High Season Has Definitely Started

[KhunBENQ]

But most of the private vehicle traffic is from Thais ?

My estimate:

50% empty to half empty Songthaeo (Baht buses) clogging the whole left lane.

20% empty to half empty big tour buses.

Rest: big trucks, normal taxis, private traffic.

Motorcycles count as 0

[balo]

Lots of tourists on the beach today and they are swimming in the dirty sea oopposite Central . Most of them Russians.

[dennis123]

Gay area was very crowded in the weekend, not so much on monday. Seems that the majority of gay are still permanent residents and not as much new arrivals as I expected.

Drove on Jomtien beach road late in the morning and it was very quite, though quite a lot of people on the beach indeed.

It's gonna be a late peak season I guess, however if it stays like this it's actually not that bad, you won't see me swimming at Pattaya or Jomtien beach anyway.

[mcfish]

I spent the last 2 weeks emailing most of the usual studio condo rental places both in Jomtien and Pattaya and either they are all full or asking silly prices

eg maman mansion full

nirun full

and many others. Found a place on AIR BNB for 10k Pattaya eventually . There is no doubt peak season is going to be busy

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Sukhumvit, Third and South Roads were choked with traffic early Monday afternoon. Mondays on the roads are usually quite busy but this time it was high-season craziness. I had to wait to park my moto and wait to get out at Friendship. This hasn't happened to me this year.

[Flanno]

Well my hotel tells me high season don't start till 1 Dec which is when he puts his rates up. Anyway we have settled the issue that high season is or is almost upon us which I think is an achievement for us all. Now we just sit back and wait for the annual post titled "High Season Not As Busy As Last Year". This one should keep us occupied to almost Songkran when we can start discussing low season.

[balo]

I spent the last 2 weeks emailing most of the usual studio condo rental places both in Jomtien and Pattaya and either they are all full or asking silly prices

eg maman mansion full

nirun full

and many others. Found a place on AIR BNB for 10k Pattaya eventually . There is no doubt peak season is going to be busy

Try View Talay 1 , if you want a 6 month contract you should be able to get a nice room with a view for 10000 baht. Edited November 24, 2015 by balo

[mcfish]

I spent the last 2 weeks emailing most of the usual studio condo rental places both in Jomtien and Pattaya and either they are all full or asking silly prices

eg maman mansion full

nirun full

and many others. Found a place on AIR BNB for 10k Pattaya eventually . There is no doubt peak season is going to be busy

Try View Talay 1 , if you want a 6 month contract you should be able to get a nice room with a view for 10000 baht.

Just one month over Christmas and new year.

[whitemouse]

Dennis123, you say:

Arrived in Pattaya yesterday and The Venue (showbar) was almost packed, hotel had only one room free for one night, moved to other hotel today that again had only one room free for tonight so tomorrow on the move again.

Condos absurdly over priced, eg studio in View Talay 2 go's for 25k baht/month (free electric/water/internet), two years ago I rented a 1 bedroom appartment at Jomtien Beach Condiminium for 12k baht, right now the office rents a studio for 15k. Went to small real estate shop at the place and got same 1 bedroom for 18k baht/mo now (with minimum 3 month contract opposed to 1 month previously).

Thappraya road busy as usual, not much difference opposed to 2-3 months ago really, lots of foreigners with Thai girlfriends / boyfriends on the streets, they do seem to behave better, eg haven't seen many crossing the street with blind folds on, last year was a bit different where everyone seemed to have some death wish. Foodmart was also pretty busy but the cashiers seem to work faster by the day, eg no waiting rows around 7pm, not so bad.

Did hear many complains from the bar boys, when I said high season now really started they all tend to disagree'.

/end Dennis123 quote/

Yes, it is end of November, it should be peak, but it really is not. Just cos Venue,a small gay show bar was packed isn't something to go by. Visit Boyztown, Soi Boyztown, and the the bars are empty, yes, there are people at Panorama terrace on weekends, but only weekends, and thats it! Sunee Plaza, the only other gay area besides Boyztown is deserted.

