A holiday in Pattaya...

[anon8]

Seriously I don't mean to be rude but if you did an ounce of research on where you were going you would have known some of what to expect. Would you go to Alaska if you didn't want snow?Your entire rant is just that, a rant. You didn't research and you got what you deserved simple as that. I have been to pattaya heaps of times and sure it can be a bit crude in places but no worse than a night in Ibiza or Amsterdam. Ok so u got a bad hotel, research research research.I have many friends in pattaya both Falang and Thai and the only time I see fake smiles are when they have to be nice to <deleted> that think they deserve the royal treatment from what after all is a third world country. You know dam_n well why people go to pattaya or at least you should have. Som nom na. I have never in 10 years got sick off Thai food and I eat everywhere from hard rock hotel to a bicycle cart vendor. Maybe your old stuck up stomach is not able to handle traditional food. So go have a coke and a smile and shut the hell up.Lastly even in pattaya they are plenty of family orientated things to do. I will be back with my Thai wife and my two kids later in the year and I will tell you this little fact. In every major city in the world there are at least 2 rats no more than 5 feet away from you at all times. Maybe next time book a holiday home in pontins and enjoy your cocoa and slippers.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly!

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[irlguy1]

Seriously I don't mean to be rude but if you did an ounce of research on where you were going you would have known some of what to expect. Would you go to Alaska if you didn't want snow? Your entire rant is just that, a rant. You didn't research and you got what you deserved simple as that. I have been to pattaya heaps of times and sure it can be a bit crude in places but no worse than a night in Ibiza or Amsterdam. Ok so u got a bad hotel, research research research. I have many friends in pattaya both Falang and Thai and the only time I see fake smiles are when they have to be nice to <deleted> that think they deserve the royal treatment from what after all is a third world country. You know dam_n well why people go to pattaya or at least you should have. Som nom na. I have never in 10 years got sick off Thai food and I eat everywhere from hard rock hotel to a bicycle cart vendor. Maybe your old stuck up stomach is not able to handle traditional food. So go have a coke and a smile and shut the hell up. Lastly even in pattaya they are plenty of family orientated things to do. I will be back with my Thai wife and my two kids later in the year and I will tell you this little fact. In every major city in the world there are at least 2 rats no more than 5 feet away from you at all times. Maybe next time book a holiday home in pontins and enjoy your cocoa and slippers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

you ''don't mean to be rude''

yet you were rude and mean

You think that was rude wow you don't get out much do ya .

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[LennyW]

5555 go to Bali for a holiday and then you will see Pattaya as full 5 star!! I could not believe what a depressing shit hole Bali was compared to Pattaya. Filthy and full of thieves, give me Pattaya any time! .

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[giddyup]

5555 go to Bali for a holiday and then you will see Pattaya as full 5 star!! I could not believe what a depressing shit hole Bali was compared to Pattaya. Filthy and full of thieves, give me Pattaya any time! . Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What a shame. I first visited Bali in the mid 60's and it was paradise on earth. There was nothing at Kuta except a soft drink stand and a few surfers, and you could enjoy a doobie in full view of the police without fear of apprehension. Every time I visited after it got progressively more spoiled, and my last trip was in the late 90's, but there were still some beautiful places to visit outside of the main tourist areas.

[Gsxrnz]

OP - I'm a Kiwi. We have a beautiful country, clean and green, structured, organised, regulated and no corruption. The downside is that it's so regulated that very soon you'll have to file an Environmental Impact Application before you're allowed to take a dump in your own toilet.

So if you want to eat in a restaurant where you know the health regulations are so high that the food you eat has been processed diligently and in accordance with the highest food safety regulations in the world, stay home.

The same goes for accommodation - if a hotel's standards slip they wind up being exposed on National TV. Hell, we even have a television program that is dedicated to finding sub standard accommodation (by NZ standards) and exposing them.

And if you want to walk down streets that are free of trash, well drained, swept daily by road machines and inspected by City Councils that collect huge money from the ratepayers to facilitate the pristine infrastructure, then walk down those streets.

