts of the 1990s, offering decor that fails to impress international visitors. Additionally, prices have risen to reflect 2025 standards, leading to customer dissatisfaction when service and ambiance do not match these costs.

 

One significant issue is the ongoing confusion surrounding Thailand's alcohol laws. Frequent changes and unclear announcements regarding sales restrictions leave businesses and customers in a constant state of uncertainty. This unpredictability hinders efficient operation and leaves patrons discouraged from paying premium prices.

 

The Thai government bears much of the responsibility for the current predicament, with ineffective policy management and poorly communicated regulations creating an unfavorable business environment. While business owners are at fault for not modernizing, the inconsistencies in government policy significantly hinder progress and innovation in the city’s nightlife sector, reported the Pattaya Mail.

 

To ensure future success, Pattaya must see an overhaul in both venue quality and regulatory framework. Businesses need to be incentivized to update and offer better experiences, while the government must clarify and stabilize regulations to restore confidence and encourage investment. Without these changes, the city risks ongoing customer dissatisfaction and a perpetuation of existing challenges.

 

Key Takeaways

• Pattaya struggles with outdated nightlife offerings despite strong tourism.
• Confusing alcohol laws create uncertainty for businesses and customers.
• Government and business updates are essential for future success.

 

Related Stories:

British & Thai Duo Held in Pattaya Sex Toy Raid

Pattaya Competes for 2026 ASEAN Smoke-Free Award

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Pattaya Mail 2025-11-12

 

 

Nothing to do with the bars, look at the people you are attracting, full of cheap charlie indians and muslims, arabs.. numbers of tourists might be up but youre not getting the ones that like a drink or spend money.. all i saw last time i was in Pattaya was the dregs, horrible looking, stinking cheap charlies roaming the streets trying to cop a feel of the girls. 

48 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

No, it's leg.

Nincompoop - you don't even understand basic tourism jargon!

28 minutes ago, RickyJB said:

Nothing to do with the bars, look at the people you are attracting, full of cheap charlie indians and muslims, arabs.. numbers of tourists might be up but youre not getting the ones that like a drink or spend money.. all i saw last time i was in Pattaya was the dregs, horrible looking, stinking cheap charlies roaming the streets trying to cop a feel of the girls. 

"Cheap Charlie Indians and muslims, arabs.." - whose average daily spend is more than Brits, French and other West Europeans – you're just being racist. THere\'s ignorant, ignoranter, and there's racist.

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

"Cheap Charlie Indians and muslims, arabs.." - whose average daily spend is more than Brits, French and other West Europeans – you're just being racist. THere\'s ignorant, ignoranter, and there's racist.

 

And there's the Nincompoop-in-Chief.

4 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

See if you can trigger me. Go ahead. Make my day. 

Oh please Jonathan there is no need to quote a Client Eastwood saying but if I could ever clarify it ...I bloody love you mate !!

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

 

And there's the Nincompoop-in-Chief.

always the sign of the racist, a sad, incoherent denial

On 11/12/2025 at 11:38 AM, ikke1959 said:

Everything in Thailand seems outdated, as you almost never see an investment or renovation.. 

 

Ridiculous, I see investments and renovations occurring daily.

Pattaya's main problem is that they have always set a low bar where infrastructure is concerned. Places like Da Nang in Vietnam are catching up very quickly and, if they start making it easy to retire there, they could easily tempt a lot of people to move there. Currently the costs of accommodation, food and booze are less in Vietnam than Thailand. 

20 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Oh I don’t know. There are a lot more cars and buildings in Phuket. It’s not change for the better, but it IS change.

Similar wrt to Pattaya. We have Treetown, a very much changed Walking St, plenty of new fancy condos, development out by Jomtien 2nd Rd, many new venues springing up in soi 7. The lovely Waterfront and development at Bali Hai  car park, and now with the shaded walkway. For infrastructure improvements you have to go back decades, think of the Railway Line Bypass, Motorway Flyover and Sukhumvit underpass. Focus seems to be on commercial development not infostructure. 

22 hours ago, Fact said:

I feel so bad for the fat bald loser mongers. 

Go walk around a European capital city and their tent towns and beggars in doorways. A singlet , beer and cigarette and a fat bird for the evening beats all that!

17 hours ago, Hellfire said:

Walking Street today looks much cleaner and more modern than it did 10, or especially 20 years ago. And that’s one of the reasons why the place attracts fewer and fewer people nowadays. 

Crematory-style cleanliness and order have never been a part of Pattaya’s competitive advantage. As well as 5000 thb short time prices. Girls were supposed to be dirty cheap, always smiling and in abundance. 

Today’s Pattaya is all about boring as hell fireworks festivals, mostly for the nouveau-riche Bangkok crowd. Yawn!

But they developped their standarts rose too. Did you expect them to never improve ? 

28 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Similar wrt to Pattaya. We have Treetown, a very much changed Walking St, plenty of new fancy condos, development out by Jomtien 2nd Rd, many new venues springing up in soi 7. The lovely Waterfront and development at Bali Hai  car park, and now with the shaded walkway. For infrastructure improvements you have to go back decades, think of the Railway Line Bypass, Motorway Flyover and Sukhumvit underpass. Focus seems to be on commercial development not infostructure. 

Oh don't be fascitious , it's not happening that fast sadly 

6 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Oh don't be fascitious , it's not happening that fast sadly 

Soi Chaiyapoon got resurfaced just a few months back! Lovely painted lines on Buakhao now!

11 hours ago, sgtsabai said:

@ morrobay  I do believe I've been to that bar, and a lot more. Started in 2002. Back in the old FLB days when Americans came and weren't ashamed of what their country had become. I was a one month millionaire back then. Retired and moved to Udon 2010. Pattaya and all that went with it is but a shadow of its former self never to return. 

