Pattaya Pride! Pattaya Has Arrived.

[chiang mai]

And Reuters described Pattaya as a "sleazy seedy town" thus the world press has got the place pegged.

Chiang Mai, have you been here lately? Perhaps you should take a fresh air look and escape to here during the Chiang Mai gas mask season.

And I suppose you also approve of the way the international media characterizes Thailand in general, with the same one dimensional sensationalism?

I would agree Pattaya is known for its sex industry and beaches. It will take time for the international media to learn about the cosmopolitan evolution of the new Pattaya. But I assert that people in Pattaya now have alot of to be happy about where they live, and should not be ashamed of where they live. Pattaya is an exciting, fascinating, unique international urban beach resort. Of course there is room for improvement in Pattaya as there is in all of Thailand.

However, I question the high crime rate compared to Phuket and Bangkok or Los Angeles. I feel much safer here at night than any American city I know. Can anyone provide any reliable statistics to prove that Pattaya's crime rate is exceptionally high? I doubt you can.

I have been to Pattaya this year and I agree that compared to what it was say three or four years ago, the place has improved considerably. Unfortunately it does still have some ways to go, especially when compared to Phuket where I currently live (not Chiang Mai please note) and even further longer to go before it shakes off its decades old reputation. I personally don't have an axe to grind with Pattaya and I have been there many many times and have had much fun and merriment there. I certainly am not in a position to judge whether the crime rate in Pattaya is higher or lower than anywhere else but I have to say that usually when I read something on Thai Visa about crimes committed, it's usually Pattaya based. Right or wrong, perception is everything.

[Jingthing]

It will never completely shake off its reputation completely. If it did, that would be bad for tourism. Think of the many of the most popular tourist destinations in the world that also have racy reputations: Las Vegas, Rio, New Orleans, Acapulco, Amsterdam, Prague, etc. To those who say Pattaya doesn't belong in the company of these world famous places, I say is Pattaya the most popular beach resort in Asia, or not?

Efforts by some later day moral majority types to turn Pattaya into some kind of G-rated family disneyland are futile and counterproductive.

Edited October 21, 2007 by Jingthing

[JR Texas]

It will never completely shake off its reputation completely. If it did, that would be bad for tourism. Think of the many of the most popular tourist destinations in the world that also have racy reputations: Las Vegas, Rio, New Orleans, Acapulco, Amsterdam, Prague, etc. To those who say Pattaya doesn't belong in the company of these world famous places, I say is Pattaya the most popular beach resort in Asia, or not?

Efforts by some later day moral majority types to turn Pattaya into some kind of G-rated family disneyland are futile and counterproductive.

Pattaya is dead. The good days are over. It is a cesspool. It is a freak show.........and a bad one at that. The worst vermin are moving in.....the good people have left or are contemplating leaving. If you like the smell of crap and being around clones of Rush Limbaugh.........fine, paradise found. As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

[kopite]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

Edited October 21, 2007 by kopite

[JR Texas]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

Thanks for your input Rush. Dream on.........

[Jingthing]

I hate Rush Limbaugh.

[Dupont]

You don't have to go there, Thailands a big place, plenty of places for you visit or hang your hat.

Actually, I do go there a couple times per year to play golf etc., but would never admit this to my associates abroad as they think this is the cesspit of the world.

Time for new Associates I think!!

I love patters and will be back again for xmas.

[Dupont]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

One less whinger moving half way round the world to live and moan about his/her new home.

Lets hear it for Pattaya.

[JR Texas]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

One less whinger moving half way round the world to live and moan about his/her new home.

Lets hear it for Pattaya.

Ha ha ha......my "new home" is 21 years old now.......been in Thailand a long time. I think my opinion is valid even if not shared by those who want to sell real estate in Pattaya. Thailand is a sinking ship...corrupt from top to bottom.......Pattaya-Jomtien is a cesspool (a freak show that even freaks would consider strange). There are so many better places out there.

[samran]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

One less whinger moving half way round the world to live and moan about his/her new home.

Lets hear it for Pattaya.

Ha ha ha......my "new home" is 21 years old now.......been in Thailand a long time. I think my opinion is valid even if not shared by those who want to sell real estate in Pattaya. Thailand is a sinking ship...corrupt from top to bottom.......Pattaya-Jomtien is a cesspool (a freak show that even freaks would consider strange). There are so many better places out there.

And you've been spruiking Cambodia instead. Wonders never cease!

[JR Texas]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

One less whinger moving half way round the world to live and moan about his/her new home.

Lets hear it for Pattaya.

Ha ha ha......my "new home" is 21 years old now.......been in Thailand a long time. I think my opinion is valid even if not shared by those who want to sell real estate in Pattaya. Thailand is a sinking ship...corrupt from top to bottom.......Pattaya-Jomtien is a cesspool (a freak show that even freaks would consider strange). There are so many better places out there.

And you've been spruiking Cambodia instead. Wonders never cease!

