Interesting Tourist Letter In Pattaya Mail

[DJ Pat]

I do not as a general rule write to newspapers, as I feel it is unlikely that my opinions could be of the slightest interest or consequence to any of your readers just as their opinions are of no import to me. On this occasion I make an exception and crave your indulgence.

My wife and I have recently returned to the UK after our first visit to Thailand. We are seasoned travellers and have visited many parts of the world for extended holidays and are therefore well aware of the different attitudes and customs that can be found when travelling. We have been in flower fights, tomato battles, bull running, and most sorts of festivals all over the world. Thailand sounded absolutely wonderful from its advertising etc. The Land of Smiles – great we thought and so we arrived in Pattaya at the Sunbeam Hotel; on the advice of travel agents and from advertising we come for Songkran, which again sounded wonderful - a three day water festival with people sprinkling each other with water in the streets etc. The reality as they say, is somewhat different.

Pattaya – fun city they call it in UK., did not disappoint, a bit grubby in places yes but I’ve seen much worse at three times the price. But the water festival? A very unpleasant experience to be honest, ten days of having water flung at you by drunken fools (mostly, it seemed, I’m ashamed to say – English) not really very pleasant. My wife, having had a large bucket of water flung in her face at close range with enough force to knock her over and break her glasses was so scared afterwards that she refused to leave the hotel again until we got into the taxi to go home, and quite frankly I don’t think I have ever been so glad to do so.

This festival is punted around as being fun – it isn’t unless you’re a drunken tattooed oaf taking a break from football violence for the summer, or one of the shrieking harpies from a bar who’d laugh at a fatal car crash if she thought the drunk wanted her to. Quite frankly the naked aggression with which these guys were using their high pressure squirters and big buckets was frightening. Most of them appeared to make a point of aiming for the faces of their victims especially when they were motorcyclists – it’s got to be really dangerous surely.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not as a rule in favour of control or of legislation, I believe minimal government is good government and the same goes for policing, but if your fun involves causing fear, misery and pain for others then the time has come for the police to do a little more than pose with their shiny boots, guns and tight brown uniforms.

Thailand – Land of Smiles? I don’t think so, I shall certainly never return and will do my best to dissuade any of my friends foolish enough to contemplate the same mistake we made i.e. visiting Thailand the land of the drunken oaf.

[Khutan]

I agree totally,

I was in Bangkok, and two - looked like twins from Falangland thought it was funny to use the extra-big water gun right into my eyes. - They really did their country proud.

The second example was the children of a bar-owner in Cowboy thinking its so funny to throw buckets of ice at people, then complain to their father in the "spoilt Brat" accent, to have him reply, they are only children having fun.

Well High pressure water in the eyes hurts about the same as Ice thrown in your face.

I will take every opportunity to "dis" this guys bar until the day I die. I will NOT use this place to do it though.

[DJ Pat]

This festival is punted around as being fun – it isn’t unless you’re a drunken tattooed oaf taking a break from football violence for the summer, or one of the shrieking harpies from a bar who’d laugh at a fatal car crash if she thought the drunk wanted her to.

The best part of that letter^^

[The_Moog]

My wife, having had a large bucket of water flung in her face at close range with enough force to knock her over and break her glasses

Aw. c'mon now, that is funny !

[ray23]

This festival is punted around as being fun – it isn’t unless you’re a drunken tattooed oaf taking a break from football violence for the summer, or one of the shrieking harpies from a bar who’d laugh at a fatal car crash if she thought the drunk wanted her to.

The best part of that letter^^

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know I was in Pattaya for Sung Kran five years ago, my first trip to Thailand, this is a very accurate description of the event and the reason I settled in Issan. It is to bad that the tourist area especially this one is what people think of Thailand. Like thi guy it wasn't the Thais, but the tourist who lost all touch with reality. I saw several fights that year, over truly bad judgement. Yes sometime it gets a bit crazy in Issan to, but nothing like what I saw in Pattaya.

I still visit Pattaya from time to time and when I lived in California, I visited Las Vegas from time to time. But I would not want to live in either one of them.

Yes three days is liavable, but ten days it is just to much. A little water in the face OK. but not while I'm riding a motorcycle and high pressure, that is insane that cuold cost someone thier eye sight.

Pattaya offers excellent farrang food shopping and in my view it is much easier then Bangkok, but not on hoiliday weekends.

[DJ Pat]

I remember when most tourists still had an ounce of respect for the Thai folks in Pattaya but now? It's all 'farang' pretend mafias!!!!!!!!

Hilarious.

[thaiflyer1]

He didn't help his cause by booking into the worst soi possible during Songkran............maybe a bit of research on his part would of resulted in a better outcome.

[DJ Pat]

He  didn't  help  his  cause  by  booking  into  the  worst  soi  possible  during  Songkran............maybe  a  bit  of  research  on  his  part  would  of  resulted  in  a  better  outcome. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suppose he could have asked here beforehand?

[thaiflyer1]

He  didn't  help  his  cause  by  booking  into  the  worst  soi  possible  during  Songkran............maybe  a  bit  of  research  on  his  part  would  of  resulted  in  a  better  outcome.  

I suppose he could have asked here beforehand?

If he had he could of made a better informed choice of where to stay and what to expect before booking up for Pattaya at Songkran. I/ll be honest i hate Songkran in Pattaya i basically get supplies in and hole up for the week.

[britmaveric]

No offense but he should have googled Songkran. I'm pretty positive he would have gotten sound advice.