Look at Cafe Royal, look at Boyz Boyz Boyz terrace, THE most frequented gogo bar in Boyztown by far, they are dead. And we are at the end of Novemeber.

Don't go by Venue, it could have been someones birthday, staff memebrs birtrhdays often bring out enough people to fill the place. Normally the place is very quiet.

If high season is here, I haven't really noticed it anywhere in Pattaya. Sure, compared to total disaster of September, there are some signs of life here and there, but this not high season.

2 hotel owners I know have both said rooms are available for Dec 24th, ad Dec 31'st, peak days of the year. They say it has never been like this.

View Talay 2 condos, you say studios there are now going for 25.000, and that is what got me pay attention, I have friends coming here every New Year, and I book VT1 or 2 for them.

Studios in VT2 usually go for 10.000, so your post, and quote of 25.000 made me look into it. Nope, nothig has changed at VT2, 12.000 for a very nice studio, thata particular unit being offered since Septemebr, we are in Nov now:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html?view=property&id=85:studio

So maybe you were looking to book VT at some very busy weekend, cos studios there definetely not going for 25.000, take a look at VT2 studios, bunch of them:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html

Pattaya is quiet right now, 1 month to Christmas, but it feels like Septemebr.

It's gonna be a very slow high season! By second week of January, I predict Pattaya will be deserted!

[tropo]

Pattaya is quiet right now, 1 month to Christmas, but it feels like Septemebr.

It's gonna be a very slow high season! By second week of January, I predict Pattaya will be deserted!

That last part of your post got me excited. We can only hope.

Now if you could cancel Songkran, the year would be perfect.

Edited November 24, 2015 by tropo

[whitemouse]

That last part of your post got me excited. We can only hope.

Now if you could cancel Songkran, the year would be perfect.

Haa, we can dream!

Once in 2004 or so I was subjected to this inhumane water torture, but imgine if this was USA, and how law suits works there, oh man! I'd claim all sorts of emtional damage, distress, basically rendered an emotinal criple, after just being here during days of Songkran! And I bet there'd be a good chance winning that law suite lol, set for life, maybe 15 Mil in damaages

DELETED

[gk10002000]

Why anyone would want to spend amy time in the brightside of Pattaya is beyond comprehension, act like mugs and be treated like mugs and as for it being high season who without a vested interest would utter such balloax?

Must hqave been the Mayor who said that Pattaya was in the "High season" eh?

I am guessing that you have never been to the worst backwater places in Russia and China. Go there and the "why" part will come into focus It is all about perspective. There are many Westerners who think this place is a cesspool filled with the worst slice of humanity. But many Russians and Chinese, with a different perspective, see this place as a nice, inexpensive vacation destination. It is for this reason that I think there will always be people vacationing here. And even if all the tourists go away, it will eventually be filled up with Bangkonians fleeing Bangkok. I agree that high season is here as I am seeing a lot more people all over Jomtien. It is getting crowded again, and the girls are starting to scream with some enthusiam as they fish for a big, fat, ignorant, near-death white elephant.

Warm weather, pretty girls, goes a long way when one comes from a place with a long cold winter. It is hard to not like the very inexpensive Thai foot or oil massages. Get a beer from a 7-11 and walk around to one's heart's content.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hotel owners I know have both said rooms are available for Dec 24th, ad Dec 31'st, peak days of the year. They say it has never been like this.

One of my regular places on Soi Lengkee has standard rooms all up to Dec 30. Just fully booked for three days over New Year.

Just some of the better category rooms are booked from time to time.

On the other hand:

Room prices lifted compared to off season: 25%

Domestic flight prices on my favorite route (Khon Kaen to Suvarnabhumi) almost doubled.

[dennis123]

Yes, it is end of November, it should be peak, but it really is not. Just cos Venue,a small gay show bar was packed isn't something to go by. Visit Boyztown, Soi Boyztown, and the the bars are empty, yes, there are people at Panorama terrace on weekends, but only weekends, and thats it! Sunee Plaza, the only other gay area besides Boyztown is deserted.

