Have you ever seen Pattaya so empty of tourists?

[MrWorldwide]

Not sure what the 'gals' down at Coconut Bar are charging at the moment, but I'm confident most would happily stay with you for a fortnight if you offered them 4500 baht. One sad sight from a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi on the way to Walking St - if the economists on this board need to see an example of gross oversupply, they need look no further. Another ~4 months of low season - scary.

[Pralaad]

Not sure what the 'gals' down at Coconut Bar are charging at the moment, but I'm confident most would happily stay with you for a fortnight if you offered them 4500 baht. One sad sight from a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi on the way to Walking St - if the economists on this board need to see an example of gross oversupply, they need look no further. Another ~4 months of low season - scary.

4500 for fortnight? You big spender

It cost me 950 baht for 1 week just 1 week ago

She was paid 160 per day instead of 300, had to deduct money for room and boyfriend experience i provided

[loppylugs1]

10 Yeats its the same story. Isn't it quite. Samui.phuket. Pattaya all the forums the same. Tourist numbers have increased. Yes it is quite as normal and the coup didn't help. Most businesses plan for seasonal adjustments. A few months we will be getting threads " isn't Pattaya busy" as per last year. Businesses will close as they do but those serious will continue as normal.

Sent from my TRUE BEYOND 4G using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You failing to see the fundamental changes.

For starters tourist numbers have increased according to TAT only.

Secondly and most importantly the demographics of tourists has changed.

Number of prepaid tours have gone crazy and while more go through the gates of airport, those prepaid groups do not spend any money in the country

It also has nothing to do with being a serious business or not. It solely relies on owners ability to fund the business through the rough times.

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

[petermik]

Not sure what the 'gals' down at Coconut Bar are charging at the moment, but I'm confident most would happily stay with you for a fortnight if you offered them 4500 baht. One sad sight from a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi on the way to Walking St - if the economists on this board need to see an example of gross oversupply, they need look no further. Another ~4 months of low season - scary.

4500 for fortnight? You big spender

It cost me 950 baht for 1 week just 1 week ago

She was paid 160 per day instead of 300, had to deduct money for room and boyfriend experience i provided

Pralaad

Thanks for the "boyfriend experience" you provided- she only charged me 100 baht the following night

[thailiketoo]

10 Yeats its the same story. Isn't it quite. Samui.phuket. Pattaya all the forums the same. Tourist numbers have increased. Yes it is quite as normal and the coup didn't help. Most businesses plan for seasonal adjustments. A few months we will be getting threads " isn't Pattaya busy" as per last year. Businesses will close as they do but those serious will continue as normal.

Sent from my TRUE BEYOND 4G using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You failing to see the fundamental changes.

For starters tourist numbers have increased according to TAT only.

Secondly and most importantly the demographics of tourists has changed.

Number of prepaid tours have gone crazy and while more go through the gates of airport, those prepaid groups do not spend any money in the country

It also has nothing to do with being a serious business or not. It solely relies on owners ability to fund the business through the rough times.

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

1. What bank shares? 2. Why would bank shares in Podunk ville have anything to do with Pattaya? Perhaps you could tell us how slow Central was today?

[JSixpack]

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

No doubt about it, man. THIS IS IT! The ancient prophecies of our robe-wearin', Chang drinkin', doomsayin' neckbeards have at long last come true. In fact The Promenade was the last nail in the coffin out of 1,000 last nails.The Great Satan, Pattaya City Hall, finally went too far. Yes: it's the long-predicted Implosion. The Apocalypse. Don't wonder: there will NEVER be a major upswing. The downhill spiral that started long before Tukcom even arrived will just continue at an ever-increasing rate. In a few short years, Pattaya will look like this:

Alert! Pattaya's Long-Predicted Future Imminent!

Riots. Shortages. Building collapses (Central Festival!!!). Beer bars & go-gos shuttered. Coconut bar vanished. Beach gone. 7/11 shelves bare of food and Chang. Immigration shuttered. Tony's, really, really gone. Packs of soi dogs everywhere hunting the rats gnawing on the thousands of rotting corpses of farangs who, financially ruined, jumped from their condo balconies to end it all.

