Is Patong A Cesspit?

[noob7]

Sharks? Seriously? No. Can not.

Why not?

For years in this restaurants entrance way

http://goo.gl/maps/FsZpe

The Aquarium is about 3x1x2m

A 'under the floor' aquarium will not be rejected, by officials, methinks. Envelope, done!

Edited October 23, 2012 by noob7

[madmitch]

>>Most guesthouses on Nanai are for lease/rent, and there are many empty right now. Leases with key money are usually a max of 3 years, reason being that if over 3 years then the lease must be registered with the land office and most owners don't want that sort of government intrusion into their finances.

I'm not surprised many are empty as it would be almost impossible to turn a decent profit on 500-1000 baht rooms for only 3 years after paying key money and a hefty monthly rental, salary, electricity, internet etc. Sometimes you have to wonder what people are thinking when they ask for unreasonable rents to someone when they themselves would never accept such one-sided and non profitable terms.

It's all about "the dreamer" going broke early in their lease, the landlord keeping the lease money and key money, and then selling the lease to the next dreamer.

They are still building more accommodation and bars, thus everyone continuing to get an even thinner wedge of the pie, and it just goes on and on.

A prime example is, I went to book a room at The Expat Hotel in Patong for a friend last week. On that Soi, which is basically across from Bangla Road, they are building a two story complex of beer bars. It looks like it will have at least 40 new bars in the complex. So, the drinkers/sex tourist will be shared around even more in the near future and beer bars are already stuggling, so expect more to go broke.

70 bars apparently and a glass floor with sharks swimming about underneath your feet.

If it actually gets finished.

Sharks? Seriously? No. Can not.

I have seen the promotional pictures, artists' impressions of course.

[noob7]

It's all about "the dreamer" going broke early in their lease, the landlord keeping the lease money and key money, and then selling the lease to the next dreamer.

They are still building more accommodation and bars, thus everyone continuing to get an even thinner wedge of the pie, and it just goes on and on.

A prime example is, I went to book a room at The Expat Hotel in Patong for a friend last week. On that Soi, which is basically across from Bangla Road, they are building a two story complex of beer bars. It looks like it will have at least 40 new bars in the complex. So, the drinkers/sex tourist will be shared around even more in the near future and beer bars are already stuggling, so expect more to go broke.

70 bars apparently and a glass floor with sharks swimming about underneath your feet.

If it actually gets finished.

Sharks? Seriously? No. Can not.

I have seen the promotional pictures, artists' impressions of course.

Constructor " Only impressions, why no one told us"

Owner "Mai bpen rai, now we have it, we will get some sharks, too. Can't be only Koi in there"

What will the name be? Shark Club? Back in Patong?

[wellred]

Surely the sound from all the music will be harmful to the sharks? Once the first few die of shock and they realise how expensive it is to maintain I think it will end up just being a water tank.

[NomadJoe]

Shark species are stressed worldwide. Many are endangered. They shouldn't be kept as pets or show things except at proper aquariums with trained staff for education and research purposes.

[petercallen]

Shark species are stressed worldwide. Many are endangered. They shouldn't be kept as pets or show things except at proper aquariums with trained staff for education and research purposes.

Or eaten

[LivinginKata]

inflammatory post and inflammatory reply removed.

[phuketsub]

I'm taking myself to a dirty part of town

Where all my troubles

Can't be found...

[KhunHeineken]

Not sure if anybody has noticed, but a lot of building on the north end of Rat-U-Thit Road lately. I turned onto RUT from Phrabaramee Rd. this AM and saw many of the small one story buildings are gone and being rebuilt as 2 - 3 story guesthouses. Even have a 6-7 story TUNE hotel going in as well. The big muilt-story building opposite the Deli Supermarket also seems nearly finished.

This will just add to the water / sewage problems in Patong.

Those Tune hotels suck, I have never been in a "hotel room" smaller. I mean truly, a <deleted> closet.

I stayed in a 2m by 1.5 m room in Japan once.

There is also the capsule rooms.

I have always thought these capsules would be a success in the major airports around the world, just for a small sleep between flights, if they would be reasonably priced. As it is now, you see a lot of people sleeping on rows of four aliminium chairs and on the hard marble or granite floor.