Look at Cafe Royal, look at Boyz Boyz Boyz terrace, THE most frequented gogo bar in Boyztown by far, they are dead. And we are at the end of Novemeber.

Don't go by Venue, it could have been someones birthday, staff memebrs birtrhdays often bring out enough people to fill the place. Normally the place is very quiet.

If high season is here, I haven't really noticed it anywhere in Pattaya. Sure, compared to total disaster of September, there are some signs of life here and there, but this not high season.

2 hotel owners I know have both said rooms are available for Dec 24th, ad Dec 31'st, peak days of the year. They say it has never been like this.

View Talay 2 condos, you say studios there are now going for 25.000, and that is what got me pay attention, I have friends coming here every New Year, and I book VT1 or 2 for them.

Studios in VT2 usually go for 10.000, so your post, and quote of 25.000 made me look into it. Nope, nothig has changed at VT2, 12.000 for a very nice studio, thata particular unit being offered since Septemebr, we are in Nov now:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html?view=property&id=85:studio

So maybe you were looking to book VT at some very busy weekend, cos studios there definetely not going for 25.000, take a look at VT2 studios, bunch of them:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html

Pattaya is quiet right now, 1 month to Christmas, but it feels like Septemebr.

It's gonna be a very slow high season! By second week of January, I predict Pattaya will be deserted!

The Venue in Jomtien is always a good indicator for me, no special party and it was two days in a row, it was weekend yes. Thing is there's a difference between straight tourists and gay tourists, the venue is frequented by a lot of couples as well, not just gays. What I understood from some boys in BoysTown is that gay tourism has been on a decline for quite some time now. Last year one claimed the high season for gay bar workers lasts only about 2-3 weeks (Christmas/New Year period).

Sunnee is as dead as a doornail, last time I was there it was a bit busy but that was last sunday, so weekend, however still more busy than usual.

Anyway certain places are definitely more busy but my sample is probably too small, the hotels I tried were Zing (Ganymede) and the other one next to the round about, so very central Jomtien so maybe they're naturally more busy due to good location.

I went to a shop office at VT2, the foreigner who owns it acted like View Talay 2 is some high-end / high class place to stay lol, bragging that the swimming pool was the largest in town or something, lmao, for a 1 bedroom appartement about 80m2 he asked 50k baht and a studio half the size approx 25k, with electric/water/internet included. Guess he wanted to make a quick buck from me or something. Actually he quoted larger m2 sizes but when I visit this website I see most are about 20% smaller so now I kind of doubt his claims about floor sizes. Eg it's mostly 40 - 80m2 and he talked about 55-60 for studio and 100+ for 1 bedroom. Either way, it's absurd to pay 600 euro for a freaking studio in Pattaya so that would never happen of course.

Now I stay at Jomtien beach condominium, 18k baht for I think about 60m2 1 bedroom appartment with 3 month contract, few years ago I paid less but it's ok as back then the official sales office at the start of the premise charged me 8 baht/unit for electric and now I just pay the regular rate of 4.5 baht/unit, can you imagine an electric bill of 7-8k for a 1 bedroom appartment? That's what I paid back then.

[mcfish]

Dennis123, you say:

Arrived in Pattaya yesterday and The Venue (showbar) was almost packed, hotel had only one room free for one night, moved to other hotel today that again had only one room free for tonight so tomorrow on the move again.

Condos absurdly over priced, eg studio in View Talay 2 go's for 25k baht/month (free electric/water/internet), two years ago I rented a 1 bedroom appartment at Jomtien Beach Condiminium for 12k baht, right now the office rents a studio for 15k. Went to small real estate shop at the place and got same 1 bedroom for 18k baht/mo now (with minimum 3 month contract opposed to 1 month previously).

