Pattaya is dead

[tropo]

Talk to the people in business, they are all crying into their noodle soup.

They're always crying - every year, every month. It's never busy enough for businesses, and if it seems to be busy 10 more will open up to spread the wealth and ensure most places don't make money.

I have noticed a number of established Family Marts closing down.

[tropo]

Who would go to Royal Gardens is you can go to Central? The former has been dead since the latter opened.

Guilty! I go to both. If you're interested in fashion clothes, there are some very nice stores in Royal Garden - better than Central. Since they've renovated, it's quite pleasant in there.

[morrobay]

Who would go to Royal Gardens is you can go to Central? The former has been dead since the latter opened.

It's probably true that there are fewer "old style" tourists in Pattaya, but if you were to check the stats, I think you'd find a substantial increase in tourists from China and other Asian countries. Hence the enornous number of tour busses.

Take note of the above : does just observed that there has been a major increase in Chinese tourists And thats why there has been an increase in tour buses !

[pegman]

The future of pattaya is bright with brits escaping Dopey Dave, germans fleeing from frau Merkel, americans from obama ànd canadians from trudeau,

No, we fled Harpo. Justin just got in.

[tropo]

Booking.com lots of empty rooms for today in Pattaya

agoda shows 72 Pattaya properties with rooms available for the weekend. The following on Beach Road.

beach hotels.jpg

I'm sure there hasn't been a day on Agoda in the last 10 years or so where there haven't been many hotels available in Pattaya. During busy weekends and holidays, the prices will increase, but this is of no comparative value.

[koiwaolao]

Made an enquiry with booking com for 11 nights from 23 Dec to 3 Jan and was offered some 300 hotels with prices ranging from 2000 Baht to 4000 Baht and that included up market places such as Hilton, Marriott etc etc. These are the cold, hard facts!

[Pattaya Wolf]

Oh yes, Pattaya is FULL. ...really full of Chinese tourists and hundreds of tour buses on the roads. But those chinese guys don't bring much money to pattaya. They booked and paid their whole tour in China at a Chinese travel agency, even the food is included. They stay here just for a few days. All they buy is some souvenirs. They neither buy land, houses or condos like farangs do, nor do they sponsor the girls. So.... what will we count or compare with the last years? The number of the people in town or the benefit for the city and the business people here?

A friend of mine who shall remain nameless, tells me some chinese men use the services of the ladies available in Sin City. But in general you are right about chinese tourists and their holiday spending.

[shaggy851]

I went in the low season and was quietish for pattaya. There was plenty of chinese doing tours, not as many farang tourists more just expats i suspected and not as many rusiians as last year. The bars and walking street were about as quiet as ive seen. Surely its getting busier now especially afternoon and evenings. I had a quick look on agoda lately and i seen the prices shooting up and a few hotels that ive stayed in completely booked up. So if its not busy now it should be

[does]

There is more to Pattaya than beer bars.

I have been here for 8 straight hi-seasons. I know a beer bar owner on Walking St. / Soi Diamond. Every year has been worst than the one before according to both of us.

I agree, I was out and about Thursday night and it was hardly busy, with some beer bars nigh empty. Are they pricing themselves out I wonder, and the current majority of tourists are elsewhere? If they are asking 90 baht for a beer or more to sit in the heat being bitten by mozzies with 3-4 heavy ladies to look at I think I will drink elsewhere too.

[geisha]

I don't think it's only Pattaya. Everywhere in Europe sales are down, shops are empty , restauarants dead, even the supermarkets are waiting for the last rush before Christmas Eve. Not much money around , high taxes etc are not inciting people to travel far !

Also Thailand hasn't got such a good reputation anymore. Too many scams , and a not very bright picture where food hygiene is concerned. You can't hide these things in this day and age. That said, every tourist area has its ups and downs, it's the solid, good quality businesses that come through ok.

[fred Kubasa]

I believe many foreign visitors have discovered Pattaya, as well as much of Thailand is far behind other nations in doing what the THE VISITOR WANTS not what Thailand wants !

[abrahamzvi]

The future of pattaya is bright with brits escaping Dopey Dave, germans fleeing from frau Merkel, americans from obama ànd canadians from trudeau,

Apart from the Brits escaping Dave, I can't see any German escaping Angela, as the economy in Germany is booming, and the same goes for Obama and will soon go for Trudeau. Pattaya has its attractions, but it most certainly is not a shelter for decent Brits, Germans Americans or Canadian!

[VIPinthailand]

Germany economy is not booming at all, it's a disaster. it s all smoke and fog like the 5% unemployment in the USA.

you just get enough to buy food and sleep on a bed but not enough to spend your money around.

[mihalis]

Mates said its busy as... hmmmm

[Jip99]

The future of pattaya is bright with brits escaping Dopey Dave, germans fleeing from frau Merkel, americans from obama ànd canadians from trudeau,

Apart from the Brits escaping Dave, I can't see any German escaping Angela, as the economy in Germany is booming, and the same goes for Obama and will soon go for Trudeau. Pattaya has its attractions, but it most certainly is not a shelter for decent Brits, Germans Americans or Canadian!

I think you may have missed something here........ Pattaya was never designed to be a 'shelter'.

[loppylugs1]

Comparing punters,yes quite a few Indians,hardly spending anything 1 coke per hour stuff,Chinese shunted around en mass and the the westerners mostly 120 year oldies,long time dead stuff,dug up and propped up,hardly any youngsters as of years ago Christ I have two feet in the grave but most of the UK punters now make me look a teenybopper

[pegman]

Jomtien FoodMart, 17:00 Saturday before Xmas, no customers at 2 of 5 checkouts. Huge change from other years.