Edited October 27, 2012 by KhunHeineken

[noob7]

Not sure if anybody has noticed, but a lot of building on the north end of Rat-U-Thit Road lately. I turned onto RUT from Phrabaramee Rd. this AM and saw many of the small one story buildings are gone and being rebuilt as 2 - 3 story guesthouses. Even have a 6-7 story TUNE hotel going in as well. The big muilt-story building opposite the Deli Supermarket also seems nearly finished.

This will just add to the water / sewage problems in Patong.

Those Tune hotels suck, I have never been in a "hotel room" smaller. I mean truly, a <deleted> closet.

I stayed in a 2m by 1.5 m room in Japan once.

There is also the capsule rooms.

I have always thought these capsules would be a success in the major airports around the world, just for a small sleep between flights, if they would be reasonably priced. As it is now, you see a lot of people sleeping on rows of four aliminium chairs and on the hard marble or granite floor.

To the picture above: What is the reason, to pay a lot of money, if even in this boxes, you are in a dormitory, only?

There are minimum 3 entrances not separated with walls, maybe the whole thing is one big dorm!

If it is like that, I can sleep also on some chairs, a bench, or on the floor. Same privacy, maybe a bit more noise. But....!

[ALFREDO]

Sharks? Seriously? No. Can not.

Why not?

For years in this restaurants entrance way

http://goo.gl/maps/FsZpe

The Aquarium is about 3x1x2m

A 'under the floor' aquarium will not be rejected, by officials, methinks. Envelope, done!

Regarding that shown Aquarium in the K-Hotel and Restaurant on Ratthutit Road near Bangla Road,

the Austrian owner stated to me,

that that Sharks he displays are unwanted small "by catch' and are usually killed anyway.

Fisherman know that he has use for the small sharks from time to time, when his sharks outgrow the space.

He stated, the sharks who get to big,where set free again.

At least he has a nice sea worthy Yacht, to have the possibility to bring the sharks to the right place.

When the sharks survive it from the sea to his aquarium, they should also survive the way back.

Complains and more Information, Google, K-Hotel Patong.

[ALFREDO]

I have always thought these capsules would be a success in the major airports around the world, just for a small sleep between flights, if they would be reasonably priced. As it is now, you see a lot of people sleeping on rows of four aliminium chairs and on the hard marble or granite floor.

I think you have a good idea, special for the important Transit Hub Airports, Middle East ect.

So you could use more easy the cheaper connections which many times afford an Overnight stay.

Let us start it!

-Noob7-

Not same, at least for me. I close the "door" and I am alone in damped noise without light.

Not many benches are comfortable! Who takes care my belongings ect!

Its a price thing! You can make it reasonable, its a business!

Edited November 5, 2012 by ALFREDO

[sunshine51]

Is Patong A Cesspit?

Kinda depends on ones perspective I reckon.

If a person first saw Ban Dong Kam way back in 1971

then they'd most likely shout a reverberating YES!

That same answer may apply to folks who visited

from the mid 70's to the mid 90's too. From the

mid 90's until today, folks may not have the same

opinion...some say yes while others may say no.

Depends if one likes living on or visiting on

holiday a once pristine but now long ruined

memory of tropical island paradise.

Note: the entire island doesn't fall into

that last sentence...just Ban Dong Kam

and it's environs...to me. Hey...if you enjoy

a holiday in a toxic cesspit that's OK!...

[manly100]

Patong has some prospect of meeting people’s hopes and expectations. Any real infrastructural improvement would reasonably be the separation of rain water drains from sewage drains. This change would also be a good time to consider adding a third underground network for electric, cable and phone lines. Most people notice the smell of drains and the wild overhead cabling on their first visit to Patong. Both of these scream third world. It’s a fair argument that “this is Thailand what were you expecting? As is typical a change like this is often brought about by private enterprise an example is Jungceylon with its self funded underground infrastructure. The next likely place could be beach road. A joint private and government initiative, beach road could set the blueprint for ongoing improvements to infrastructure. The prospect of downside seems minimal. How many people will miss the drain smell and overhead cables? At some point a Patong residents association may well provide the extra impetus to get projects underway. As seems often the case, all people having an interest in Patong will need to stand up and be heard. A first step in Patong self management.

[BigBillsDeli]

Yes. Cesspit.

MY wife runs BigBill's Deli and I worked at Rock Hard for 15years , next year is my 25th year here.

Patong ,especially Bangla has done nothing but change , everytime you turn around it seems!