Thappraya road busy as usual, not much difference opposed to 2-3 months ago really, lots of foreigners with Thai girlfriends / boyfriends on the streets, they do seem to behave better, eg haven't seen many crossing the street with blind folds on, last year was a bit different where everyone seemed to have some death wish. Foodmart was also pretty busy but the cashiers seem to work faster by the day, eg no waiting rows around 7pm, not so bad.

Did hear many complains from the bar boys, when I said high season now really started they all tend to disagree'.

/end Dennis123 quote/

Yes, it is end of November, it should be peak, but it really is not. Just cos Venue,a small gay show bar was packed isn't something to go by. Visit Boyztown, Soi Boyztown, and the the bars are empty, yes, there are people at Panorama terrace on weekends, but only weekends, and thats it! Sunee Plaza, the only other gay area besides Boyztown is deserted.

Look at Cafe Royal, look at Boyz Boyz Boyz terrace, THE most frequented gogo bar in Boyztown by far, they are dead. And we are at the end of Novemeber.

Don't go by Venue, it could have been someones birthday, staff memebrs birtrhdays often bring out enough people to fill the place. Normally the place is very quiet.

If high season is here, I haven't really noticed it anywhere in Pattaya. Sure, compared to total disaster of September, there are some signs of life here and there, but this not high season.

2 hotel owners I know have both said rooms are available for Dec 24th, ad Dec 31'st, peak days of the year. They say it has never been like this.

View Talay 2 condos, you say studios there are now going for 25.000, and that is what got me pay attention, I have friends coming here every New Year, and I book VT1 or 2 for them.

Studios in VT2 usually go for 10.000, so your post, and quote of 25.000 made me look into it. Nope, nothig has changed at VT2, 12.000 for a very nice studio, thata particular unit being offered since Septemebr, we are in Nov now:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html?view=property&id=85:studio

So maybe you were looking to book VT at some very busy weekend, cos studios there definetely not going for 25.000, take a look at VT2 studios, bunch of them:

http://www.view-talay-condos.net/for-rent/view-talay-2-jomtien-pattaya.html

Pattaya is quiet right now, 1 month to Christmas, but it feels like Septemebr.

It's gonna be a very slow high season! By second week of January, I predict Pattaya will be deserted!

Some of those condos are getting very close to bangkok prices around Nana and Asoke areas. Who the hell would pay that around sleepy backwater Jomtien??

76 sqm 35000bht

80sqm 25000bht

78sqm 25000bht

[swissie]

How about Soi Buakao? With it's relatively high percentage of long-term residents. is it less price-sensitive in relation to high/low season compared to other areas?

Cheers.

[onemorechang]

Yes a few more people in Jomtien now.

i think its more Russians,

you can see herds of them out side the 7/11 shops, drinking beer Chang on the steps.

Quality tourists.

Good job on the Chang

[dennis123]

Yes a few more people in Jomtien now.

i think its more Russians,

you can see herds of them out side the 7/11 shops, drinking beer Chang on the steps.

Quality tourists.

Good job on the Chang

Disgusting Russians in their speedos, and that from a gay guy.

It's only gonna get worse now that Turkey shot down that jet and Putin puts a travelban to Turkey

[tropo]

Yes a few more people in Jomtien now.

i think its more Russians,

you can see herds of them out side the 7/11 shops, drinking beer Chang on the steps.

Quality tourists.

Good job on the Chang

Disgusting Russians in their speedos, and that from a gay guy.

It's only gonna get worse now that Turkey shot down that jet and Putin puts a travelban to Turkey

I wear speedos at the beach too. Maybe it was me.

Seriously? You've never seen a decent (male) Russian body down at the beach? I've seen quite a few buff Russians getting around town.

[dennis123]

Yes a few more people in Jomtien now.

i think its more Russians,

you can see herds of them out side the 7/11 shops, drinking beer Chang on the steps.

Quality tourists.

Good job on the Chang

Disgusting Russians in their speedos, and that from a gay guy.

It's only gonna get worse now that Turkey shot down that jet and Putin puts a travelban to Turkey

I wear speedos at the beach too. Maybe it was me.

