33 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Stereotypes and languages havent changed in 20 years.

Look at all the downvotes my first comment got....speaks volumes.

10 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

You nailed it. It was a different vibe. A different time in the world. Pre smartphones, no deep fakes, no social media, much less internet. No news cycle overloads. Everything felt more honest, and the exchanges felt far more natural and human. They often had as much of a laugh as you did. Going sightseeing with them for a day was also very common, if you wanted that. That is mostly the part that is gone, and why it is no longer such an enticing proposition. But it was not just about the girls. That is the part most people will focus on in my OP, but Pattaya itself was a venue, a destination. It felt like real freedom. It is hard to describe to people who did not experience it, because nothing quite like it exists in Thailand anymore.

Absolutely nailed it, used to stay at the Welkom Inn on Soi 3, the 'Belgium Embassy' was there, a hole in the wall small bar, this was 1999, some girls used to turn up at breakfast time at the outside restaurant. I first was in Pattaya in 1980 stopped off there on my way to the Macau GP.

1 hour ago, marin said:

I think I recognize the name SoCal, but that guy has never lived in Thailand only visited and was last in Pattaya 15 years ago or so.

how would you know he was in Thailand back in 2011 , ridiculous statement, blame it on your age

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

A bit like you GrandDad ,how would you know he was in Thailand back in 2011 , ridiculous statement

Because I live here you utter moron. Have for 36 years.

6 hours ago, marin said:

Because I live here you utter moron. Have for 36 years.

In Pattaya? I thought you were Bangkok boy

OP you have described pretty much how I remember weekend trips to Pattaya (Diana Inn for me) back in the late 80s/early 90s. Nicely done!

On 2/13/2026 at 11:04 PM, SoCal1990 said:

All the really good stuff is gone, but mostly the vibe. There is no way you can ever bring that back. The world has changed

Yep, agree, all gone 😔

Enjoy what we had, it was very special times, all ruined now by all the nasty, disrespectful foreigners arriving.

5 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yep, agree, all gone 😔

Enjoy what we had, it was very special times, all ruined now by all the nasty, disrespectful foreigners arriving.

Yes, don't include all the criminal local activity, corruption and payoffs to let the criminals get away with much of it, the part where people sell their bodies for money, the real attraction to these tourist places, adding to that of course the drinking and drugs done by all involved that goes along with it, the destruction of natural resources by boats, the hazardous driving conditions by both locals and tourists, with much of it punished by just a slap on the wrist, the untold hundreds of children left behind by those in the sex trade, the scamming of foreigners, stabbings of both locals and foreigners , gang activity, theft, and dirty seas from everyone, and yes, you still have a paradise where it's just locals and decent foreigners coming for the food, beaches and temples.

On 2/13/2026 at 2:04 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There was a time 20 to 25 years ago when Pattaya was actually really good fun. If you were working in Bangkok, it was a great place for a quick getaway for a couple of days. But really, a couple of days was all anyone could muster. Too much hedonism to stay longer.

You’d hop on one of the 60 baht air-conditioned buses from Ekamai in the evening. They left every half hour. Check into your air-conditioned hotel for 500 baht at most, and some places at the north end or up on the hill toward Jomtien were as low as 300 baht and no joiner fees. Then head straight out and hit the ground running. It was total sensory overload, so two nights was enough.

Everything cost next to nothing. Food, hotels, drinks, great discos and go-gos on Walking Street, girls for a fiver. It had everything anyone could want, and all for a song.

ST was not really a thing there yet like it was already in Bangkok. Most girls expected to spend the night, maybe grab a meal on the way back to your hotel, and then go for another round in the morning. If you wanted to cut it short, they were often a bit taken aback, as many were hoping to stay over. It was not only about the money for them back then. Many wanted to hang out. But it was usually more fun to find a starter for the early evening, then head back out later and look for a second one to spend the night with. It was very easy to go overboard. So do two nights, get in and get out. Catch a minivan back to Bangers and get off at Victory Monument on a Sunday evening. Painless.

Back then it did not have all the different varieties of tourist trash you see down there now . There were always a few dregs, but most people were from the US or Europe, so it did not feel as ghetto as it can today, with middle eastern bike gangs and skint groups of south Asian men trying to chat up one girl and angle for a group discount. None of that existed.

