Pattaya Vs Chiang Mai

[sassienie]

After living in Chiang Mai permanently for the last 6 years and rapidly becoming bored of it`s ever diminishing night life & entertainments, plus hardly venturing anywhere else during the time I have lived here, I decided to visit Pattaya on a 6 day break, the so called paradise play ground of Thailand.

Flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, bus to Pattaya and then a mini cab to my hotel.

On the bus journey I met up with a New Zealand guy and we became friends, agreed to meet up on our second day in Pattaya.

The first evening at the hotel I was sitting in the lobby having a drink when a young doped up European guy approached me and started chatting. Within 5 minutes he was trying to sell me drugs and with the stuff in his right hand, attempted to push the drugs into my pocket. I told him to clear off, but it took the guy a few minutes before he realised that I wasn’t interested.

Later that evening I walked around the town passing many bars. The bargirls had the bodies of 18 years olds, but facially looked 40. It was hello welcome with aggression and in most cases I walked passed as quickly as possible to save being hassled. For all my many years of living in Thailand, for the first time I saw European women working in the bars. They were obviously Eastern Europeans, most were drugged up skinny ugly hooked nosed individuals, who I guessed are working illegally in Thailand to gain income and easily obtainable drugs to feed their habit.

The next day I met up with the New Zealand guy and we decided to check out the beach area. All along the beach road there where open drugs deals going on, old Thai women trading with Farangs. We witnessed a Farang guy having his mobile phone snatched by Thai youths and some Indian tourists being beaten up on the beach by some Thai jetski owners after a dispute. There were Thai woman of all ages, some only children offering their services. These females appeared to live on the street like vermin and looked dirty and nasty. We saw some ragity looking Brits doing drug deals in a steak house restaurant. We were frequently confronted by Farangs (mostly Brits) and some Thais trying to sell us things. With all this activity going on, there was not a policeman in sight, so in the event of being robbed, scammed or attacked, one was on his own.

In Chiang Mai many people, including myself walk about with a money purse strapped to the waist. In Pattaya it was the opposite. No one would dare, as it would probably be snatched within minutes. I also found that the welcoming smiles and politeness portrayed by the Thais towards Farangs in Chiang Mai was practically non existent in Pattaya.

To conclude, I was out of my depth in Pattaya and after leaving felt that the levelling of the place by a major earthquake, flood or a bomb would do it justice.

Yesterday I was extremely happy to have arrived back in good ole Chiang Mai, I even hugged my Thai neighbours and now thrilled to be back in my little sleepy village again.

Edited September 28, 2009 by sassienie

[cdnvic]

I like holidaying on the gulf, Hua Hin, Chumpon, etc, but Chiang Mai is the place I'd rather live.

But as always, it's up to the individual to go where it suits them.

[lannarebirth]

For a city, Chiang Mai is as near to Heaven on Earth as one is likely to find.

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe that helps explain the supposed Pattaya volunteer farang 'police' behaving like paramilitary hooligans. Maybe the Pattaya news clippings portray typical times there.

sassie, welcome back to a real Thailand.

[gvallee2]

as much as i hate sex tourists, pattaya and brits in thailand...

the worse **** of the world in my opinion is people who wear the FANNY PACK. This is as idiotic as wearing a nazi tattoo or a <deleted> mullet haircut. You can't get any dumber.. at least if you're scared to lose your 300 baht use those strapped purse that you put on your torso/arm.. not a <deleted> fannypack.(if you are not familiar with the english language, fanny means vagina)

[Jingthing]

It is so true. Pattaya is a cesspool. But it is our cesspool. Did you know a major crime occurs here every second? To help y'all keep up with all this delicious crime, you may want to check this out:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=3032060

At least in Pattaya you can BREATHE the air.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Jingthing

[sharecropper]

Yeah right. So you saw more daylight drug deals and acts of violence in one afternoon than I have seen in six years did you? Oh, and you managed to touch on every topical ill in Thailand, let alone Pattaya including a jetski fight (watching too much TV if you ask me).

Your lurid, fanciful account of your trip sounded like a simplistic piece of creative garbage to me. Or did you also report all the crimes - paticularly the shocking allegations concering public peddling of children on Beach Road - to the police station at Soi 9 and do us all a favour?

Or not....

Edited September 28, 2009 by PeaceBlondie
Everywhere on ThaiVisa, No need to repost an opening post early in a thread. USE FAST REPLY button further down. Thank you. PeaceBlondie

[bridge]

For a city, Chiang Mai is as near to Heaven on Earth as one is likely to find.

Not too much to complaint about in Chiang Mai, that's for sure

[sharecropper]

For a city, Chiang Mai is as near to Heaven on Earth as one is likely to find.

