Is High season a thing of the past?

[ryro88]

I'm in Pattaya at the moment and for this time of the year it is very very quiet. I was here in May and November and there doesn't seen to be an increase at all. Is The novelty of Pattaya being a busy party town starting to wear off with the tourists?

[Skint]

It's just not a safe place for people to go and have fun, muggings, stabbings, shootings and scamming

[ryro88]

Yeah it has gotten getting quiet a bad reputation.

[anon8]

Economy blows in Europe and US now, that could be the main reason.

Large news orgs covering events in bkk dont help, thats for sure.

But I doubt 2 week package tourist knows about the tension in bkk. Its prolly the economy.

It is very quiet in Pattaya right now, and its mid Dec. Should be packed.

I doubt average tourist who usually come here this time of year know anything about Pattayas street crime increase.

[Jasun]

Phuket is packed, maybe they've all gone there.

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[WISteve]

I live here and while I was out this afternoon trying to walk on Soi Bhuakow I had just the opposite impression as the OP. The foot & vehicular traffic was considerably greater than just a week ago.

High season seems to be getting shorter and shorter each year IMO, but all this doom and gloom about crime is not apparent to me (no need to be posting multiple news articles please; I read the local and national news). The tourists will be here as usual, but the bad political press will likely scare off a considerable number of East Asian tourists who seem sensitive to news of unrest in the nation. That has been the case based on arrivals at Swampy in the recent past (2008, 2010 come to mind).

[ryro88]

I remember visiting start of December 2011 and people where talking then about the numbers dropping considerably for high season. And when I compare it now to just back to 2011 there is a big big difference in the volume of people IMO.

[WISteve]

I remember visiting start of December 2011 and people where talking then about the numbers dropping considerably for high season. And when I compare it now to just back to 2011 there is a big big difference in the volume of people IMO.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I walk the streets of central Pattaya almost every day with my camera and the building projects: hotels,condos, shophouses and apartments keep going up year after year. And they seem to fill them up somehow. The demographics are changing in Pattaya with only marginal growth in the traditional west European/Aussie/North American groups I think. Eight years ago there was one ago-go on Soi LK Metro. Today there are fifteen so some of what you may see is the dispersal of trade? Roughly the same number of western tourists spread out into more venues? I seldom go out to the bars anymore in the evening myself, but I do notice the foot traffic around town since I am out there almost every day.

If we take your observations as fact it begs the question: is your enjoyment of your time in Pattaya somehow diminished by fewer fellow tourists?

[thailandbeachisland]

You really believe that your feeling is the truth ? You are wrong of course !

[Spalpeen]

It's true that the old high season/low season pattern has evened out a bit. There are less winter tourists coming from Europe and more North Asian tourists in the summer. The building carries on, so the money is still coming in. Crime isn't an issue. The number of tourists affected is tiny compared to the number flowing through each year.

[noikrit]

Depends where you are looking ??? Theres a lot more tourists out on buses doing the package and side trips ... Maybe not so many hanging around the Beer Bars ??? Different strokes these dayz ...

[TaaSaparot]

I think its the same as it is every year, and we are in the Pre-Festive Season lull this week.

Wait until after this weekend, and the hordes arrive, you will think different.

[lemoncake]

Nothing to do with Pattaya, everything to do with the protests.

Phuket may well be busier, because people can fly directly there. where is Pattaya has to go through Suva.

It may get busier next month, but this year high season has definately been killed

[lemoncake]

Depends where you are looking ??? Theres a lot more tourists out on buses doing the package and side trips ... Maybe not so many hanging around the Beer Bars ??? Different strokes these dayz ...

The past week traffic has been excellent, ie no traffic at all, so the theory of buses is out i am afraid

[balo]

I can't see much difference now than in July/ August , traffic is the same, and tourists mostly Russians.

[anon8]

I think its the same as it is every year, and we are in the Pre-Festive Season lull this week.

Wait until after this weekend, and the hordes arrive, you will think different.

Not really.

The week of christmas, and the week right after Jan 1st are the absolute peak, sure. It will be packed, Im sure. But that is just 2 weeks. Not much of a hi season, just 2 weeks out of the year.

