Sitting at McDonald's looking the people walk past. I counted 5 westerners in the last 5 minutes. That's including the two westerners sitting in the bar next door. What happened? Where are all the westerners?

Burger King

They are hiding, wondering how they can get legal on the right visa, so that they might one day sit in any restaurant and not worry about being arrested.

To be honest I didn't know there is a McDonalds on Soi 5 but..

 

Well it is Soi 5! From Soi 7 to Soi 5 is not called Soweto Alley for nothing. Then there is the Soi 5 to Soi 3 and belong , well lets call it the Arab Quarter. Then again not all westerners fit your perception!

I remember when it was just an open garden ,with the old "haunted house" standing in it , 

working?

Burger King

you beat me to it

They all went to a country that actually treats them well........The other 5 will follow when they figure out where that is.

Western tourists are probably on holiday in Spain, Greece or Italy. Too hot and rainy in Thailand now. Best time Dec/Jan/Feb nice and

warm and dry, perfect for holidays. I'm booked for January already.

ToneG

We're in Thonglor eating sushi.

1/4 lbs  burgers would do the trick.

Eating Thai food. 

 

They are probably in Thailand on vacation after all. 

Some people like it hot and wet!!

McDonald's? That crap will kill you... 

I guess that member thinks an Arab is a westerner.

To be honest I didn't know there is a McDonalds on Soi 5 but..

 

Well it is Soi 5! From Soi 7 to Soi 5 is not called Soweto Alley for nothing. Then there is the Soi 5 to Soi 3 and belong , well lets call it the Arab Quarter. Then again not all westerners fit your perception!

 

It's on the corner, Soi 5 and Sukhumvit.    It hasn't been open very long.

Does the lack of westerners mean they have been replaced with "Quality Tourists"?

To be honest I didn't know there is a McDonalds on Soi 5 but..

 

Well it is Soi 5! From Soi 7 to Soi 5 is not called Soweto Alley for nothing. Then there is the Soi 5 to Soi 3 and belong , well lets call it the Arab Quarter. Then again not all westerners fit your perception!

 

Never heard that stretch of Sukhumvit called that.  Is it referred to as that because of all the South Africans that go there?
 

 

To be honest I didn't know there is a McDonalds on Soi 5 but..

 

Well it is Soi 5! From Soi 7 to Soi 5 is not called Soweto Alley for nothing. Then there is the Soi 5 to Soi 3 and belong , well lets call it the Arab Quarter. Then again not all westerners fit your perception!

 

Never heard that stretch of Sukhumvit called that.  Is it referred to as that because of all the South Africans that go there?
 

 

 

I think he's referring to an alleyway that runs parallel to Suk about 20 yds up, it runs from Soi 5 through to Soi 7 it's a bit rough walking through there.

Your TV name explains all.

Tourism has dropped off in Thailand because of the coup.Give it 6 months to aka year.Many farangs would rather eat thai food when their in Thailand.

Carl's Jr., dummy! Anyone who's tried it knows it's 4 times better than McDonalds or Burger King, although it is double the price.

Damn... I just like their fries if they are hot. McDonald's like to forget food expiration dates.

The OP wasn't asking why there weren't many westerners in McD's...rather why there weren't more walking past on the street.

Who would want to be hanging out in sukhumvit soi 5 anyway?

Never knew there was a McShite there. Haven't been in that Soi for years.

I like the bar opposite the new McD's for a people watching beer. All life goes past! The area does have a large number of African chaps as well as Arabs and others, giving the area quite a special feel: I find smoking a hookah pipe with a cup of mint tea and a hummus and pitta bread on soi 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable experience - for an hour or so I can be transported to the Levant before returning to Thailand a short soi away. 

 

As to the lack of Westerners outside McD's on soi 5, there are lots of reasons: There is still a recession in much of Europe so less money for foreign holidays. Western tourists are quite squeamish about men with guns running countries. The Military Dictators are doing their very best to force out anyone who doesn't conform to the 'few days in Bangkok, week on the beach, few days in Chiang Mai looking at temples then piss off' model of tourist behaviour.

 

Also in my experience the August 'mini high season' tends to attract the youth and student flashpacker types from Europe/N.America who are coming to commune with the natives and eat Pad Thai rather than looking for an 'Arab experience' or the other more obvious attractions of lower Sukhumvit.

Have you seen the zoo of people that frequent that particular McDonalds? Someone failed to do proper due diligence.

 

Whilst I rarely eat McDonalds, unless I want to be propositioned by a street walker, transvestite or drug dealer...I prefer walk to Carl's Jr.