But Dude, putting aside Pattaya's own foibles with regard to the sex industry, this is SE Asia. On my first trip here I saw the same as you, but I embraced it. The smells, the total lack of infrastructure, the mayhem, the crazy traffic, no rules or rules that aren't enforced, dodgy food markets, dodgy food preparation......all just made it what it is, a totally opposite to what NZ is and I just loved it. The freedom from everything "normal".

I bet you never visited an open air food market where ALL the restaurants buy their food, including the top level hotels. You would have been disgusted by the safety standards (obviously there are NO standards). Flies everywhere, chicken on display at ambient temperature all day floating in a salmonella soup, vendors scraping the fly eggs off the dried fish, kids waving plastic bags on sticks to keep the flies mobile.....you would have loved it.

Food safety standards in Thailand and SE Asia are non existent - the standards in the best Restaurant in Pattaya (or most of Thailand) would not pass even a basic inspection from a Kiwi health inspector and be shut down immediately. "Thai Ttummy" is routine here. Everybody gets it to a greater or lesser extent. When I go home I wind up with constipation - food standards are so high there are no bugs to help my bowels evacuate themselves on a routine basis.

And as for Occupational Health and Safety - I bet if one of our uptight Kiwi OSH inspectors visited any building site in the country, he'd go purple. If he enforced our rules he'd have to shut down every construction project in the Kingdom. A Kiwi sewer and drainage manager would throw his arms in the air and put a gun to his head. And I just love that about the place - the randomness of everyday life without 1st world structure!

This is the Wild (W)East my friend. Don't even think about wanting to walk down Walking Street and expect it to be anything like the Wellington's Lambton Quay in terms of presentation or cleanliness. Walking Street is unique in many ways, the fact that it looks filthy and disgusting during the day but is tarted up with the lights and the people in the evening is one of its unique traits - embrace it!

Anyway, sorry you blew $12k on the flights. Fly cattle Class next time. And booking a hotel on Beach Road is not for the feint hearted - an ounce of research would have highlighted the pitfalls. Next time try Manapouri or Wanaka, or God forbid......Queenstown. Now there's NZ's equivalent of Pattaya on a much smaller scale. Pristine, but sleazy in its own way, and the locals rape the tourists as well as any Thai local does here.

Cheers.

[LennyW]

I think the OP should visit Pattaya Sheep Farm, same language and he will feel loved!

[Fabulousheart]

Kiwi thank you for sharing your Very accurate portrayal of Pattaya. You paid a premium price for quality and received poor sub standard quality. The true issue is these places the portray themselves on the internet with 5 star or 4 star and charge western prices and provide 2 or 3 star service in any western country. The cleanliness of food preparation is a major issue not to mention safety and sanitary issues throughout pattaya. You have people who will irrationally defend poor quality or try to tie it to pattaya "edge" as a justification. The air is polluted, the beaches dirty, the wAter is polluted, there are numerous safety issues everywhere and all of this should be overlooked because of the unique sex industry opportunity? The sex industry in pattaya has also changed folks wake up. If restaurants and hotels want to charge western prices then we have a right to demand the same level and quality of service.

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[Fabulousheart]

I also think it is the cheap Charlie's who try to defend and justify the poor quality as there options are very limited

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[alex88]

Pattaya is a very unique place. If you are looking for a relaxing beach holiday it is not the right place to go. I love Pattaya but it's no paradise that's for sure.

[Naam]

I think the OP should visit Pattaya Sheep Farm, same language and he will feel loved!

are Kiwis allowed?

[Rimmer]

Off topic Bickering and inflammatory posts removed.

[Skint]

I'm interested in what tourist attractions you seen in pattaya? 3 weeks is a long time there unless your into bars etc

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Edited January 19, 2014 by Rimmer
Reply trimmed

[irlguy1]

This is just my honest account of our holiday in Pattaya.

Thanks for reading.

I'm interested in what tourist attractions you seen in pattaya? 3 weeks is a long time there unless your into bars etc

There are plenty of things to do.