Only one thing to do: get out while you can! RUN! NOW!

Edited July 12, 2014 by JSixpack

[WitawatWatawit]

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

No doubt about it, man. THIS IS IT! The ancient prophecies of our robe-wearin', Chang drinkin', doomsayin' neckbeards have at long last come true. In fact The Promenade was the last nail in the coffin out of 1,000 last nails.The Great Satan, Pattaya City Hall, finally went too far. Yes: it's the long-predicted Implosion. The Apocalypse. Don't wonder: there will NEVER be a major upswing. The downhill spiral that started long before Tukcom even arrived will just continue at an ever-increasing rate. In a few short years, Pattaya will look like this:

Alert! Pattaya's Long-Predicted Future Imminent!

Riots. Food shortages. Building collapses (Central Festival!!!). Beer bars & go-gos shuttered. Coconut bar vanished. Beach gone. 7/11 shelves bare of food and Chang. Immigration shuttered. Packs of soi dogs everywhere hunting the rats gnawing on the thousands of rotting corpses of farangs who, financially ruined, jumped from their condo balconies to end it all.

Only one thing to do: get out while you can! RUN! NOW!

I'm staying put. I want to get an exclusive interview with the Darkman when he comes looking for survivors.

Stay low and keep your powder dry, guys.

[thailiketoo]

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

No doubt about it, man. THIS IS IT! The ancient prophecies of our robe-wearin', Chang drinkin', doomsayin' neckbeards have at long last come true. In fact The Promenade was the last nail in the coffin out of 1,000 last nails.The Great Satan, Pattaya City Hall, finally went too far. Yes: it's the long-predicted Implosion. The Apocalypse. Don't wonder: there will NEVER be a major upswing. The downhill spiral that started long before Tukcom even arrived will just continue at an ever-increasing rate. In a few short years, Pattaya will look like this:

Riots. Shortages. Building collapses (Central Festival!!!). Beer bars & go-gos shuttered. Coconut bar vanished. Beach gone. 7/11 shelves bare of food and Chang. Immigration shuttered. Tony's, really, really gone. Packs of soi dogs everywhere hunting the rats gnawing on the thousands of rotting corpses of farangs who, financially ruined, jumped from their condo balconies to end it all.

Only one thing to do: get out while you can! RUN! NOW!

Why would you post a photo of a Japanese island and compare it to Pattaya?

[boike]

Pattaya has expanded business wise. If you live at the dark side you don't need to go to pattaya. You can goto LK metro for good agogo's. In short the businesses are not concentrated in the same area anymore. So there are still plenty of people but they are just spread all over the place

Sent from my Galaxy S4 4G LTE

[champers]

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

No doubt about it, man. THIS IS IT! The ancient prophecies of our robe-wearin', Chang drinkin', doomsayin' neckbeards have at long last come true. In fact The Promenade was the last nail in the coffin out of 1,000 last nails.The Great Satan, Pattaya City Hall, finally went too far. Yes: it's the long-predicted Implosion. The Apocalypse. Don't wonder: there will NEVER be a major upswing. The downhill spiral that started long before Tukcom even arrived will just continue at an ever-increasing rate. In a few short years, Pattaya will look like this:

Alert! Pattaya's Long-Predicted Future Imminent!

Riots. Shortages. Building collapses (Central Festival!!!). Beer bars & go-gos shuttered. Coconut bar vanished. Beach gone. 7/11 shelves bare of food and Chang. Immigration shuttered. Tony's, really, really gone. Packs of soi dogs everywhere hunting the rats gnawing on the thousands of rotting corpses of farangs who, financially ruined, jumped from their condo balconies to end it all.

Only one thing to do: get out while you can! RUN! NOW!

I'm afraid running for it is out of the question (touch of arthritis in me knee if you must know). It's a lower than low season and just now things are tough but economies in the developed and developing worlds are getting more vibrant. So..... the long-term future should be rosy. Holiday Inn are adding 60% to their current Beach Road hotel capacity with a new tower and it will be an executive wing, no less. That's for the long-term. Economic downturns and coups are part of the landscape here and life goes on and so does progress.

