Pattaya is dead

[TheCruncher]

Just a reminder to Jiu Jitsu and others. The discussion is 'Pattaya is Dead'. Not 'Tourism is Dead'. Someone commenting on Central Festival being so full he couldn't find a parking space is making a relevant comment--so don't knock it. Can't be too dead if you can't get a parking spot at the mall. It's not ALL about the tourists. There seem to be plenty of tourists but the demographic has shifted so there are probably fewer who spend their holiday on a bar stool.

Central Mall parking is always chaotic on Saturday 3pm. That's the "peakest" time of the week and no indication of how busy Pattaya is in general.

How do you know, since you have stated many times already that you don't drive a car in Thailand.

Only a few posts ago you didn't even know how the car parking looked like.

[donnybay]

This is what Beach Rd looks like on Saturday, 10 pm, outside Mikes at Coffee Bean and Royal Garden. No people, and almost no traffic, for Saturday especially.

These malls close at 10pm, thats why there are no people around, did you look on Walking Street, packed I just came back 2am, gogo's are buzzing, tried to get in Ibar but the place is heaving so gave up to hunger

[Jiu-Jitsu]

This is what Beach Rd looks like on Saturday, 10 pm, outside Mikes at Coffee Bean and Royal Garden. No people, and almost no traffic, for Saturday especially.

These malls close at 10pm, thats why there are no people around, did you look on Walking Street, packed I just came back 2am, gogo's are buzzing, tried to get in Ibar but the place is heaving so gave up to hunger

Yeah...now that is really indicative on the average tourist. But where are the Songthaews relaying the thousands of tourists to Walking Street at 10 pm in whitemouse's pictures? Are the tourists driving themselves there in rental cars? It doesn't take a huge amount of tourists to fill the iBar...and at least half of the entrants will be freelancers.

When people state 'dead', they mean relatively. Let's see the state of affairs over the next month or two. Central's parking being full on a Saturday on Star Wars weekend isn't the sign of burgeoning tourism industry.

[never me]

I also think the news of the syrians floating around with evil intentions has done the job.

Has anyone seen beefed up security at bar complexes etc?

No need for security at the bars.............No customers to protect.

[SunLover2]

Insipid thread premise

Endlessly disagreements over the thread premise

Too few genuine contributions made

More useful for identifying ignore candidates

But one thing appears certain

Based on all the purposeless bickering going on

TV is alive and well...

SL

[Nomyai]

RIP

Windmill bar was buzzing a few weeks ago..................

[silverado]

Insipid thread premise

Endlessly disagreements over the thread premise

Too few genuine contributions made

More useful for identifying ignore candidates

But one thing appears certain

Based on all the purposeless bickering going on

TV is alive and well...

SL

you should apply as mod...

[jacko45k]

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.

I have lived here for 10 years but like to stay with the post I am replying to!

[DD13]

I had to drive up to the 4th floor at Central to get a space at 20.30 last evening........the queues for cars leaving (the long route) was nose to tail all the way down.

Inside the Mall was very busy (OK it is celebration time)

Outside it was "cold" ......and for that matter inside.....so I'm not surprised the Beach Road looked quiet on the pics......Second Road was busy with pedestrians though....(can't say about the bars as I don't use them)

Yes for sure it is probably mostly Thai people from Bangkok boosting the numbers.....but that is "not" a bad thing for a city which has relied on tourists in the past.....tourists can be "fickle" after all.........and we all know there is an abundance of Chinese, but they aren't spenders, outside their package tour deals.

So, not too much to worry about

[berybert]

Heres an idea, why don't those who claim Pattaya is dead and those who claim it has never been busier get together and spend a couple of days/nights travelling around and see just what the situation is.

Its not that big a place this cant be arranged.

[morrobay]

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.

Thats right, And that parking at Central is also Beach parking. And again this OP is an example of a Null hypothesis : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_hypothesis

A general statement or default position that there is no relationship between two measured phenomena. The objective then is to reject/disprove the Null. Ie. reasons why Pattaya is very busy.

