How Pattaya Has Changed

[JSixpack]

I first went to Pattaya in 1984, it stretched from Royal Garden Plaza to about half way down Walking Street. The RGP was the Royal Garden Resort in those days. Second Rd was a dirt road, and all the bars were along the sea front. A Singha was 30bt and Kloster was 40bt, there were no other beers on sale. We got 32 baht to the £ so it was expensive back then. It was also the first time I got in an air con car and I remember water dripping on my feet from the unit.

The road to Bangkok was 2 lanes wide and you hardly saw an undented vehicle and very few had rear lights, it was astonishing to see so many old and battered unroadworthy cars, lorries and motorcycles in use. Bangkok was a mass of corregated iron sheds and I do not remember any skyscrapers. It took a bit of believing that the iron and wooden sheds were the peoples' homes, We only found out when my pal's girl took us to her home and I remember how shocked and embarassed we were on discovering that people lived in such filth and poverty.

The main road into Pattaya from Bangkok was Beach Rd and the side roads (sois) were empty of bars and restaurants. There was not much to Pattaya North of where the Royal Garden Plaza now stands. Walking St was open to traffic and was known as The Strip.

Most of the Western tourists seem to be men who worked in the Far and Middle East in the oil and hotel trades. There was a lot more German influence in the town then and most of the fellows we met were German, Swiss and Austrian. One weekend the American Fleet pulled in and the girls went crazy putting their make up on to look their best. The Yankee sailors did not seem to have the restraints imposed upon them that they have nowadays apart from the 'Shore Patrol' and when the Cobra Gold boys come to town. Perhaps some older Americans could comment on this. There were no such things as what we now refer to as the 'Benidorm Fusiliers' and all the tourists behaved in a civilised manner. I do not remember seeing any policemen and only two ladyboys.

The bars were just like they are now except every bar had a VCR showing the latest Hollywood movie. The barfines were 100 bt and the girls wanted between 300 and 500bt and they all stayed with you till the next day if you wished them to do so. My pal and I had a double room in the Royal Garden Resort and they charged us 300 baht to bring a girl back! Should you wish a girl to give you a BJ she would often inform you that Buddha would not approve.

I spent the last 4 days with the most beautiful girl I'd ever met in my life, her name was Mai Lee but when I left I never kept in touch as traveling to the LOS was expensive then and it was not worth going for 2 weeks which was what most of us got in the way of a holiday. We never heard of any crime whatsoever and everyone was courteous and polite and we had tears in our eyes in the minibus back to Bangkok airport.

I did not go back until 1999 and I had become one of the middle aged/elderly male tourists chasing after younger women who we used to regard with disdain back in 1984. I still go there now but for much longer holidays and in spite of all the negative aspects associated with the place there is still nothing to touch it anywhere in the world. Many of my friends now live there and some are happily married but there are also a lot in their 50s and 60s who will never learn.

Two old sayings are very apt where Pattaya is concerned "A fool and his money are soon parted" and " There's no fool like an old fool".

Post of the day! Thanks!

[JSixpack]

Quote removed.....Sheeez

How much now?

Edited April 3, 2012 by Rimmer
Quoted reply of removed

[crudy21]

I remember reports of 100 Baht to the Pound in the 90's, i never seen it myself but others claim to have while i was there.

[Rimmer]

Off color post removed

[Markland]

Pattaya has changed for the better ? yes in my opinion

I love central festival mall.And my favorite pharmacy has kept on improving with time with there quality of steroids.

Price of others things off topic has changed but you can still get good meals especially on the beach

[simple1]

I first came to Pattaya (stayed at the Nipa Lodge) in 1987 in a stopover from London to Sydney. Had no idea of the bar girl scene & was suprised when walking down the street when the girls called out hansome man! Met up with some Aussies went out to the bars. Got very drunk and woke up with a beautiful girl beside me. Who are you? She said you very drunk & I take care. Had a shower & she joined me & soaped me down - wow!. So hung over nothing happened the first day. Few days later went to Koh Samet stayed on a a beach that had only one bungalow resort. Where Malibu is now located. Just beautiful with lots of smiles, Bangkok students camping, playing guitars drinking, not over run with dogs etc Best holiday I ever had. Came back to Pattaya and Koh Samet in 1990 & already the vibe had changed with, by comparision, over commercialisation, harder attitudes and so on. However in 1996 went to Phuket and hooked up with a Thai women who happened to be from Pattaya and been with her since and now live in Pattaya. When I came to Pattaya late last year I was surprised with the traffic congestion, massive change in falang demograhics and the general lack of smiles in central Pattaya. But in the scheme of things happy to be here.

[CGW]

I remember reports of 100 Baht to the Pound in the 90's, i never seen it myself but others claim to have while i was there.

The exchange rate never made it to 100 as i remember it, got close, I was paid in US $ at the time the best rate I remember getting was 55, was told by some very smart chaps that I met in bars not to change a lot of money until it hit 60 to the $, it never did!

[ChangFai]

I was in Thailand during the 1997-98 debacle, and the highest rate I saw for the £ was 93.6.

