Is Pattaya still crowded or have things died down now?

Couple of suicides, mate, 2 or 3 killings and some bar fights, otherwise, Pattaya is as good as ever

Looking forward to move there

Not crowded, typical before and after Song Kran. Things can get crazy here for a few days as Thais come here for a few days for the Pattaya water festival.

That would all depend on your definition / idea of what crowded is.

If it's complete traffic chaos all over the city, then yes.

If it's hoardes of Korean and Chinese tourists wandering aroud aimlessly without spending, then yes.

If it's hundreds of tour buses a day blocking any minor road that offers them a shortcut whilst belting out fumes, then yes.

If it's gangs of locals at night carrying out muggings, pickpocketing, necklace snatches, and the odd beating, then yes.

If it's bars, gogo's, etc, packed with western tourists enjoying themselves and spending money, the girls having a laugh (and seemingly enjoying themselves) then NO!

If it's the last point that you're refering to as crowded then Pattaya has significantly died down since 2004 IMHO.

Walked through Royal Garden Plaza Mall at ~8pm earlier this week and i could have been carrying a shotgun for all the bored staff would have cared. No idea how the tenants down there are paying the rent if that was indicative of the patronage they're currently enjoying. The only place where I do have to contend with a mob is shopping for groceries in Big C Extra - the cretins who run that place seem to be back to their old trick of only rostering 6 ladies on at the checkouts while staff literally hide in various departments so they can while away the hours laughing and chatting. Classic.

Quiet in Jomtien too.

You could blow the Rhompo bar complex up at midnight and probably only kill a few soi dogs and a certain live singer who should have been throttled at birth anyway.

Disclaimer: My comments should not be seen in any way as an endorsement to blow up the Rhompo bar complex or throttle said singer.

very quiet this week. the food venders are double charging and the girls are much friendlier then usual

very quiet this week. the food venders are double charging and the girls are much friendlier then usual

Happy days I got just over a month till I turn up for 10 nights.... who wants crowds

Quiet in Jomtien too.

You could blow the Rhompo bar complex up at midnight and probably only kill a few soi dogs and a certain live singer who should have been throttled at birth anyway.

Disclaimer: My comments should not be seen in any way as an endorsement to blow up the Rhompo bar complex or throttle said singer.

Aw. I was looking forward to doing that.

That would all depend on your definition / idea of what crowded is.

If it's complete traffic chaos all over the city, then yes.

If it's hoardes of Korean and Chinese tourists wandering aroud aimlessly without spending, then yes.

If it's hundreds of tour buses a day blocking any minor road that offers them a shortcut whilst belting out fumes, then yes.

If it's gangs of locals at night carrying out muggings, pickpocketing, necklace snatches, and the odd beating, then yes.

If it's bars, gogo's, etc, packed with western tourists enjoying themselves and spending money, the girls having a laugh (and seemingly enjoying themselves) then NO!

If it's the last point that you're refering to as crowded then Pattaya has significantly died down since 2004 IMHO.

Glass half empty again, and why do you think koreans and chinese do not spend money, my gf gets bigger tips from these families than westerners, excluding the russian families, they are the best. Strange your whole viepoint is about the lack of sex tourists in go-go bars, u need to get out more.

one word: Chinese

Couple of suicides, mate, 2 or 3 killings and some bar fights, otherwise, Pattaya is as good as ever

Looking forward to move there

I look forward to your move to Pattaya. You might develop a social life and not be seen here 24 hours a day

That would all depend on your definition / idea of what crowded is.

If it's complete traffic chaos all over the city, then yes.

If it's hoardes of Korean and Chinese tourists wandering aroud aimlessly without spending, then yes.

If it's hundreds of tour buses a day blocking any minor road that offers them a shortcut whilst belting out fumes, then yes.

If it's gangs of locals at night carrying out muggings, pickpocketing, necklace snatches, and the odd beating, then yes.

If it's bars, gogo's, etc, packed with western tourists enjoying themselves and spending money, the girls having a laugh (and seemingly enjoying themselves) then NO!

If it's the last point that you're refering to as crowded then Pattaya has significantly died down since 2004 IMHO.

Glass half empty again, and why do you think koreans and chinese do not spend money, my gf gets bigger tips from these families than westerners, excluding the russian families, they are the best. Strange your whole viepoint is about the lack of sex tourists in go-go bars, u need to get out more.

