Another Rat Abandons Sinking Retail Ship

[Thailaw]

The idea of turning The Avenue into an "entertainment plaza" like Nana is quite interesting. It gives a whole new meaning to the concept of "Dancing After Dark". If and when the Villa Market pulls out, I expect that the owners might seriously consider a dramatic change in complexion. And that type of venue might motivate customers to wander around, up to the higher floor(s), in an non-air conditioned environment. It may be its best prospect for making money from that space, rather than just tearing it all down. The new Central Festival Mall, which is not very far away, will always make is less desirable shop space, as will its contorted layout. They could call it "Nana II" and, to carry on tradition, have Sadsack Martin give dancing lessons to the girls and the customers on Sunday nights ...... The possibilities (for disaster) are endless, but, hey, this is Pattaya!

[manarak]

I think your wrong I love the Avenue its really nice sitting outside having a pizza and doing some people watching the cinema is also very nice we often go there. I think things will get better once we get into the high season

No... the avenue is a failed mall, and a very small one.

As the other posters said, lots of dead weight space, open air, etc.

The restaurants on the front are doing OK because they face the street where people are passing.

But during the three weeks I spent nearby, I have never ever seen even just one customer in the restaurant on the ground floor in the back right corner (opposite villa).

Same with the couple of shops upstairs.

[Pattaya Diver]

As noted above, both shops only operated because of lease commitments. Same as Au Bon Pain. The Royal Garden was open for a whle after The Avenue location but was closed due to them being so closely located.

[anothertorres]

Could you explain how you 'cut through to Soi Buckhaew'?

i "cut through" Soi Boukaew at about 10kmh

[thaibeachlovers]

It would have been OK to have 2 locations if there were more quality tourists spending cash.

Some who post on here on a regular basis have claimed, Pattaya is rocking, Walking St full of people every night, night clubs pumping til early morning.

Makes me wonder if they actually live in Pattaya or have a vested interest in talking Pattaya up.

Was on Jomtien beach yesterday, not a farang in sight, all Thai.

The odd farang I spotted certainly didnt appear to fall into the quality tourist category, more like a balloon chaser.

Your comment appears to confirm my observations.

I was there a few weeks ago, and Walking Street was indeed full and busy.

If you were on Jomptien Beach in the daytime, what did you expect? The party people are probably still sleeping, and will be out and about in the evening.

You seem to miss the point of what "Pattaya" ( the reality, not the greedy bas**** vision ) is about. The people in the bars down Walking Street are not in Pattaya to go shopping in malls. They are the same sort of people that have been going there for the past 20 years, long before anyone was stupid enough to think that building a Bangkok type shopping mall there was a good idea. They will probably still be filling the bars long after Central and the Avenues are a distant memory.

As for the Nana type option for Avenues, all that was suggested long ago ( including by myself ). Now that City Hall seems to be trying to chase the bars away from Beach Road and the road frontage of Second Rd, it would be an ideal location to relocate them all to. Some sort of frontage would screen the building from the politically correct tos*** along the street, and everyone would be happy ( except the "professional" complainers ).

[raro]

if you want to have a look at a failed, deserted mall, go to Bali Hai Pier.