Talk of it reaching 100 is just a myth that many have told themselves over and over again, until they believe it.

Edited April 7, 2012 by ChangFai

[yogi100]

yogi100. I was offering a very different perspective to yours. Simply that.

No intention was there to pick holes in your post and apologies if that was what it seemed like.

OK Peter, sorry if I snapped back at you.

[yogi100]

Thank you for your very nice stroll down memory lane yogi100, I seem to remember the exchange rate in 1980 being around 55 to the pound would I be wrong on that? Or did it crash later when you referred to 32 to the pound in 1984?

We were definitely getting around 30 to the pound. We started off in Bangkok and one day we had a drink in the hotel and a Singha beer was 45 baht as opposed to 30 in the bars. The two of us had three Singhas each, six in total and the bin was 300 baht including a tip which was about 9 quid. So we kept clear of the hotel bar after that as one pound fifty pence for a half pint bottle of beer was big money back then and my chum and I were both cautious fellows when it came to parting with our cash, we still are. That's how I remember the exchange rate and realising that third world countries can be expensive for the tourist.

We paid 300 baht guest fee in the hotel which was 9 GBPs and nearly as much as the girls charged. Towards the end of our holiday we were getting low on funds but luckily my pal had a Visa card which got us out of trouble and I paid him back my share when we returned to Blighty. Visa cards were not so common back then but the experience encouraged me to get one as well.

[loonodingle]

I came to Thailand first time in 1992. To meet my future father in law Trevor Frettsome....(some may remember the man, he had 2 kids with a Thai Bird, one was gin and one was tonic). How daft can a girl be to send their B/F to Pattaya. First nite out i met him and his mates in a bar in soi post office and they took me to walking street. up a few stairs into a dimly lit bar. A bird was dancing with her tits out and as we sat drinking a photographer came in with the polaroid and they got the bird with the tits out to sit on my lap. Smile!!!!! Click... so what do you think of the bird her dad asked me, i said she's ok but i love Maria. Well how would you feel if we told that was a bloke......... Jesus i was outta there like a shot. They all bundled out a few minutes later pissing their selves... Welcome to Thailand...

I found the Blackout A-go-go later that night on my own and never looked back. 2 weeks in Heaven Flew back to UK more money and went straight back. Never the same again. as for Maria... Maria???? Maria who LOL

Walking along beach road early hours of the morning no problems. Never robbed and no hassle. How times changed.

[loonodingle]

A funny one. Soi 6, Bird with a plaster on her wrist... i said what happended... i she said i make tattoo for my boyfriend him come back from England soon, i love him. i said lets have a look it read "Galley"........I said Galley???? is your boyfriend is Galley???? she said Galley. You mean Gary....??? Yes Galley.....

[marshbags]

A funny one. Soi 6, Bird with a plaster on her wrist... i said what happended... i she said i make tattoo for my boyfriend him come back from England soon, i love him. i said lets have a look it read "Galley"........I said Galley???? is your boyfriend is Galley???? she said Galley. You mean Gary....??? Yes Galley.....

TIT at it,s best and one of many, similar to countless past examples which lighten up our days.

Thanks LD the smile from this one will be on my face all day, hopefully.

marshbags

Edited April 13, 2012 by marshbags

[SGD]

Since noone has mentioned Jomttien, I will. As recently as 5 years ago, only a dirt road connected Pattaya to it and it was a quaint,

quiet place with a smattering of nightlife.

Now it's well connected by a well-paved road and has one of the highest traffic accident rates

in all of Patttaya.

Russians everywhere and the Koreans have gone.

Jomtien in 2004 was accessed via a poor quality but tarmac road.

There were a couple of Russian restaurants but none doing very well.

When that Russian place opened up on the right of the hill going up to Jomtien it those (then) new shop houses, we all thought it was madness. It was for a few years as there were no Russian customers.

[SGD]

Recent: Eight years ago, there were no Russian families and the number of retired Brits, Fins, and Germans were decreasing. Since then, the Russian population had taken over where now the signs and menus are printed in Russian. (Good for business when you think of "what if" they were not here in nunbers...no business at all since there are less Europeans and no "new" Americans coming here to retire. The city may be becoming more "international" but is not keeping up with the infrastructure that is needed to run a growing city. (music festivals don't help)

Eight years ago was 2006. The GBP was just down from the highs of 75 achieved in 2004 but it was still around 70 the the pound. More, not less Brits were arriving. After about 2007 the EUro went on a march and reached over 50, leading to more Euro folks hitting town. The Yanks were suffering almost in line with the Brits after 2008 as the $ went from mid 40s to low 30s.

Russians started in greater numbers around 2008. Useful ones may arrive after 2100 ?

[SGD]

Been in Pattaya full time since 2004. The secret to my happiness is meeting normal Thais away from the bars. This does not guarantee they are all good Thais. It all come out in the wash and there's no reason not to believe they probably resent you in that they can't meet good Thai men so they're "stuck" with foreigners. The first big change I found was when the bar girls stopped offering me a cold towel when I ordered my drink.

