Pattaya Criticism Is Totally Unjustified.

[sokal]

I just got back from Phuket and I can honestly say that I was disapointed. Patong beach is small, there basically one small shopping mall, there is gravel roads everywhere. The roads are bumpy. Chairs on the beach are 100 bht each ! Phuket does seem to get a free pass though. You can go there or live there without being regarded as scum like you do if you like Pattaya. Phuket has nice beaches though, I will admit that.

Pattaya has 3 big shopping centeres, one is huge and brand new. The skyline is full of nice towers. Phuket has basically one. The prices for everything are way cheaper in Pattaya. Way more resturant chains in Pattaya, not so in Phuket.

This is no knock on Phuket, I like it too but why does Pattaya have such a bad rep ? The only reason I wanted to go to Phuket was because my parents want to come to Thailand to see what its all about and I was going to take them to Phuket beacuse Pattaya is "such a hel_l hole". But now I think I might as well just take them to Pattaya.

100 bht beach chairs, i could'nt believe if it. I guess thats the premium you pay for not being in that "hel_l hole" Pattaya.

[carmine]

They'll love the beach at Pattaya Apart from that, its as nice or horrible as you want to make it pending on where you go.

[Soutpeel]

They'll love the beach at Pattaya Apart from that, its as nice or horrible as you want to make it pending on where you go.

It's jealously.....your average OAP living in Isaan with his tee-rak, cant afford the bus fare to Pattaya, hence the reason they slag it off...

Pattaya is Pattaya....dont hate the place and dont love the place either.....Automatic assumption by some members of this community, that a farang who lives in Pattaya is a gangster, wanted in their own countries, up to no good scum bag..in fact there are a lot of well to do farangs who live there and the surrounding areas, who live a good "normal" life.

I personally know a lot of O&G guys who live in Pattaya, who have lots of coin in the bank and choose to spend it there.

In all my years in Thailand, have only been to Phuket once for a day..and wasnt impressed..

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Question: Did you just come back from "Phuket", or from Patong?

I ask because there's a lot more to Phuket than Patong Beach.

[csolgosz]

I agree.

Phuket is totally over-rated now - or spoiled.

Ao Nang at Krabi would have been a better option.

[tonititan]

Question: Did you just come back from "Phuket", or from Patong?

I ask because there's a lot more to Phuket than Patong Beach.

I was going to say the same thing. I think that Patong does have a similar reputation to Pattaya. Patong is one small part of Phuket, and I believe that in many people's minds, the reputation of the other parts of Phuket override that of Patong.

As for the specifics mentioned by the OP....100 baht charge for beach chairs? I've never paid that in my many trips to Phuket, but of course I don't go to Patong. Skyline full of towers? Why would you want that? Many people, myself included, like to go to the beach to escape the buildings of a city. Towers are even considered a nuisance by many. Chain restaurants? Again, to me this isn't a selling point for a beach town.

[soundman]

Inflamatory post removed from view.

[jdinasia]

Huh? is this guy REALLY ranting about 100 baht beach chairs?

OK I'll bite ... I'd rather pay 100 baht in Patong and have clean white beaches than 40 baht in Pattaya where there are ... hmmm ... how shall we say it ... ah! Sanitation problems with the beaches and the water.

Then again I lived in Phuket for some time and went to Patong about 12 times (about 1 time a month).

Maybe he misses the bars? No .. patong has plenty. Even Kamala where I lived had plenty of places to get a beer.

Hmmm maybe he missed walking down the street in Pattaya and smelling the sewage?

I am assuming he didn't get to Kata Karon or Laem Singh beaches ..... or enjoy driving the coast road around the island on a motorcycle

[JonnyWilkinson]

I have been to Phuket once and once was enough for me. It was full of Australian folk singing "tie me kangaroo down sport" or some other outback didgeridoo song in the bars, it is mostly unpleasant when one is not from "down under" if i wanted that I would of flown to Sydney, it was far from the "Thai experience" I had anticipated.

As for driving a motorcycle around Phuket you'd have to be seriously insane, especially when it's wet coming out of Patong on the very steep hill and down the other side.