Floating market

Sanctuary of truth

Mini Siam

Tiger zoo

Zipline

Temples

Pattaya park

Trips to the islands

Google it you will find a lot more

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[anon8]

I also think it is the cheap Charlie's who try to defend and justify the poor quality as there options are very limited

How do you come up with something like that?

Do you know anybody in Pattaya? Other than web board, do you have one friend who lives in Pattaya, please?

Edited January 18, 2014 by valgehiir

[briboy]

Kiwi the issues you are talking about are all places in pattaya. Not unique to the choice of hotel ou chose. It can be far worse. You can also rent condos that are lovely n web site and crap once you arrive. Also if there is new construction or isan music near by then forge sleep or peace. There is true quality in pattaya no matter what you pay. You still have to deal with the crapy infrastructure and bad smells. Not to mention hygienic issues with food. No amount of money will fix those vacation issues like the numerous holes six feet deep on sidewalks. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I agree.

Crappy infrastructure is quite the norm for many places that we would consider exotic holiday destinations. Sometimes that is part of their charm. Some years ago I was on a remote Island in the Philippines, and all that was available to wash/toilet etc, was a half pail of water each day, and the one light we had went out at around ten pm when the generator stopped. That was quaint.

I am not new to travelling abroad. I grew up in the UK, have travelled many places including southern India, China, Philippines etc. I have experienced from gutter to 5+ star hotels. I just suppose that we were expecting a little better than we got here. But also, as I have said many times, my OP is an account of our experience, and not a rant about Pattaya per se.

One forum member has taken my comments personally it seems, and has been seen to try and insult me personally. It doesn’t matter really, as my original OP is accurate and truthful, and makes no reference to any one individual or establishment by name. It’s just an account of some of our holiday, and our overview of Pattaya.

Thanks

Ahh, I had you picked for a South Sea Pom, sad that your holiday was ruined, how many Kiwi`s come over to the Gold Coast to be disappointed and pay that money for a 1/3rd of the time, same same, Mate go back TH is a beautiful place with beautiful people, don't stay in the 1 place get off the beaten track, touch wood I have never had a problem with food, might be all the flies, cockroaches and mice that was in the bakery bread when I was a kid in the bush, have a great next holiday.

[dragonaus]

It was interesting reading the kiwicouples post, because yes this is Pattaya.

It's always amazing how a holiday can go this way or that, sometimes it's some rude hotel staff or the hotel itself, the weather, the music next door, etc.

We are a middle age Australian couple that first went 6 years ago to Rabbit Resort for a 7 day holiday after Europe, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. The next year we came back to central Pattaya and stayed at Flipper House and again and had a ball, why, because it was central to everything and the hotel was great value with great breakfast all very good value, yes we moved room because of the music next door. and we have tagged Pattaya on to all our holidays since, we also have been very sick twice from food poisoning, and once in a very good restaurant. It is one side of Thailand, we wish was much better eating shell seafood.

A few of you have said why would a married couple come to Pattaya, well the food and drink is all around you, and some restaurants have great food. we have had some of the best Italian since Italy, also great vietnamese and Thai etc. the ambience of the restaurants and the hustle bustle/people watching, and evrything is close by baht bus, a real problem in Sydney.We could go on for ever why we love Pattaya.

We have now bought a big condo on Naklua beachfront, and can't wait to retire to our little piece of paradise.

We see Pattaya for what it is and it appeals to us a lot, not all holidays are for everyone.

[kiwicouple]

OP - I'm a Kiwi. We have a beautiful country, clean and green, structured, organised, regulated and no corruption. The downside is that it's so regulated that very soon you'll have to file an Environmental Impact Application before you're allowed to take a dump in your own toilet.

So if you want to eat in a restaurant where you know the health regulations are so high that the food you eat has been processed diligently and in accordance with the highest food safety regulations in the world, stay home.

The same goes for accommodation - if a hotel's standards slip they wind up being exposed on National TV. Hell, we even have a television program that is dedicated to finding sub standard accommodation (by NZ standards) and exposing them.

