When Did You First Come To Pattaya And What Keeps You Here?

[Loosescrew]

Some of us have been loyally supporting the place on a full time basis, others repeatedly come for holiday. I'm a single man so that's 90% of my reason for Pattaya. The other 10% is the other stuff. Full time 5 years gone.

You?

[Kerryd]

You?

Me ?

I've been asked this question (or variations of it) probably 30 times since I joined TV (and countless times in person).

Short answer ? I live in Pattaya because I like it.

Long answer ? You'll have to review all my previous posts to get that one !

[barryofthailand]

I've lived full time in Pattaya for five years. Have good friends here, and I like the low cost of living. I enjoy everything Thailand and Pattaya.

Barry

[moo9]

For the time being my work, my wife, the fun, the weather, cost of living (I did not think too much of the sorting...).

Honest enough, I can't imagine moving back to Europe!

I came here the first time 11 years ago. Well, many things have changed to the worse (as well as in the West), but after all, it is still a great place to stay!

As everywhere in the world you'll find the opposite side of the coin (eg. working attitude, level of responsibility or accountability...but at the end "mai pen rai").

Enjoy.

Moo9

[Jingthing]

I first came on a gay sex tour. Aren't those illegal? I stayed for the buffets.

Edited May 13, 2008 by Jingthing

[timekeeper]

Some of us have been loyally supporting the place on a full time basis, others repeatedly come for holiday. I'm a single man so that's 90% of my reason for Pattaya. The other 10% is the other stuff. Full time 5 years gone.

You?

i was told by a bar fly when i first came over 'a poor man can live like a rich man here'

i have been living here eight years and do live much better than i could afford to in UK

[tlsdk]

first time in pattaya april 1988 and still come because I like it

[innovator]

I think most of us stay here to defy the local authorities and the criminals. No matter how much crime, filth, violence, dirt, scum or whatever they throw our way, we just smile and show our resilience. Why else would any sane person live in such a dirty and violent place? They wish to make life miserable by keeping the beach disgusting and letting homeless beggars and criminals roam freely around multi-million dollar/baht homes and condos, so we defy them by walking right by and smiling. After all, if the local govt folks wish to keep this place like a pig pen, it is up to them. It is not our land and they constantly wish to remind us of that fact. You can't own land!! Good, I would never wish to buy anything that is kept in this condition anyway. In the meantime, just enjoy the spoils.

Edited May 15, 2008 by innovator

[Naam]

we selected Pattaya because of its excellent infrastructure, moderate climate (no heating oil purchase), existing strong moral values, low crime rate, hardly any foreign tourists and because each and everybody speaks fluently at least two languages we master

[suiging]

The selection of both screw and bayonnet fitting light bulbs in HomePro, is a constant attraction.

[Crow Boy]

The selection of both screw and bayonnet fitting light bulbs in HomePro, is a constant attraction.

Is that in soi 6?

CB

[suiging]

Nope....................... thats where you get your books from.

[Kerryd]

Nope....................... thats where you get your books from.

Jai Dee keeps promising to show me where the library is, but never does !

I think he is keeping the location secret so we won't find out where all those ladyboy pics keep coming from !

[pattaya_girl]

I am sure i replied to a post earlier similar to this one before. I came to Pattaya for a holiday 8 years ago, fell in love with the place, prices, climate, smiles and way of life, so moved here, bought a little house, and most of all what keeps me here is that, some of the Thai men are very handsome, woo hoooooo (the latter keeps me here the most)

[luumak]

i came to pattaya about ten years ago as all the other beach resorts looked like pattaya, why not be 2 hrs from bkk with a glut of flats to choose? it had an awful reputation and for many yrs kept the tourists at bay. life was cheap and good! i was living on about 13k baht a month and often way less. it wasnt very cultural but i had spent years traveling all over asia and as asia developed it so too looked like ugly sprawl and kitschy backpacker-tourist crappola. i amde lots of friends with the girls at the time my thai and indeed all my language skills were sharp from traveling. and in fact the locals treated me excellently due to me speaking thai and not acting like an ass.

fast forward to about year 2000 - idiots flooding in, tourists flooding in. then the building boom hit - 3-4 years of non stop ugly building. streets flood with traffic, worse arrogant thai hookers in their new cars some dumb-ass farang bought for them. worse still the farang in some huge stupid truck that can barely fit on both sides of soi bukhao. about this time really serious, violent crime wave starts and has been going on for years. pattaya and its petty thugs make pattaya easily the most violent town in seasia. finally - the girls now have a different mindset. we are all here on holiday. none of your past time counts for any measure of you/thailand. the girls dont care if you speak thai. they all speak english and would prefer it. they spend countless hours in the internet scamming lonely pathetic souls out of chat money. all thais nearly w/o exception have become surly and rude.

