Must be some very deep pockets behind some of Pattaya's bars/restaurants ..

[jacko45k]

Yes, it is called low season.

Despite the attempt to say it doesn't start until after Songkran the reality is different.

Plus it is too hot.

The lake-living and darkside Expats will start to pop into town a little more as they come out of high-season-hiding.

Dust off their thongs, put 200 baht in their wallets and go liven the place up.

[jacko45k]

Songkran must be a disaster for bars/restaurants. Many people (like me) who would normally go out to eat/drink have to hibernate for a week.

The bars are full of people during songkran. It is one of the biggest parties of the year.

There busy with people stood outside throwing water, how many are drinking beer ?

They most certainly go get a drink every now and again.

[Bangkok Barry]

What to expect when currency's are dropping faster than lifts and services are dropping just as fast, while prices rising even faster.

Was just in BKK for 2 days, visit to a gogo, 175 baht for a beer

Visit to a disco 220-240 baht

Just a plain boring restaurant with broken aircon 180 baht for pud kapow moo,.

AU$ below 24, EU 32.

Went for foot massage, 300 baht, she did not say a word to me, spent the entire time chatting to other girls

Hotel where i always stay, went up in price by about 40%, in comparison to same time last year

Pattaya no different, totally disinterested employees, higher prices.

Idea, to look after customer that do exist, does not even cross their mind.

Funny story, in BKK in that crappy restaurant, day one, after eating asked for bill, 30 mins later, no bill.

Was dumb enough to return the next day, thinking different staff different service.

Ordered rice with my meal, only never to receive, asked for bill, again, 30 mins and no bill.

Approached the manager/owner and told her about my experience, only be to told "OK"

What more can you say, when the owner or manager does not care, why would the staff care

I agree with all you say. But here's a tip for when you ask for the bill and it doesn't arrive. Get up and go to walk out, and the bill will arrive in 5 seconds.

[bbabythai]

OP says he walks around for 12 hours a day along the streets of pattaya. I feel sorry for him. That is no life to lead...

[raro]

Great, the sooner these beer/whore bars are closed the better and make way for decent businesses. Not being a drinker its very hard for me to understand why someone would pay $4 for a beer in the bottom of a townhouse with miserable staff and a lot more in well positioned whore bars. If your drinking session lasts 14hrs each day you should either contact AA or at least obtain adequate health insurance for your kidney transplant. Have a look in restaurants, malls and shops, you may see it is a little busier.

As you are not into "beer/whore bars", it is very hard for me to understand why you live in Pattaya and what brought you there in the first place.

once you get out of soi 6/7/8 you may find the answer.

[MrWorldwide]

OP says he walks around for 12 hours a day along the streets of pattaya. I feel sorry for him. That is no life to lead...

Er, no - that would be @canarysun, when he's not riding the trains. Given that I have 3 crushed vertebrae in my lower back, I'd say my days of walking anywhere for 12 hours a day are long behind me, but thanks for your pity. I'll really need to rely on caring, sharing folk like yourself when I relocate to Cambodia in May.

[elgenon]

Another shot looking down Soi 7 toward Beach Road - note how few motorbikes are anywhere in evidence and the absence of delivery vehicles etc - normally a major annoyance for pedestrians on Sois 7 and 8 during the day. The sign advertising 'Happiness Corner Bar' in the centre of the photo refers to a venue which was a go-go right up until about 3 weeks ago - they tore down the walls and removed the front door to turn it back into a bar. How they survived the low season is a complete mystery to me - in the course of far too many hours spent in a nearby bar I didnt see a single customer go into the go-go or come out from May 2014 till it became a bar sometime in late March 2015, but admittedly I didnt spend my nights with my eyes trained on the front door of the place.

IMG_1021.jpg

Wow! So clean. Is this Pattaya? 5555

[Shiver]

Great, the sooner these beer/whore bars are closed the better and make way for decent businesses.

All markets fluctuate in the course of the business cycle. Happily, Pattaya remains well-poised for the next upturn in the market for good old-fashioned indecency. That should be facilitated by leaving all them sleazy ho's, pimps, creepy beer belly sexpats, beer bars, go-go bars, & nekkid wimmen alone. In fact, further deregulation, tax reduction or elimination, and clear legalization is greatly needed in all indecency areas to help end corruption and to bring prices down. For example, how come the go-gos on Soi Lenkee can't open in the afternoon as they did before the coup? They were doing well. I miss stopping by Crystal for a cold one when I'm out during the day.

In the meantime, the so-called decent businesses have great room for improvement. Maybe this is in fact the real problem here. Take fish & chips, pizza, or Mexican food--seems there still isn't any to please the exquisite tastes of our forum members. And there are just countless charges of indecency against Pattaya's real estate agents!

Sarasota, FLA, USA, still has plenty of room for decent businesses, not to worry. Or how about Bang Saen? I do suspect that as roads improve (the tunnel) and traffic from Bangkok and surrounding areas increases that we'll eventually have--another shopping mall just chock full o' decency.

"Pattaya remains well-poised for the next upturn in the market "

PMSL You're definately a glass half full person, even if in jest/sarcasm. LIke Like Like.

[Edit]: you should be an estate agent. Thumbs up!

Edited April 19, 2015 by Shiver