Not too much to complaint about in Chiang Mai, that's for sure

How about civil insurrection, the breakdown in the rule of law, political murders unsolved and general riot whenever the Lovers of Chiang Mai or whatever those reactionary idiots call themselves decide to cancel gay parades, attack police stations and the like?

Not too much to complain about in Chaing Mai for sure, because if you do, you'll likely be whacked.

[jasreeve17]

After living in Bkk for 4 or 5 years (first came 18 years ago then visited most years for diving off phuket), and having visited the majority of Thailand, I decided to have a look at what all the fuss is about. At the time I lived in Thonglor and thus it was easy to get the bus from Ekkami - arrived, booked into a hotel, then walked around town for 3 hours.

Went back to the hotel, picked up my stuff and bused it back to Bkk...

Went to ChiangMai - loved it - the best place to live in Thailand for a city boy like me. I hope to move their soon (either that or I'll leave thailand).

Edited September 28, 2009 by jasreeve17

[caf]

After living in Chiang Mai permanently for the last 6 years and rapidly becoming bored of it`s ever diminishing night life & entertainments, plus hardly venturing anywhere else during the time I have lived here, I decided to visit Pattaya on a 6 day break, the so called paradise play ground of Thailand.

Flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, bus to Pattaya and then a mini cab to my hotel.

On the bus journey I met up with a New Zealand guy and we became friends, agreed to meet up on our second day in Pattaya.

The first evening at the hotel I was sitting in the lobby having a drink when a young doped up European guy approached me and started chatting. Within 5 minutes he was trying to sell me drugs and with the stuff in his right hand, attempted to push the drugs into my pocket. I told him to clear off, but it took the guy a few minutes before he realised that I wasn't interested.

Later that evening I walked around the town passing many bars. The bargirls had the bodies of 18 years olds, but facially looked 40. It was hello welcome with aggression and in most cases I walked passed as quickly as possible to save being hassled. For all my many years of living in Thailand, for the first time I saw European women working in the bars. They were obviously Eastern Europeans, most were drugged up skinny ugly hooked nosed individuals, who I guessed are working illegally in Thailand to gain income and easily obtainable drugs to feed their habit.

The next day I met up with the New Zealand guy and we decided to check out the beach area. All along the beach road there where open drugs deals going on, old Thai women trading with Farangs. We witnessed a Farang guy having his mobile phone snatched by Thai youths and some Indian tourists being beaten up on the beach by some Thai jetski owners after a dispute. There were Thai woman of all ages, some only children offering their services. These females appeared to live on the street like vermin and looked dirty and nasty. We saw some ragity looking Brits doing drug deals in a steak house restaurant. We were frequently confronted by Farangs (mostly Brits) and some Thais trying to sell us things. With all this activity going on, there was not a policeman in sight, so in the event of being robbed, scammed or attacked, one was on his own.

In Chiang Mai many people, including myself walk about with a money purse strapped to the waist. In Pattaya it was the opposite. No one would dare, as it would probably be snatched within minutes. I also found that the welcoming smiles and politeness portrayed by the Thais towards Farangs in Chiang Mai was practically non existent in Pattaya.

To conclude, I was out of my depth in Pattaya and after leaving felt that the levelling of the place by a major earthquake, flood or a bomb would do it justice.

Yesterday I was extremely happy to have arrived back in good ole Chiang Mai, I even hugged my Thai neighbours and now thrilled to be back in my little sleepy village again.

Yeah right. So you saw more daylight drug deals and acts of violence in one afternoon than I have seen in six years did you? Oh, and you managed to touch on every topical ill in Thailand, let alone Pattaya including a jetski fight (watching too much TV if you ask me).

Your lurid, fanciful account of your trip sounded like a simplistic piece of creative garbage to me. Or did you also report all the crimes - paticularly the shocking allegations concering public peddling of children on Beach Road - to the police station at Soi 9 and do us all a favour?

Or not....

seemed a bit creative. but we have to take his word for it.

[anothertorres]

blah blah blah

don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

[aussiechick]

I am with sharecropper - been in Pattaya 14 years and never seen all this "activity". Pattaya is not perfect but I think sassienie has a great imagination - maybe this is the introduction to a book he is writing!

[LennyW]

seemed a bit creative. but we have to take his word for it.

That is putting it mildly, a complete fanciful fabrication, and no, we dont have to take his word for it!!

All that pollution in Chang Mai has twisted his mind!!!

[Jingthing]

I hear the gays are "invading" though? Apparently they are coming by the baht bus load from Pattaya to wreak havoc. You have been warned.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Jingthing

[bobbin]

It ain't a town for babies-in-the-woods, that's for sure!

Maybe babes-from-the rice fields.....

I'm calling BS on the OP.

How did you see more "bad stuff" in 5-6 days than I've seen living here for 7 years?

[Heng]

Love it, a friend of mine is a prof. at CMU, our group of friends fly up to hang out from time to time.