[PattayaPhom]

AllI can say is if any of the posters actually have a business in Pattaya,they must be in the wrong business, location, lack of marketiing or just plain common and business ssense. I am still working 7 days a week mostly 10 hour days. Yes there was an extended drop after Songrhan with the coup happening but back to norm and past week one of the busiest in the last 2 years. Went shopping yesterday evening was heaving.

[champers]

AllI can say is if any of the posters actually have a business in Pattaya,they must be in the wrong business, location, lack of marketiing or just plain common and business ssense. I am still working 7 days a week mostly 10 hour days. Yes there was an extended drop after Songrhan with the coup happening but back to norm and past week one of the busiest in the last 2 years. Went shopping yesterday evening was heaving.

Went shopping yesterday evening was heaving. Hope it was nothing too serious.

[JSixpack]

Could not agree more with the OP,never known it as bad,wonder if there ever will eventually be a major upswing.Not just lack of tourists,for sale signs now 10 a penny from farangs,cannot get shut of houses cars bikes condos unless agree to knockdown price. Just bought the GF a bike few years old(one with a motor) at giveaway price(her family now making many demands ,which I am not contributing to) can afford 10 k though if she wants to give the bike to them.

If the bank shares in the west are a bellwether of things to come,then things will become far worse.

No doubt about it, man. THIS IS IT! The ancient prophecies of our robe-wearin', Chang drinkin', doomsayin' neckbeards have at long last come true. In fact The Promenade was the last nail in the coffin out of 1,000 last nails.The Great Satan, Pattaya City Hall, finally went too far. Yes: it's the long-predicted Implosion. The Apocalypse. Don't wonder: there will NEVER be a major upswing. The downhill spiral that started long before Tukcom even arrived will just continue at an ever-increasing rate. In a few short years, Pattaya will look like this:

Riots. Shortages. Building collapses (Central Festival!!!). Beer bars & go-gos shuttered. Coconut bar vanished. Beach gone. 7/11 shelves bare of food and Chang. Immigration shuttered. Tony's, really, really gone. Packs of soi dogs everywhere hunting the rats gnawing on the thousands of rotting corpses of farangs who, financially ruined, jumped from their condo balconies to end it all.

Only one thing to do: get out while you can! RUN! NOW!

Why would you post a photo of a Japanese island and compare it to Pattaya?

I bet if you think about it real hard, you can figure that out all by yourself. I have faith in you, you see.

Next.

[tropo]

Why would you post a photo of a Japanese island and compare it to Pattaya?

It would help if you read his post. That's what Pattaya COULD look like if all the doom sayer predictions come to pass.

In the meantime, new people with hope are moving into the new condos they purchased in the building they just finished next door and the developer has just cleared a lot 2 dooors down to build another one.

If Pattaya ever resembles the Japanese Island, it'll be 100's of years down the line.

Edited July 12, 2014 by tropo

[Bernard Flint]

Many thai restaurants packed out, not sure about the bowling alleys and cinemas though

[KittenKong]

If Pattaya ever resembles the Japanese Island, it'll be 100's of years down the line.

There's been a similar looking building on Jomtien Beach Road for the last 20+ years.

It's partially hidden in the Google Street View pictures by the charming shanty shops that have been built in front of it, but it's very visible if you wander down there. http://goo.gl/maps/H9Fw7

And the area around Day&Night/Tukcom also looks very much like the Japanese island.

No shortage of derelict hotels/condos down in Ban Chang and Rayong either.

[thailiketoo]

Why would you post a photo of a Japanese island and compare it to Pattaya?

I bet if you think about it real hard, you can figure that out all by yourself. I have faith in you, you see.

Next.

That's what's wrong with Thai Visa. I ask a reasonable question and because you don't have an answer you start a flame war.

[tropo]

If Pattaya ever resembles the Japanese Island, it'll be 100's of years down the line.

There's been a similar looking building on Jomtien Beach Road for the last 20+ years.

It's partially hidden in the Google Street View pictures by the charming shanty shops that have been built in front of it, but it's very visible if you wander down there. http://goo.gl/maps/H9Fw7

And the area around Day&Night/Tukcom also looks very much like the Japanese island.

No shortage of derelict hotels/condos down in Ban Chang and Rayong either.

