High Season ?

[si196]

Just wondering,are the streets of pattaya full of tourists or is it still quiet.

Edited December 17, 2015 by si196

[Basil B]

Must be busy... Even "Doom & Gloom" do not seem to have time to post.

[JESSVANPELT]

of course its busy and his season, the place is full active and the hotel rooms are far and few between.

it happens every year and it won't stop high season guaranteed from November 15, to April.

[falang07]

any pictures to prove it?

[loppylugs1]

Not very "high", few days after Christmas will be spot the white man again

[geoinparadise]

like a ghost town near Big C extra, but many Chinese here, you do not see them spend money however. Not good for local economy

[Michael8511]

There are a lot of tourists if you count the heads, lots of Chinese and Russians. 7/11 restaurant of choice must do well. Jomtien beach and Dongtan beach is crowded also here a lit of Russians, the sun bed count are down so it looks fuller then it use to be 3-4 year back.

[domdom]

Hello

I don't go to bars.. What I can tell you from my own experience, VERY FEW people in Pattaya..

I go nearly every day to Big C Tai.. only 2 cashiers open and no queue..

We live in Najomtien.. For now nearly 3 weeks there is hardly anyone to be seen in the floating market at least morning.. In april May June, we usually saw 20 to 30 buses in front of the market.. NO BUS TO BE SEEN for at least 10 days.. and nobody inside (I paass in front of it every day around 9.30 and 11.30..

Same for monkey elephant park at 300 meters of it..

Spoke yesterday in Big C with some english people working there as department managers.. Their comment is it is VERY QUIET..

The only place where it looks busy is on Sukhumvit just before taking a turn to Klang where all buses go to pick up chineses tourists (rubberland or something like this).. I don't know what is going on inside, but always packed with 20 to 30 buses bloking the traffic..

According to me the number of real tourists is very low.. Don't forget chinese tourists vey few participate to local economy.. packages including everything, I heard some of them wanted a few days ago to buy something in a 7/11 and didn't have bahts, only their money and were very surprised not to be able to use it.. (which means till date they had not purchased anything even a drink..!!)

Apparently are taken into account as "tourists" everybody arriving to Swampy..

There are some chinese packages for 3 days in Thailand.. So if you count per "head arriving" in Swampy you will get double for 2 people staying 3 days, than one spending 6 days.. This doesn't mean tourists number has duplicated..

According to me high season is VERY low.. Lots of businesses tell it and are quite anxious about the situation.. One was telling me yesterday "and only one week to reach Xmas"..!!

Have a nice day

[merlen10002]

I am always amazed at how little people that post on TV really know, but I guess most that they know is gained from the bar stool at their favourite bar, especially the ones from Pattaya, unless you have or had a business in Pattaya or speak with the Thai business people it is very hard to know how busy it is. looking at people walking around or seeing the tour buses with Chinese don't do much for business, the Chinese don't spend money it is all per paid for in China.

Many times I see posted on here the high season starts after December , that is really wrong, most business in tourists places are charged one amount of rent for the high season and a lower rent for the low season, the high season starts in October and the high rent starts in October until May, low season is June ,July , August , September, . easy to check just ask any one that has a business for tourist .

As for hotels being full that is wrong also, many are still discounting a lot, occupancy way down in most hotels, one way to know if the hotels are doing well, they let off fireworks when the hotel reaches full occupancy normally late at night, have not heard many fireworks this year yet, and not many last year, the years before many fireworks every night. again easy to check just ask any hotel they will tell you.

Many Farangs don't realize the big affect that the Russian tourist stopped coming to Pattaya had on all business in Pattaya,,, Russian tourist not the ones living in Pattaya,,,, some Russians are still come but numbers are way down, many business gone broke many not making money like before, things are not good for business in Pattaya.

[domdom]

I totally agree... Some hotels still give 50% discount, and normally this time of the year, it is a nightmare to go down Pattaya Tai to reach Pattaya 2nd road or beach road.. Same, 3rd road is normally packed.. Nowadays, quite easy to go even at 11.30 in the morning, which I normally absolutely avoid at this time of the year..

Yes LOTS of russians disappeared and LOTS of second hand condos for sale, even with discounts don't find buyers..