We are on Dec 13 today, and Pattaya is dead right now.

[JSixpack]

Ah! Our first inevitable DOOM prediction of the current high season.

I expect our forum harpies of doom to pile in and sing along now.

Well, I said it first, sure did:

Special sop for our doomsayers and haters ready to jump in: let me say it for you, first: this will be the WORST high season ever. No tourists will visit this year, businesses will close all over town, all the hotels will be vacant (esp the beachfront hotels), all the condos (concrete coffins) will be unsold and abandoned (no lights on), nobody will make any money, the food will be crap, the service will be crap, the electricity will be shut off, the roads will collapse, prices will be sky-high, danger will lurk on every corner, the streets will be deserted, the beach itself will disappear, all the fun has gone, and--most important--NOBODY will walk on that dam_n promenade! Pull up a sandbag, doomsayers. There!

Now, could be some decline esp among Asians owing to the political disturbance warnings. But it seems otherwise to be doing pretty well. Saw lots of people on the beach the other day. Woody1 just said lots of farang out around Soi 7 last night. Parking, noticeably worse. The death of PTY has been greatly exaggerated.

Cheers!

[OMGImInPattaya]

Nothing to do with Pattaya, everything to do with the protests.

Phuket may well be busier, because people can fly directly there. where is Pattaya has to go through Suva.

It may get busier next month, but this year high season has definately been killed

Is that a promise...I sure hope so.

[Naam]

I expect our forum harpies of doom to pile in and sing along now...

...adding the usual "LOS is doomed! i will get a lot more Baht for my [insert currency]."

[Naam]

i wish Pattaya was as it used to be in the 80s in July, August and September. same applies to Phuket.

[Naam]

a refreshing look are the Russians in Pattaya. none of them tattooed unshaved sexpats wearing wife-beaters and drinking their fifth Chang at 10.30 in the morning.

[PattayaPhom]

Phuket is packed, maybe they've all gone there. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A friend of mine in Patong said its dead, worst year since the tsunami.....suppose it goes to show that everyones perspective is different and its probably the same as last year and the year befor

[anon8]

Our first inevitable DOOM prediction of the current high season.

Not really a doom. Not the end of the world. Nibiru is probably not crashing into Earth, and throwing our planet off axis, killing all life.

Pattaya streets are quieter than usual for middle of December, thats all.

[les Dennis]

I would be surprised if anywhere has seen a decline more than Samui.

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[anon8]

A refreshing look are the Russians in Pattaya. none of them tattooed unshaved sexpats wearing wife-beaters

So true!

It is quite amusing to observe Russian couples in Pattaya.

Often the guys walk around town in swimming trunks, or what look like boxer shorts underwear.

Often they dont wear a shirt, and many guy have trained bodys, whats not to like!

[JSixpack]

Often they dont wear a shirt, and many guy have trained bodys, whats not to like!

Wish the girls didn't wear shirts. Or anything else.

[chris2004]

a refreshing look are the Russians in Pattaya. none of them tattooed unshaved sexpats wearing wife-beaters and drinking their fifth Chang at 10.30 in the morning.

No the Russians just walk around with no shirt on drinking large bottles of chang in the street.

[Naam]

a refreshing look are the Russians in Pattaya. none of them tattooed unshaved sexpats wearing wife-beaters and drinking their fifth Chang at 10.30 in the morning.

No the Russians just walk around with no shirt on drinking large bottles of chang in the street.

perhaps a negligible number of bachelors. whenever i see Russians they are either with their matkas and child(ren), good looking girlfriends and more and more ladies without male companions.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Just from my observations from my favorite eateries around town, it does seem awfully quiet for the week before the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Maybe the maniac Suthep and his yellow-shirted enablers have managed to give us residents a relaxed high season.

[NanLaew]

The perpetual 'where is high-season' thread.

The last weekend before Christmas is 21st/22nd December. The place will fill up rapidly that weekend and empty out again starting the weekend 4th/5th January.

PS. It will be hot in April so get ready for those posts next. Oh yes, and "what date Songkhran this year?"