You also had some great restaurants with home-style European food run by expats who were actually in the kitchen making sure the dishes came out right. The restaurants alone were worth the trip. Half the price of Bangkok, or less, for a good home-cooked steak, some British pub food, or some other specialty European dishes. Or head down toward the Marine Hotel area for a shawarma chicken wrap from a street cart. Maybe some Thai food at Kiss Food. Brilliant. Then breakfast at an open-air joint along Beach Road in the morning. It was all blissful. It was not covered with Big Cs and endless shopping malls. You really only had Royal Garden and Mike’s, and that was about it.

All the really good stuff is gone, but mostly the vibe. There is no way you can ever bring that back. The world has changed. There were no stereotypes back then. Nobody judged anyone else. Everyone was happy with the exchanges that were made. Not complaining. It is just how the world has gone. Glad to have had some fun down there at a time when it was still all a good laugh.

I understand your nostalgia for the way things were, but I'm going to have to put a spanner in the spokes in your claim of air conditioned rooms going for "max 500 baht".

Maybe some back street hovel or room above a shop or bar, in a back street...or worse... Ap** Hotel, which is still up and running and possibly at the same price point now 😊

That's not to say that there weren't choices at 500 baht. But it certainly was not the max and the rooms were not desirable.

3 hours ago, IsmeUno said:

That's not to say that there weren't choices at 500 baht. But it certainly was not the max and the rooms were not desirable.

Just had a look in the Lonely Planet version for 1999 and Diana Inn, which was very decent (aircon, pub or bar, swimming pool), was b600/night, up from b450-550 a few years earlier. There were plenty of decent rooms around the b500 mark 25 years ago.

On 2/14/2026 at 7:19 AM, roo860 said:

I first was in Pattaya in 1980

Same for me, 18 at the time.

Steaks at the Bier Kutsche were fantastic.

Bars were relaxing venues

No pressure or hustle from the girls,

And if you opted for the bar-fine, it was a girlfriend experience right up until her next shift.

And swimming at the beach in clean water, glorious.

Different times indeed.

On 2/16/2026 at 12:43 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

Just had a look in the Lonely Planet version for 1999 and Diana Inn, which was very decent (aircon, pub or bar, swimming pool), was b600/night, up from b450-550 a few years earlier. There were plenty of decent rooms around the b500 mark 25 years ago.

But yet, the only one you mentioned, was 600 baht. My objection was to the '500 baht at most'.

On 2/16/2026 at 7:35 AM, fredwiggy said:

Yes, don't include all the criminal local activity, corruption and payoffs to let the criminals get away with much of it, the part where people sell their bodies for money, the real attraction to these tourist places, adding to that of course the drinking and drugs done by all involved that goes along with it, the destruction of natural resources by boats, the hazardous driving conditions by both locals and tourists, with much of it punished by just a slap on the wrist, the untold hundreds of children left behind by those in the sex trade, the scamming of foreigners, stabbings of both locals and foreigners , gang activity, theft, and dirty seas from everyone, and yes, you still have a paradise where it's just locals and decent foreigners coming for the food, beaches and temples.

A sadly accurate comment on Pattaya (and many other places I am sure) as it has become

On 2/13/2026 at 8:31 PM, SoCal1990 said:

You nailed it. It was a different vibe. A different time in the world. Pre smartphones, no deep fakes, no social media, much less internet. No news cycle overloads. Everything felt more honest, and the exchanges felt far more natural and human. They often had as much of a laugh as you did. Going sightseeing with them for a day was also very common, if you wanted that. That is mostly the part that is gone, and why it is no longer such an enticing proposition. But it was not just about the girls. That is the part most people will focus on in my OP, but Pattaya itself was a venue, a destination. It felt like real freedom. It is hard to describe to people who did not experience it, because nothing quite like it exists in Thailand anymore.

Spot on.

Had the exact same experience/feeling there circa 2002/2006 on first visit.

Had been working hard in Hong Kong then for about 5yrs and Thailand/Pattaya then was another world...almost euphoric.

Take the prettiest,sweet young lady back to the hotel, grabbing something to eat on the way.

Great night followed by breakfast in the morning and guided tour of local Pattaya and the beaches etc.

As you say, no smart phones, social media, limited internet...enough to book a hotel room or go on the taxi driver's suggestion.

