Is Patong Finished

[stevenl]

5 years, that's not too bad then. Cheaper than I thought.

[KarenBravo]

Patong is still the best place on the island for a fun night out with the lads.

Not a good place to live, though.

Edited November 25, 2009 by KarenBravo

[LivinLOS]

Patong is still the best place on the island for a fun night out with the lads.

Not a good place to live, though.

But isnt that always the way.. Say what you will but how many of us would even consider living on the reaperbahn, or damrak, or or or... Yet somehow people do want to set up home close to one in asia.

[rawaireddragon]

Patong is just giving the tourists what they want and demand. I detest jetskis, but if stupid ignorant tourists did not rent them, the rentals would stop. The touts swarm on Bangla because the tourists still stop and pose for photos with endangered animals and buy the poor quality suits, the tourists still buy over priced cigarettes from vendors because they are too lazy to walk down the stairs to the Big 1 in the plaza, the hookers still affix their grimy claws on guys' arms because some men will take the hideous disease carriers back to their flophouse rental. Yes, I loathe such scenes, but as long as there is a market for such things, the situation will persist. It's like the drug trade. If there weren't people purchasing the stuff, there would be no incentive to sell the poison.

One has the option of saying NO and walking on. It's not that hard and it's something most of us learnt to do long ago.

But dont you choose to live in Patong ??

and dont you choose to to live in land of smiles?................. .........Free market economy....ask the boys at Sodom and Gammorah(sic).....give the boc si da's what they want....good luck to them......live in a leafy suburb and comute

[paulfromphuket]

this patong thing is nonesence, we keep 90% of the #hity head tourists in one #hithole and they 90% love it, yes they are robbed blind but don't mostley care, there on holiday and expect to be but $ooked.

The rest of us expats and this an expat forum can largley go about our business here unaffected unless you feel the need to get ripped off.

I say go patong go you do a great job. i love the odd night in town and they are usually very odd but love leaving it to the idiots that stay there!

We seem to love to knock our home without thinking heh this is our home and we need crappers like patong to keep the machine running, me once every6 months enough, bring on the peacfull nice parts of the island where I can still buy a bottle of samsong for 200 baht but still get a rocking pizza for the same.

toon town serves a purpose, and I think it does it quite well.

[LivinLOS]

More dramatic was the "gang shooting" actually it was a group of 5 guys, unknown if they were actually gang memebrs, that were trying to pawn off a stolen statute when the cops saw them and took chase. One guy was shoot near or in the water at Suan Luang park and his body was floating for some time. So it wasn't a "gang shooting" it was the cops chasing and shootng at a "gang of 5 men."

I actually asked this question on another forum..

Were they even armed ?? Did they fire back ?? Who fired first ??

3 good examples of questions that never get publicly asked and certainly not publicly answered. Tit.

And now relatives claim the man had his hands in the air and was not armed when he was shot !!

[ScubaBuddha]

And now relatives claim the man had his hands in the air and was not armed when he was shot !!

Ha, funny, and I bet these relatives just happen to have been accompanying them to their fence and saw everything right?

[LivinLOS]

Of course

However theres been a distinct lack of the usual 'photo with them behind the desk with the guns in front' which makes me wonder again "were they even armed or did the police just shot at and execute an unarmed man" ??

[TaoNow]

I, too, had been avoiding Patong for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. But, a few months ago, I decided to explore the back streets to see what's what. I was pleasantly surprised to find some nice places with very polite staff, good food and reasonable prices. I also stopped to chat with a female artist who was painting a canvas in front of her house while tending her sleeping infant -- not an ordinary site at other beach towns.

Some of the places I would recommend include the Sandwich Shoppe (good deli, bakery, coffee, and free internet); Nanai BBQ (inexpensive draft beer and sumptuous BBQ), Don's BBQ (no link to Battles I believe) but with another interesting BBQ on Sat-Sun and good sports coverage, friendly (not pushy) staff, etc.

Patong has a gentler side, if you look for it.

