Patong Being Destroyed

[dreamchaser]

I was sickend and shocked to see how commercialization is destroying Patong.

I saw 3 McDonalds in the space of 1 square mile, too many sub ways an irish pub...........the list goes on.

Why bother even going to patong????? Its horrible

[jdinasia]

Patong is a tourist area ... what exactly are you looking for?

[Chaimai]

Patong is a tourist area ... what exactly are you looking for?

It is also in Thailand and should at least concentrate on presenting culture before commercialism.

[TheWalkingMan]

It is also in Thailand and should at least concentrate on presenting culture before commercialism.

TheWalkingMan

[jdinasia]

Patong is a tourist area ... what exactly are you looking for?

It is also in Thailand and should at least concentrate on presenting culture before commercialism.

Plenty of culture on the Island .. but if you are coming to Thailand for the CULTURE then Patong would have been your last choice

You can even get the crash course in culture .. visit a temple and then go to Phuket FantaSea just over the hill!

I lived in Kamala for a year+ and there is plenty of culture to go along with nice beaches etc ... but simply the base reason to avoid Patong is the type of tourist that goes there and the baggage that goes along with it!

[donna]

the simple fact is that, unfortunately, if all these conveniences were not there, the island may not get the same number of tourists. its simply a sign of progress. to many its a negative one, but its progress all the same.

[jdinasia]

the simple fact is that, unfortunately, if all these conveniences were not there, the island may not get the same number of tourists. its simply a sign of progress. to many its a negative one, but its progress all the same.

I agree ... plenty of areas that don't have all those issues, but hey, it made for a fun stop on the way home after a day in the water or on the bike!

[dynabob]

mc donald's,subway and a irish pub.god help us what next GO GO BAR'S,HOOKER'S ,B.J.BAR'S, MASSAGE WITH HAPPY ENDINGS,CHICK'S WITH DICK'S,LIVE SEX SHOW'S.MY ADVICE TO YOU REMEMBER LOTT'S WIFE.WE'RE ALL DOOMED

Edited February 24, 2009 by dynabob

[Wildebeest]

It started with the Holiday Inn and the paving of the beach road.

So whats new.

[wasabi]

Signs of progress or the mark of the beast!?!

Edited February 24, 2009 by wasabi

[steelepulse]

Looks like the colonel has it right in the above images.

[tw25rw]

What was it like 30 years ago? What has actually been lost?

[F1fanatic]

Patong is the tourist centre of Phuket. Therefore it is going to be the centre of the worst that Phuket has to offer.

It is naive to expect otherwise.

Having said that, I go to Patong about four times a year to get DVDs etc. and find it quite entertaining (in very short bursts)!

[ComicBum]

I was last in Patong about 8yrs ago and thought of it as a 'circus on steroids' then, gee, I can't imagine what it is now.

But it is a 'Fly-in' tourist destination with big money swirling around the island, it is bound to be utterly gutted by commercial interest. Thai's being what they are can only .

[thaiwanderer]

to mash an old quote- there are many disagreeable things about Phuket, but the most disagreeable is the visitors

[pothai]

Patong = expensive Pattaya

[tw25rw]

I've only known the place about 15 months but have stayed 3 times. I can definitely see why some people would hate it. The combination of objectionable pig visitors and persistant beyond any logic touts mean you have to grit your teeth at times.

Overall though, I look forward to going and am investigating buying a condo there.

[Ping]

Every few months this same topic rolls out with the same predictable responses. If it's 'traditional Thai culture' you want - then pick the location of the type of culture you like (southern, central, Isaan, etc, etc) and go and fill your boots. Simple. Not all of Phuket is Patong and not all of Patong is Bangla Road. I happen to like Patong's convenience of Jung Ceylon, the variety of restaurants and other facilities that have come as a consequence of tourism. I rarely venture down Bangla and those who don't like Patong need not venture into Patong itself. If you want 'unspoilt', go to the eastern or northern part of the island or one of the numerous smaller villages. If you don't like Phuket in general, I'm sure there are plenty of other places that will fit your bill - sans tourists and over development. The point is, if you don't like what's happening, the World is not going to stop moving for your individual comfort and convenience.

Always remember that most of you were tourists once too - and I dare say none of you have citizenship. Some of the people (not necessarily in the current thread) who have openly derided tourists actually rely upon them for their income. Amazing. I won't say that some of your sentiments are arrogant, but they are certainly unnecessary given that you are where you are by choice. For goodness sakes, you are surely not suggesting that your individual lifestyle preferences have some sort of precedence over all others - that you are 'above' them and should be treated accordingly? I suppose that I don't need to point out that almost anywhere in the World where you get steady and strong tourism, you get the accompanying infrastructure and, gawd forbid, tourists! That's life.

I am happy to spend my 6 months a year living in Patong. I spend some time out of the town, but it's a great place in which to be based. I far prefer it now, in relative terms, to the days of open drains, greater risks of food poisoning and having to go to Phuket Town for decent shopping. I'm quite sure I will also be happy when I move there permanently later this year. But every few months, for year upon year, people will continue to fill threads about the dump that the place has 'recently' become.

[pothai]

That is a line that is crossed from beautiful beach resort to not so nice place anymore....yes can go some other place but sometimes good not to develop somewhere so much as have been doing in Patong and other place in Phuket also..

[Ping]

I have never thought of it as a beautiful beach resort, pothai. The tuk tuk touts were always there (but more mobile in past days - constantly tooting at you as they slowed down while passing you), the other touts were there as well, albeit in fewer numbers, there were dozens of little kids constantly tugging at your shirt trying to sell you Chiclets, monkees kept on chains in every third or fourth bar, drugged-up snakes and large lizzards being dragged around for photo ops - a trend that slowed down but never quite went away - etc. Sure, the place was far less developed, but the odour was unbelievable on some days.

