Patong is dead.

[GiantFan]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

[Lashay]

The interesting thing about the lilac coloured bar was that it actually did open at one time and was advertised as a "fruit smoothie bar" or somesuch like, and as far as I could make out, it sold no alcohol...........just what Patong needed!

If that's the one towards the top of the hill before Kasemsap 2 (remember it being a strange color, just not what color), It was kind of busy about a year ago, area was then full of long staying young french speaking north African Muslims (rumor was most were drug dealers back home), which was probably why no alcohol.

Think in space of 6 months it changed theme 3 times , restaurant, bar, fruit bar, ,) They were a bloody menace on their bikes, all drove like suicidal lemmings that thought they would live forever. Reached the point police were putting checkpoints in area weekly just targeting them.

But don't think anyone really made any money from them up there, they were not exactly big spenders, probably had to save the money for hospital bills from motorcycle accidents

Edited July 13, 2015 by Lashay

[vanassa]

I haven't been to Patong. Hoping that it won't be rain, I will spend my day right there...

[GiantFan]

The interesting thing about the lilac coloured bar was that it actually did open at one time and was advertised as a "fruit smoothie bar" or somesuch like, and as far as I could make out, it sold no alcohol...........just what Patong needed!

If that's the one towards the top of the hill before Kasemsap 2 (remember it being a strange color, just not what color), It was kind of busy about a year ago, area was then full of long staying young french speaking north African Muslims (rumor was most were drug dealers back home), which was probably why no alcohol.

Think in space of 6 months it changed theme 3 times , restaurant, bar, fruit bar, ,) They were a bloody menace on their bikes, all drove like suicidal lemmings that thought they would live forever. Reached the point police were putting checkpoints in area weekly just targeting them.

But don't think anyone really made any money from them up there, they were not exactly big spenders, probably had to save the money for hospital bills from motorcycle accidents

Oh, those guys. Definitely menaces on two wheels.

[KarenBravo]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

Those of us who have stayed here 10 years, or more, got the h3ll out of Patong years ago.

[NamKangMan]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

I've only been on Phuket, full time, for a couple of years, and already know of around half a dozen expats who have left.

Most to Pattaya, one to Chiang Mai, and two to Udon.

Three of them has businesses here.

Edited July 14, 2015 by NamKangMan

[xylophone]

Agree.........the little "rollerblind" shops at the bottom of Soi Nanai 6 still has only one still operating and that upstairs restaurant seems to have closed now.

Nanai seems to be suffering big time and I noticed a roller blind was down on one half of "The Green Mango" guest house??

A small laundry round the corner from me has "gone" as has a little restaurant, and a small guesthouse opposite the "Suite Dreams" guest house is now empty and up for sale, a little lilac painted bar next to Kelly's Hotel has been for sale for a while and as previously mentioned, the "Dirty Nellies" bar is for sale.

Just coming into Nanai from Soi Banzaan I noticed a small guesthouse called "Coconut Moon" also had the shutters down??It is just across the road from where the small bar called the "Sick Buffalo", then "Waries" (spelling?) used to be, however that is now a beauty shop, as if more were needed.

A Thai lady friend of mine who owns a beauty shop (and has done for a few years now) at the end of Soi Nanai says it is a struggle to keep going because the working girls, who are her most frequent visitors, don't have much money these days because of lack of customers.

Yet despite all of this new buildings are going up in places one never thought possible..............

Yes, the malaise that started on Nanai seems to be spreading to Sai Kor and even Thaweewong (Beach) roads.

I noticed the roller door being down at Green Mango a couple of nights ago while eating at the pizza restaurant across the road. Saw lights on in 2 rooms, and someone going into the lobby (although the lobby lights seemed to be out or very dim), so it may be open (just barely). The restaurant out front is definitely closed.

That lilac-colored bar on Nanai seems to have never really opened, as far as I could tell. Never saw anyone there, including staff, and it seemed that just a month or so after it was fitted out, there was a for sale sign out front.

As mentioned, beauty shops seem to be struggling, but it seems like there's always someone lined up buy one. I noticed that the one across from Don's on Nanai turned over recently. Will be interesting to see how long that one lasts.