And if you want to walk down streets that are free of trash, well drained, swept daily by road machines and inspected by City Councils that collect huge money from the ratepayers to facilitate the pristine infrastructure, then walk down those streets.

But Dude, putting aside Pattaya's own foibles with regard to the sex industry, this is SE Asia. On my first trip here I saw the same as you, but I embraced it. The smells, the total lack of infrastructure, the mayhem, the crazy traffic, no rules or rules that aren't enforced, dodgy food markets, dodgy food preparation......all just made it what it is, a totally opposite to what NZ is and I just loved it. The freedom from everything "normal".

I bet you never visited an open air food market where ALL the restaurants buy their food, including the top level hotels. You would have been disgusted by the safety standards (obviously there are NO standards). Flies everywhere, chicken on display at ambient temperature all day floating in a salmonella soup, vendors scraping the fly eggs off the dried fish, kids waving plastic bags on sticks to keep the flies mobile.....you would have loved it.

Food safety standards in Thailand and SE Asia are non existent - the standards in the best Restaurant in Pattaya (or most of Thailand) would not pass even a basic inspection from a Kiwi health inspector and be shut down immediately. "Thai Ttummy" is routine here. Everybody gets it to a greater or lesser extent. When I go home I wind up with constipation - food standards are so high there are no bugs to help my bowels evacuate themselves on a routine basis.

And as for Occupational Health and Safety - I bet if one of our uptight Kiwi OSH inspectors visited any building site in the country, he'd go purple. If he enforced our rules he'd have to shut down every construction project in the Kingdom. A Kiwi sewer and drainage manager would throw his arms in the air and put a gun to his head. And I just love that about the place - the randomness of everyday life without 1st world structure!

This is the Wild (W)East my friend. Don't even think about wanting to walk down Walking Street and expect it to be anything like the Wellington's Lambton Quay in terms of presentation or cleanliness. Walking Street is unique in many ways, the fact that it looks filthy and disgusting during the day but is tarted up with the lights and the people in the evening is one of its unique traits - embrace it!

Anyway, sorry you blew $12k on the flights. Fly cattle Class next time. And booking a hotel on Beach Road is not for the feint hearted - an ounce of research would have highlighted the pitfalls. Next time try Manapouri or Wanaka, or God forbid......Queenstown. Now there's NZ's equivalent of Pattaya on a much smaller scale. Pristine, but sleazy in its own way, and the locals rape the tourists as well as any Thai local does here.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Hey, appreciate your reply. Very good read, and quite humorous too. Its great to hear how you embraced all that met you, ie the crazy confusion and anarchic chaos. Your summing up is excellent. It’s a shame that many others here can only find time to make wrong assumptions, spit and poke sticks, and have not the capacity to offer a different point of view without resorting to mud throwing. I loved your reference to filing an Environmental Impact Application before taking a dump. Yeah, we are getting more and more cotton wool wrapped around us ‘for our own protection’ these days, that’s for sure. I moved to NZ about ten years ago for the freedom believe it or not. I like nothing more than going out in the bush for a few days hunting. It is my way of clearing out the cobwebs, and reminds me of my service years in some ways. I just hope “they” don’t clamp down on that, the same as they did in the UK. Can’t think of anywhere back home where you can legally just get out with a rifle and hunt, on non private land that is. Most of my old mates moved away for the same reasons.

Anyway, thanks for the different take.

[rhodie]

Give it another go. You know a bit more and can do a lot more research.

Pattaya is great if you know your way around. Great cheap accommodation, great cheap food, great attractions, great beaches close by and an array of entertainment and night life that you can choose from. But you need to know where to go.

I am going less because of the Russians and Chinese infiltrating. Not having a go at them, but they are new to travelling outside their country and have not learnt "When in Rome".

I hope you get back as it is a great fun place if you accept the warts and all.