Prices are triple, the women ah well, most are women. Plenty of Ladyboys if that's your choice. Around 2004 Pattaya started getting the younger crowd that had no respect for the women. I said back then if you treat the women like whores then we will all be treated like Johns. Became true quickly. Many back then were looking for someone to care for them and making money the best they could. Lack of education, jobs etc. sent the young women of Issan south. Many did not really want to be there. That is no longer the reason.  As the education levels rose so did the jobs. I would wager most of the lookers these days are there for money. And yea, the internet.

 

The glory days are long gone never to return. I've got the memories and some surviving pictures. A nice quiet house, a wonderful Lao lady that takes care of me after knowing each other for 13 years. Agent Orange took my Larynx, but thanks to the VA I'm still alive. I've got my Mustang GT that I need to get on the drag strip. And while I can complain, ain't nobody gonna' listen...lol.

 

Semper Fi, 250th Marines. 

 

Fifteen years ago, when I arrived, we were reading the same nonsense.

 

The reality is quite different. Visitors are generally courteous and cheerful, expats have become sexually chaste thanks to such abundance, and the charade of romance with pretty, vivacious young women has never worked so well.

 

Those who criticise don't live here.

 

As for prices supposedly doubling, that might be true in Gogo, but you'd have to be blind not to see the new offerings that now fill that niche. Just consider the Gentlemen's Clubs and the abundant offerings of ThaiFriendly, for example.

51 minutes ago, Toc-Toc said:

Those who criticise don't live here.

I doubt that very much.... we have the opposite reputation in fact. 

18 hours ago, supersomchai said:

Who cares about flashy venues what is more important ,is a pedestrian friendly city ,proper maintained walkways,pedestrian only entertainment areas,traffic free beach fronts which are safe and pleasant to visit.

decent clean public transport.

pattaya city is an unplanned mess slaved to the needs of the car .

How about a real smart city cant see any sign of one yet!

 

This is almost the same content as mine . Its soooo true and Pattaya is crying out to have a make over . It doesn't deserve the high tourism that it gets . The local authorities don't seem to give a flying xxxx about the condition of the place .

Can't honestly say I've noticed what the bars are like....my attention must drift?

1 hour ago, superal said:

This is almost the same content as mine . Its soooo true and Pattaya is crying out to have a make over . It doesn't deserve the high tourism that it gets . The local authorities don't seem to give a flying xxxx about the condition of the place .

I'm one of those residents who hate the new brushed aluminum and smoked glass structures.

 

The city I love is a surprise at every turn: shops from another era, haphazard sidewalks, alluring prostitutes or persistent ladyboys, bargain markets everywhere, hopeful new shopkeepers, and a police force that's more than discreet, turning a blind eye to minor infractions.

 

Sure, the grumpy and the champions of "things were better before" won't share this opinion, but I also know I'm not the only one who appreciates this kind of disorder.

9 hours ago, kwilco said:

always the sign of the racist, a sad, incoherent denial

 

So says the sad, incoherent but complete moron.

21 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I'm obviously talking about the proposed law. Maybe if you weren't in the bars so much you'd realize this.

Maybe if you stop posting 💩 we would understand. But having an IQ of a ten year old  in your case maybe not. Let mammy do the posting for you. 😉

3 hours ago, Toc-Toc said:

Sure, the grumpy and the champions of "things were better before" won't share this opinion, but I also know I'm not the only one who appreciates this kind of disorder.

It is a matter of perspective. Things were  "better" in terms entertainment, ambiance and safety, but there is no dispute the place was a shxxhole. I remember being down walking street during a drought and there was no water in the toilets, absolutely rank. Sanitation has certainly got better, now it is more of an excess water problem.

At the end of the day you have to take the rough with the smooth, or look elsewhere.

 

Today I went to my usual breakfast spot, the one I went to weekly last year. I took a friend along so he could check it out.
When I ordered my usual breakfast, I found that the prices had gone up by 25%.
Neither my friend nor I will be going back.

Last year the place was packed for breakfast. Today there was only one other customer besides us.
I don't know if he'll be back, but we certainly won't.

 

 

Dreadful article 

 

It doesn't discuss the headline/ main idea 

 

Hope it's AI or fire the writer 

On 11/12/2025 at 5:33 PM, Cameroni said:

Pattaya does look a bit dated, I do agree. Even Central looks tatty and old by comparison to the shiny jewel that is Central in CM.

      I don't know Central CM but Pattaya's Central has undergone a facelift and I wouldn't describe it as 'tatty and old'.  The mall bathrooms were all re-done and the public spaces refreshed with new treatments for the ceilings, the support pillars, and many of the walls.  The food court was also remodeled and other areas changed, including the kiosks.  In addition, some of the businesses, themselves, such as Fuji and Power Buy, have also re-done their spaces.   It remains one of my favorite places to shop in Pattaya and, according to Google, is one of the most successful malls in Thailand and the largest beachfront mall in southeast Asia.  

On 11/12/2025 at 5:38 PM, ikke1959 said:

Everything in Thailand seems outdated, as you almost never see an investment or renovation.. some restaurants and shops never did anything and still look as 50 yrs ago, but the same with rules and regulations, the conservative attitude of the elite, government and army, and low profits as there are too many same kind of businesses everywhere so nobody can earn a decent living

      Plenty of investment and renovation is going on in Pattaya by private industry, literally everywhere you look.  Public investment and renovation, however, has indeed been lagging and needs to be stepped up considerably--and done much better.