Is Pattaya really on the bones of it arse at the minute?

[Beardog]

Ryro Why don't you go to Bali. You have probably been there already average age 40 lots of things to do very international & will be pumpin in Jan. Same same but a lot different!

[rgs2001uk]

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

I've been here for 9 years and there's always quiet bars. You want to know why? They open too many, that's why. There have always been way too many beer bars for the number of punters.

Walking Street is busy every night and it has been since the military took over. Only the Russians are down (but not out), so if that bothers you, stay away.

Aint that the truth, could get rid of 50% of the bars and no one would know they are gone.

For this year alone, January pumping the place was rocking, April, still heaving, July plenty of people but not as busy, September, quiet, two weeks ago dead.

Yes WS is busy every night, take a look inside the bars, empty.

OP needs to learn his seasons, now coming to the end of low/rainy season, next month for about 4 months let the good times roll.

As for soi 8, head elsewhere, same same Pattayaland 1 and 2, yesterdays papers.

[Tokay]

Pattaya is built on the sex industry and the merchandise being sold today has a lot to be desired. Most is defective or way out of date. Perhaps my standards are a little high but Pattaya sure has declined over the years. I think the best years have come and gone.

Thats what it was built on. Then enter all the big commercial developers and big touring business riding piggy back on that. These Asians and Russians and Thais that make up the majority of tourists today seem to be oblivious to the declining quality of the over all environment in Pattaya: Traffic , construction, pollution , garbage thrown all over the place. All the crumbling incompetently constructed infrastructure everywhere.Then all the scams and neck less snatches by local lowlifes.There should be no expectations of the future of Pattaya being anything more than a congested seedy third string seaside town in decline.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if all the bars closed overnight. I wonder if the city could stand on it's own, or once the seedy side is gone if it would collapse and turn into an empty, over developed beach town. Pattaya just doesn't have nice enough beaches, or friendly environment to sustain itself as a real beach town for tourists. They would have to make major changes in order for that to happen, and I just can't see that happening. As it stands, it just seems like a free-for-all taking place, at any cost.

[elgenon]

I hope the bars can continue. Fewer and fewer farangs. Indians, Russians and Arabs tend to go to their own places.

[BenCrew]

I've visited regularly during the past 12 years, usually in March, May, and October. Was there last week for 3 nights, and found the atmosphere completely different from any other visit. A lot of the bars were dead, including music bars. The go-go drink prices were ridiculous. Only 5 months ago, 120 Baht would have been the norm, but now, prices varied from 135 - 175 for a small beer. Also, a lot of them were short of girls, never seen that before in high, or low season.

[bunuel]

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

ANYTHING would be more fun than Darwin, which is good for crococile hunting and getting into brawls with rednecks, and that's about it. However, if OP is going to Pattaya to hang out with a lot of drunken yobs, then Darwin is definitely the place to go.

My experience is that when business is bad in Pattaya, the equation tilts in favor of the lucky client, so I will take down season over high season any time. Everything is better - less traffic, less noise, fewer idiots!

[balford]

"Haha, it's most certainly more fun than Darwin"

Depends on what your idea of 'fun' is... I lived in Darwin for 25 years and didn't have a problem finding honest, normal things to do.

Bob A Relaxed in Lampang

[bunuel]

Pattaya is built on the sex industry and the merchandise being sold today has a lot to be desired. Most is defective or way out of date. Perhaps my standards are a little high but Pattaya sure has declined over the years. I think the best years have come and gone.

Thats what it was built on. Then enter all the big commercial developers and big touring business riding piggy back on that. These Asians and Russians and Thais that make up the majority of tourists today seem to be oblivious to the declining quality of the over all environment in Pattaya: Traffic , construction, pollution ,

garbage thrown all over the place. All the crumbling incompetently constructed infrastructure everywhere.Then all the scams and neck less snatches by local lowlifes.There should be no expectations of the future of Pattaya being anything more than a congested seedy third string seaside town in decline.

After eight years as a property owner in Patters, I have to agree with most of this - except the future.

There are several potential scenarios which could be game changers.

1. The Hi-Speed Rail to Bangkok: If this much-discussed project is ever completed, then Pattaya would become a suburb of Bangkok, and that would have a major impact, for obvious reasons. Right now, the connections to Bangkok are limited to the two hour road trip, which makes a commute unthinkable.

2. Legalization of Gambling: It is no secret that gambling is very popular in Asia, and if Patters ever had legalized gambling, the influx from China and elsewhere would be massive. Since Patters has been the Las Vegas of the sex industry for some time, it might as well go all the way.

3. Finally, my personal favorite would be International Arts Festivals of various kinds - Film Festivals, Theatre Festivals, etc. Artists have gentrified seedy neighborhoods around the word , and , if given some fiscal incentive, an influx of artistic talent from around the world could do wonders for the city's image. Indeed,

this makes a lot more sense than the current Tourism Minister's hare-brained scheme to make Pattaya a sports center. After all, athletes do not like seediness. Artists, on the other hand, thrive on seediness!

Ah well - one can always dream! ;

[luis888]

I would think less people, more to choose from, I would say that is better.

I'm leaving friday, been here 2 weeks, plenty of people still around, obvious not the same as high season. Some bars are rocking and some not, choose the ones that are, simple really

[Tuskfish]

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

Hang on there.... I would have to disagree with that 200%

One night in Pattaya and I couldn't wait to get out of the dirty place

One holiday to Darwin and I lived there for years

If strippers and late drinking is your life you can find that almost anywhere, but there is so much more to a town than that

[makkam]

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.

Trust me...get off in Thailand if Darwin is your planned final destination.Unless of course you like stinking hot climates and male to female ratio of 6>1, and beaches that ate unsafe to swim at 10 months of the year.