I've also seen the "for rent" sign at the big guesthouse/hotel on Sai Kor (the one with a pool and spa), plus there are others on the same road and side sois for sale/rent as well. The Paradise on Sai Kor was advertising rooms for 399 on their LED sign, but have recently upped their price to 450 . And still more guesthouses are being built in the Sai Kor area.

Pharmacies opening and closing comes as no real surprise. They've become more prevalent than 7-Elevens, so I don't know how any of them can possibly make any money. Back in our area of the US, it was the same with Nail Salons (all owned by Vietnamese). They kept proliferating, you couldn't throw a stone without hitting one, and none of them could figure out why they weren't making any money.

Just today, I noticed some sale/rent signs up on the Beach road - something I don't recall ever seeing before. It seems that in the past, for properties on the Beach road, deals were done quietly, as there was always plenty of buyers. The fact that there are sale/rent signs on the Beach road, in my opinion, doesn't bode well for the coming high season and beyond.

At the beach (Patong), I've noticed a marked increase in the number of Westerners in the last week. It seemed like the beach was just about devoid of all Westerners the last week of June and first week of July, but seems to have bounced back somewhat. The parasail guys seem to be doing ok having almost exclusively Chinese customers, although I've noticed that they're open to haggling on price and they've been offering 2 short rides for the price of 1.

On Bangla, I noticed a couple of nights ago that NY Live was packed with Chinese again. A few more Westerners from the last time I was there (a few weeks ago), but definitely a very strong Chinese presence, which I'm sure is helping them survive this low season.

"I've also seen the "for rent" sign at the big guesthouse/hotel on Sai Kor (the one with a pool and spa), plus there are others on the same road and side sois for sale/rent as well. The Paradise on Sai Kor was advertising rooms for 399 on their LED sign, but have recently upped their price to 450 . And still more guesthouses are being built in the Sai Kor area"

As you say, still more guesthouses seem to be being built along Sai Kor, yet there still languishes an unfinished building which is a particular eyesore, just past the turning into Soi Nanai 8!

I also see that two small bars at the intersection of Nanai Road and Nanai 8 have their shutters down, and the Italian restaurant just up the road a little, on the corner of Kaseamsarp 2 estate, has closed. And as you quite rightly say the malaise seems to be spreading along Nanai Road because I noticed a couple of small shops not far from the Soi Banzaan junction which have closed their doors.

The interesting thing about the lilac coloured bar was that it actually did open at one time and was advertised as a "fruit smoothie bar" or somesuch like, and as far as I could make out, it sold no alcohol...........just what Patong needed!

I think the difference this time round is that whereas in the past there always seemed to be takers for any establishment which failed/closed/whatever, now they are few and far between, however no doubt there are still a few out there........

Please post regular colour, what you have just posted can not be read on the TV app.

Sorry, not sure what you mean..........was posted as per the norm in black font???

[stevenl]

On TV app, at least by me, it can not be read because it is a over light blue colour. If you quote the post you will see the code for that colour.

[xylophone]

On TV app, at least by me, it can not be read because it is a over light blue colour. If you quote the post you will see the code for that colour.

Sorry again stevenl, not with you as it is readable and in black..........I don't have the TV App, just read off this forum using Chrome???

I checked the font colour and it was in black on the options next to the Smiley face.

Is this post ok or have I stuffed something up??

[stevenl]

On TV app, at least by me, it can not be read because it is a over light blue colour. If you quote the post you will see the code for that colour.

Sorry again stevenl, not with you as it is readable and in black..........I don't have the TV App, just read off this forum using Chrome???

I checked the font colour and it was in black on the options next to the Smiley face.

Is this post ok or have I stuffed something up??

This one is OK:).

What happens when you quote the previous post and look at the code?

[xylophone]

On TV app, at least by me, it can not be read because it is a over light blue colour. If you quote the post you will see the code for that colour.

Sorry again stevenl, not with you as it is readable and in black..........I don't have the TV App, just read off this forum using Chrome???

I checked the font colour and it was in black on the options next to the Smiley face.

Is this post ok or have I stuffed something up??

This one is OK:).