The life's blood of the place, then as now, was tourism - so there were plenty of them there as well. The water at Patong beach often had a light brownish fog to it - small but visible particles of human faeces from the drains/sewers. (I still won't swim there to this day.) There were no bungy jumps, no ten pin bowls, no cinemas, no department stores, very few places with a decent selection of international food, etc, etc.

Yes, it still had a variety of licensed entertainments (places with pool tables, places with darts, a very small selection of places with live music, a disco (Banana), places where you could have a quiet beer or a very noisy one, and (of course) the convenience of a location central to surrounding beaches and towns; but I think nostalgia for the 'old days' has clouded some people's recollections.

[fiddlehead]

I love the scenery, beaches, weather, food, and smiles.

I don't see a lot of Thai culture in Phuket. More like Thai's trying to act western.

One thing i don't like is all the empty buildings (new) with no parking figured into the plan and more being built all the time.

Who is going to vacate these places?

Yes, and i also don't like all the McDonald's and KFC's and fast food joints. I guess somebody goes in them???

I'd much rather see the guy making the pad thai right on the street than Ronald frick-in McDonald. Jeez, this is Thailand, not New Jersey!

[JetsetBkk]

to mash an old quote- there are many disagreeable things about Phuket, but the most disagreeable is the visitors

No, no, I disagree - Patong is the place to go. Definitely. 100%. Don't even think of stepping outside that wonderful place, please.

[GraemeF]

I hate Patong and avoid it like the plague, Phuket has so much more to offer. That aside I am glad it exists because it keeps a certain type of tourist in one place and away from the rest of us in the nice parts of the island !

[Wellington]

I hate Patong and avoid it like the plague, Phuket has so much more to offer. That aside I am glad it exists because it keeps a certain type of tourist in one place and away from the rest of us in the nice parts of the island !

Patong has a wonderful beach, shaded by beautiful and old trees, and a view to dream about.

It has Jung Ceylon,now after much delay and hassle ,which can be a day's outing of itself,and Carrefour offers some of the best food to be had.

restaurants aplenty,bars for all, massage of various sorts,and I'm sure the evening entertainment is amusing.

See the best side of everything and you will be happier.

No-one forces you to see the corruption, look the other way.

But culture........see the lovely old buildings in Phuket Town; see the temples, see Big Buddha. Go elsewhere.

Patong is not about culture.

[HorseDoctor]

Patong is a tourist area ... what exactly are you looking for?

It is also in Thailand and should at least concentrate on presenting culture before commercialism.

LOL !!!

[geriatrickid]

In fairness to the McDs & KFCs and others in Patong, they are clean places, with toilet areas that are sort of clean. They also employ more locals at wages that are often better than at the "local" places. Supplies are sourced locally. The McD's on Bangla and the adjoining Starbucks replaced scuzzy bars & shops. They are an improvement on what was there before. The staff even pick up the garbage outside and they provide trashbins. Significantly better than the "local" joints. I detest McD's and the Burger Kings make me ill, but they are better commercial citizens than many of the locals.

Sure there are alot of pubs, but they offer visitors what they want: If they didn't they would close up quickly.

My base of operations is Patong and as much as I detest the place and have come close to taking up my Thai friends offers of moving in with them in Kamala or even Rawai, I can't leave it. I like excitement. I like convenience and I don't drive in Thailand.

Nothing says Thai culture like Thais beating each other up with billiard cues, my friends drunken karaoke escapades, Issan clubs, and watching fake Thai punk bands elicit screams from the hookers at Galaxy. I'm living Thai culture baby.

[ItsPhuketTownNotCity]

Sure there are alot of pubs, but they offer visitors what they want: If they didn't they would close up quickly.

My base of operations is Patong and as much as I detest the place and have come close to taking up my Thai friends offers of moving in with them in Kamala or even Rawai, I can't leave it. I like excitement. I like convenience and I don't drive in Thailand.

Nothing says Thai culture like Thais beating each other up with billiard cues, my friends drunken karaoke escapades, Issan clubs, and watching fake Thai punk bands elicit screams from the hookers at Galaxy. I'm living Thai culture baby.

You're my hero. Full stop.

[vanalli]

Oh. This again. Yawn.

[Felt 35]

Negative progress is backward movement.

Why have people which have resided in Phuket for 10-15 years slowly but sure moved away from Patong. Its sure not because of positive progress.

Why is it that many tourist not in Patong for the girls/boys, who annually spent 2-3 weeks of the winter in Patong now have dropped their holiday at all to Phuket?

Why is the ocean outside of Patong Beach not recognized as very clean by either tourist or residents?

Nothing of the above are either positive progress or development, its slowly to destroy the place.

Regulations after the Tsunami could have saved Patong, now its to late and local and foreign investors are going to drag it further down with murky businesses which thrives in that environment.

[thaiwanderer]

Negative progress is backward movement.

Why have people which have resided in Phuket for 10-15 years slowly but sure moved away from Patong. Its sure not because of positive progress.

Why is it that many tourist not in Patong for the girls/boys, who annually spent 2-3 weeks of the winter in Patong now have dropped their holiday at all to Phuket?

Why is the ocean outside of Patong Beach not recognized as very clean by either tourist or residents?

Nothing of the above are either positive progress or development, its slowly to destroy the place.

Regulations after the Tsunami could have saved Patong, now its to late and local and foreign investors are going to drag it further down with murky businesses which thrives in that environment.

That some residents from 10-15years ago have left is certainly progress in my book!!!!