The price of cheap cold towels remained fairly static at about one baht each. The better ones up to about Bt2. If you give away 200 a day, that could be Bt70,000 a year. Of course, that would usually be looked upon as a variable cost which was dependent upon trade volumes but if people think about it, it is an easy cost to remove.

The girls used to give them out like confetti but they were not paying for them.

[SGD]

Its a lot longer than five years ago that there was only a "dirt road" try about 15 years ago! though I think it is longer than that, the Russkies started to arrive about ten years ago as I remember it.

Thin on the ground until much more recently. Only really in greater numbers since 2007/8.

[eyebee]

I may be getting older ,but i am reliably informed that i still have the body of a God ,unfortunatly its Bhudda.

LOL. My doctor once told me I have the body of a professional sportsman....Jocky Wilson.

[eyebee]

I first came to Thailand in 1983. I recall that there were about 36 baht to the pound. One thing I remember, being a smoker, was that there were no foreign cigarettes on sale then. You could only get Krong Thip and Samit (whatever happened to those) and they cost around 18 baht. That of course led to shady guys offering you Marlboro on the streets; a sight you still see sometimes.

[JSixpack]

Recent: Eight years ago, there were no Russian families and the number of retired Brits, Fins, and Germans were decreasing. . . .

Eight years ago was 2006.

Back to the future, eh? Maybe better slow down a bit.

Edited June 17, 2012 by JSixpack

[MobileContent]

Came first time 1986 for a holiday to Pattaya. Stayed once at the Royal Garden and a few weeks later at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort. Remembered a lot of farang families visiting Pattaya already at that time and also saw female tourists.

Remember Mike Department Store. Saw an old Arab men who surely enjoyed himself with two bar girls.

[thenervoussurgeon]

I came to Thailand first time in 1992. To meet my future father in law Trevor Frettsome....(some may remember the man, he had 2 kids with a Thai Bird, one was gin and one was tonic). How daft can a girl be to send their B/F to Pattaya. First nite out i met him and his mates in a bar in soi post office and they took me to walking street. up a few stairs into a dimly lit bar. A bird was dancing with her tits out and as we sat drinking a photographer came in with the polaroid and they got the bird with the tits out to sit on my lap. Smile!!!!! Click... so what do you think of the bird her dad asked me, i said she's ok but i love Maria. Well how would you feel if we told that was a bloke......... Jesus i was outta there like a shot. They all bundled out a few minutes later pissing their selves... Welcome to Thailand...

I found the Blackout A-go-go later that night on my own and never looked back. 2 weeks in Heaven Flew back to UK more money and went straight back. Never the same again. as for Maria... Maria???? Maria who LOL

Walking along beach road early hours of the morning no problems. Never robbed and no hassle. How times changed.

Reminds me of the joke ,

My girlfriend told me that a small penis wont affect our relationship,i dont know if she is right or not ,but i still wish she didnt have one.

Edited June 17, 2012 by thenervoussurgeon

[allexx]

First time I visited Thailand was early October 1983. Been through when Second Rd looked like PLOs training camp, soi Buakow was called soi Sokkoprokk cos dirty and no asphalt, Pattaya klang was dead and hardly no buildings,Walking Street was called The Golden Mile and from soi 15 to police box was dark and no activity, it was even scary to walk there. Only one disco,“Marine Disco” and it closed 6 am,well there was “Grace” too but it was quite slow.October 1983 was very rainy and heavy downpours for 3 days,total 480mm and Beach Rd was washed away in 2 places.

You did the shopping at Spinneys in soi Post Office.The going rate for the ladies was 300 Baht long time and the bar fines was 80 baht. The rate was 25 baht to the US $$.We drank Mehkong/coke and my first one was in the bar beside the Big Tree and cost me 15 baht. Lam Morrison played at the Saloon bar and Rod Steward advertising Kloster Beer.

Been through coup in Bangkok, 1993 I think, and Bangkok Post was censored with partly blank pages. PM Khun Suchinda was kicked out of office and ended up near the Cambodia border in a fancy villa. July 1997 started the economic meltdown, if my memory serves me right, and Jan,Feb-98 was a good time to send money to Thailand when you got about 53 baht to the greenback and 85 baht to the pound. The interest rate was 12-15%. The land price in Pattaya Tai, soi Kopai, was 2.300baht/Tarrangwha, I bought my piece of land -87. Now they ask for 30k/twa.

[LALes]

Moved here in 2007 and the first few years were wonderful. Once the financial crisis hit about 2009, things started

to go downhill. You couldn't really see it at first, but looking back, it all makes sense. Westerners stopped coming

in huge numbers, only to be replaced by Russians and Middle Easterners. The whole character is changing and not

for the better. I strolled down Beach Rd. last Friday evening from Central to Walking St. I'd say 90% of the males were

Indians, Pakis, Banglas, etc., all in packs of 3, 4, 5 or more. The women aren't as pretty, either. I guess most of the

better ones are not too enthusiastic about the changing face of our fair burg. Where are they going?

I never saw white women with strollers until a few years ago. Now, its commonplace.

I can't remember the last time a farang bought a condo in my building. At least 2 years. As soon as I unload mine,

AMF!!!!