Pattaya is much much better by a long shot I wouldn't return to Phuket if you paid me.

[wileycoyote]

Reluctantly ,Pattaya over Phuket

[mjnaus]

Huh? is this guy REALLY ranting about 100 baht beach chairs?

OK I'll bite ... I'd rather pay 100 baht in Patong and have clean white beaches than 40 baht in Pattaya where there are ... hmmm ... how shall we say it ... ah! Sanitation problems with the beaches and the water.

Then again I lived in Phuket for some time and went to Patong about 12 times (about 1 time a month).

Maybe he misses the bars? No .. patong has plenty. Even Kamala where I lived had plenty of places to get a beer.

Hmmm maybe he missed walking down the street in Pattaya and smelling the sewage?

I am assuming he didn't get to Kata Karon or Laem Singh beaches ..... or enjoy driving the coast road around the island on a motorcycle

I don't think the OP rented a motorcycle to drive around the island and explore a bit... Motorcycles easily set you back 200 baht a day, ya know...

To the OP: seriously, think about changing that avatar, people make actually take you serious

[spud1]

"beacuse Pattaya is "such a hel_l hole"

I think the OP answered the question himself.

[GuestHouse]

I personally know a lot of O&G guys who live in Pattaya, who have lots of coin in the bank and choose to spend it there.

Perhaps not as smart as the O&G guys who live in Pattaya, earn lots of coin there and spend it elsewhere eh?!

[TAWP]

Phuket seems way overpriced and full of tourists. Yet to go there.

Couple of streets and the 'beach' in Pattaya is full of middle aged men or older and working ladyboys in the evening. Been there for one day, no plans to ever go back.

What does these location have that others cannot do better?

[daoyai]

Depends what you are looking for, I like the cleaner water of Phuket, Get to the beach, Kata or Kata noi ,by 7am and swim till 9:30, leave before the evil jetskis arrive.... stay alittle back from the beach for lower rates and quiet, find the thai hole in wall retaraunts, rent a 200B scooter... I enjoy the place but avoid Patong and all tuk tuks. Seems to be a little to popular with Russians though.

Edited May 13, 2010 by daoyai

[REDRAM]

I think that all the tourist who go to Pattaya and Puhket and then return home don't have a clue as to what Thailand is all about!

They are not seeing a wonderful country!

[NanLaew]

I personally know a lot of O&G guys who live in Pattaya, who have lots of coin in the bank and choose to spend it there.

Perhaps not as smart as the O&G guys who live in Pattaya, earn lots of coin there and spend it elsewhere eh?!

You telling us there's an O&G industry IN Pattaya?

[rixalex]

I agree.

Phuket is totally over-rated now - or spoiled.

Ao Nang at Krabi would have been a better option.

Went to Ao Nang recently. What a disappointment. Main street over-developed and dirty. Beach ruined by hundreds of long-tailed boats.

[apetley]

So you just got back from a trip to Phuket but in your 'Advice Needed, girl goes AWOL' thread you've recently been staying in a cutprice Kaosan Road hotel.

Something not right there.

[purplehaze]

Pattaya has good restaurants and hotels apart from that I find it's Thailands version of Blackpool/Benidorm.

Now that I've lit the blue touch paper I'll stand back and enjoy the fireworks.

[HalfSquat]

I went to Pattaya and Jomtiem once and thought it was gross: dirty, crowded beaches, rammed with hookers and lairy tourists.

I went to Patong once and thought it was an upmarket version of Pattaya. Just as tacky/sleazy but had more money spent on it and didn't look as shagged out.

The other Phuket beaches north and south of Patong are some of my favourite in Thailand.

I think Pattaya is so in your face anyone who chooses to live there out of the whole of Thailand is understandably if not justifiably going to be tarred with a certain kind of brush. To choose to live there seems like such an extreme statement to make to me but like I said I've only been there once.

[sokal]

Question: Did you just come back from "Phuket", or from Patong?

I ask because there's a lot more to Phuket than Patong Beach.

I drove around most of the island and went to many beaches

[sokal]

Huh? is this guy REALLY ranting about 100 baht beach chairs?