Oh........another person that for some strange reason hates Cambodia? Whatever.........my list of countries that are ahead of Thailand are as follows: Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. Again, good luck with your Thailand fantasy. But know that reality is already in your face (the one minus eyes that can see).....with more to come.

[stevemiddie]

Please tell us the reasons you moved to Pattaya.

Sure thing!

I love Pattaya and I love Thailand.

In choosing a place in Thailand to retire, as I have always lived in cities I knew I would only be happy in a more urban area that had farang friendly amenities. I also wanted a place where you wouldn't need a car or moto.

So that leaves: Phuket, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya

Phuket: too expensive, a vehicle a total necessity

Chiang Mai: my second choice, public transport still inconvenient, air quality very bad for some months over the year.

Bangkok: I don't consider such a large city a good fit for a leisurely retirement, but I do love to visit and that is quite easy from Pattaya. Pollution issues. Traffic issues. Air quality issues. Higer cost issues. Many positives: great restaurants and some cultural events, and the best public transport in the country

Pattaya: striking distance to Bangkok, cool ocean breezes (good weather), air quality better than the others except Phuket, good bus service but no taxis, modestly priced but more expensive than Chiang Mai, the ocean views, the relaxed feeling, the fact that you can be OK wearing casual resort clothes day and night all year, the amazing cosmopolitan variety of restaurants getting better every month and now rivaling Bangkok, affordable modern housing, fantastic expat services and support, no need at all to learn Thai (also a negative because no big incentive to either), I could go on. I wasn't a hard decision to make and I think it is indeed the top choice for retired expats.

As far as nightlife, actually there is more nightlife than I personally need, so it can be annoying sometimes. All of the cities I mentioned also have nightlife, so choosing any one of them would not preclude enjoying that entertaining and popular Thailand attraction.

A funny thing: my first impression when I visited Pattaya 10 years ago was that it was the worse place I had ever traveled to! It was not love at first sight in any way. I know many people continue to have this bad first impression. But the more I live here the more I love it and it really is getting better and more cosmopolitan all the time.

Did the cheap, available young male and female prostitutes have nothing to do with it? Come on, you may be able to fool your relatives and friends back home but don't insult our intelligence.

Correct me if i,m wrong...............but aren,t you the same person that came here for drugs and alcohol and cheap sex? ( as per your previous posts ) The same one that hints at still obtaining money by errrrrrrrrrrrrrr unusual methods?

Classic................that you can call this.............." Insulting your intelligence "

I never came here for cheap sex. You have sex on the brain!

I admitted my addiction and beat it, can you?

Never had one. Maybe that is down to strength of character. Some people have it..............some don,t.

[stevemiddie]

As for me, I will be leaving LSTCL (Land of Smiling Thieves, Cheats, and Liars) soon. No applause necessary.......ha ha ha.

and thats why pattaya is on the way up

One less whinger moving half way round the world to live and moan about his/her new home.

Lets hear it for Pattaya.

Ha ha ha......my "new home" is 21 years old now.......been in Thailand a long time. I think my opinion is valid even if not shared by those who want to sell real estate in Pattaya. Thailand is a sinking ship...corrupt from top to bottom.......Pattaya-Jomtien is a cesspool (a freak show that even freaks would consider strange). There are so many better places out there.

21 years and has learned sweet FA. No loss to LOS when you leave.

[Sanpatong]

Let me just get this in before the topic gets closed.

I think it's commendable that someone makes a POSITIVE post about a place he likes and wants to highlight good sides about the place that may not seem obvious to people who once spent 2 days around beach road 5 years ago.

Thanks for posting!!

And to everyone who disagrees, including some senior forum members and even a mod, rather then making hateful posts against people who like Pattaya, how about doing some POSITIVE posts of your own about the place(s) that you DO like? I'd like to read those, actually, not rant number 10,000 slagging off Pattaya or the people who like the place. Honestly, I've read them before.

Edited October 21, 2007 by Sanpatong

[Sanpatong]

I don't live in Pattaya but what I like about the place includes:

* 1 hour drive from the airport; closest beach to Bangkok (or to Chiang Mai for that matter)

* Nice beaches at Wong Amat, Samae Beach, Down from Pattaya Hill, Had Sai Kaew, etc. Interesting coastal towns along the coast.

* Nightlife-by-day.. You just don't get that in Chiang Mai or even Bangkok.

* LOADS of Thai and international food options, most very authentic and affordable

* Best value-for-money accommodation wise for just about any seaside resort town anywhere in the world. You can spend what you want and get decent value.

* North Eastern cultural vibe, food, music, etc.

And.. I notice this every time, this is getting a BIG town. I bet it's way bigger than most provincial capitals in Thailand already, and growing FAST! So you increasingly get the big-city benefits.

