Pattaya struggles to survive the economic downturn

[ChinaDave77]

I lived in Jomtein Beach Condominiums a year. Very quiet clean and no hookers or bar girls . DAVID.

[shaggy851]

What the hell? This guy writes a news article on a place he hasnt returned to in 10years. Makes a lot of assumtions. If you didnt like it then just dont return and definately dont write a piece about the economic turndown and generally just rubbishing the place. What a piece of s*** this guy is. Get a life buddy

[gandalf12]

A very succinct appraisal of Pattaya. Probably get this post deleted for agreeing that Pattaya is a s***hole

You live here?

When were you last here?

For how long?

Did you make it past Walking Street and sex district?

Maybe Pattaya a s/h but it's OUR s/h.

Next!

I think I did walk past the hole in the street you call home. If you think Pattaya is great good for you. Now if you get some time you may learn to count past 10

[MrMuddle]

Last time I was there in January, all the low walls along the seafront had been replaced by very uncomfortable benches. I'd guess this was an attempt to get rid of girls standing & sitting along the Beach Road, but if there is nowhere for tourists to sit, why bother going there ? I won't hurry back.

[727Sky]

I go to Pattaya every year and usually stay for a month. The hotel I stay at has a big swimming pool and a Jacuzzi; all for about 600B a night if you pay for the whole month. There are certainly other hotels one can pay a whole heck of allot more, but why?

I go for the golfing which is some of the best, at the best prices, Thailand has to offer IMO. The food choices are usually plentiful and reasonably priced even if it is some side of the road vendor. Walking street has some good live music; I have never had a problem the few times I have visited and enjoy the antics of the girls trying to drum up business.

I actually started to move to Pattaya a couple of years ago but decided the traffic and roads were so messed up I would just stay north on the farm and do a long visit when the urge hits me..

[robertthebruce]

Wild horses could not drag me to Pattaya..... But that's me, different strokes for different Folks......

Sure, but could good deli pull you in?

http://www.pastramionryethailand.com/

I am on my way.........

[thaipara]

Interesting: Jeff Koyen did not write "Pattaya is a shxxhole."; he wrote "Pattaya is a hellhole." Are Admin's prejudices perhaps showing?

[Sonhia]

Seems to be a command thing in most parts of Thailand, the down turn in business. I agree with some posts re Thailand is more dangerous plus expensive too. So may xpats I've know have packed up and gone. Sign of the times. Thailand is becoming less attractive to many.

[sanuk711]

I lived 7 years in Pattaya----and now nearly 10 in Issan, the only thing I didn't like about Pattaya was the traffic......never got around to buying a car there--other than that I found it a fun place, & I often go back to visit, as someone mentioned --when you live there you find the spending level you want--there are some real good deals there, you don't go to walking street to have a beer if your a local (unless its 3-1 happy hour) & when I lived there I never ever bar fined a Go-Go girl---but I took plenty of phone numbers from them. (& came to a private day time agreement with them for latter in the week)

Where do I like to live now----Issan, & I wish I had come to live here sooner---but that IMO doesn't make Pattaya a S**t hole, had a lot of fun there---a lot of laughs---would never slag the place off......because if I stayed in what I thought was a s**t hole, then I would be the idiot for doing so.

[Sonhia]

Seems to be a command thing in most parts of Thailand, the down turn in business. I agree with some posts re Thailand is more dangerous plus expensive too. So may xpats I've know have packed up and gone. Sign of the times. Thailand is becoming less attractive to many.

[jimstar1]

Pattaya spent a week there one Day Glad to get back to C M

I thought the China Man was going to save the Tourist spots

and last time I had Bar girl was a Pair new Shoes in the Morning then Bye Bye

[petercool]

Ok, the article is Pattaya bashing but we need not add to that in what is a Pattaya forum where we would not normally allow posters to say some of the things the article does.

And one other point of guidance is this forum rule ...

17) You will not discuss the specifics of prostitution. Though Thailand has a visible sex industry, and acknowledgement of that fact is not forbidden, ThaiVisa is not the place to seek or give information on this topic,

[mathias67]

Pattaya is no longer an inexpensive destination and as tourist numbers decline businesses seem to increase their prices.