OK I'll bite ... I'd rather pay 100 baht in Patong and have clean white beaches than 40 baht in Pattaya where there are ... hmmm ... how shall we say it ... ah! Sanitation problems with the beaches and the water.

Then again I lived in Phuket for some time and went to Patong about 12 times (about 1 time a month).

Maybe he misses the bars? No .. patong has plenty. Even Kamala where I lived had plenty of places to get a beer.

Hmmm maybe he missed walking down the street in Pattaya and smelling the sewage?

I am assuming he didn't get to Kata Karon or Laem Singh beaches ..... or enjoy driving the coast road around the island on a motorcycle

Pictures are coming. 2009 Honda CBR 600 to be exact. I don't like bars or anything like that.

Do you have a problem with Pattaya ?

[sokal]

"beacuse Pattaya is "such a hel_l hole"

I think the OP answered the question himself.

Why is Pattaya such a hel_l hole ? In your mind.....

[sokal]

I went to Pattaya and Jomtiem once and thought it was gross: dirty, crowded beaches, rammed with hookers and lairy tourists.

I went to Patong once and thought it was an upmarket version of Pattaya. Just as tacky/sleazy but had more money spent on it and didn't look as shagged out.

The other Phuket beaches north and south of Patong are some of my favourite in Thailand.

I think Pattaya is so in your face anyone who chooses to live there out of the whole of Thailand is understandably if not justifiably going to be tarred with a certain kind of brush. To choose to live there seems like such an extreme statement to make to me but like I said I've only been there once.

So anyone who goes to Las Vegas is also scum ? what about Vancouver or Holland ?

[mogoso]

I don't like either place much, but then I'm a country boy.

Impression I get of Pattaya is a higher crime rate, and farangs tend to catch balconeyitis a sever falling disease of which once infected, there is no cure, only a dull thud.

[anon7867763]

Pattaya has horrible beaches , dodgy people but a good selection of restaurants at with reasonable prices all around

and is very dangerous because of people jumping off their balconies , they can hit you on the head

Patong has dodgy people , and a lesser selection of restaurants and don´t mention the jet skis.

Basically both are tourist traps , if I go to one it would be Pattaya but for a maximum of 2 days bacause

yes it is a dump but a funny one.

[HalfSquat]

So anyone who goes to Las Vegas is also scum ? what about Vancouver or Holland ?

Why would you say that? That's not a very nice thing to say about people who go to those places. Are you comparing Holland to Pattaya?

[elkangorito]

I agree.

Phuket is totally over-rated now - or spoiled.

I would like to amend your quote by saying that Thailand is overrated & spoiled.

It's 'spoiled' due to the pathalogical greed of certain people, disregarding their beliefs in Buddhism & Thai Culture. On one hand, 'westernisation' is abominable & on the other hand 'Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!'

I live about 10km away from Pattaya. I 'visit' that hel_l-hole about once every 6 months...only to buy 'exotic' things like Worcestershire Sauce, Vegemite etc.

Thai beaches (from what I have seen) are well below 'par' according to the beaches that I know. No, I'm not talking about bitches...I'm talking about beaches. Thanks to the 'Let's Freely Throw Our Rubbish All Over Thailand' policy that has been in force for some time, the beaches are quite possibly toxic.

If you want good weather & nice, clean beaches ('real' beaches with 'real' surf), go to the central coast of Queensland (Australia). There is only one drawback...Australia is expensive.

I certainly didn't come to Thailand for the beaches, the women or the men. If I wanted any of these things, I would have stayed in Australia.

[Chivas]

I went to Pattaya and Jomtiem once and thought it was gross: dirty, crowded beaches, rammed with hookers and lairy tourists.

I went to Patong once and thought it was an upmarket version of Pattaya. Just as tacky/sleazy but had more money spent on it and didn't look as shagged out.

The other Phuket beaches north and south of Patong are some of my favourite in Thailand.

I think Pattaya is so in your face anyone who chooses to live there out of the whole of Thailand is understandably if not justifiably going to be tarred with a certain kind of brush. To choose to live there seems like such an extreme statement to make to me but like I said I've only been there once.

Sorry to be blunt but you're an utter snob and probably proud to be one.