EDIT: And before I forget: it's also an EXCELLENT place if you have a family/kids, because there's loads of kid-stuff to do. Like there's only so many temples and museums you can take kids in and out of while on holiday; Pattaya offers a lot of general-fun type things you can do with kids. A lot of the more traditional backpacker-type destinations aren't actually all that safe for kids.

Edited October 21, 2007 by Sanpatong

[stevemiddie]

I don't live in Pattaya but what I like about the place includes:

* 1 hour drive from the airport; closest beach to Bangkok (or to Chiang Mai for that matter)

* Nice beaches at Wong Amat, Samae Beach, Down from Pattaya Hill, Had Sai Kaew, etc. Interesting coastal towns along the coast.

* Nightlife-by-day.. You just don't get that in Chiang Mai or even Bangkok.

* LOADS of Thai and international food options, most very authentic and affordable

* Best value-for-money accommodation wise for just about any seaside resort town anywhere in the world. You can spend what you want and get decent value.

* North Eastern cultural vibe, food, music, etc.

And.. I notice this every time, this is getting a BIG town. I bet it's way bigger than most provincial capitals in Thailand already, and growing FAST! So you increasingly get the big-city benefits.

[mittheimp]

my experience of Pattaya is of a sleazy dive, but when I talk to Koreans (I am in Korea) about going to Thailand - the ones that have been either go to Phuket (usually for honeymoon) or pattaya... and these are women i tend to be talking to. A few say Pattaya is nice, a few talk about the prostitution, a few never noticed it. I always express surprise that Pattaya was the place they went but i guess its all to do with package tours as Koreans would never travel independently .. anyway my point is that Pattaya must have something other than prostitution! (but it certain;y isnt a nice beach!)

[britmaveric]

Say what you like about Patters, but if they every get their act together with cleaning the beaches/water - this will be a place to be reckoned with. However in my estimation, not any worse than most places in Thailand and its far superior than Bangkok any day. If you want a sleazy/shi*e hole of a place - don't go any further than the capital.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqiVxB315Cw

[kopite]

music in the 80's was <deleted> - fact!!!

[cdnvic]

Why is it that people can't feel good about where they are without calling someone else's place a shi*thole?

[Jingthing]

Why is it that people can't feel good about where they are without calling someone else's place a shi*thole?

True that ...

[Acquiesce]

Say what you like about Patters, but if they every get their act together with cleaning the beaches/water - this will be a place to be reckoned with. However in my estimation, not any worse than most places in Thailand and its far superior than Bangkok any day. If you want a sleazy/shi*e hole of a place - don't go any further than the capital.

Yeh right You should have posted that in the jokes section, infact, just post Pattaya there.

[Jingthing]

Just post Pattaya there.

So funny I forgot to laugh!

[keemapoot]

Here's the latest haircut fad spreading like wildfire among the new Pattaya farang Hi-Sos.

Edited October 22, 2007 by keemapoot

[Sanpatong]

It's almost ironic that if you go to a BACKPACKER forum, the consensus is now mildly positive about Pattaya, as a place to stay or transit through as an alternative to Bangkok for transit on the way East. When there's some newbie trowing a tantrum on the usual stuff then he's usually quickly put back into place.

You see it time and again, the world over: There's people making a trend and people following a (yesterdays) trend.. The trend-makers seek out the places 'with a reputation' and go live/stay there, and not before long the vibe changes. But then others choose to be stuck with their own pre-conceived stereotypes. To each his own.

Edited October 22, 2007 by Sanpatong

[britmaveric]

^^^ Well said, most have no clue about Patters apart from the usual bashing rubbish. Not perfect, but neither is any other place in thailand.

[HarryHacker]

Say what you like about Patters, but if they every get their act together with cleaning the beaches/water - this will be a place to be reckoned with. However in my estimation, not any worse than most places in Thailand and its far superior than Bangkok any day. If you want a sleazy/shi*e hole of a place - don't go any further than the capital.

Yeh right You should have posted that in the jokes section, infact, just post Pattaya there.

I can only guess BM is a holiday maker coming out with that statement.

The fact is that Pattaya is a 'country within a country' and certainly not considered a normal part of Thailand to many people, Thai and Farang alike.

[britmaveric]

The fact is that Pattaya is a 'country within a country' and certainly not considered a normal part of Thailand to many people, Thai and Farang alike.

Another cliche from a holiday maker - certainly same can be said about Bangers.

[cdnvic]

The fact is that Pattaya is a 'country within a country' and certainly not considered a normal part of Thailand to many people, Thai and Farang alike.

Another cliche from a holiday maker - certainly same can be said about Bangers.

Hasn't Harry lived in Thailand for years while you come on the occasional hioliday?

[britmaveric]

The fact is that Pattaya is a 'country within a country' and certainly not considered a normal part of Thailand to many people, Thai and Farang alike.

Another cliche from a holiday maker - certainly same can be said about Bangers.

Hasn't Harry lived in Thailand for years while you come on the occasional hioliday?

Nope lived in Thailand few times mate.