I heard a pretty high number of businesses closed down in Kho Chang as buses don't go there and few "common" tourists to be seen, even resorts close apparently

Have a nice day..

[mercman24]

i have a female friend who owns a bar in Pattaya, she said her bar very quiet, has never known it like this,

[jamie2009]

Some new Bars and restaurants opened, Indian on 2ng Road, another Scooter Bar in LK Metro and the Elephant Bar next to the Dragon Bar in Soi Bulkhao being reopened, The Pook Bar also had a name change and a big refurbishment. Some people must be thinking it's going to 'pick up' again.

[Pinot]

It's slow in Phuket but starting to pick up. Business people blame no sunchairs on the beach. I blame the world economy, the Ruble and the Aussi dollar. Phuket beaches are so much better off without sunchairs.

[jamie2009]

like a ghost town near Big C extra, but many Chinese here, you do not see them spend money however. Not good for local economy

I live next to the Big C in South Pattaya, very few customers, TBH it stocks very few fresh food products, more household goods, yet Tesco's along the road is always busy with queues at the check outs of Thais and farangs. I am not sure you can judge tourism by customers in supermarkets as most I imagine are in hotels in Central Pattaya. I have noticed a few fair skinned farangs but most if coming will arrive next week,the 2 week tourist looking to sample the delights of Pattaya

[KhunBENQ]

Don't forget chinese tourists vey few participate to local economy.. packages including everything, I heard some of them wanted a few days ago to buy something in a 7/11 and didn't have bahts, only their money and were very surprised not to be able to use it..

They had assumed that the colonization of Thailand has already been completed

They have to wait a few more years.

[domdom]

The fact that some "naive" people purchase bars or restaurants being assured by the previous owner that it is a gold mine he would never sell if he had not bigger business aims, doens't prove it works... In fact most of the business are back on the market after a few months to try and find another new come to buy it..

[Jip99]

There are more people here this week than last week.

There were more people here last week than the week before.

That conclusion is based on my personal observation of the volume of people week by week in the areas in which I observe them.

[mogo51]

of course its busy and his season, the place is full active and the hotel rooms are far and few between.

it happens every year and it won't stop high season guaranteed from November 15, to April.

Are you kidding, do you work for the travel Associaiton or something?

[TheCruncher]

Hello

I don't go to bars.. What I can tell you from my own experience, VERY FEW people in Pattaya..

I go nearly every day to Big C Tai.. only 2 cashiers open and no queue..

We live in Najomtien.. For now nearly 3 weeks there is hardly anyone to be seen in the floating market at least morning.. In april May June, we usually saw 20 to 30 buses in front of the market.. NO BUS TO BE SEEN for at least 10 days.. and nobody inside (I paass in front of it every day around 9.30 and 11.30..

Same for monkey elephant park at 300 meters of it..

Spoke yesterday in Big C with some english people working there as department managers.. Their comment is it is VERY QUIET..

The only place where it looks busy is on Sukhumvit just before taking a turn to Klang where all buses go to pick up chineses tourists (rubberland or something like this).. I don't know what is going on inside, but always packed with 20 to 30 buses bloking the traffic..

According to me the number of real tourists is very low.. Don't forget chinese tourists vey few participate to local economy.. packages including everything, I heard some of them wanted a few days ago to buy something in a 7/11 and didn't have bahts, only their money and were very surprised not to be able to use it.. (which means till date they had not purchased anything even a drink..!!)

Apparently are taken into account as "tourists" everybody arriving to Swampy..

There are some chinese packages for 3 days in Thailand.. So if you count per "head arriving" in Swampy you will get double for 2 people staying 3 days, than one spending 6 days.. This doesn't mean tourists number has duplicated..

According to me high season is VERY low.. Lots of businesses tell it and are quite anxious about the situation.. One was telling me yesterday "and only one week to reach Xmas"..!!

Have a nice day

NO BUS TO BE SEEN for at least 10 days.. and nobody inside (I paass in front of it every day around 9.30 and 11.30..

[chicowoodduck]

Same shi* different day.....all I know is that I'm on Santa's naughty list just by the fact that Pattaya is my home....?