[LivinLOS]

I, too, had been avoiding Patong for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. But, a few months ago, I decided to explore the back streets to see what's what. I was pleasantly surprised to find some nice places with very polite staff, good food and reasonable prices. I also stopped to chat with a female artist who was painting a canvas in front of her house while tending her sleeping infant -- not an ordinary site at other beach towns.

Some of the places I would recommend include the Sandwich Shoppe (good deli, bakery, coffee, and free internet); Nanai BBQ (inexpensive draft beer and sumptuous BBQ), Don's BBQ (no link to Battles I believe) but with another interesting BBQ on Sat-Sun and good sports coverage, friendly (not pushy) staff, etc.

Patong has a gentler side, if you look for it.

Agreed, I drink in Patong probably 2 or 3 times a week.. I think I have been down bangla maybe 5 times this year.

Don (dons BBQ at mae ubol) is a nice Thai fella, many would know him from the Kangaroo.. Lots of little eateries and bars without the crazy beach rd costs to pay for, only headache is trying to park anywhere.

[ScubaBuddha]

I, too, had been avoiding Patong for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. But, a few months ago, I decided to explore the back streets to see what's what. I was pleasantly surprised to find some nice places with very polite staff, good food and reasonable prices. I also stopped to chat with a female artist who was painting a canvas in front of her house while tending her sleeping infant -- not an ordinary site at other beach towns.

Some of the places I would recommend include the Sandwich Shoppe (good deli, bakery, coffee, and free internet); Nanai BBQ (inexpensive draft beer and sumptuous BBQ), Don's BBQ (no link to Battles I believe) but with another interesting BBQ on Sat-Sun and good sports coverage, friendly (not pushy) staff, etc.

Patong has a gentler side, if you look for it.

Yes no doubt there are some gyms nestled among the soi's. I heard good things about Don's BBQ on Nanai also.

[chiang mai]

this patong thing is nonesence, we keep 90% of the #hity head tourists in one #hithole and they 90% love it, yes they are robbed blind but don't mostley care, there on holiday and expect to be but $ooked.

The rest of us expats and this an expat forum can largley go about our business here unaffected unless you feel the need to get ripped off.

I say go patong go you do a great job. i love the odd night in town and they are usually very odd but love leaving it to the idiots that stay there!

We seem to love to knock our home without thinking heh this is our home and we need crappers like patong to keep the machine running, me once every6 months enough, bring on the peacfull nice parts of the island where I can still buy a bottle of samsong for 200 baht but still get a rocking pizza for the same.

toon town serves a purpose, and I think it does it quite well.

I like this post, it's a realistic and practical view.

[pagallim]

this patong thing is nonesence, we keep 90% of the #hity head tourists in one #hithole and they 90% love it, yes they are robbed blind but don't mostley care, there on holiday and expect to be but $ooked.

The rest of us expats and this an expat forum can largley go about our business here unaffected unless you feel the need to get ripped off.

I say go patong go you do a great job. i love the odd night in town and they are usually very odd but love leaving it to the idiots that stay there!

We seem to love to knock our home without thinking heh this is our home and we need crappers like patong to keep the machine running, me once every6 months enough, bring on the peacfull nice parts of the island where I can still buy a bottle of samsong for 200 baht but still get a rocking pizza for the same.

toon town serves a purpose, and I think it does it quite well.

I like this post, it's a realistic and practical view.

I agree. For those of us who live here (Phuket), it's almost a necessary evil. Don't know the actual percentage of visitors to Phuket who are here solely to visit Patong, but I'm going to hazard a guess at circa 60%. Regardless, it's a substantial number, and because of their 'spend', it allows Phuket to develop it's infrastructure, open a wider variety of shops, and have a choice of health care and education. For those of us who are here full time, and would only contemplate a visit to Patong on an infrequent occasion, it's fine. My only objection about Patong is that it's thought of (to some tourists, and also Thai expats from other provinces) as all that Phuket has to offer, and nothing could be further from the truth.

[NALAK]

Because this is the time they steal 1000B from your wallet....er..someone told me once.

reverse scam when they in shower take 1000 out of there bag. then afterwards hand it back as payment. dare not try it myself but know a few who do.

