Do You Think The Russification Of Pattaya Is A Good Thing Or Not?

[surayu]

the Russification of menus in town.

Thanks for the update, yes that is the way things are going at the moment, hopefully when they will get enough requests for something understandable to the rest of the world as well, they might do some changes.

Can't blame them much anyway, when we even have some of the posters here, which are english mother tongue, supporting the chaos of introducing random languages in a touristic area and using only that, isn't a great thing?

[simple1]

Recently I was in Vietnam's "Phu Quoc" island and Mui Ne beach, until a few years ago pure backpacker destinations. What was it full of???

You guessed it - - - Russians!

What I find amusing is how some of you seem surprised when you see lots of Russians somewhere in tropical SE Asia. If you go someplace because you like it why wouldn't the Russians like it. You could complement them on their good taste.

Perhaps you need to be reminded (or educated) that Russia is a very populous free nation which is relatively close to Thailand. Add to that the fact that Russia is a very cold country for much of the year and what do you get - instant Russians.

To add to your view I was recently informed by a Pattaya hotelier that Russian tourists are subsidised for holiday travel. e.g. three weeks in Pataya, including accommodation and food for approx $650.00. Perhaps that's why so many Russian tourists. Not not know the buying power of $650 in Russia.

[Jingthing]

the Russification of menus in town.

Thanks for the update, yes that is the way things are going at the moment, hopefully when they will get enough requests for something understandable to the rest of the world as well, they might do some changes.

Can't blame them much anyway, when we even have some of the posters here, which are english mother tongue, supporting the chaos of introducing random languages in a touristic area and using only that, isn't a great thing?

Since that comment, I did eat at AREMENIA in Jomtien. I recall they did have English on their menu inside. They have an older location in Naklua where there is English on their menu outside (so more welcoming). The food was OK, pretty good eggplant salad but the stuffed hot grape leaves with meat was rather a soggy mess.

[Jingthing]

More tales from the Russification Front^TM in Pattaya.

New signs up on some of the fruit vendors on Pattaya Tai.

Names of fruits in Russian. Just Russian.

A sign on one had one legible character to a non-Russian -- the number 50.

It was lychee and I wanted some. The real price was 120. Hmmm.

Yes I realize Russkies are big fruit lovers, but Russian language ONLY?

At the baht bus queue, Davai Jomtien! Davai Jomtien! That's all they say.

[tropo]

More tales from the Russification Front^TM in Pattaya.

New signs up on some of the fruit vendors on Pattaya Tai.

Names of fruits in Russian. Just Russian.

A sign on one had one legible character to a non-Russian -- the number 50.

It was lychee and I wanted some. The real price was 120. Hmmm.

Yes I realize Russkies are big fruit lovers, but Russian language ONLY?

At the baht bus queue, Davai Jomtien! Davai Jomtien! That's all they say.

Take it as a complement. They figure only the Russians need the fruit to be named. The rest of us can figure it out for ourselves - the difference between a banana and a mango.

Have you ever seen fruit in the supermarket named?

Edited April 22, 2012 by tropo

[Jingthing]

It's on the more exotic fruit, dude.

[jombom]

Well, it looks like beyween 80 and 90% have gone home. Suppose it's warming up in Russia.

[tropo]

It's on the more exotic fruit, dude.

I know dude, I was just using bananas and mangos as an easy example.

[Darrel]

New signs up on some of the fruit vendors on Pattaya Tai.

Names of fruits in Russian. Just Russian.

Try Soi Pattaya Park. I dont think there is a single sign (or indeed a single farang) the entire length of the Soi that isnt Russian.

Without the Russians Pattaya would indeed be a ghost town, but I wonder if they might not all decide to go somewhere else one day?

[Jingthing]

I am finding this more annoying. I don't mind Russian. I do mind Russian ONLY.

[petermik]

New signs up on some of the fruit vendors on Pattaya Tai.

Names of fruits in Russian. Just Russian.

Try Soi Pattaya Park. I dont think there is a single sign (or indeed a single farang) the entire length of the Soi that isnt Russian.

Without the Russians Pattaya would indeed be a ghost town, but I wonder if they might not all decide to go somewhere else one day?

Soon-I hope

[MJCM]

I am finding this more annoying. I don't mind Russian. I do mind Russian ONLY.

Soon it will be like this:

[nirun]

Well, I have been coming to Pattaya for about 20 years or so. This topic has REALLY helped me understand the Russian thing in Pattaya ! Thank you thaivisa for allowing some of the post's to cross the line a little bit to help me understand what the heck is going on. I love Pattaya and i have no problem with the every changing folks coming here. Again, Thanks....kimo

[Rimmer]

One post removed, at this point I would like to draw your attention to the following rule:

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[Jingthing]

I've had Russians assume I'm Russian here for years now, and speak to me first in Russian. I don't mind that, but I do mind when they sneer at me for not speaking Russian. What is beginning to concern and really annoy is THAI people assuming I speak Russian, and start speaking to me in Russian. Happily, as we know Thais are almost as bad at foreign languages as Americans so the chance of many of them becoming fluent Russkie speakers is nonexistent.

[thaidiver]

Actually don't mind the Russians that much, they seem to shower regularly and the women are mostly hotter than the locals and wear next to nothing. They don't travel around in flocks of hundreds like tourists from other countries and the only things I don't like is how they take over the 7-11's and practically live in them. Anyways Pattaya is a toxic craphole and "you can't polish a turd"; so they can have it for all I care.