What happens when you quote the previous post and look at the code?

Don't really know what/where the code is!!!! However I did manage to bring something up which said, "background f7f7f7" or something like that...........maybe that was a one-off due to fat fingers or another brain cell dying (I think I've got one left).

[stevenl]

On TV app, at least by me, it can not be read because it is a over light blue colour. If you quote the post you will see the code for that colour.

Sorry again stevenl, not with you as it is readable and in black..........I don't have the TV App, just read off this forum using Chrome???

I checked the font colour and it was in black on the options next to the Smiley face.

Is this post ok or have I stuffed something up??

This one is OK:).

What happens when you quote the previous post and look at the code?

Don't really know what/where the code is!!!! However I did manage to bring something up which said, "background f7f7f7" or something like that...........maybe that was a one-off due to fat fingers or another brain cell dying (I think I've got one left).

Yes, that's it.

Thanks, and as you see, I like to read your posts about patong.

[NamKangMan]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

Those of us who have stayed here 10 years, or more, got the h3ll out of Patong years ago.

Of course, Patong is not on Phuket, right?

[KarenBravo]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

Those of us who have stayed here 10 years, or more, got the h3ll out of Patong years ago.

Of course, Patong is not on Phuket, right?

Huh? Where in my post do I say that?

Nanai, which is mentioned in the post I was replying to, is in Patong, is it not?

[phuketlive]

A big bar restaurant is closed on nanai, a little bit after the italian restaurant which closed down on corner of kaseamsarp 2 estate, this bar restaurant is on the other side of the road, almost in front of aussie divers. No sign saying its for holidays.

[The Big Mango]

After reading these posts and knowing I was going down Nanai Road yday I took my time and decided to count how many farangs I would count , well from one end all the entire way to the other at 2.45pm yesterday afternoon the grand sum of 4. !!

I know its a bad time of day perhaps but jeez 4 !

[NamKangMan]

Anybody that's been around a while, say 10+ years, will probably know of many people that were long stayers that have all

left. I know at least 10, probably more like 20 if I really think, and they all stayed around Nanai. Bit of a ghost town now.

Those of us who have stayed here 10 years, or more, got the h3ll out of Patong years ago.

Of course, Patong is not on Phuket, right?

Huh? Where in my post do I say that?

Nanai, which is mentioned in the post I was replying to, is in Patong, is it not?

My point being, if "Patong is dead" - or dying a slow death, which it is, chances are, Phuket, the island, is not doing so well, either.

Apparently, it's become quite difficut to get a pizza in Rawai now.

[phuketlive]

Saw more shops for rent today on nanai.

A thai on nanai told me she has never seen things that bad before.

[flossiebear]

Thailand is old hat now to the UK. Pound is strong against the euro, so that's where they are heading. Thailand too expensive and greedy people have spoilt the land of smiles. It's just not cool to holiday in Thailand.

[schlog]

Thailand is old hat now to the UK. Pound is strong against the euro, so that's where they are heading. Thailand too expensive and greedy people have spoilt the land of smiles. It's just not cool to holiday in Thailand.

So which countries are cool for a holiday now?

Came back from a europe trip last month and it was cheap and cold but not cool.

I can't name a country which is in my opinion cool for holiday. Been to most but open for a good advise.

[jamie obda]

I heard Vietnam is nice, but not for long. Government is investing heavily in education. Should be ROK status (and prices ) in about ten years.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[fiddlehead]

Thailand is old hat now to the UK. Pound is strong against the euro, so that's where they are heading. Thailand too expensive and greedy people have spoilt the land of smiles. It's just not cool to holiday in Thailand.

So which countries are cool for a holiday now?

Came back from a europe trip last month and it was cheap and cold but not cool.

I can't name a country which is in my opinion cool for holiday. Been to most but open for a good advise.

Not sure what you mean by "cool"?

Perhaps where the "cool people" think it's a good idea to go?

I remember when that was Laos.

Maybe still is, I don't keep track of those things.

But, for me?

I would hit: Croatia, Poland, Myanmar (before they have a McD's), and Colorado. (sorry not a country but one of my favorite places, besides Thailand.