Koreans and Chinese in Pattaya don't spend money here because they are all inclusive package tours where everthing has been pre-planned / booked months ago. Do you think that the tour operator is going to allow them time to do anything that doesn't involve them getting a kick back?

Why did you see the need to reference, "sex tourists"? I never mentioned sex tourists.

BTW, why is your GF getting such good tips?

It's the quiet before the storm of Songkran

I would imagine going to Pattaya for beer bars and go go,s would be worse during Songkran from what Iv herd most of they girls are back home or out partying with there actual Thai boyfriends

Just booked a room right on Beach Road for the 19th. Plenty of availability....strange....

How do you intend to go to the hotel, helicopter ?

How do you intend to go to the hotel, helicopter ?

Drive, just like I did last year. Certain parts are open till about 11am or so. With officers there directing traffic. But fully closed after that.

buses lining beach road and Chinese everywhere on the beach walk.

Have the number of Chinese increased in the past couple of days? I mean are there even more right now? Are numbers expected to fall back at the end of Songkran or is this a nightmare without end?

Have the number of Chinese increased in the past couple of days? I mean are there even more right now? Are numbers expected to fall back at the end of Songkran or is this a nightmare without end?

Why would numbers magically drop off after Songkran ? No shortage of Chinese and Korean tourists here right through low season 2014 - there seem to be more tour buses now, but many are half-empty.

Well, obviously if there are increased numbers specifically for Songkran then there would be a rise just ahead of Songkran and a fall just after....not that hard to understand and no magic

Walked through Royal Garden Plaza Mall at ~8pm earlier this week and i could have been carrying a shotgun for all the bored staff would have cared. No idea how the tenants down there are paying the rent if that was indicative of the patronage they're currently enjoying. The only place where I do have to contend with a mob is shopping for groceries in Big C Extra - the cretins who run that place seem to be back to their old trick of only rostering 6 ladies on at the checkouts while staff literally hide in various departments so they can while away the hours laughing and chatting. Classic.

Yeah. I noticed Big C can be slow. combining groceries with non groceries makes checkout tedious. I think Big C took lessons from the Super Walmarts here in the USA or vice versa.

Quiet in Jomtien too.

You could blow the Rhompo bar complex up at midnight and probably only kill a few soi dogs and a certain live singer who should have been throttled at birth anyway.

Disclaimer: My comments should not be seen in any way as an endorsement to blow up the Rhompo bar complex or throttle said singer.

If you mean a certain Thai woman w/ the most horrible, noise polluting, vomit enducing, cat-scratching-on-a blackboard voice on planet earth, then I agree w/ you, given the above disclaimer That same "singer" has been a major nuisance in the area for several years now. About the crowd: Not a lot going on in Jomtien right now (13 April at 10:05 am).

Looking at the cams around pattaya doesn't look so busy http://www.lk-metro.com/

This is exactly how the western govt. want it,just talk their currencies down,not much the Thais can do about it,can lower interest rates etc.

If you look through the broad spectrum of Asian currencies most reflect the same,not just Thailand tin pot economy,but for sure things will get progressively harder for Thailand,rice farmers already being advised by the general to seek financial help from his agencies,as for rubber not at all rosy

How is the airport queue now, at immigration?

Walked through Royal Garden Plaza Mall at ~8pm earlier this week and i could have been carrying a shotgun for all the bored staff would have cared. No idea how the tenants down there are paying the rent if that was indicative of the patronage they're currently enjoying. The only place where I do have to contend with a mob is shopping for groceries in Big C Extra - the cretins who run that place seem to be back to their old trick of only rostering 6 ladies on at the checkouts while staff literally hide in various departments so they can while away the hours laughing and chatting. Classic.

I never have any trouble getting quick service at Villa Supermarket!

All these non Thai's hating non Thai's.... I am a better non Thai than you are. Go home.

After the mob in Soi 7 yesterday, I expected to see some life in the bars when the sun set : nothing could have been further from the truth. Billabong in LK Metro had a reasonable turnout, but I've never seen the bars on Diana so empty and Buakhow was much the same. Went into Oscar's GoGo on LK at the insistence of one of the girls I was with - there was one other punter and he looked bored. When he left we followed soon after, leaving the girls on stage to their own devices. I'm assured that it will pick up on the 18th and 19th - the last two days of Songkran here in Pattaya - but last night was the pits.