I was contemplating a visit in January but all I keep reading on here is how bad it's got empty bars no atmosphere etc. Is this really the case? If so i maybe go somewhere else.

The figures are down certainly with the effect of a few bars finding it hard,if into disco,karaoke, girls then still many bars trading as normal or as near normal,as the figures have been dwindling i guess as much as any other country is suffering.

January is a high season, now it's a rainy low season .

If you consider Pattaya being dead, what makes you think other places are busy?!

I'm flying from the UK to Darwin AUS and was going to stopover in Thailand/Pattaya for a few weeks to break up the trip but if it's as bad as people are saying i maybe just forget about the stopover and get straight to Darwin. I have been in pattaya before when it was pretty dead and it was pretty boring tbh. I just wanted to know if it has picked up any.

January is a high season, now it's a rainy low season .

If you consider Pattaya being dead, what makes you think other places are busy?!

So are you saying that Pattaya is NOT quieter than in previous years ??

Surely you want as few SAS, Green Berets etc harassing you in the bars as possible?

I enjoy it being busy. Each to their own I suppose.

Was in Pattaya last week and it sure looked slow to me. All the beer bar on second road from south pattaya to the north roundabout were dead. I mean I have never seen it this bad. Second road was however under construction and getting new blacktop. Soi LK had a few farangs hanging around but I think mostly locals. Walking street had many people walking around but mostly Russians, Chinese, Indian and local Thais. Very few farangs around.

January is a high season, now it's a rainy low season .

If you consider Pattaya being dead, what makes you think other places are busy?!

So are you saying that Pattaya is NOT quieter than in previous years ??

No. I am saying it is , just as the rest of Thailand .

However OP is planning trip in January , which is a high season.

I'm flying from the UK to Darwin AUS and was going to stopover in Thailand/Pattaya for a few weeks to break up the trip but if it's as bad as people are saying i maybe just forget about the stopover and get straight to Darwin. I have been in pattaya before when it was pretty dead and it was pretty boring tbh. I just wanted to know if it has picked up any.

Haha, it's most certainly more fun than Darwin

Pattaya is quiet but it's low season. Things will be back to normal soon.

Yeah its kind of dead.

But some places are still hoppin. Doesnt take that many people to fill up a bar.

In the time I have been in Thailand I dont think I have seen a high season.

First it was bird flu, then sars, then tsunami, then coup, then yellows, then reds, then suthep, then martial law.

Every year something but still people around despite everyone complaining that its empty.

Although Pattaya is relatively quiet at the moment, January is "high season".

Either way, you can always find fun and entertainment here.

Pattaya offers an enormous variety of whatever you want, or dream of.

If you've never been here before, my recommendation is come and try it.

Although Pattaya is relatively quiet at the moment, January is "high season".

Either way, you can always find fun and entertainment here.

Pattaya offers an enormous variety of whatever you want, or dream of.

If you've never been here before, my recommendation is come and try it.

I've been 7-8 times over say the last 6 years but my last visit it was pretty quiet and I didn't enjoy it as much. I maybe will just bite the bullet and take a chance.

It beats me what you are whining about! I was in Pattaya last month. It's low season which means less people than high season. It's not rocket science! There will be tourists everywhere in December and January irrespective of whether numbers are down or not so this should keep you happy.

Give me low season any day. Far less Wallys around then.

It beats me what you are whining about! I was in Pattaya last month. It's low season which means less people than high season. It's not rocket science! There will be tourists everywhere in December and January irrespective of whether numbers are down or not so this should keep you happy.

Give me low season any day. Far less Wallys around then.

It beats you what I'am whining about? No wonder because I'm not whining I'm only asking a question.

There's a vibe about Pattaya right now that's not pleasent. Been living here solid a decade in central, maybe the long low season has taken it's toll on the locals. Also it's wet right now and many sois flooded which adds to the shi##y atmosphere.