Can't remember the costs ....but peanuts in comparison to the $HKD3000 bar fine in Honkers which did not (usually) include staying all night or tour!

And the Pattaya sweety didn't want your phone number and probably out of respect and privacy wouldn't call you anyway.

Just magic.

Especially if you hadn't known or experienced this in your home country.

(Yes I'm a 'Boomer', and many AN members probably wouldn't be here without us. We made you!)

Thanks for reminding me of that great era.

Haven't been back there in the last 10 years.

1 hour ago, IsmeUno said:

But yet, the only one you mentioned, was 600 baht. My objection was to the '500 baht at most'.

I take no sides on this, I was just pointing out what you'd get back then according to Lonely Planet. The book quotes prices for lower end, middle (around b500) and higher end.

28 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I take no sides on this, I was just pointing out what you'd get back then according to Lonely Planet. The book quotes prices for lower end, middle (around b500) and higher end.

I actually have that Lonely Planet somewhere, but you have perhaps missed the point. It being that Airconditioned Rooms were being touted as '500 baht at most'. More accurate might be that the OP set a budget of 500 baht.

Please take a picture of where 500 baht is touted as middle range in the book and post it here if you will.

So far, you've listed a single option, at 600 baht. Which air conditioned accommodation is the Lonely Planet listing at 500 baht?

On 2/16/2026 at 8:35 AM, fredwiggy said:

Yes, don't include all the criminal local activity, corruption and payoffs to let the criminals get away with much of it, the part where people sell their bodies for money, the real attraction to these tourist places, adding to that of course the drinking and drugs done by all involved that goes along with it, the destruction of natural resources by boats, the hazardous driving conditions by both locals and tourists, with much of it punished by just a slap on the wrist, the untold hundreds of children left behind by those in the sex trade, the scamming of foreigners, stabbings of both locals and foreigners , gang activity, theft, and dirty seas from everyone, and yes, you still have a paradise where it's just locals and decent foreigners coming for the food, beaches and temples.

Happens all over, even in Baan Nawk. One infamous woman from your neck of the woods was featured on this very forum.

Life, to a certain extent, is what you make it. There are people in Pattaya who don't involve themselves in any of those things and are happily settled. @newnative being a case in point. Whereas you are nowhere near Pattaya, but can likely quote a long list of negatives around your own area of Baan Nawk.

What was your attraction? A woman. You were attracted to Thailand due to the lure of easily available women. Don't attach all of your negativity to Pattaya.

5 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

I actually have that Lonely Planet somewhere, but you have perhaps missed the point. It being that Airconditioned Rooms were being touted as '500 baht at most'. More accurate might be that the OP set a budget of 500 baht.

Please take a picture of where 500 baht is touted as middle range in the book and post it here if you will.

So far, you've listed a single option, at 600 baht. Which air conditioned accommodation is the Lonely Planet listing at 500 baht?

You seem to be trying to pick a fight with me and not the OP. I merely stated that I stayed at Diana Inn back then, which was a decent place, and it ranged from b450-550 (1997) and b600 (1999).

Could it just be that you, or we, are just getting older? And the vibe has kind of left us a bit?

I still feel it, but things have indeed changed with internet and smartphones all over.

On 2/14/2026 at 4:23 AM, SoCal1990 said:

Good hustle. Still no cigar. I put my OP into ChatGPT 5.2 and asked it to summarize the 3 key points from my text. It gave me exactly what follows.

1 - Pattaya was the perfect short, hedonistic escape - Cheap, easy to get to from Bangkok, and packed with nightlife. Two nights was the sweet spot before the sensory overload kicked in.

2 - The atmosphere felt more relaxed and less transactional - Interactions felt more natural, overnight stays were common, and it did not seem purely money-driven. The crowd was different, and the overall energy felt lighter and less tense.

3 - The unique vibe is what is truly gone - Beyond the nightlife, it was the simplicity, affordability, expat-run restaurants, lack of malls, and carefree mood that made it special. That atmosphere cannot be recreated now.

I have read your comments with interest because I feel the same. Pattaya in those days reminds me of Kuta- Bali in 1981 where the roads near the beach were dirt roads and the pace of life was more relaxed and no traffic hustle and bustle. It was like Nimbin (far Nth coast NSW Australia outside Byron Bay in 1975).