Pattaya needs to refurbish its image and get rid of some of the seedier elements - like hundreds of bar girls standing on Walking Street trying to attract customers.

To clean up Walking Street would meant the authorities admitting there is prostitution in Thailand and we all know this is not the case Ha Ha

[Baerboxer]

Last time i was with a bar girl it was 200 baht short time and 500 baht all night have prices increased much?

Yep and the Kaiser is no longer running Germany.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Baerboxer

[godden]

He failed to say he's coming back next week.

[Jonmarleesco]

There are 2 Pattaya's.

The one, we who live here long time know and which merely consist East of Sukhumvit, and the one the tourists know and is located West side of Sukhumvit.

I live here more than 2 decades and the first 14 years my life revolved around the tourist areas, but the times I've been there in the past 7 years can be counted on 2 hands.

So I remember how it was in walking street 7 years ago, but times have changed big time.

I have many long time friends who still come over twice or trice a year for holidays and spend most of their time in the city, and they tell me that it has changed a lot over the past 5 years, and not to the better.

To have a good time on walking street you now need to be a millionaire, and that is not the 2 week millionaires we all know, but a real life millionaire.

Apart from that the crime and aggressive behavior has risen to unseen levels and the fun is not the same fun they had 10 years ago. They also tell me that the number of tourists are dwindling very fast, and many long time visitors can't be bothered with Thailand anymore.

What we, even those that live on the East side, can notice anyway is that business is down everywhere.

There are many established businesses, which recently have gone out of business. I know whole streets that were business centers a couple of years ago, and now consist out of only deserted shops.

Well, there won't be many millionaires patronising Walking Street.

[Jonmarleesco]

Pattaya is no longer an inexpensive destination and as tourist numbers decline businesses seem to increase their prices.

Pattaya needs to refurbish its image and get rid of some of the seedier elements - like hundreds of bar girls standing on Walking Street trying to attract customers.

the "seedier elements" wouldn't exist if there was no seedy demand from seedy tourists.

Nor would there be seedy tourists if there were not seedy elements.

Which came first?

American GIs.

[DD13]

Jeff Koyen ?????

Never heard of him.........

So why would anyone give a damn what his opinion is

I've just got back from having a pleasant visit and coffee at Central Festival ........the majority of people I saw seemed to be decent folk.......

I live 15 kms from the center of Pattaya and am happy to make the trip in regularly.......

Granted that there are some areas that need attending to......(which no doubt in time will happen).....

But

I could name many places in the UK which are S Hs'........and I expect this ill informed character could do the same with the US

Jeff Koyen........if you haven't got anything sensible to say......probably best if you keep quiet......you're only making an Ass of yourself

Edited July 16, 2015 by DD13

[bangkokheat]

so its because of the economic downturn, well that explains everything,,,,so why is cambodia and vietnam growing

[i claudius]

Last time i was with a bar girl it was 200 baht short time and 500 baht all night have prices increased much?

these amounts don't even pay the bar fine today!

expect 300 - 800 baht bar fine and 1000 baht for short time and 1500-2500 baht all night.

these prices are for regular side street beer bars, but are even higher in the walking street tourist traps or in the go-go bars.

thaisabai

My post was actually tongue in cheek,although I don't go now with bar girls many of the guys I know do

[elgenon]

A millionaire? Really??? Talk about unthinking hyperbole!!!!

Pattaya must be doing very well to have all those millionaires walking around. What town can compare?

[steven100]

Pattaya = but each to his own ....

[grumpyoldman]

Wholeheartedly agree with DD13, I mean, the guy publishes something about a place he vistited last 10 years ago and then makes a bunch of assumptions? What a kook, horrible journalism. Rubbish.

First time I was in Patters was 1991, first time I came to Thailand. Didn't stay long, maybe 3 days, but met a nice lady who showed me around and we hung out and had fun. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Next time there was about the same as crackpot journalist here maybe 10 years ago with good friend who has since passed on. We had a GREAT time. Cheap beers, tons of laughs with the bargirls, good food. Wish my pal was still with us to laugh about some of the funny things but all-in-all, at the end of the day you find what you want here no matter where, right? You want quiet, I believe you can find it there in Patters, you want a night out with the mates, guffawing with the girls, off you go ! "Whoops there it is!"