[jomcondo]

Pattaya is built on the sex industry and the merchandise being sold today has a lot to be desired. Most is defective or way out of date. Perhaps my standards are a little high but Pattaya sure has declined over the years. I think the best years have come and gone.

The bars used to be full of pretty girls.....now all you see is fat old dogs.

[Rimmer]

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[dotpoom]

Judging by the traffic it's the same as ever.

[David48]

My Mate Wally, a reliable source did have a sojourn into Pattaya last month.

He reports that he's never seen it so quiet.

Many Bars ... not a customer to be seen, many other Bars, the waitresses outnumbered the punters customers.

That said, he did not venture into Soi 6, Walking Street and rarely goes to the Dark Side.

Second Road was easy to cross ... never had to run once ... just a leisurely stroll ... he's never done that before (he tells me).

But, my Mate Wally doesn't live there like many of you guys, so, if you attest to the place jumping again come January ... he ain't going to argue with you.

.

[Soiyamoto]

Pattaya is a little bit quieter at the minute but sure by january it will be busy, usually starts picking up mid december

[davidmann]

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.

I was In Pattaya 1970 ,then it was little boring ,clean sea ,looked like heaven jungle ,today looks like hell ,but got hells life stile ,sin city can never be boring ,do sin all night ,do island in the day ,where can you go and do heaven , heaven and hell all in one day

[BenCrew]

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

I've been here for 9 years and there's always quiet bars. You want to know why? They open too many, that's why. There have always been way too many beer bars for the number of punters.

Walking Street is busy every night and it has been since the military took over. Only the Russians are down (but not out), so if that bothers you, stay away.

Yes, Walking Street is busy every night...full of Koreans going to or returning from Bali Hai Pier. Also noticed several 'all day happy hour' bars on 2nd Road, usually ful, were empty.l

[Emster23]

It's quiet. Should have never pushed (or attempted anyway) to get "quality tourists". I reckon ending the endless visa runs flushed out many from this shining example of a city. All the condos going up doesn't mean much to me. Look at the overabundance of bars here. Similar, but on bigger money scale. Outcome will be my condo will drop in price.... I live in Jomtien, so not crazy (or as crazy) as central. Very few visitors. That's okay with me except I do feel for the decent local folks (there are some, you know....) who are feeling the pinch big time.

[Asiantravel]

Pattaya is a little bit quieter at the minute but sure by january it will be busy, usually starts picking up mid december

I was just down in Koh Chang which was very quiet and you probably read by now on this forum Trat province tourist arrivals are down by 50%. The business operators on Koh Chang said they need a healthy income for at least eight months of the year to be able to get through the extremely quiet 4 months later on. I assume it's pretty similar for business people here in pattaya so even a busy December and January and February wouldn't do much to help things.

[Jai Dee]

A post discussing prostitution has been deleted from this topic.

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[Andrew65]

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

....an unfortunate turn of phrase ryro!!

[Soiyamoto]

Pattaya is a little bit quieter at the minute but sure by january it will be busy, usually starts picking up mid december

I was just down in Koh Chang which was very quiet and you probably read by now on this forum Trat province tourist arrivals are down by 50%. The business operators on Koh Chang said they need a healthy income for at least eight months of the year to be able to get through the extremely quiet 4 months later on. I assume it's pretty similar for business people here in pattaya so even a busy December and January and February wouldn't do much to help things.

. I think you could be right. My thai wife has business in pattaya and its been a struggle since june. We're just waiting for it to pick up soon.. Of cours closing business's for budha days elections days and the last curfew staff wanting advances on their salary as their not getting tips etc has'nt helped.. So come on high season.. Were waiting

[Asiantravel]

Pattaya is a little bit quieter at the minute but sure by january it will be busy, usually starts picking up mid december

I was just down in Koh Chang which was very quiet and you probably read by now on this forum Trat province tourist arrivals are down by 50%. The business operators on Koh Chang said they need a healthy income for at least eight months of the year to be able to get through the extremely quiet 4 months later on. I assume it's pretty similar for business people here in pattaya so even a busy December and January and February wouldn't do much to help things.

. I think you could be right. My thai wife has business in pattaya and its been a struggle since june. We're just waiting for it to pick up soon.. Of cours closing business's for budha days elections days and the last curfew staff wanting advances on their salary as their not getting tips etc has'nt helped.. So come on high season.. Were waiting

I hate to say it but I firmly believe this is the new ‘ normal ‘and it has far less to do with problems in Thailand than problems relating to the bigger worldwide picture. Why? Because incomes around the world are stagnant (and I see no reason for this change) but at the same time , food prices are going up, governments are raising taxes (there will be a 3% increase in sales tax here soon) so people's disposable incomes are going to continue to be squeezed.

[john1000]

Ten years down the line all these shiny new condos will most likely be occupied by non Farang and only a few enclaves for the bar scene may be left.

There is a culture shift driven by the new arrivals who holiday here. But new destinations are opening up slowly.

[lcp0761]

Think of the positive - no elbow knocking with clueless tourists.

Maybe it's the best time to go

[mrfaroukh]

Yes it is true but not that bad. But still I don't think you find a better place in these countries around here.

[Jip99]

Yes it is true but not that bad. But still I don't think you find a better place in these countries around here.

Really ?

Against what criteria ?

[rgs2001uk]

Yes it is true but not that bad. But still I don't think you find a better place in these countries around here.

Just up the road, Bang Saen for starters.

No jet ski rip offs, no ladyboy pickpockets on the beach road, etc etc, why bother going on, wouldnt want to be accused of being a Pattaya basher.

[papa al]

I think y'all should avoid coming to Patts.

And I'm not saying that just because it decreases the competition for the hot bar girls.