[ttthailand]

Walking street has the Chinese, Thais, some Russians and perhaps 500 western tourists and a few hundred locals, LK Metro area a few hundred locals and a few westerners, Soi 7&8 200 hundred tourists and a hundred locals, beer bars second road and 300 tourists and and hundred locals... Beach road .... Other areas ..... Basically you have some people around town and a few areas are a bit full but the over all numbers of people who support the businesses that most TV users go to are small. Outside of the busy areas there are a few people sitting having a beer but not in the numbers that can keep the doors open.

Too many bars in Pattaya anyhow so a hundred closing at the end of high season won't even put a dent in the bar life.

I notice that the bars with the 55 baht beers are 100% full. Perhaps others should follow ...

[morrobay]

Walking street has the Chinese, Thais, some Russians and perhaps 500 western tourists and a few hundred locals, LK Metro area a few hundred locals and a few westerners, Soi 7&8 200 hundred tourists and a hundred locals, beer bars second road and 300 tourists and and hundred locals... Beach road .... Other areas ..... Basically you have some people around town and a few areas are a bit full but the over all numbers of people who support the businesses that most TV users go to are small. Outside of the busy areas there are a few people sitting having a beer but not in the numbers that can keep the doors open.

Too many bars in Pattaya anyhow so a hundred closing at the end of high season won't even put a dent in the bar life.

I notice that the bars with the 55 baht beers are 100% full. Perhaps others should follow ...

I am surprised by the [few hundred locals / few Westerners] ratio on LK Metro

[striderman]

the lk metro area/ that part of buakoaw sports bars were packed last night for the football

[ttthailand]

the lk metro area/ that part of buakoaw sports bars were packed last night for the football

Thank God for football night and weekends. I noticed LK Metro is a major area for locals. Yes, football night brings the numbers up but weekdays only a few hundred hanging around... Many ladies however make it look busier than it really is. My point of my last post is that there are many locals perhaps 2,000 or a few more and a few thousand western tourists hanging around Pattaya but for the number of bars there are just not enough to support them all. Go further south down Soi Buakoaw and the beer bars are empty. That one huge beer bar complex has nearly all the bars shut and the one beside it has one or two guys at each bar.

[biplanebluey]

I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE----------- they have all come to Udon Thani--------- I wont say there are heaps of tourists but every day I go unto town for something lately I have dreaded the traffic jams----- Yes in Udon!!!!! There are heaps of people and thousands of cars.Do not know where they all come from but I will be glad when they all go home.Havnt been round the bars lately so can not report anything on them but I would think that surely some of them will like a couple of beers or a game of pool or something !!!!!!!! Merry Xmas--Dougal

[biplanebluey]

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.

Thats right, And that parking at Central is also Beach parking. And again this OP is an example of a Null hypothesis : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_hypothesis

A general statement or default position that there is no relationship between two measured phenomena. The objective then is to reject/disprove the Null. Ie. reasons why Pattaya is very busy.

HaHa----"null hypothesis " ----"defuult position"-----"measured phenomena"------- OH yes,and Merry Xmas

[morrobay]

the lk metro area/ that part of buakoaw sports bars were packed last night for the football

Thank God for football night and weekends. I noticed LK Metro is a major area for locals. Yes, football night brings the numbers up but weekdays only a few hundred hanging around... Many ladies however make it look busier than it really is. My point of my last post is that there are many locals perhaps 2,000 or a few more and a few thousand western tourists hanging around Pattaya but for the number of bars there are just not enough to support them all. Go further south down Soi Buakoaw and the beer bars are empty. That one huge beer bar complex has nearly all the bars shut and the one beside it has one or two guys at each bar.

The confusion here is with your term "local" most here equate local with Thais as I did above.

And the reason I referenced the Null is because some have called the OP a troll post.

And by the way analyzing the effects of all types of visitors/ with all types of businesses is pretty complicated overall.