The economic downturn o.k., point made, but keep the article at that don't go off with the paint the whole place with one brush. "Shxxxthole", I think that describes the journalist's brain.

[Kannikapor88]

What ... Didnt the good news from TAT get to Pattaya ... "Tourists are flocking to Thailand - millions and millions each week almost" - Try to follow the amazing TAT-news and stop whining ... Happy days are here again

[Bernard Flint]

Like many other resort towns Pattaya has indeed changed over the years, the same has happened in every country that has a tourist industry, it is not a specifically Thai issue and has been repeated around the world.

As resort towns develop the price of real estate increases, that leads to higher rents and accommodation (it's not rocket science) In general it is becoming more expensive and ultimately becoming less competitive with resort towns in less developed countries.

Mr Koyen makes a fairly bold statement of opinion "If anything, I imagine this particular seaside town has gotten seedier and scummier" This is a fairly unimaginative and crude comment, it takes no real journalistic talent to cobble something like that together.

Pattaya would, like every other larger town or city in Thailand, have always had its seedier and scummier area's, just as most other countries around the world have. While I don't particularly like Pattaya myself I don't see any real need to bag it or single it out as a uniquely disgusting place. It will, due to market forces, undergo further change over the years just to survive.

Hopefully in future we some more realistic and factual reporting, not just some statements of personal dissatisfaction and contempt, I can get that from the grump old bas***d next door....

I would have thought you loved Pattaya, and the seedier side. The pic of a school kid you have,may give some idea of your thought process, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[losworld]

Very poor article. Sure the Chinese are coming in greater numbers but contradictory to Pattaya being a whorehouse they are coming to shop, eat, waterslide, etc. Pattaya is slowly evolving from a seedier nightlife resort to a family destination yet this idiot fails to either see it or acknowledge it. I am not defending Pattaya but I am not blindly kicking it in the teeth like this numbskull.

[Oziex1]

So what is going on with thai tourism, just awarded the 16 millionth visitor for 2015.

Stories like this are confusing are they coming or not. Well we cant believe what TAT says maybe that's what it's all about.

[johnnycthedog]

Like many other resort towns Pattaya has indeed changed over the years, the same has happened in every country that has a tourist industry, it is not a specifically Thai issue and has been repeated around the world.

As resort towns develop the price of real estate increases, that leads to higher rents and accommodation (it's not rocket science) In general it is becoming more expensive and ultimately becoming less competitive with resort towns in less developed countries.

Mr Koyen makes a fairly bold statement of opinion "If anything, I imagine this particular seaside town has gotten seedier and scummier" This is a fairly unimaginative and crude comment, it takes no real journalistic talent to cobble something like that together.

Pattaya would, like every other larger town or city in Thailand, have always had its seedier and scummier area's, just as most other countries around the world have. While I don't particularly like Pattaya myself I don't see any real need to bag it or single it out as a uniquely disgusting place. It will, due to market forces, undergo further change over the years just to survive.

Hopefully in future we some more realistic and factual reporting, not just some statements of personal dissatisfaction and contempt, I can get that from the grump old bas***d next door....

I would have thought you loved Pattaya, and the seedier side. The pic of a school kid you have,may give some idea of your thought process, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Bernard - Time for a trip to Specsavers for you to get new glasses. I look at Bignose's avatar and see the figure of a slim woman. The shape is easy to identify. Be careful about your criticism.

Edited July 16, 2015 by johnnycthedog

[CapeThai]

Says a reporter that stayed here 10 years ago ? Most probably had to quickly write something or have his ass fired.... Pattaya is no different to any other big city except for the quantity of available ladies.

[fred Kubasa]

I live here and just the eye candy of Pattaya's lovely ladies scooting about, even in fashionable malls, is breath taking. A stunning, often exotic

girl, mini skirted. 5 inch heels getting on a motor bike makes my day !