As for Pattaya I first went there in 2011 which is after you were there. Those days are gone. That's reality Mr Socal1990 as you know. At least we were lucky enough to experience it. As for the current visitors they can enjoy it but clearly not as much as we did. Especially now with the terrible exchange rate.

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

You seem to be trying to pick a fight with me and not the OP. I merely stated that I stayed at Diana Inn back then, which was a decent place, and it ranged from b450-550 (1997) and b600 (1999).

That's your imagination. My objection is to the statement of 500 baht at most. Do you have anything to prove or disprove?

1997 was 29 years ago. The OP states 20-25 years. So you, with your Lonely Planet, can show what was available for 500 baht at that time. How is that so difficult for you to grasp? Diana Inn was 600 baht, so outside the 500 baht max.

What was available for 500 baht?

I was supposed to go to Bangkok in 1967 but was given a choice, take the R&R and stay in garrison rest of tour or go back out. I went back out. I got that R&R in spring 2002. Bangkok and Pattaya. Was back for xmas/New Years. I eventually gave up drag racing my 2002 Camaro SS, couldn't afford it because I was supporting half of Issan. I was a one month millionaire and loved it. Exchange rate was good, hotels were about half what they are now. You could meet a go go girl, sit and talk with her half naked, take out and when she left the club she would look like a village girl. Out for a meal, lot of frolic in the bed, breakfast, take tour, go see the tigers, eat, drink, and enjoy each other's company. Sometime stay with the same girl for days, sometimes not. No fights. I didn't feel naked unarmed. It was the GFE-Girl Friend Experience and it was good. I was an old FLB customer, some crazy nights there. Those days are gone, never to return. The world has changed and I guess we have changed enough to survive. In and out of Thailand/SE Asia since 2002, lived in Udon now since May 2010. Back to the what is left of America in 2023/4 for Agent Orange cancer in Minneapolis VA Hospital. The one and only time. My life is here.

1 hour ago, IsmeUno said:

That's your imagination. My objection is to the statement of 500 baht at most. Do you have anything to prove or disprove?

1997 was 29 years ago. The OP states 20-25 years. So you, with your Lonely Planet, can show what was available for 500 baht at that time. How is that so difficult for you to grasp? Diana Inn was 600 baht, so outside the 500 baht max.

What was available for 500 baht?

"Do you have anything to prove or disprove?"

Why can't you understand that I'm not involved in your petty argument with the OP about what was available for 500 baht at that time, and I definitely don't intend proving anything to you. I repeat, I merely stated the amount at Diana Inn that i stayed in back then. You seem to be confusing me with the OP who you challenged on a statement HE made.

I have no intention in proving or copying from Lonely Planet. In fact you said "I actually have that Lonely Planet somewhere", so with the copy of that Lonely Planet that you actually have, YOU can show what was available for 500 baht at that time if its that important to you (you should have worked out by now that it isn't important to me).

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

"Do you have anything to prove or disprove?"

Why can't you understand that I'm not involved in your petty argument with the OP about what was available for 500 baht at that time, and I definitely don't intend proving anything to you. I repeat, I merely stated the amount at Diana Inn that i stayed in back then. You seem to be confusing me with the OP who you challenged on a statement HE made.

I have no intention in proving or copying from Lonely Planet. In fact you said "I actually have that Lonely Planet somewhere", so with the copy of that Lonely Planet that you actually have, YOU can show what was available for 500 baht at that time if its that important to you (you should have worked out by now that it isn't important to me).

I think you are confused. The OP has not written anything to me on this thread. The ONLY person who quoted my post, is you.

You, quoted my post where I suggested that 500 baht at most was not likely at that time. Since you have the Lonely Planet 1999, you can tell everyone what was available for 500 baht.

There is no argument between the OP and I nor is there one between you and myself. It's just your own imagination creating one and complicating what might have been a simple exchange of information.

As to me posting what was available for 500 baht, I already did, in the post that you quoted. Remember?

1 minute ago, IsmeUno said:

I think you are confused. The OP has not written anything to me on this thread. The ONLY person who quoted my post, is you.

You, quoted my post where I suggested that 500 baht at most was not likely at that time. Since you have the Lonely Planet 1999, you can tell everyone was was available for 500 baht.

There is no argument between the OP and I nor is there one between you and myself. It's just your own imagination creating one and complicating what might have been a simple exchange of information.

Pleased to see there is no argument between you and the OP.