What I don't appreciate is condemning Patong all the time like everyone who lives here is out to screw you!And as sure as just like any city that parties as hard as Patong does every night ,especially in high season which now seems to only be MID December til mid January, those kind of places always get called seedy , usually by people who go out to have a bad time , they really exist .

Or the people who couldn't afford to do a biz in Patong caused by high rents , and bad mouth it whenever they can.

Sorry , but I lived and Worked & survived 7 Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Bourbon Street ,

all those crazy people from all over the world! Might say all the people yelling "show us your tits" in New Orleans , makes Bourbon Street and All that Jazz , a bit seedy too!

The Combat Zone in Boston , great places to party always get reps, State & Rush Streets in Chicago ,Times Square in NY is much different today but I remember it before the Reform, scary!

[BigBillsDeli]

Patong has some prospect of meeting people’s hopes and expectations. Any real infrastructural improvement would reasonably be the separation of rain water drains from sewage drains. This change would also be a good time to consider adding a third underground network for electric, cable and phone lines. Most people notice the smell of drains and the wild overhead cabling on their first visit to Patong. Both of these scream third world. It’s a fair argument that “this is Thailand what were you expecting? As is typical a change like this is often brought about by private enterprise an example is Jungceylon with its self funded underground infrastructure. The next likely place could be beach road. A joint private and government initiative, beach road could set the blueprint for ongoing improvements to infrastructure. The prospect of downside seems minimal. How many people will miss the drain smell and overhead cables? At some point a Patong residents association may well provide the extra impetus to get projects underway. As seems often the case, all people having an interest in Patong will need to stand up and be heard. A first step in Patong self management.

The smell BTW , I always thought was Methane gas, and it'd bow up one day! They'd blame terrorists instead of waste management , I'd bet on it !

[Shot]

Yes. Cesspit.

MY wife runs BigBill's Deli and I worked at Rock Hard for 15years , next year is my 25th year here.

Patong ,especially Bangla has done nothing but change , everytime you turn around it seems!

What I don't appreciate is condemning Patong all the time like everyone who lives here is out to screw you!And as sure as just like any city that parties as hard as Patong does every night ,especially in high season which now seems to only be MID December til mid January, those kind of places always get called seedy , usually by people who go out to have a bad time , they really exist .

Or the people who couldn't afford to do a biz in Patong caused by high rents , and bad mouth it whenever they can.

Sorry , but I lived and Worked & survived 7 Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Bourbon Street ,

all those crazy people from all over the world! Might say all the people yelling "show us your tits" in New Orleans , makes Bourbon Street and All that Jazz , a bit seedy too!

The Combat Zone in Boston , great places to party always get reps, State & Rush Streets in Chicago ,Times Square in NY is much different today but I remember it before the Reform, scary!

New Years Eve 1985, Rush Street Chicago……..WOW. The bits I can remember, I’ll never forget.

[NomadJoe]

Yes. Cesspit.

MY wife runs BigBill's Deli and I worked at Rock Hard for 15years , next year is my 25th year here.

Patong ,especially Bangla has done nothing but change , everytime you turn around it seems!

What I don't appreciate is condemning Patong all the time like everyone who lives here is out to screw you!And as sure as just like any city that parties as hard as Patong does every night ,especially in high season which now seems to only be MID December til mid January, those kind of places always get called seedy , usually by people who go out to have a bad time , they really exist .

Or the people who couldn't afford to do a biz in Patong caused by high rents , and bad mouth it whenever they can.

Sorry , but I lived and Worked & survived 7 Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Bourbon Street ,

all those crazy people from all over the world! Might say all the people yelling "show us your tits" in New Orleans , makes Bourbon Street and All that Jazz , a bit seedy too!

The Combat Zone in Boston , great places to party always get reps, State & Rush Streets in Chicago ,Times Square in NY is much different today but I remember it before the Reform, scary!

Don't forget the live sex shows they used to have on Bourbon.

At least some parts of those places are cesspits too. (I like Big Bills Deli btw) You have lived in these types of places so you are used to them. I have worked in Patong before and I dreaded every moment.