Yes, you can find old derelict building in Pattaya as you can in most modern cities... however new ones are going up at an alarming rate and Pattaya as a city is very young..

[PattayaPhom]

If Pattaya ever resembles the Japanese Island, it'll be 100's of years down the line.

There's been a similar looking building on Jomtien Beach Road for the last 20+ years.

It's partially hidden in the Google Street View pictures by the charming shanty shops that have been built in front of it, but it's very visible if you wander down there. http://goo.gl/maps/H9Fw7

And the area around Day&Night/Tukcom also looks very much like the Japanese island.

No shortage of derelict hotels/condos down in Ban Chang and Rayong either.

Shame about Rayong, like it there but just do not have the facilities. That little bit further from BKK doesn't make day tripping viable so only a weekend/holiday destination. Sea Sand whatever has been taken over and being refurbed, bargain if you just want to relax. On a side note. Matrix Art on the Hill is being copied as Art on the beach by a Thai company.

[Loptr]

It's lovely to see Pattaya living up to it's old stereotypes! BF's indeed.

Old stereotype? I think not... Just google 'Pattaya' and you will find there is nothing old about the stereotype...

[thailiketoo]

It's lovely to see Pattaya living up to it's old stereotypes! BF's indeed.

Old stereotype? I think not... Just google 'Pattaya' and you will find there is nothing old about the stereotype...

Have you been lately? Quite a change from 10 years ago.

[JSixpack]

If Pattaya ever resembles the Japanese Island, it'll be 100's of years down the line.

There's been a similar looking building on Jomtien Beach Road for the last 20+ years.

It's partially hidden in the Google Street View pictures by the charming shanty shops that have been built in front of it, but it's very visible if you wander down there. http://goo.gl/maps/H9Fw7

And the area around Day&Night/Tukcom also looks very much like the Japanese island.

No shortage of derelict hotels/condos down in Ban Chang and Rayong either.

Most Third World countries have some derelict buildings. I noticed this during my first trip to Mexico long ago. For that matter, the USA has around 100 abandoned shopping malls now, esp in the so-called Rust Belt, where there has indeed been an economic decline.

In Pattaya's case, however, those few buildings you mention have never symbolized a general economic decline. There never has been any such here--except NOW, of course, during our WORST LOW SEASON EVER. There's only been growth--fast, or sometimes less fast. Those happened because of poor planning, inadequate financing, or a shady developer.

Some were eventually finished or renovated, even spectacularly renovated, such as Northshore. (This is a point you'll always conveniently overlook.) I'm thinking of another one on Beach Rd. and another one on Buakhao Soi 15 halfway between Villa and 2nd Rd. And there's that huge semi-circular condo on Jomtien Beach Rd. that lay vacant for a decade I guess. Some legal dispute over that one I was told. (I almost never go to Jomtien so the current name of it escapes me.)

Those that didn't get finished or renovated weren't really economically viable in the first place. They were too ambitious for the time & location--or the developer's wallet. For example, the little mall on Dolphin Circle where the Kiss Restaurant survives. It was always just an albatross. WAY overbuilt. No way it could rent ever rent all those shops--not enough foot traffic outside, no big draw to get people inside. The German community and tourists somewhat supported shops and restaurants on the street level. But now in Naklua the German tourists are fewer and community in decline as Russians have moved in, so now even most of the street level shops are vacant. I assume Russian shops and restaurants may arise, but there may enough new ones around already. So there you are. Does it mean Naklua is now DYING? On the contrary, it's adapted to the shifting demographic and doing better than ever--generally speaking.

Seems to be a big problem about foreclosures in Thailand. Seems not so easy for the gov't to foreclose and auction because of unpaid property tax, which would surely speed up the process of getting some of these properties finished or utilized. Our TV legal experts, real estate agents, or resident "tea money" parrots can explain it all, I'm sure.

