What Was Pattaya Like In The 60'S & 70'S?

[chonburi12]

Dear Forum,

I have been looking at pictures of pattaya from 'back in the day' and I must say the placed looked amazing! Unfortunately, I missed out on this era as I wasn't born until the 80's but I would like to know what Pattaya was really like in these times? Even though I wasn't there, looking at the pictures I get an extreme case of nostalgia and wishing that I was there during these times. I lived in Pattaya for 2 years and I must say it was great then but, given the choice, I would have rather seen Pattaya during its early development! Can you imagine if we went back in time and discovered a place like Pattaya again (knowing now what Pattaya has become)? Who went to Pattaya in the early days? Was there bars there? And why did such a small place become what it has today?

Pattaya - what a place!

[gotlost]

It was not ther in the 60's and 70's .

Troll post.

Edited June 30, 2010 by gotlost

[xen]

I can remember it in the middle eighties . Walking street was much the same as it is now , but there was not a lot on the he other side of Second Road .

[Token]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

[tigerbalm]

I can remember it in the middle eighties . Walking street was much the same as it is now , but there was not a lot on the he other side of Second Road .

Here is a common picture that often gets put on TV of walking street in 1980 and you say it is much the same as it is now.....ok

[chonburi12]

<br>It was not ther in the 60's and 70's .<br><br>Troll post.<br>

<br><br>How can it be a troll post? I am mearly asking a question and not trying to provoke an emotional reaction from anyone. Seriously man, you need to look up what a troll post is. <br>

[xen]

Here is a common picture that often gets put on TV of walking street in 1980 and you say it is much the same as it is now.....ok

If i remember correctly by 1985/6 Walking street was a "closed street " at night ,at least - and it was trhe main area of Pattaya with bars and gogos . Sure there have been changes but the framework of Walking street was established by then. That photo's caption says 1980 so it was pre the time i first saw Pattaya.

The things that have changed in Pattaya most are the nationalities of the main groups of visitors .

[Boksida]

<br>It was not ther in the 60's and 70's .<br><br>Troll post.<br>

<br><br>How can it be a troll post? I am mearly asking a question and not trying to provoke an emotional reaction from anyone. Seriously man, you need to look up what a troll post is. <br>

Unfortunately you will learn that Gotlost tends to be an ignorant halfwit who is fond of commenting on things he knows nothing about. There are some older threads on the forum somewhere where you can find some people with fond memories of Pattaya in the 60s and 70s and even some photographs. I didn't get there until1970 but there were already two hotels then, the Nipa Lodge and another one called the Orchid something (I don't recollect the exact name). Pattaya had always existed as a fishing village but did not really crank up as a resort area until the Vietnam War.

[gotlost]

<br>It was not ther in the 60's and 70's .<br><br>Troll post.<br>

<br><br>How can it be a troll post? I am mearly asking a question and not trying to provoke an emotional reaction from anyone. Seriously man, you need to look up what a troll post is. <br>

Unfortunately you will learn that Gotlost tends to be an ignorant halfwit who is fond of commenting on things he knows nothing about. There are some older threads on the forum somewhere where you can find some people with fond memories of Pattaya in the 60s and 70s and even some photographs. I didn't get there until1970 but there were already two hotels then, the Nipa Lodge and another one called the Orchid something (I don't recollect the exact name). Pattaya had always existed as a fishing village but did not really crank up as a resort area until the Vietnam War.

:PWell Mr Other Halfwit if you take the time to use the search funtion you just mite learn something. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/358302-did-america-create-pattaya/page__hl__pattaya+early+days+

Which makes the OP a troll post.

[scorecard]

I went to Pattaya in the very late seventies, it was a fishing village and not much more.

We went by road from Bangkok, no double / divided carriage ways, just one lane on each side of the road, and I can recall that the last 20 or 30 kilometres was still dirt.