I don't think people in Patong are out to screw you any more than any other tourist area of Phuket. You can include Phi Phi, Pattaya and parts of Bangkok in that. People in these areas are out to screw you equally. One thing I hear repeatedly from Thai and farangs alike, and I have experienced countless times having dealt with Thai's both inside and outside Phuket when I was a sales rep for southern Thailand is that there is a huge difference between the majority of Thai's that live in Phuket vs. outside Phuket. Phuket Thai's are almost entirely recent transplants, most are newer to the province than myself (12 years) and likely many of the farang readers of this forum. When I travelled as a sales rep to Khao Lak, Krabi, and Samui, Surrithani, for example, the people are just kinder, friendlier. More willing to have a chat, and help out. There was a marked difference. One thing is for certain, there is a much less sense of community in Phuket than in other parts of Thailand. Now, especially since the Tsunami but before as well, Phuket is where Thai's go to try to make their big money. The attitudes reflect that. Those that can't hack it in Phuket go to Phi Phi, which is why the Thai's there are mostly outright criminals, but there are always exceptions.

The reason I say Patong is a cesspit is mainly how dirty it is, how dirty the ocean is, how badly most of it smalls, the stifling traffic, the protected species being touted to tourists openly in front of the police, the CCTV's which are selectively broken depending on whether the footage captured by them condemns a tuk tuk driver or can be used to indict or how the Thai's treat the foreigners, particularly the tuk tuk/taxi mafia. (They are of course <deleted> here in Kata too, and hardly any of them are "Phuket people" as they claim)

It saddens me that people visit Phuket and all they ever get to see is Patong. The southern and northern beaches are so much nicer. The views from Promthep cape are breathtaking. Unfortunately the strangle hold the transport mafias have puts other areas of Phuket out of reach for them.

Edited November 12, 2012 by NomadJoe

[DaamNaam]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

[LivinginKata]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Well hello, a ray of sunshine in this damning topic. Thank you.

[petercallen]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

[NomadJoe]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

Where, exactly. I have never experienced this outside of Patong.

Edited November 12, 2012 by LivinginKata
quotes repaired

[petercallen]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

Where, exactly. I have never experienced this outside of Patong.

Walk along the Rawai beachfront over the street drains and take a deep sniff

[stevenl]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

Where, exactly. I have never experienced this outside of Patong.

I'm with you, never smell this on Rawai beachfront, and I'm there on a very regular basis.

[DaamNaam]

Was at the Rawai beachfront a few days ago. No smell whatsoever, in fact all i could smell was the sea breeze. Water was clean and clear too. No rubbish in the drink either. In fact i noticed all of Phuket to be very tidy this year.

[billythehat]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

“Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer”

Hab hmmmmm….London sewers completed circa 1865….aye, only seems like yesterday….

[tw25rw]

There is a scummy and rip off aspect (not to mention the cruelty to animals), but I enjoy Patong.. Especially in the xmas run up when there are loads of food stalls along the beach rd.

[petercallen]

I was at Patong with my wife and 3 kids the other day before lunch. Found nothing but immaculate beaches and friendly Thai's. I guess the <deleted> comes out at night but that doesnt mean its a cesspit.

Had a very enjoyable morning indeed.

Patong is not a cesspit but a very popular tourist destination

The street drains on the rawai beachfront stink of raw sewerage the same as patong

Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer

“Its not that long ago that the Thames river in London was a open sewer”

Hab hmmmmm….London sewers completed circa 1865….aye, only seems like yesterday….

How long ago did the fish return to the Thames river???

[petercallen]

Was at the Rawai beachfront a few days ago. No smell whatsoever, in fact all i could smell was the sea breeze. Water was clean and clear too. No rubbish in the drink either. In fact i noticed all of Phuket to be very tidy this year.

Go there in the daytime when there is no breeze and walk among the street drain in front of the Shops

Very strong smell of raw sewerage where Jays restaurant used to be the other day

Edited November 14, 2012 by petercallen

[Jimi007]

Was at the Rawai beachfront a few days ago. No smell whatsoever, in fact all i could smell was the sea breeze. Water was clean and clear too. No rubbish in the drink either. In fact i noticed all of Phuket to be very tidy this year.

Go there in the daytime when there is no breeze and walk among the street drain in front of the Shops

Very strong smell of raw sewerage where Jays restaurant used to be the other day

Agree, it does stink along the far end of the road nearer the Or Bo Tor's office, along with a few other places around Rawai. We never used to have storm drains, now people and restaurants just put sewer pipes going into the storm drains. Brilliant!