WinnieTheKhwai Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Question to Chiang Mai expats. Please feel included if you live in other places in the North. If you visit Pattaya frequently, what do you like about it? If you visited once but disliked it, why? (Note: Pls. include places like Jomtien, Naklua and Ko Larn in with Pattaya. ) I did a similar poll in the Pattaya forum, and got some generally favourable responses. ( ) The reason I'm surveying is because Pattaya is probably the most convenient beach destination relative to Chiang Mai. And it's an obvious candidate to visit during the up-coming hazy season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Just there last month. The wife went to Ko Chang with other friends and left me in Pattaya to baby set some good friends of mine that were in town for their early RR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptheos Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 (edited) Just there last month. The wife went to Ko Chang with other friends and left me in Pattaya to baby set some good friends of mine that were in town for their early RR. It's such a chore showing my (male) friends around Pattaya, when they visit from the UK......boring place. Edited February 18, 2011 by uptheos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlanetX Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would also consider Hua Hin if nightlife isnt your number one reason for going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I've been single for 15 years. I started going to Thailand in 1996. It changed my life for the better. Need I say more? Whether you want me to or not, I will anyway. Pattaya is a great place to visit, but I'd rather LIVE in Chiang Mai. Pattaya is NOT just the hooker bar area, even though that is fine as it is. There is more to Pattaya than just the hooker bars and massage parlours. There is a wide variety of eating establishments. Hotels are cheaper than other tourist areas. But, if you want 4 or 5 star hotels they are available. You can play pool in one of many bars and not feel obliged to take anybody home. And, you won't even be bothered if you don't give some indication that you want to be. Drink prices in bars are reasonable and certainly cheaper than Phuket or Bangkok.. There are at least 30 world class golf courses within a day's outing, and there are many establishments who cater to the golfers. The Diana Hotel is a long established place for that, and it has a good pool table, friendly staff and good food. There's also excellent live music. Although the beaches in front of central Pattaya are not the best, at least you can sit under an umbrella and get soused if that is your choice. You can flirt with the girls on the beach road walk, or spend time on walking street in the evening... and all without spending one baht. If you want a beautiful beach just take one of the hourly sailings to Koh Larn Island and spend the day there for under 100 baht. The water is clean and lovely for swimming. Rent a motorscooter for about 200 baht a day and ride south about 35 km to a stunning tropica beach. Shopping is as good as it is anywhere in Thailand... Just know your prices for things. Oh, yah, I almost forgot... there ARE beautiful women available if that is your choice. But, they won't bother you if you don't want them to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiPauly Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Went there on the way to Koh Chang once as I had never been. We booked a hotel for 3 nights, left after the first, but willingly paid for the three. Pretty much sums up my opinion of Pattaya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidOxon Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 missing a category Would like to go and see, but the wife won't let me! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 (edited) I would also consider Hua Hin if nightlife isnt your number one reason for going Right, though personally I prefer Pattaya for some additional reasons: * Cheaper / better value and more plentiful accommodation. * Nicer beaches close by. * Easier / faster to get to from the airport. * Better shopping. * Easy and cheap public transport. missing a category Would like to go and see, but the wife won't let me! Two ways around that: Don't mention you're going to Pattaya but go to 'Jomtien' instead. Option two: Bring her along and make sure you avoid most of the bar scene. It'll be okay once she realizes that all the stories about sleaze are greatly exaggerated. Edited February 18, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would argue that with Air Aisia's cattle car service CNX-HKT (Phuket) that Phuket is an actual beach destination and Pattaya is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 True; Phuket is now on the map as well thanks to Air Asia. Prices are a bit higher there, but then the beaches are of course no comparison. And there's nightlife too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would also consider Hua Hin if nightlife isnt your number one reason for going Right, though personally I prefer Pattaya for some additional reasons: * Cheaper / better value and more plentiful accommodation. * Nicer beaches close by. * Easier / faster to get to from the airport. * Better shopping. * Easy and cheap public transport. missing