[joseph17]

I was here in '73 and contrary to someone's post Pattaya was here and already famous for its beautiful beaches. There was little night life and only three what you could really call hotels but there was miles of beautiful beaches and few people. Time after time I read something on these forums that makes me laugh as they seem to think no one else was ever stationed here if you were not some kind of 'special troop' or world traveler. lol

[PattayaParent]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

You must have spent all your time insde a bar back then, and still do now.

Do you remember where the bus station was in 1987? And that there was nothing but rice fields between there and South Road? Mike Hotel and Shopping Mall was there but that was about all besides a Swiss restaurant nearby. The only bars were on Walking Street.

Only Walking Street seems not to have changed that much and it was only around 1996 that it was made a no traffic zone at night as I use to drive down it from work and park the car outside my favourite bar until then.

[suiging]

86 first time for me. Towards the end of 95 if my memory serves me traffic was banned at night on WS, not much before that.

Edited June 30, 2010 by suiging

[Rinrada]

Very Dusty...everywhere.....but cheap and very easy going ...bars were open all night.yes i know that you can still etc ...but mean all.....

[Mighty Mouse]

.........and the regular electrical blackouts every night.

.........ice boxes were the main tool to keep bar beer cold. Lazy bargirls had to be whipped to dive to the bottom of the box to grab the coldest bottle.

.........The Marine Bar was the main Walking Street attraction. Boxing shows commentated by Thai announcer, Chit, magic shows, snake shows, huge crowds of customers every night, the disco upstairs and the stairway to it where unsuspecting customers got an electrical shock if they touched a coloured globe.

.........multitude of Indian tailor shops, all along Walking Street.

........BJ Bar with the legend himself, toothpick in mouth, towel over the shoulder showing the best musical video clips on a huge TV set.

.......open air Thai movie theatre.

.......Old Mikes Department store arguably the biggest and best at that time.

AH! The golden memories of the late 70's

[andyww]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

I dont understand how you can say it was not much different in 1987.

There was virtually nothing east of second road. Third road didnt exist and Sukhumvit was a dusty narrow road.

I would say the city has grown to at least 5 times its size since 1987.

The biggest difference though since then is the drive from Bkk. In those days it was a total nightmare which could take 4 or 5 hours sometimes.

[chonburi12]

Just found some cool footage of Pattaya in '87:

(Walking around Pattaya)

(taxi around Pattaya)

[DMC1]

"........BJ Bar with the legend himself, toothpick in mouth, towel over the shoulder showing the best musical video clips on a huge TV set."

WOW I certainly remember BJ and his 'dish cloth' over his shoulder in the early-mid nineties but didn't realise he was around in the late 70's ....

[Token]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

I dont understand how you can say it was not much different in 1987.

There was virtually nothing east of second road. Third road didnt exist and Sukhumvit was a dusty narrow road.

I would say the city has grown to at least 5 times its size since 1987.

The biggest difference though since then is the drive from Bkk. In those days it was a total nightmare which could take 4 or 5 hours sometimes.

Most of this applies to areas outside the main entertainment centre. The video clearly shows the city centre similar to what it is today - just a bit less congested but QUALITATIVELY the same. The Germans had their mullet hair-do's and gold jewelry then and now. What I did notice is that the bar girls also had a mullet hair style in those days, but not now. That is about as much progress as we can expect in 23 years.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Token

[Token]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

You must have spent all your time insde a bar back then, and still do now.

Do you remember where the bus station was in 1987? And that there was nothing but rice fields between there and South Road? Mike Hotel and Shopping Mall was there but that was about all besides a Swiss restaurant nearby. The only bars were on Walking Street.

Only Walking Street seems not to have changed that much and it was only around 1996 that it was made a no traffic zone at night as I use to drive down it from work and park the car outside my favourite bar until then.

I didn't go by bus, so wouldn't have been expected to have seen the bus station. Only bars on Walking Street? Well, almost the whole area called 'Boyztown' was certainly there. Are u thinking of 1977? You make it sound like it was a quiet town then, well my recollections were quite different - it seemed as lively as it is now - certainly at night - but then I didn't drive to the bars by car.

[wileycoyote]

It was Great !