[age4short]

Harden up mate! No different than BKK why didn't u get in there & experience a bit of Thailand? U would of enjoyed yourself more, obviously you didn't do your homework or u would of went to one of the islands & even then if u wanted luxury best u stay home.

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[Fabulousheart]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable.

I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options.

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[briboy]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

when I was last in Pattaya I saw all the "luxury" ads and immediately thought of used car salesmen trying to sell a 10yr old banger at new price to a kid still in school. luxury! lux soap and my old swag does it for me.

[kiwicouple]

Kiwi thank you for sharing your Very accurate portrayal of Pattaya. You paid a premium price for quality and received poor sub standard quality. The true issue is these places the portray themselves on the internet with 5 star or 4 star and charge western prices and provide 2 or 3 star service in any western country. The cleanliness of food preparation is a major issue not to mention safety and sanitary issues throughout pattaya. You have people who will irrationally defend poor quality or try to tie it to pattaya "edge" as a justification. The air is polluted, the beaches dirty, the wAter is polluted, there are numerous safety issues everywhere and all of this should be overlooked because of the unique sex industry opportunity? The sex industry in pattaya has also changed folks wake up. If restaurants and hotels want to charge western prices then we have a right to demand the same level and quality of service. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You are welcome.

The points you make here are very valid indeed.

Seems there are many on here who cry and bawl when ‘outsiders’ have the audacity to tell it as it is.

[kiwicouple]

It was interesting reading the kiwicouples post, because yes this is Pattaya.

It's always amazing how a holiday can go this way or that, sometimes it's some rude hotel staff or the hotel itself, the weather, the music next door, etc.

We are a middle age Australian couple that first went 6 years ago to Rabbit Resort for a 7 day holiday after Europe, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. The next year we came back to central Pattaya and stayed at Flipper House and again and had a ball, why, because it was central to everything and the hotel was great value with great breakfast all very good value, yes we moved room because of the music next door. and we have tagged Pattaya on to all our holidays since, we also have been very sick twice from food poisoning, and once in a very good restaurant. It is one side of Thailand, we wish was much better eating shell seafood.

A few of you have said why would a married couple come to Pattaya, well the food and drink is all around you, and some restaurants have great food. we have had some of the best Italian since Italy, also great vietnamese and Thai etc. the ambience of the restaurants and the hustle bustle/people watching, and evrything is close by baht bus, a real problem in Sydney.We could go on for ever why we love Pattaya.

We have now bought a big condo on Naklua beachfront, and can't wait to retire to our little piece of paradise.

We see Pattaya for what it is and it appeals to us a lot, not all holidays are for everyone.

Thanks Dragonaus

Nice to know it works for you, and good luck with your retirement there, hope you find your happiness.

Regards

[kiwicouple]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes yes, and yes.

It doesn’t do the country or the ‘locals’ any good if the city is being sold as luxury this and that, but then is found to be somewhat of a cesspool of vice and filth.

..............

Also, I think it’s great that there are those who appreciate living in all of this for their own amusement, but there are plenty of folk living there from birth who would (and do) sell their soul to escape. So to those of you who bad mouth the likes of me for being a bit shocked, or for showing a little empathy for the real locals, try looking at it from their eyes. I’ve seen all sorts of nasty comments since writing my original post, all aimed at me and my wife it seems, but few have actually given thought to those people who would maybe like a better, cleaner, safer environment.

So yeah, knock yourselves out, enjoy the ‘rawness’, pat yourselves on the back for getting down and dirty, but once in a while, give thought to those who would maybe like things a little better but don’t really have a choice, unlike you.

[LennyW]

Kiwi thank you for sharing your Very accurate portrayal of Pattaya. You paid a premium price for quality and received poor sub standard quality. The true issue is these places the portray themselves on the internet with 5 star or 4 star and charge western prices and provide 2 or 3 star service in any western country. The cleanliness of food preparation is a major issue not to mention safety and sanitary issues throughout pattaya. You have people who will irrationally defend poor quality or try to tie it to pattaya "edge" as a justification. The air is polluted, the beaches dirty, the wAter is polluted, there are numerous safety issues everywhere and all of this should be overlooked because of the unique sex industry opportunity? The sex industry in pattaya has also changed folks wake up. If restaurants and hotels want to charge western prices then we have a right to demand the same level and quality of service. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You are welcome.