[Jingthing]

Actually don't mind the Russians that much, they seem to shower regularly and the women are mostly hotter than the locals and wear next to nothing. They don't travel around in flocks of hundreds like tourists from other countries and the only things I don't like is how they take over the 7-11's and practically live in them. Anyways Pattaya is a toxic craphole and "you can't polish a turd"; so they can have it for all I care.

This craphole is where a lot us live, dude.

I do agree many of the Russians are quite hot looking.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Jingthing

[Darrel]

I do agree many of the Russians are quite hot looking.

Hot? Maybe. "Sweaty" might be closer.

[Jingthing]

I do agree many of the Russians are quite hot looking.

Hot? Maybe. "Sweaty" might be closer.

No, I meant hot. As in sexually attractive. Men and women, of course.

[Plucky]

Yes all very interesting but what does that guys exotic Thai Chinese wife make of them I wonder?

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[JSixpack]

I've had Russians assume I'm Russian here for years now, and speak to me first in Russian.

Then it seems they also assume the Thais are Russian because they do the same to them.

[Asiantravel]

Actually don't mind the Russians that much, they seem to shower regularly and the women are mostly hotter than the locals and wear next to nothing. They don't travel around in flocks of hundreds like tourists from other countries and the only things I don't like is how they take over the 7-11's and practically live in them. Anyways Pattaya is a toxic craphole and "you can't polish a turd"; so they can have it for all I care.

This craphole is where a lot us live, dude.

I do agree many of the Russians are quite hot looking.

i live here too but that doesn't make thaidiver wrong in fact it's getting more toxic by the day.

just take the traffic chaos for starters

but I think the Russians are ok and I agree some are very attractive looking

Edited April 23, 2012 by Asiantravel

[tropo]

I am finding this more annoying. I don't mind Russian. I do mind Russian ONLY.

Could it get to a point where you decide to leave town because of it?

I think the Russians are doing Pattaya a big favour.

[Jingthing]

I am finding this more annoying. I don't mind Russian. I do mind Russian ONLY.

Could it get to a point where you decide to leave town because of it?

I think the Russians are doing Pattaya a big favour.

It's hard to imagine but I ain't learning Russian (even if I could but I'm American you see ).

[Markland]

i like you jing.Keep on reporting to us.

[petercool]

My only concern is that while most nationalities who visit or live here make some effort to assimilate and adjust culturally to some extent, and thus have less effect on things overall, Russians do not seem to adjust and thus everyone else has to do any adjusting - Thais making a living here included.

That's an economic reality for them and while understandable it will affect us all when the common denominator is the least polite and the most unbending and we can be branded alike and probably treated alike.

[Jingthing]

English is practically the unofficial second language in Pattaya and tourist oriented Thailand already. If Russian trumps English in Pattaya for that standing, it can't be a good thing for non-Russian speaking foreigners. Imagine logging into your Thai bank website and seeing only Thai and Russian, with no English. Science fiction ... for now.

I'm also concerned about the future of the restaurant situation in a scenario where most foreigners are Russians. Yes that would mean plenty of Russian and Thai restaurants but it seems to me it would put pressure on many current and potentially future new national cuisine restaurants that aren't of general interest to Russian people. Pattaya has developed into a somewhat interesting and diverse restaurant city. A demographic imbalance could start to mess that up.

An example of this is what I saw years ago in southern Spain. All they had was overpriced questionable Spanish food and mostly British food. That's not fun unless you're closed minded and British!

Edited April 23, 2012 by Jingthing

[MJCM]

^ True, but as this is Thailand your worst case scenario would make more sense if it was only Thai and Chinese

Edit : //

Just another incentive for us Farangs to learn how to speak Thai

Edited April 23, 2012 by MJCM

[Darrel]

Could it get to a point where you decide to leave town because of it?

Certainly. Not least because the town is getting far too crowded to be pleasant between December and March.

I think the Russians are doing Pattaya a big favour.

Maybe they are, but they certainly arent doing me any good.

If the percentage or the total number of Russian visitors keeps increasing then before long it will get to the point where the supermarkets have 57 different types of Vodka and beetroot soup, and few or none of things that Western farangs like to buy. And all the restaurants currently selling food to Western farang tastes will be selling food to Russian tastes. Having already colonised much of Jomtien and Wong Amat, in Soi Buakoaw there are now restaurants with menus that seem to be only in Russian, and who would have imagined that 3 years ago? OK, this wont affect Thai-style places (which make up 90% of the places I frequent) but it's still highly undesirable.

All this may suit some non-Russian people but it certainly doesnt suit me. I want Pattaya to continue to be a Thai place that caters to English-speaking farangs just as it has been for the last 40 years. Any significant change and there will be little or no point being here. The change from the classic single male visitor to the pervasive farang family was already a pretty bad move towards general banality and tedium, and if that farang family becomes more predominantly Russian then that will be the death of the place as far as I'm concerned.

[Jingthing]

I am happy with diversity in all aspects. The trouble is the Russian influence is showing signs of becoming dominant. I am very happy about all the different flavors in town, Indian, Iranian, Chinese, etc. I think we could use more Americans because they would demand better Mexican food.