Easily the best blend of most attractive + relatively 'open minded' (but not the most, that goes to UTTC in Bangkok) student body in Thailand.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Heng

[QED]

I think this topic will run and run, with defenders from both sides trying to diss the other.

I can't be arsed to get involved in a 'my towns better than yours' slagging match, but I have to agree with previous posters calling BS on the OP.

I lived there for 4 years and never encountered anything like the OP did in a few days. Are you on CM's tourist board payroll?

[anothertorres]

I hear the gays are "invading" though? Apparently they are coming by the baht bus load from Pattaya to wreak havoc. You have been warned.

and the problem with those gays (particularly the ones in Pattaya) is that when they breed, they breed future gays. it's really a problem.

[Jingthing]

I love both Pattaya and Chiang Mai. It doesn't make where you live a better place to trash the other place. They are indeed very different, viva la difference.

[apple69]

Pattaya is a dump in many many ways but I think you may just be too sensitive and, in the best possible way, maybe too paranoid? It feels like you spent the time looking for problems (and possibly seeing things that weren't real?). I've been there a few times and sure, as with any place based so much on nightlife, you feel the presence of drugs around. However more than not (especially for short break tourists) the drug scene is pretty much behind the scenes (yaba'd up bargirls, the occasional coked/E'd up westerner)... and because of the Thailands strong stance on drugs I imagine will likely stay behind the scenes. The most I'd likely see on an average week is the odd person come up to you late at night on the beach and go "weed? weed?". But then again, Pattaya like has more than it's fair share of problems. I guess we all just have to find where we like and just as importantly - where we don't like.

[PeaceBlondie]

^ Guess which mod is annoyed.

Everywhere on ThaiVisa, No need to repost an opening post early in a thread. USE FAST REPLY button further down. Thank you. PeaceBlondie

[Ulysses G.]

I just got back from Pattaya too. In fact, I was the one who PMed sassienie to tell him how much fun I was having down there as he kept complaining about the nightlife in Chiang Mai on the Chiang Mai forum and he decided to fly down.

I had a great time and did not have a problem with anyone.

There were plenty of young pretty girls in Baby A Go Go and other Walking Street bars and in the happy massage places and pretty much everywhere else if you kept your eyes open.

I had a mobile phone and a money pouch around my neck and no one tried to snatch them or con me. The Indian tailors hardly bothered me and no one has ever tried to sell me drugs.

I had a few meals at Cherry's and felt it was a real bargain. I was not so pleased with Bob's BBQ which I considered over-priced, but I just went somewhere else after a few meals. No sweat.

I had a great, relaxing two week vacation in a nice hotel for a pittance, swam two or three times a day in the beautiful Diana Inn swimming pool, hung out in the shopping malls and tried new places to eat and met lots of nice young ladies as well as a few rude ones, got some great massages and even tried the Hard Rock Cafe which is a big rip off, but my sandwich was really good, so I did not feel so bad about the price.

To be short, sassienie and I had completely different experiences.

I was glad to get back to Chiang Mai as it is home, but I would have stayed in Pattaya another two weeks if I did not have to work. As far as I am concerned, there is no reason to change a thing.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[britmaveric]

sassienie - great bit of creative writing. Anyways you made me laugh and I enjoyed your fictional tale of desperation. (nice attempt for another Pattaya bashing thread)

Pattaya is a great place and heaps to do. Same goes for Chiang Mai. (CM is quiet nightlife in comparison)

Edited September 28, 2009 by britmaveric

[ukrules]

We saw some ragity looking Brits doing drug deals in a steak house restaurant.

You sure saw a lot of drug deals going down, are you obsessed with drugs or something, everyone's on drugs according to you.

A friend of mine was once thrown out of a bar for 'being a drug dealer', in fact he had adjusted his belt but there was no way the ignorant, short sighted and slightly moronic bar manager was ever going to believe this.

[Jingthing]

Post withdrawn. My apologies. I decided to report the offending post I was responding to instead.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Jingthing

[Tywais]

Post deleted making an inappropriate suggestion/comment.

[Gary A]

It's different strokes for different folks. I don't like Bangkok but I would MUCH rather live there than Chiang Mai. As far as Pattaya, I lived in Jomtien but frequented Pattaya. In all the years and visits to Pattaya I have NEVER seen the things the OP has written about. The biggest threat I have seen are the katoeys along Beach Road.

[Heng]

What are they a threat to?

[ThaiPauly]

I went to Pattaya once..it wasn't for me., but then again I'm probably too old and too married to enjoy it.

CM suits me and my lifestyle..but as has already been said..each to his own

But if it's good enough for my hero Sir Steve Coppell to hang out there for his hols it can't be that bad.

The only thing that really irked me was seeing so many disrespectful guys walking around shirtless.....probably my fellow countrymen I'm sorry to say.