The points you make here are very valid indeed.

Seems there are many on here who cry and bawl when ‘outsiders’ have the audacity to tell it as it is.

Thing is though, an outsider that has been here for a three week holiday does not really know "as it is", many people have spent many years here without issue.

[LennyW]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes yes, and yes.

It doesn’t do the country or the ‘locals’ any good if the city is being sold as luxury this and that, but then is found to be somewhat of a cesspool of vice and filth.

..............

Also, I think it’s great that there are those who appreciate living in all of this for their own amusement, but there are plenty of folk living there from birth who would (and do) sell their soul to escape. So to those of you who bad mouth the likes of me for being a bit shocked, or for showing a little empathy for the real locals, try looking at it from their eyes. I’ve seen all sorts of nasty comments since writing my original post, all aimed at me and my wife it seems, but few have actually given thought to those people who would maybe like a better, cleaner, safer environment.

So yeah, knock yourselves out, enjoy the ‘rawness’, pat yourselves on the back for getting down and dirty, but once in a while, give thought to those who would maybe like things a little better but don’t really have a choice, unlike you.

Oh and there it goes, i wondered when your rant about a little tummy upset and an iffy hotel would turn into a full blown Pattaya bash.

You were here for a 3 week holiday <deleted>, and know you think you know how/what the locals feel, you are priceless!!

[simple1]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes yes, and yes.

It doesn’t do the country or the ‘locals’ any good if the city is being sold as luxury this and that, but then is found to be somewhat of a cesspool of vice and filth.

..............

Also, I think it’s great that there are those who appreciate living in all of this for their own amusement, but there are plenty of folk living there from birth who would (and do) sell their soul to escape. So to those of you who bad mouth the likes of me for being a bit shocked, or for showing a little empathy for the real locals, try looking at it from their eyes. I’ve seen all sorts of nasty comments since writing my original post, all aimed at me and my wife it seems, but few have actually given thought to those people who would maybe like a better, cleaner, safer environment.

So yeah, knock yourselves out, enjoy the ‘rawness’, pat yourselves on the back for getting down and dirty, but once in a while, give thought to those who would maybe like things a little better but don’t really have a choice, unlike you.

Glad to see you have become an instant expert on the demographic of Pattaya. Local population born and raised in Pattaya is around 50,000 and the vast majority do not wish to "sell their souls to escape" as they wish to be close to their families and earn a living, albeit many only earn the minimum wage of 9k baht a month and struggle to support their families due to higher cost of living in Pattaya. The vast majority of local Pattaya people do not work in the sex industry. How do I know? My Thai extended family is comprised of about 200 locally born and raised Thais that I suggest are a reasonable sample.

You did not generally enjoy Pattaya, but please do not make statements based on assumptions or perhaps a few conversations, most likely with Thais from other Provinces.

[kiwicouple]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes yes, and yes.

It doesn’t do the country or the ‘locals’ any good if the city is being sold as luxury this and that, but then is found to be somewhat of a cesspool of vice and filth.

..............

Also, I think it’s great that there are those who appreciate living in all of this for their own amusement, but there are plenty of folk living there from birth who would (and do) sell their soul to escape. So to those of you who bad mouth the likes of me for being a bit shocked, or for showing a little empathy for the real locals, try looking at it from their eyes. I’ve seen all sorts of nasty comments since writing my original post, all aimed at me and my wife it seems, but few have actually given thought to those people who would maybe like a better, cleaner, safer environment.

So yeah, knock yourselves out, enjoy the ‘rawness’, pat yourselves on the back for getting down and dirty, but once in a while, give thought to those who would maybe like things a little better but don’t really have a choice, unlike you.

Oh and there it goes, i wondered when your rant about a little tummy upset and an iffy hotel would turn into a full blown Pattaya bash.