[berybert]

I lived in Pattaya for a few months a couple of years ago. I have no idea if the hotels were fully booked or not when I was living there as I had no reason to look.

I would hazard a guess that only tourists or hotel employees could tell you if hotels are full or not.

Why would a person living there have any need to contact a hotel ?

Do you really think a falang living in pattaya can take a bargirl home

Do you take your bar girl to a short time room or the Hilton ?

[VIPinthailand]

I remember that 2 years ago, 711 shops were full of Russians buying beers and ice cream.

now 711 are empty.

[guzzi850m2]

Yes it is quite quiet in Pattaya this high season, fell sorry for the people that makes a living of western tourists but for myself it's nice its not so crowded.

I guess all the BKK Thais stay in hotels here during the weekends but they don't sit in girlie/beer bars/go-go's, they will typical go to those big places on 3rd road or on the beach in the shade; eating/drinking whilst their kids play in the water.

[tropo]

I remember that 2 years ago, 711 shops were full of Russians buying beers and ice cream.

now 711 are empty.

No longer getting shoved by impatient and rude Russians in 711's? LOL. Things really are looking up.

[TheCruncher]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

Edited December 19, 2015 by TheCruncher

[berybert]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

How did you know there were 13 spots available ? Is it an electric system or did you get out and count them ? How do you know there were more than 13 cars in front of you ? again did you get out and count them ?

And if all levels were full how come one level had 13 spaces ?

And did not one car leave in the hour you were there ?

So many questions.

[TheCruncher]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

How did you know there were 13 spots available ? Is it an electric system or did you get out and count them ? How do you know there were more than 13 cars in front of you ? again did you get out and count them ?

And if all levels were full how come one level had 13 spaces ?

And did not one car leave in the hour you were there ?

So many questions.

So many idiot questions that it isn't even worth answering them, you clearly have never been to the Central parking lot, yet you come to claim here how quiet it is.

[berybert]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

How did you know there were 13 spots available ? Is it an electric system or did you get out and count them ? How do you know there were more than 13 cars in front of you ? again did you get out and count them ?

And if all levels were full how come one level had 13 spaces ?

And did not one car leave in the hour you were there ?

So many questions.

So many idiot questions that it isn't even worth answering them, you clearly have never been to the Central parking lot, yet you come to claim here how quiet it is.

No I don't drive in Pattaya as I wouldn't want to be so stupid as to drive to the shop spend an hour sitting in the car trying to get parked and then leave having done a tour of the parking lot.

Sorry I forgot which one is the idiot ?

[balo]

Does OP even lives here ? It's just as busy as I remember from last year before Christmas, most bars in the popular sois are packed with farang tourists. And the traffic is terrible.

[SunLover2]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

No surprise. The best mall in the area, on the Saturday afternoon before Christmas, on the weekend when the new Star Wars movie is opening? That feels like the ingredients for the perfect over-crowding storm to me. Personally I avoid such scenario's but many seem to enjoy the energy of the chaotic atmosphere. You know; holiday spirit and all...

SL

[TheCruncher]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

No surprise. The best mall in the area, on the Saturday afternoon before Christmas, on the weekend when the new Star Wars movie is opening? That feels like the ingredients for the perfect over-crowding storm to me. Personally I avoid such scenario's but many seem to enjoy the energy of the chaotic atmosphere. You know; holiday spirit and all...

SL

Yeah, didn't think about the star wars movie opening, can have been a major cause for the crowded parking lot. But at the end it proofs that Pattaya is busy at the moment, because all those cars didn't come out of space.

[tropo]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

How did you know there were 13 spots available ? Is it an electric system or did you get out and count them ? How do you know there were more than 13 cars in front of you ? again did you get out and count them ?

And if all levels were full how come one level had 13 spaces ?

And did not one car leave in the hour you were there ?

So many questions.

It's hard to know all these details, but I'm sure about one thing - if Central is busy on Saturday afternoon, peak time for Thai day trippers, it has little correlation with peak tourist season in Pattaya. A lot of those Thai favoured restaurants in Central are jam packed with Thai people on weekends and public holidays all year around, and do quite well on other days of the week too.

Edited December 19, 2015 by tropo

[TheCruncher]

Went to Central this afternoon at 3pm, and all levels of the parking lot were full. When I reached the top level it had 13 parking lots available, but there were more than 13 cars ahead of me so decided to turn back.

Took me almost an hour from entrance to exit. Pattaya must be really quiet.

How did you know there were 13 spots available ? Is it an electric system or did you get out and count them ? How do you know there were more than 13 cars in front of you ? again did you get out and count them ?

And if all levels were full how come one level had 13 spaces ?

And did not one car leave in the hour you were there ?

So many questions.

It's hard to know all these details, but I'm sure about one thing - if Central is busy on Saturday afternoon, peak time for Thai day trippers, it has little correlation with peak tourist season in Pattaya. A lot of those Thai favoured restaurants in Central are jam packed with Thai people on weekends and public holidays.

it is easy to know all those details because at the entrance of every level it has a digital board that says how many parking lots are available on that level and the the next level.

Every parking place has a sensor, which is connected to the central system, so if it changes continuously.

When you enter a level which has standing traffic from the entrance, you can correctly assume that there are more than 13 cars ahead in the queue, and at the top level the only cars ahead are those that just entered the level and are seeking for parking space.

Edited December 19, 2015 by TheCruncher