pattaya - has long been finished. the question is where to go next... i see phils just raised their visa fees yet again.

i have some very good memories of the place - but that was years ago.

at night time, i watch my back and very careful where i drink anymore (only farang establishments)

library is on soi6 (ironically perhaps)

Edited May 15, 2008 by luumak

[wca01]

I came to Thailand 18 years ago. Living in Bkk I bought a condo in Pattaya where I spend most of my weekends. Don't visit bars anymore. Too boring already.

WCA

[suiging]

First stop 1986.

Thereafter many " golf " tours with the lads enjoying both the day time and night time activities.

Soon got bored with the night time bit ( honest ), but luckily met some long term residents out in the sticks, who being down to earth ( unlike a number of the Islands Brigade ) made longer term trips and hopefully eventual retirement a possibility.

Golf just gets better and better, albeit more expensive. There are still good beaches and fine country restaurants to be found if you have transport and avoid being stuck in town.

Pattaya is a good place to be as you can just about get everything you need in the one place, but with a little effort actually live nearby but far enough away to avoid the becoming more and more obvious, pitfalls of it's success.

Edited May 16, 2008 by suiging

[libya 115]

Moved into my apartment February 14th 2001. Previous 'good' holidays in Pattaya pursuaded me to say goodbye to rip-off Britain.

My number one reason is climate. I hate cold weather. And the cheap beer is a bonus. I am also fortunate to have some good ex-pat friends living here, which makes a big difference after the original 'thrill' wears off.

However since about 2005 I have witnessed a change for the worst in Pattaya. The random crime is increasing and I feel less comfortable at nightime walking on quiet sois.

Will I stay? For sure I will stay in Pattaya for the forseeable future, but on bad days, feel like just packing up and going to the North East full time. We shall see.

[Tokay]

i came to pattaya about ten years ago as all the other beach resorts looked like pattaya, why not be 2 hrs from bkk with a glut of flats to choose? it had an awful reputation and for many yrs kept the tourists at bay. life was cheap and good! i was living on about 13k baht a month and often way less. it wasnt very cultural but i had spent years traveling all over asia and as asia developed it so too looked like ugly sprawl and kitschy backpacker-tourist crappola. i amde lots of friends with the girls at the time my thai and indeed all my language skills were sharp from traveling. and in fact the locals treated me excellently due to me speaking thai and not acting like an ass.

fast forward to about year 2000 - idiots flooding in, tourists flooding in. then the building boom hit - 3-4 years of non stop ugly building. streets flood with traffic, worse arrogant thai hookers in their new cars some dumb-ass farang bought for them. worse still the farang in some huge stupid truck that can barely fit on both sides of soi bukhao. about this time really serious, violent crime wave starts and has been going on for years. pattaya and its petty thugs make pattaya easily the most violent town in seasia. finally - the girls now have a different mindset. we are all here on holiday. none of your past time counts for any measure of you/thailand. the girls dont care if you speak thai. they all speak english and would prefer it. they spend countless hours in the internet scamming lonely pathetic souls out of chat money. all thais nearly w/o exception have become surly and rude.

pattaya - has long been finished. the question is where to go next... i see phils just raised their visa fees yet again.

i have some very good memories of the place - but that was years ago.

at night time, i watch my back and very careful where i drink anymore (only farang establishments)

library is on soi6 (ironically perhaps)

Well put. I've been here full time for about 5 years, but have been spending most of my time here for the past 10.

I'm now looking where to go next as the "new" Pattaya is not a place I want to spend much more of my days. I'm over it.

[Naam]

The random crime is increasing and I feel less comfortable at nightime walking on quiet sois.

what's your business walking quiet sois at nighttime Libya? looking for crimes to report on TV?

[plasticpig]

Came about ten years ago on holiday to escape a wife who had just sprouted two horns

and was breathing fire. Ten years latter got the same shit going on.

Just a much better looking one.

Reason for staying, only have one real one.

Reading books in Soi 6, only the short story type that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pattay doesn’t have much more to offer.

It’s a sex town trying to be something its not.

Oink, oink

Edited May 20, 2008 by plasticpig