Seriously? You've never seen a decent (male) Russian body down at the beach? I've seen quite a few buff Russians getting around town.

Of course I've seen but the majority of the time it's some ugly Russian or whatever fat guy with fat wife blocking my view, and if it isn't that it's a whole family with noisy children. Bring back the sex tourists lol.

[KhunBENQ]

Of course I've seen but the majority of the time it's some ugly Russian or whatever fat guy with fat wife blocking my view, and if it isn't that it's a whole family with noisy children. Bring back the sex tourists lol.

Can't give any hope.

3 million* Russian tourists are looking for other destinations than Egypt and Turkey

* the 3 million is only the number for Turkey. Don't know how many went to Egypt.

Edited November 26, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Flanno]

What about the big, fat, ugly Australians, Brits and Euros Blocking the views? Do they count or is it just the Russians?

[onemorechang]

What about the big, fat, ugly Australians, Brits and Euros Blocking the views? Do they count or is it just the Russians?

Yes just the Russians.

Two big fat ones drinking beer on the steps were blocking the access to the 7/11 on jomtien second road yesterday. had to ask them to move,

[whitemouse]

Of course I've seen but the majority of the time it's some ugly Russian or whatever fat guy with fat wife blocking my view, and if it isn't that it's a whole family with noisy children. Bring back the sex tourists lol.

Cmon Deniis, I see tasty looking Russian guys every night around Beach Rd and Central area, trouble is they are never alone, there is always a pesky girlfriend it tow, ALWAYS!

And Russian females can be very protective of their males, so trying to befriend a Russian dude, while the female is near by is not a good idea!

Why do they drag them along? Just to make life miserable for me and you! And on top of that, they themsleves don't look happy at all, as they stroll along Beach Rd, they look pissed of all the time lol, maybe cos it finally occured to them, should have left the woman at home!

[dennis123]

What about the big, fat, ugly Australians, Brits and Euros Blocking the views? Do they count or is it just the Russians?

The typical westerner walks 5 meter to his beach chair and keeps on sitting till his beer is warm or whatever.

Russians are very recognizable cause they come with their wife and like to brown their bodies while standing right in front of your chair, often wearing speedos and their 300 pound wife in bikini, utterly disgusting. If westerners did the same I wouldn't have isolated it to Russians. In other cases they come with the whole family and go sit right next to you instead of moving a few chairs while there's plenty of space.

Westerners often come alone, heck which westerner would even think about taking his family on holiday to Pattaya, sure okay the Russians likely don't know any better so can't blame them on that but they could be a little more aware of their enviroment/behavior.

[swissie]

Loved thequote in post #20, "as they fish for a big,fat,ignorant,near-death white elephant" Classic. The place is full of 'em.High season doesn't bother me too much as I rarely venture east of soi Bukeaow & I always have my regulars.

"as they fish for a big,fat,ignorant,near-death white elephant" Hilarious

May I add another one? = "Coffin Dodgers".

Cheers,

[balo]

Of course I've seen but the majority of the time it's some ugly Russian or whatever fat guy with fat wife blocking my view, and if it isn't that it's a whole family with noisy children. Bring back the sex tourists lol.

Can't give any hope.

3 million* Russian tourists are looking for other destinations than Egypt and Turkey

* the 3 million is only the number for Turkey. Don't know how many went to Egypt.

It's my understanding that Russians living in the western part choose Egypt, Turkey , Greece and even Spain. The distance from Moscow and St Petersburg is a lot shorter so they will not choose Thailand due to the cost of travel . I would imagine Greece would get a big increase of Russian tourists , good for them.

Thailand and especially Pattaya are stuck with the the low/middle class Russians from Siberia and Kazakstan .

[JHolmesJr]

Hotel prices are off the charts.

[balo]

Nothing wrong with Norwegians, they are a friendly bunch of people, except for a few criminals hiding here.

Edited November 27, 2015 by balo

[Rimmer]

A flame and two replies have been removed