You were here for a 3 week holiday <deleted>, and know you think you know how/what the locals feel, you are priceless!!

Actually the cesspool part of my comment which you cared to highlight, wasn’t part of my OP, it was offered up by another poster. As for the vice and filth, well this is exactly what many of the other comments are saying, the fact that I should have known what Pattaya is all about, and that a “married couple” should not even think of coming to Pattaya…! So wind your neck in.

[kiwicouple]

Age you are completely missing the point. Watch the tele and see all of the ads for luxury resorts, luxury spas , luxury hotels every day. We are barraged with the word luxury on billboards and all forms of media all over pattaya.you hit the nail on the head luxury truly does not exist in pattaya. You can have a fantastic villa or condo but then the safety standards, food standards and not to mention air quality, water quality etc have been well documented by the thai government itself as hazardous. We are barraged with the word luxury over and over again until the point we get suckered in to pay western prices for sub standard products. We are told to embrace the culture and embrace Mai pen rai. And yes I have come to Pattaya for many years and know many many people who live here. Also I know many of the business owners. I have been many times to all of the markets including open air. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the road. There are huge holes dug and left for months on walk ways outside these "luxury" condos. Pattaya at the core is driven by money. Once you understand that and accept money and power rules it can be manageable. I stand by my statement is the cheap Charlie's who irrationally defend things in Pattaya as they have limited options. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes yes, and yes.

It doesn’t do the country or the ‘locals’ any good if the city is being sold as luxury this and that, but then is found to be somewhat of a cesspool of vice and filth.

..............

Also, I think it’s great that there are those who appreciate living in all of this for their own amusement, but there are plenty of folk living there from birth who would (and do) sell their soul to escape. So to those of you who bad mouth the likes of me for being a bit shocked, or for showing a little empathy for the real locals, try looking at it from their eyes. I’ve seen all sorts of nasty comments since writing my original post, all aimed at me and my wife it seems, but few have actually given thought to those people who would maybe like a better, cleaner, safer environment.

So yeah, knock yourselves out, enjoy the ‘rawness’, pat yourselves on the back for getting down and dirty, but once in a while, give thought to those who would maybe like things a little better but don’t really have a choice, unlike you.

Glad to see you have become an instant expert on the demographic of Pattaya. Local population born and raised in Pattaya is around 50,000 and the vast majority do not wish to "sell their souls to escape" as they wish to be close to their families and earn a living, albeit many only earn the minimum wage of 9k baht a month and struggle to support their families due to higher cost of living in Pattaya. The vast majority of local Pattaya people do not work in the sex industry. How do I know? My Thai extended family is comprised of about 200 locally born and raised Thais that I suggest are a reasonable sample.

You did not generally enjoy Pattaya, but please do not make statements based on assumptions or perhaps a few conversations, most likely with Thais from other Provinces.

Try reading again.... don't misquote,

Edited January 19, 2014 by Rimmer
Flame removed

[blackman]

Kiwi thank you for sharing your Very accurate portrayal of Pattaya. You paid a premium price for quality and received poor sub standard quality. The true issue is these places the portray themselves on the internet with 5 star or 4 star and charge western prices and provide 2 or 3 star service in any western country. The cleanliness of food preparation is a major issue not to mention safety and sanitary issues throughout pattaya. You have people who will irrationally defend poor quality or try to tie it to pattaya "edge" as a justification. The air is polluted, the beaches dirty, the wAter is polluted, there are numerous safety issues everywhere and all of this should be overlooked because of the unique sex industry opportunity? The sex industry in pattaya has also changed folks wake up. If restaurants and hotels want to charge western prices then we have a right to demand the same level and quality of service. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

You are welcome.

The points you make here are very valid indeed.

Seems there are many on here who cry and bawl when ‘outsiders’ have the audacity to tell it as it is.

Thing is though, an outsider that has been here for a three week holiday does not really know "as it is", many people have spent many years here without issue.

i have spent many years here but not many days without issue