[JesseFrank]

For those who live in denial, half of the shophouses on Soi Bua khoaw is owned by the banks for more than a decade. And they didn'y build them in the first place

[WitawatWatawit]

After the 97 crash the financial institutions bore the brunt of the greed of many Thai business people to buy up as much property as possible in the preceding half decade. They were left with massive land banks that they could do nothing with. As I understood it, there were no land taxes paid on any vacant property, while lots where construction had begun were simply abandoned, as happens in many places. So there was no legal way for the authorities to step in and seize the land, while the fin institutions for some reason seemed reluctant to try to ameliorate their losses - Ayudhaya bank, I believe came very close to going under. Up and down the Bangna highway (my old stomping ground) there were dozens of derelict buildings. Many companies, including my own, had over-extended themselves. So development plans were shelved for many years - meanwhile the concrete shells and abandoned cranes still littered the landscape. Even today you can still see some - monuments to ego, as we used to call them. So much bloody waste. Guess you can lead a little big man to water, but you can't make him think.

[thailiketoo]

For those who live in denial, half of the shophouses on Soi Bua khoaw is owned by the banks for more than a decade. And they didn'y build them in the first place

Nonsense. This thread is broken down into two groups of people; those who live in Pattaya and the town is busy and those that wish they lived in Pattaya and the town is a ghost town on the verge of slipping into the sea.

[JesseFrank]

For those who live in denial, half of the shophouses on Soi Bua khoaw is owned by the banks for more than a decade. And they didn'y build them in the first place

Nonsense. This thread is broken down into two groups of people; those who live in Pattaya and the town is busy and those that wish they lived in Pattaya and the town is a ghost town on the verge of slipping into the sea.

Well, we all know that you DON'T live in Pattaya, isn't it ?

[JSixpack]

For those who live in denial, half of the shophouses on Soi Bua khoaw is owned by the banks for more than a decade. And they didn'y build them in the first place

Only goes to show you're in denial about my point to pretend you have an important one of your own. That area was similarly greatly overbuilt for its time by whoever built those shophouses in the first place. Sois Chaiyapoon and Lenkee had little traffic from the beginning and soon looked like slum areas. But the total investment was still relatively tiny to, say, that huge Jomtien albatross and hardly anything so prominent. Not difficult for banks to take them over. And so the area did manage to hang on until the boom; there was occupancy, mostly, of some sort.

It was pleasantly surprising to me when the area finally started catching on--spurred by development on Beach Rd, displacements, and rent increases around there. It's just another testament to Pattaya's growth. Common fallacy: every area has to grow at exactly the same rate, otherwise it means DOOM. Amusingly, our doomsayers will ignore this vast new (budget) bar, restaurant, and hotel scene, which has been doing quite well, and point to a few bars displaced by Central Festival as evidence of DYING PATTAYA.

I love this forum!

[Loptr]

It's lovely to see Pattaya living up to it's old stereotypes! BF's indeed.

Old stereotype? I think not... Just google 'Pattaya' and you will find there is nothing old about the stereotype...

Have you been lately? Quite a change from 10 years ago.

Yes I know, the demographic has changed quite a bit in the last few years, but aren't the gogo bars still on Walking Street and aren't there still beer bars on sois 7/8 and isn't soi 6 still there? Along with the rise of soi Buakao... There are fewer punters around and more package tourists, but is that a good thing for the local economy?

[tropo]

There never has been any such here--except NOW, of course, during our WORST LOW SEASON EVER.

Could we change that to BEST LOW SEASON EVER. The lower the better IMO.

[JSixpack]

After the 97 crash the financial institutions bore the brunt of the greed of many Thai business people to buy up as much property as possible in the preceding half decade. They were left with massive land banks that they could do nothing with. As I understood it, there were no land taxes paid on any vacant property, while lots where construction had begun were simply abandoned, as happens in many places. So there was no legal way for the authorities to step in and seize the land, while the fin institutions for some reason seemed reluctant to try to ameliorate their losses - Ayudhaya bank, I believe came very close to going under. Up and down the Bangna highway (my old stomping ground) there were dozens of derelict buildings. Many companies, including my own, had over-extended themselves. So development plans were shelved for many years - meanwhile the concrete shells and abandoned cranes still littered the landscape. Even today you can still see some - monuments to ego, as we used to call them. So much bloody waste. Guess you can lead a little big man to water, but you can't make him think.

Good post that sheds some light. Like your sig, too.

Bangkok, affected much worse of course. Different business model.