I have no intention in trying to assist you in your quest to "tell everyone was was available for 500 baht". As you stated, you have the LP, so if you consider it relevant, check it yourself and post it for everyone - it isn't important to me.

Think this exchange has run it's course.

13 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Pleased to see there is no argument between you and the OP.

I have no intention in trying to assist you in your quest to "tell everyone was was available for 500 baht". As you stated, you have the LP, so if you consider it relevant, check it yourself and post it for everyone - it isn't important to me.

Think this exchange has run it's course.

That was weird..

You are pleased that the argument that you imagined between myself and the OP, didn't exist in the first place.

Instead the ONLY argumentative person, was you, all along. Was easy enough to play along, in telling us what might have been available at the 500 baht mark. Especially as you claimed that there were decent rooms for 500 baht.

You know...a bit of a stroll down memory lane. Maybe you've just got grumpy over time and haven't realised it. My LP is packed away in storage. 😊 Thanks for wasting my time 😊

Anyway, the reason why I challenged the OP's price point is that I know what I paid on my first visit around 23 years ago. At Honey Lodge, near Walking Street. No argument, just a different recollection.

I am quite impressed by the level of constant bickering on this topic about the difference between 100 to 200 Baht on a Pattaya hotel room some 20 to 25 years ago. You even have one of the site's biggest fools with his -140 site reputation score comparing Pattaya hotel prices from back then to current hotel prices in Udon. It is hard to grasp the level of boganism here on offer.

I was also in Pattaya many times during that era. Yes, there were various places in North Pattaya or up on the hill where you could get very decent air-conditioned rooms for 300 to 500 Baht, but they are all gone now. They were usually smaller properties that have since been demolished and replaced by bigger and more expensive hotels. So most of those places no longer even physically exist.

But who really cares. Many people seem to be missing the real point of the topic. The OP took us on a pleasant journey down memory lane about what it was like to experience the glory days of the easy going joys of Pattaya back in the day. Even if you paid a bit more than the OP for a hotel back then, does it really matter. It was about the destination and what it had to offer that made it all worthwhile and why it is still worth remembering today. Try noodling that instead.

I would gladly pay 1,500 to 2,000 Baht a night for a hotel down there today if the feel of the place were still anything like the glory days. But I have written it off. Too many undesirables, too commercialized, too many low-budget tourists who ruin the atmosphere making it very unappealing in so many ways. If you are truly worried about the price of a beer, a bungalow, a bar fine, or a burger back then, you probably should not even be reading this topic.

Rant over.

I guess we have a few here whose maximum room budget was 500 baht 😊

Their motto: I only want a place to sleep, I'm usually outside in the bars.😊

22 hours ago, IsmeUno said:

Happens all over, even in Baan Nawk. One infamous woman from your neck of the woods was featured on this very forum.

Life, to a certain extent, is what you make it. There are people in Pattaya who don't involve themselves in any of those things and are happily settled. @newnative being a case in point. Whereas you are nowhere near Pattaya, but can likely quote a long list of negatives around your own area of Baan Nawk.

What was your attraction? A woman. You were attracted to Thailand due to the lure of easily available women. Don't attach all of your negativity to Pattaya.

I was attracted to Thailand because of the food initially, along with seeing and hearing about the beaches, which I visited. I met a woman online just before I decided to visit here, visited with her, and then met my now ex wife staying at the hotel she worked at.

17 hours ago, IsmeUno said:

That was weird..

You are pleased that the argument that you imagined between myself and the OP, didn't exist in the first place.

Instead the ONLY argumentative person, was you, all along. Was easy enough to play along, in telling us what might have been available at the 500 baht mark. Especially as you claimed that there were decent rooms for 500 baht.

You know...a bit of a stroll down memory lane. Maybe you've just got grumpy over time and haven't realised it. My LP is packed away in storage. 😊 Thanks for wasting my time 😊

Anyway, the reason why I challenged the OP's price point is that I know what I paid on my first visit around 23 years ago. At Honey Lodge, near Walking Street. No argument, just a different recollection.

Wrong, I wasn't argumentative. I stated my experience back then. You seem to challenge me to prove it, just as you "challenged the OP's price point". Seems to me then, that you're the argumentative one here.

My recollection is back then there were plenty of decent places around b500. B500 got you a lot 25 years ago.