[The_Moog]

time has come for the police to do a little more than pose with their shiny boots, guns and tight brown uniforms

This guy should have left his wife in the hotel and gone to find a man in Uniform. Sounds like he has a bit of a thing for them.

[wilson steer]

Songkrawn is totally sheet in Pattaya. I stayed; in just legged it for a newspaper in the early morning.

I got my glasses ripped off by a water gun. I really feel sorry for tourists at this time. Songkrawn is aggressive and really, 'mental'.

There is an obvious 'hooligan' ( I don't like that term 'hooligan') element in Pattaya, but they (the ex-soccer hooligans) are actually O.K. Respect to some of the 'boys here'.

I would much rather meet a U.K. 'ex-boy' than some of those Thai(s) or motorbike thieves and scum.

[HBK]

I live in Pattaya and I got beamed with pails of water right in the head while driving my motorbike. Sometimes hot and sometimes ice cold. It was my 1st Songkran.

All I can say is "what the ###### do you expect?!" It's a party and sometimes people get wild. C'est la vie! Haven't you ever been dancing or at a concert and someone bumps into you a little rough? That's life and if you want to enjoy it, better accept these realities.

That's the farrang reality, bitch about everything possible in Thailand yet most continue to come back. Frankly, worse than water was the ######ing globs of wet talcum being tossed into my mouth and face. Water is one thing, it will dry, but talcum? It was usually young girls who didn't know better but it was a pain to clean. In the end, I got wet and I got dirty and I got annoyed at times but after all is said and done, I'm so happy I'm here and not there. Cheers from Pattaya.

[davethailand]

Songkrawn is totally sheet in Pattaya. I stayed; in just legged it for a newspaper in the early morning.

I got my glasses ripped off by a water gun. I really feel sorry for tourists at this time. Songkrawn is aggressive and really, 'mental'.

There is an obvious  'hooligan' ( I don't like that term 'hooligan') element in Pattaya, but they (the ex-soccer hooligans)  are actually O.K. Respect to some of the 'boys here'.

I would much rather meet a U.K. 'ex-boy' than some of those Thai(s) or motorbike thieves and scum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed I also agree with the comments on songkran, But the guy in the letter is obviously very narrow minded especially with comments like this-

Thailand – Land of Smiles? I don’t think so, I shall certainly never return and will do my best to dissuade any of my friends foolish enough to contemplate the same mistake we made i.e. visiting Thailand the land of the drunken oaf.

The guy should learn from his mistakes and do some research next time, what sort of commen sense does he have?

1- Book a holiday for him and his wife in Pattaya over songkran week.

2- Stay in soi 7????? especially during songkran.

3- Bring his wife with him (only joking)

[Totster]

He  didn't  help  his  cause  by  booking  into  the  worst  soi  possible  during  Songkran............maybe  a  bit  of  research  on  his  part  would  of  resulted  in  a  better  outcome. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really the Travel Agent should have known about this and advised them better... they are at fault in my opinion..

In really think holiday packages to Pattaya are missold sometimes...

totster

[JSixpack]

No offense but he should have googled Songkran. I'm pretty positive he would have gotten sound advice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe not. Tourist sites usually don't tell about the ugly realities of Songkran in Pattaya. They make it sound like everyone's having fun. You'll also probably run across comments by those who actually *like* it, the very people he's talking about in his letter. Many people who hate Songkran don't speak out or warn others because those who like it will deride them as unhip, uncool spoil sports, just as they'd shoot them w/ a water cannon during Songkran.

[HBK]

There were stats that this year's Songkran had a lower attendance than any previous year. Water pistol purchases were way down and the police confiscated illegal water pump pistols from farrangs reasoning they could cause harm. The news showed the police's cache and it was big. With the water shortage problems, some residents avoided Songkran in fear which is very appropriate [and almost shocking that the Thais would have fear of anything other than ghosts and good customer service]. Petrol prices are higher than usual so many people didn't want to drive into Pattaya but preferred to stay in the North or at home with their families. How often does one get so many consecutive days holiday? All to say, people here are clearly fed up.

Edited May 7, 2005 by HBK

[nev]

spent 5 days of songkhan around soi7 soi8 must say not many bad experiences to report except on morning sitting having breakfast at the seaside 1 resteraunt with my tg,where the guys next door at 11 am in the morning still mau from the night before with there big blue cannons decide to blast the people entering the resteraunt and totaslly recking the couple in front of us breakfast when they were confronted dont think they had realised what they had done,always thought that the water fight started after midday?

most people out were out to have fun but a few take it to far,also the police made various trips down the sois confiscating the big blue cannons.

what annoyed me was the guys who as you walk close by try to blast you in the side of the head and ear and find it funny,haha.

i thought the spirit of songkhan was splash a little water a little powder n wish the person good luck for the new year not physically hurt someone,all in all a very enjoyable experience.

[thaiflyer1]

i thought the spirit of songkhan was splash a little water a little powder n wish the person good luck for the new year not physically hurt someone

If only nev...........if only.

[snoophound]

Nett Nett

Its a traditional thai festival degraded in pattaya and other falang haunts by drunken oafs.

He  didn't  help  his  cause  by  booking  into  the  worst  soi  possible  during  Songkran............maybe  a  bit  of  research  on  his  part  would  of  resulted  in  a  better  outcome.  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really the Travel Agent should have known about this and advised them better... they are at fault in my opinion..

In really think holiday packages to Pattaya are missold sometimes...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>