On another note, Thailand would be high on my list. (since the "cool" people are maybe elsewhere)

[Chainsaw]

Thailand is old hat now to the UK. Pound is strong against the euro, so that's where they are heading. Thailand too expensive and greedy people have spoilt the land of smiles. It's just not cool to holiday in Thailand.

So which countries are cool for a holiday now?

Came back from a europe trip last month and it was cheap and cold but not cool.

I can't name a country which is in my opinion cool for holiday. Been to most but open for a good advise.

Not sure what you mean by "cool"?

Perhaps where the "cool people" think it's a good idea to go?

I remember when that was Laos.

Maybe still is, I don't keep track of those things.

But, for me?

I would hit: Croatia, Poland, Myanmar (before they have a McD's), and Colorado. (sorry not a country but one of my favorite places, besides Thailand.

On another note, Thailand would be high on my list. (since the "cool" people are maybe elsewhere)

Yes you're so right Fiddlehead. 'Cool' people must be avoided - e.g. DJs, ravers, posers, people who wear shades at night and people old enough to know better, who still wear baseball caps back to front.

[flossiebear]

Japan is cool apparently back here! Laos is a has been so I am told. These are not my views but what I hear since coming back to UK. Most people go to Turkey or Spain or France in the summer.

,

[FritsSikkink]

I heard Vietnam is nice, but not for long. Government is investing heavily in education. Should be ROK status (and prices ) in about ten years.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

so you rather meet uneducated people, why is that?

[jamie obda]

I heard Vietnam is nice, but not for long. Government is investing heavily in education. Should be ROK status (and prices ) in about ten years.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

so you rather meet uneducated people, why is that?

quite the inference.

[hansgruber]

This thread has taken off so I went down Patong today to check out some rooftop mini golf on beach road in Banana walk complex with my son. It was so dead. Everything is closed down and only two businesses remain, coffee club and rip curl. I remember villa supermarket was their crowning glory but that didn't last a year. It's horrible to see it so dead.

Even the Banana disco is closed and under renovation once again. It was only open a short period after the last renovation.

Bangla road bars are a sad sight. All bars have signs saying local beers 80 baht and buckets 250 and very few day punters.

[simon43]

I just got back from one of my very rare forays into Patong.

I agree that the place was devoid of tourists. Those that I did see were evenly split between 'whiteys', Arabs, Indians and Chinese.

The number of empty shops, restaurants, businesses for rent/sale was quite evident. (A good friend who had a restaurant in Patong for maybe 7 years seems to have closed up shop).

The businesses that were doing well, judging by the number of customers, were fast-food outlets catering to Chinese tourists, with Chinese language signage.

[phuketlive]

This thread has taken off so I went down Patong today to check out some rooftop mini golf on beach road in Banana walk complex with my son. It was so dead. Everything is closed down and only two businesses remain, coffee club and rip curl. I remember villa supermarket was their crowning glory but that didn't last a year. It's horrible to see it so dead.

Even the Banana disco is closed and under renovation once again. It was only open a short period after the last renovation.

Bangla road bars are a sad sight. All bars have signs saying local beers 80 baht and buckets 250 and very few day punters.

yes, crazy how banana walk died but the businesses in the back were too hidden so nobody was going inside there.

Only wine connection is doing ok and the pizza place, well located in the front.

Even fuji closed, sad, was nice inside.

[The Big Mango]

This thread has taken off so I went down Patong today to check out some rooftop mini golf on beach road in Banana walk complex with my son. It was so dead. Everything is closed down and only two businesses remain, coffee club and rip curl. I remember villa supermarket was their crowning glory but that didn't last a year. It's horrible to see it so dead.

Even the Banana disco is closed and under renovation once again. It was only open a short period after the last renovation.

Bangla road bars are a sad sight. All bars have signs saying local beers 80 baht and buckets 250 and very few day punters.

yes, crazy how banana walk died but the businesses in the back were too hidden so nobody was going inside there.

Only wine connection is doing ok and the pizza place, well located in the front.

Even fuji closed, sad, was nice inside.

For one im tryin to figure out how even wine connection can be turning a profit in that location with what must be sky high rent and reasonable pricing on the menu.