[phuketrichard]

I read a report that the head of the hotel association said only last week that because of the drop of tourist numbers he is worried that staff will lose there jobs and crime will increase as the projected figures for this high season are way down on jast year. My thead was about the negative PR not about people setting up buisness. The german guy scammed was set up on the bangla by holding a few ciggerettes for a thai guy in a packet that contained a small ammount of cannabis inside it. the thai guy( his excuse) was he was going to get another packet. low and behold bib turned up and arrested him and tried to charge him with supplying. It was the old threat of a long jail term till his trial ie flight booked that he was forced to pay the bribe to realease him after 3 days. That jj was reportedly still awaiting trial or has that little scam been hushed up by the powers that be as the local authoroties now want you tube banned showing the scams. Would it not be a fare opinion to suggest that expats living in or around patong are blinkered and unaware of the deep rooted problems that still persist that are keeping numbers away. And why are the price's out of proportion compared to krabi - pattayya etc. In the economic problem the locals still put up prices in high season and shoot themselves maybe when a few have gone to the wall they might listen but on past record I doubt this will happen. I cannot print the forum name but as an example a dozen long term visitors to phuket that have been going to the same resort for the last 4 years have this year decided to go elsewhere this christmas because in there words, Phuket and in particuler patong has become the rip off and scam island of Thailand.

What bullshit. Figures show that they expect 80% occupancy this high seasn and it stared already, Junk ceylon is always crowded.

I have been in Phuket over 25 years and 14 of those were in Patong when it was nice and the only thing opposite 200 year road was rice paddies. The rest has been over the hill in Kamala where 85% of the residents were born here. 1st moved to patong when Na Nai road was part dirt and i could almost see the water from my house. Price's go up, more people come in, more business gets built. It is a destination resort and this is the way it is. If any of u dont like it, no one forces you to stay or visit.

All of us that have been here over 10 years see what is going on and accept it, its thailand. Most long term residents avoid Patong like the plague and I only go to Carefour and the rest can sink into the ocean but it makes money and from the looks of things always will.

No one would ever get ripped off ever if they checked the current prices of things and did some shopping for the best deal. All the ionfo is online so if someone gets ripped off its their own fault.

as to prices being less in Krabi surely ur not refering to anywhere near the beach!!! True Pattaya is cheaper but its a city not a tourist resort island.

Edited November 29, 2009 by phuketrichard

[woodyleonhard]

Don't know about anyone else, but business in Patong for us has been very, very good. All of Phuket, for that matter.

I've lived in Patong for nine years, raised a teenager, and my dad's been here for three years. Married a wonderful Thai lady, started a good business. It's fine - great for tourists, even better as a fun place to live.

That's why people keep coming back. In droves.

Sure, there are problems, but tell me where there aren't...

[LivinLOS]

Don't know about anyone else, but business in Patong for us has been very, very good. All of Phuket, for that matter.

I think theres 2 things tho Woody.. One and IMO the most important one is a well run business will nearly always outperform badly run competition.. Your place is a good little enterprise, staff seem to know what they are doing, the products all fresh etc etc.. Its one of those establishments (like Ollie's Shakers for example) that just gets it right for the target market.

The second is what is that target market, your establishment will get customers who are not the sailor on shore leave bell ringing type, its the kind of 'safe' western feeling business where couples and new arrivals will feel at home. So I would think as the Patong demographic shifts to a more generic tourist rather than the older primarily nightlife driven market your market base of customers grows. That doesnt apply to the majority of businesses that are either non specific (another basic restaurant serving middling farang and middling Thai combinations) or bars. They are faced with a changing demographic that they are not adapting to, and at the same time ground rents rising in a almost exponential way.

I dont think the numbers are going to drop off massively, they I would argue that the different demographics have very different spending habits (bar hoppers seem to me to have a 10k a day kind of budget, the young couples and families spend it all on the hotel and have less to dispose into the economy) so really its more about market segment and positions. Look at the 'safe' bars where couples will spend time, like down at Sunset Plaza, they seem to be doing great trade.

[HDRIDER]

Woody

you could do better, 4 people went to your shop in Chalong to get something to eat, all big tables was taken by 1 person on each table with a laptop and no food in front, well we had to find another place, pitty because i like some of your sandwich.