a category Would like to go and see, but the wife won't let me! Two ways around that: Don't mention you're going to Pattaya but go to 'Jomtien' instead. Option two: Bring her along and make sure you avoid most of the bar scene. It'll be okay once she realizes that all the stories about sleaze are greatly exaggerated. "Greatly Exaggerated" Is there another Pattaya in Thailand that we are unaware of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 True; Phuket is now on the map as well thanks to Air Asia. Prices are a bit higher there, but then the beaches are of course no comparison. And there's nightlife too.. Local transport is the only thing that is overpriced in Phuket. It is a real "beach" destination, has areas that you can honestly avoid the sleaze without sacrificing on the other parts of a good break, and you can be in your room in 3 hours or so door to door. I am seriously considering contacting my old landlord in Kamala beach and seeing if the house I used to rent from him is available as a weekend getaway from work in Chiang Mai Gotlost -- there is sleaze in Pattaya even on the dark side. It is a city of indulgence. Fun, but it lost its shine after a very few visits for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Never been. Doesn't interest me. Cha Am and Hua Hin are very easy to get to from C.M. Cha Am has great beaches while Hua Hin has the nightlife (although I found nightlife in Cha Am) - just have to know where to look. If I wanted something more I would go to Phuket or Koh Samui (although it has become somewhat expensive since I first went there 20 years ago), or to one of the Islands I've never been to like Koh Lanta or Krabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alobar Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Went there once in 82' and didn't like it even then. Couldn't believe how dirty the beaches were, and it seemed to attract an even more unsavory crowd than most spots. No puritan myself but there is a line. Since then i've honestly never heard a good report, with most of the assaults, 'suicides' and untoward events seeming to come from that neck of the woods. Additionally- and i'm sure this is just me- but i had a near death experience there, setting off from the yacht club in a catamaran that flipped in a squall that came up. Spent the next 10 hours lost at sea (might not sound like a lot of time, but try it sometime!). Might be off topic but it colored my desire to return. I like it just fine in el Norte. Other beaches are just as accessible from here nowadays anyway. I do like the idea of being able to play pool and 'not feel obliged to take anyone home' though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I used to live about 20k from there, we went because they had better stores there. Always left before dark. Pattaya's beach is trash so never used it, but Koh Larn is very nice. Now that I am in Chiang Mai I can't fathom a reason to go to Pattaya, except if a friend happened to be there, or as part of a trip to the island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Gotlost -- there is sleaze in Pattaya even on the dark side. It is a city of indulgence. Fun, but it lost its shine after a very few visits for me. I have to agree with you on this. The only time i go there is to see friends that are in town. Pattaya was not given the nick name of Sin City for being the Vatican. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 It is pretty much the only place I holiday these days. Easy to get to and back on comfortable buses. Hotels and good food are very cheap and easy to find. Lots of nice movie theatres and shopping malls, so never get bored. The beach looks nice (but only swim in the hotel pool). Lots of freindly girls, but easy to avoid if one wants to. Very cheap transportation if you learn the baht-bus routes, so easy to get around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justmaybe Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I like Ian's honest response. I also think gotlost is right; Pattaya is a city of indulgence. Just as in Las Vegas there are people who do not gamble and in Amsterdam there are people who do not attend the Red Light district or smoke hash, it also has another life. Pattaya is not known for its temples, though I am sure there are lovely ones, and it would not be my first thought for a meal from the Michelin guide, though I'm sure one can eat well there. I'm also sure the wife would better enjoy a pleasant stay in Hua Hin or Cha Am if I had a wife, but I don't. I've been to Pattaya a number of times through the years, go there rarely since they moved the airport and made connections to CNX easier, and would be sad to think I would not stop by at least a couple of times before I shuffle off. My most recent excuse for staying away is a common theme on a few boards: the influx of Russian tourists has changed some of the my own sense of sanuk and my interest in being in Pattaya. It's simply my choice of how and where to spend my baht. None of my best friends are Russian, but I don't begrudge them a good time or reprieve from the weather. I have been in the company of "reputable" Thai people who have cringed at the implications of the name "Pattaya", just as I've been with Thai people who refer to Patpong as "those streets". That does not seem to have stopped