Hopefully it picks up. I would hate to see somewhere that used to bring happiness to so many end up on its knees.

ryro

Genuine answer for you:

It is quiet, quieter than normal even for this time of the year.

I live here, not too concerned whether it is quiet or busy, prefer it quiet as it happens but if I understand correctly you prefer it busy, as do some of my friends.

Best Bar on soi 8 that I recall you were asking about on another thread seems to be holding it`s own, if you enjoyed it before,you`ll still enjoy it.

You`ll find enough bars with a decent atmosphere in to have some decent nights out.

It might just involve a slightly longer walk between them.

Re Post 18 Apart from the shitty weather, you say there's a vibe around Pattaya that's not pleasant. I didn't experience any "unpleasant vibes" so can you elaborate on these please? I know many expats there and they were all as happy as usual so I'm curious as to what these "unpleasant vibes" involve?

The bars are probably empty because everyone is stuck in traffic. Never seen it this bad. Yesterday not only was Sukumvit backed up on both directions but the railroad "bypass" was also backed up all the way to Hua Yai

The bars are probably empty because everyone is stuck in traffic. Never seen it this bad. Yesterday not only was Sukumvit backed up on both directions but the railroad "bypass" was also backed up all the way to Hua Yai

That's because after the rain half of city was flooded for a few hours, they also ripped up 2 road , not to mention a number of soi's

Come to the darkside ,the clientell at the bars never changes ,no high or low season ,just the same customers all the time ,and no trouble ,lovely.

There's a vibe about Pattaya right now that's not pleasent. Been living here solid a decade in central, maybe the long low season has taken it's toll on the locals. Also it's wet right now and many sois flooded which adds to the shi##y atmosphere.

flooded about twice this year for about 2 hours each time, hardly going to have any long term emotional effects on most people I suspect

For me Pattaya is at its best when it's quiet and I dont have to sit next to guys in restaurants with sleeveless T shirts etc. but that's just my opinion so now I never go.

I went into Pattaya Saturday morning to do some shopping, and as I was driving down South Pattaya Road, it struck me just how ugly Pattaya is. I'm not bashing the place, but it really is an amazingly ugly city. The infrastructure is badly decrepit with a jumble of wires, signs and nothing of interest or attractiveness. Not to be insulting to its residents, both long and short term, but I just can't understand why anyone would choose to live there. I'm happy that it has the shopping I want and that I can scoot in to grab what I want then get back out.

Maybe its very run-down appearance and gross overcrowding are contributing a little more each day to keeping people away. Its substantial amount of crime doesn't help, either. Unfortunately, the Pattaya local government has let it go for so long without any planning or improvements that making it an even tolerable place to live for many of us is beyond hope.

Come to the darkside ,the clientell at the bars never changes ,no high or low season ,just the same customers all the time ,and no trouble ,lovely.

NO, DON'T! Stay over the other side. Actually, don't give a monkey's about the bars, other than to see them enjoy good business, but certainly we don't need any more traffic here, especially drunk drivers.

There's a vibe about Pattaya right now that's not pleasent. Been living here solid a decade in central, maybe the long low season has taken it's toll on the locals. Also it's wet right now and many sois flooded which adds to the shi##y atmosphere.

Would say its a non vibe

I went into Pattaya Saturday morning to do some shopping, and as I was driving down South Pattaya Road, it struck me just how ugly Pattaya is. I'm not bashing the place, but it really is an amazingly ugly city. The infrastructure is badly decrepit with a jumble of wires, signs and nothing of interest or attractiveness. Not to be insulting to its residents, both long and short term, but I just can't understand why anyone would choose to live there. I'm happy that it has the shopping I want and that I can scoot in to grab what I want then get back out.

Maybe its very run-down appearance and gross overcrowding are contributing a little more each day to keeping people away. Its substantial amount of crime doesn't help, either. Unfortunately, the Pattaya local government has let it go for so long without any planning or improvements that making it an even tolerable place to live for many of us is beyond hope.

A visit from the Whinging Police is in hand for you