So refreshing ,clean beach,no clutter ,minimal shops ,some were remarkable :Alice's Photo shop ,Sandbox Disco,in following years Simon 's Disco on Beach Road

You're right hardly anything in the North apart from Orchid Lodge,Regent-Marina/Bus Station.

You could also cross Second Road !

[Ulysses G.]

1987 first time and apart from fewer buildings, esp on Thappraya Road, I don't remember it being much different from what it is now. Remember that Thais have very conservative life-styles - their habits and environment don't change much over decades, some say centuries, others say millenia, except maybe for high-rise developments. It still has the same old style clutter, bars, restaurants and taxis as it always had, and that's all Pattaya is in reality.

I agree. It is a lot more spread out now and cleaner, but pretty much the same.

[thrilled]

I had friends in the airforce we were all stationed at udon thani"udorn".They woulld go on R+R.They would say how fantastic it was.Y would say more but i'd get kicked out .To A 20 year old it was the next best thing to heaven.

[SurfRider]

.

I was in Pattaya in the mid '80s -- What is now Walking St., I recall as just Beach Rd. -- What is now Soi Diamond had the best Bars I found. "The Firehouse", a knock-off of the legendary Firehouse in Manila was HOT! -- It was across from a classy joint named Caligula, with a simply amazing show! Never did figure out how they did some of those amazing tricks.

Stumbled by accident into the Orchid Resort ( Now the Amari Orchid ) at the north end of Beach Rd. -- It looked like a very expensive country club with elephants roaming the very lushly landscaped grounds, Olympic swimming pool and the works. Just for kicks, I looked at at one of their rooms -- very large and elegant - I assumed at least $200 to $300 USD. When they told me they would rent the room for the equivalent of US$25, I almost went into shock. Needless to say I went for it.

There was not much along Beach Rd. between the Bar area that is now Walking St. and north Pattaya-- except for around Pattaya Klang, but it took only 5 minutes to transit in the back of a fast moving feeble rickety ancestor of the current Baht Bus.

.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Rimmer
Unnecessary graphical detail removed

[xen]

I can remember when the Royal Garden Plazza was opened and looking at the plane crashing into the building. This was perhaps 1990 or thereabouts but it was a heralded as an attempt to clean up Pattaya and make it more Family Orientated. Shortly afterwards the tour groups from Russia stated and they cotinued up to the Asian Financial Crash or thereabouts .

I can't remember the beaches being any cleaner or the water being cleaner , but I think one of the the main differrences is the way Pattaya has spread with housing estates like over on the the Darkside.

[Nignoy]

It was not ther in the 60's and 70's .

Troll post.

Pattaya was there in the 60,s if it wasnt I must have been smoking some great shit it was only a little fishing village the first bar Barbo,s opened in 64 I was there to please observe photo,s below

[hazelandhoward]

"........BJ Bar with the legend himself, toothpick in mouth, towel over the shoulder showing the best musical video clips on a huge TV set."

WOW I certainly remember BJ and his 'dish cloth' over his shoulder in the early-mid nineties but didn't realise he was around in the late 70's ....

Correct me if im wrong ( which im sure somebody will ) BJs was one of the first if not the first bar to open in pattaya.

[allexx]

BJ Restaurant and Bar early 1980.

[Nignoy]

"........BJ Bar with the legend himself, toothpick in mouth, towel over the shoulder showing the best musical video clips on a huge TV set."

WOW I certainly remember BJ and his 'dish cloth' over his shoulder in the early-mid nineties but didn't realise he was around in the late 70's ....

Correct me if im wrong ( which im sure somebody will ) BJs was one of the first if not the first bar to open in pattaya.

You stand corrected BJ didnt open till 68/69 by that time there were half adozen bamboo walled girlie bars, BJs was the first brick built bar with rooms up stairs, we wuz there 63 to 66 some of us to 68 and the only BJs around came free with a bottle of Mekhong!!

[basjke]

BJ Restaurant and Bar early 1980.

I'm sure this picture was taken much later then early 1980,early 90's is more possible.