them from enjoying private lives in more discreet contexts. I have also greeted arriving US graduate students who could not wait to bypass me for "Khao San Road", a place I've never been simply because I haven't found a reason yet to go there. Choose your poison. I grew up in a generation in the States in which the politically correct thing was to say one examined Playboy Magazine only for the articles. There was, in fact, quality writing in those periodicals. But give me a break. I do prefer to spend time with humans who acknowledge human interests. There is a time and place for everything and Pattaya seems to be a place for some things a lot of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlanetX Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights and they still make a profit. Lesson for CM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loaded Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights and they still make a profit. Lesson for CM. A loss leader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaimiller Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Ive ticked visit regular but its more like once a year for a lads weekend away with the mates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgriffith Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I like Ian's honest response. I also think gotlost is right; Pattaya is a city of indulgence. Just as in Las Vegas there are people who do not gamble and in Amsterdam there are people who do not attend the Red Light district or smoke hash, it also has another life. Pattaya is not known for its temples, though I am sure there are lovely ones, and it would not be my first thought for a meal from the Michelin guide, though I'm sure one can eat well there. I'm also sure the wife would better enjoy a pleasant stay in Hua Hin or Cha Am if I had a wife, but I don't. I've been to Pattaya a number of times through the years, go there rarely since they moved the airport and made connections to CNX easier, and would be sad to think I would not stop by at least a couple of times before I shuffle off. My most recent excuse for staying away is a common theme on a few boards: the influx of Russian tourists has changed some of the my own sense of sanuk and my interest in being in Pattaya. It's simply my choice of how and where to spend my baht. None of my best friends are Russian, but I don't begrudge them a good time or reprieve from the weather. I have been in the company of "reputable" Thai people who have cringed at the implications of the name "Pattaya", just as I've been with Thai people who refer to Patpong as "those streets". That does not seem to have stopped them from enjoying private lives in more discreet contexts. I have also greeted arriving US graduate students who could not wait to bypass me for "Khao San Road", a place I've never been simply because I haven't found a reason yet to go there. Choose your poison. I grew up in a generation in the States in which the politically correct thing was to say one examined Playboy Magazine only for the articles. There was, in fact, quality writing in those periodicals. But give me a break. I do prefer to spend time with humans who acknowledge human interests. There is a time and place for everything and Pattaya seems to be a place for some things a lot of the time. A very well spoken and right on post. When I first visited Thailand in the early 70's, Pattaya was just starting to get buzz- as a brothel city for all the US soldiers stationed here at Udon, etc., or soldiers on R&R from Vietnam. I'm sure it has changed over the years to provide a wider variety of services for a broader range of visitors- golf, 5 star hotels, fine dining establishments, shopping, etc. Never been there. I have a friend who says I really should visit. I'll brush up on my Russian- Удача! (Good Luck!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Eat your heart out Chiang Mai. http://www.centralfestival.co.th/default-th.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights and they still make a profit. Lesson for CM. Small Chang in CM is 25 Baht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights and they still make a profit. Lesson for CM. Small Chang in CM is 25 Baht Not on Loi Khro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 MY, Pattaya. A temple of sorts... Hotels galore... A nice view from hotel and Koh Larn in the distance And the Pattaya beach scenes And if you like Russian girls.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I really like the 40 bht San Miguel Lights and they still make a profit. Lesson for CM. Small Chang in CM is 25 Baht Not on Loi Khro. Well, of course you have to get to the Thai establishments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Well, of course you have to get to the Thai establishments Just go to the local 7-11 as the backpackers do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Only a small portion of Pattaya is this... but it gets 99% of the press from foreign based journalists More often it's just good friends playing golf during the day and pool in the evening. And, if you want a treat then take a 35 km drive south to a tropical beach with clear water. Where those darn Russian women keep turning up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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