[chicowoodduck]

Some new Bars and restaurants opened, Indian on 2ng Road, another Scooter Bar in LK Metro and the Elephant Bar next to the Dragon Bar in Soi Bulkhao being reopened, The Pook Bar also had a name change and a big refurbishment. Some people must be thinking it's going to 'pick up' again.

Elephant Bar will be shut in a few months.....no need for another bar on Soi Buakhao....someone is looking to blow their wad on another good deal...?

[jacko45k]

Pattaya is still relatively quiet, although traffic is heavy.

Jomtiem looked busy a few days earlier, many Russians I believe.

Edited December 18, 2015 by jacko45k

[morrobay]

To the OP , yes the streets are full of tourists. Very crowded along Beach rd and the Beach is very crowded now.

But I guess the take away here, from those above who are familiar with various local businesses, that this is deceiving.

Edited December 18, 2015 by morrobay

[lonewolf99]

I have been down and around nearly every back soi in Jomtien and Pattaya on the bicycle over the last couple of weeks and I see a lot more (sorry a few more) shall I say Europeans around than I have seen for a few years now, walking around, sitting in bars, cafe's on baht busses etc.

But, I think that happened before for the Dec / Jan period and then it all tailed off. I also noticed that there are far fewer coaches at the non floating market - the reality is it is a muddy pond - In fact one morning I only saw 6 mini buses...

Strangley there are still far too many coaches around with Chinese - but if you look closely at them I never see a full one.

For sure Russian/Soviet numbers are up a bit from what I see on riding up Jomtien beach.

And...on the subject of Beach Umbrellas.... I heard from a very good source ( successful local business woman ) that next year Pattaya/Jomtien will have no umbrellas at all on the beach. You read it here first folks...possibly tied in the with the new landscaping of the beach....They are going all out for that Miami / Venice Beach look except with the abstract cooking oil / Som Tam stains and "in your face" stinking trash instead of mosaics on the pavement.

[jaybas]

I feel terrible that the tourists are not coming in droves this year. I hate it when I can walk down the street without having to zig and zag every 5 ft. I hate it when I go to bar fine a chic and to find out she hasnt been bar fined at all this week. It just disgusts me that I can drive down beach road in the afternoon and can pretty much keep at a decent speed all the way down. The worse thing is that the girls are bartering as though they actually need the money now.

WHOA...wait a minute....that was a dream...I LOVE this!!!!!

[loppylugs1]

Some new Bars and restaurants opened, Indian on 2ng Road, another Scooter Bar in LK Metro and the Elephant Bar next to the Dragon Bar in Soi Bulkhao being reopened, The Pook Bar also had a name change and a big refurbishment. Some people must be thinking it's going to 'pick up' again.

Elephant Bar will be shut in a few months.....no need for another bar on Soi Buakhao....someone is looking to blow their wad on another good deal...?

Elephant Bar will be shut in a few WEEKS....no need for another bar on Soi Buakhao....someone is looking to blow their wad on another good deal...?

[golubchik]

We are living here for the past 4 years. Pattaya definitely has tour buses with Chinese groups, but most places are pretty quiet despite traffic congestion especially bad weekend evenings on Pattaya Tai and Klang plus Sukhumvit. We have some friends with bars and stores who tell us their business is vert slow. Just spent a couple days on Koh Samed, very very quiet except for one big hotel that had Chinese groups, aside from that though it was really dead everywhere else.

[camo007]

I have over 200 small business customers in Pattaya and can confirm this Peak Session is a complete FAIL. Hotels are at best 50% average occupancy and we are still able to get rooms at all major locations. Beaches are empty and clubs from what i see are just trying to survive. Locals and Expats make up the largest amount of business currently not tourists.

[KhunBENQ]

Just an observation.

One of my preferred places has free standard rooms all the month into January except for two or three days around New Year.

I remember a year when I could not get a room in February as a walk in.

Good for me as I want to be there a few days in January without planning ahead.

Edited December 18, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[williamgeorgeallen]

9 years in pattaya and every year many business owners complain about how quiet it is. I am out of town at the moment but before I left it was building up to high season and I barely saw a westerner but the roads were getting crazy busy. I don't really understand how it all works. things do seem a bit more dire this year with many businesses up for sale or closed. I was luck to sell my 2 houses. just wish I could sell my 2 condos as well.