[tropo]

Just a reminder to Jiu Jitsu and others. The discussion is 'Pattaya is Dead'. Not 'Tourism is Dead'. Someone commenting on Central Festival being so full he couldn't find a parking space is making a relevant comment--so don't knock it. Can't be too dead if you can't get a parking spot at the mall. It's not ALL about the tourists. There seem to be plenty of tourists but the demographic has shifted so there are probably fewer who spend their holiday on a bar stool.

Central Mall parking is always chaotic on Saturday 3pm. That's the "peakest" time of the week and no indication of how busy Pattaya is in general.

How do you know, since you have stated many times already that you don't drive a car in Thailand.

Only a few posts ago you didn't even know how the car parking looked like.

LOL. You have been paying close attention. I don't even remember your avatar.

I'm at Central just about everyday of the year, and that includes a ride through the carpark.

3 PM Saturday is pretty close to the weekly peak time - not a good time to draw conclusions.

[silverado]

Heres an idea, why don't those who claim Pattaya is dead and those who claim it has never been busier get together and spend a couple of days/nights travelling around and see just what the situation is.

Its not that big a place this cant be arranged.

no need to go there , just look at the live streams :

in the heart of <alking street :

http://www.pattayastreetcams.com/walking-street-1/

http://www.pattayastreetcams.com/walking-street-2/

[silverado]

street view from flb club will be turned on later (evening/night) :

http://www.ustream.t...attaya-thailand

[silverado]

the lk metro area/ that part of buakoaw sports bars were packed last night for the football

no hypothesis , no default position , just a live stream cam on LK metro area very busy area soy buakaw packed :

http://www.lk-metro.com/webcam-2/

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed, we are discussing Pattaya is dead not you most un favourite bar

[VIPinthailand]

if you go to night market around Pattaya. people don't buy anymore like before because many don't have a job.

there are many shops closing and been closed even before Christmas. the situation is so desperated that they preferred to cut their loss and close their business than hoping for the situation to improve .

tattoo business, restaurant, cofee restaurant are all closing. if I ask how too make a business here, most of you would tell me to not to try, right?

this is due to the tension between USA and Russia, terrorism threats from Syrian , and the general market situation which has never been really fixed since 2008. the counter debt on Fox new is still going up. so the one who tell me it's all OK, Is a fool and should remove his pink glasses. Pattaya is dead and will be dead for the next 3 years at least.

[Don Mega]

People aren't shopping in Pattaya due to tension between the USA and Russia, How does that work ?

[newnative]

To answer VIP, who claims Pattaya is Dead, I think a fairer statement would be Pattaya is Changing. Supply and demand is taking care of the number of tattoo parlors that are needed. If some are closing, it's because the demand is no longer there to support the number in business. I think there are definitely more name brands arriving. I see more name brand stores at the mall, more McDonalds and Burger King, etc., and Hooters is on the way. Shops that close are replaced by others that open--I'm sure we've all noticed the big restaurants that have started to open to cater to the Chinese tourists. Pattays is losing some of its honky-tonky, flimsy/temporary type businesses and gaining things more permanent, like The Bay shopping/restaurant/entertainment complex being built on Beach Road. I'm told Pattaya will be getting its version of Bangkok's Asiatique. And, all that newly cleared land by Dolphin Circle I think is going to be a shopping center or some sort. Would love to hear if anyone knows anything more about that. So, not dead but ever-changing.

[toenail]

Pattaya is dead? That is a big laugh. I have lived in Pattaya for over ten years. I do not remember so many traffic jams ten years ago compared to the last two years, especially on weekends. Pattaya is not just for the Western tourist anymore, but many people from Bangkok come to stay in one of the nice hotels with a beach view or stay in their weekend condo. Then there are the white tour buses that have multiplied like rabbits the past two years...they block traffic and block a drivers vision. There are more nationalities from the Eastern part of the globe visiting Pattaya on booked tours (such as the Indians or Chinese) or are independent travelers (such as the Malaysians or Koreans). What most likely is dead is the Western clientele that use to fill up the outdoor bars, go-go bars. This group is dwindling.

[mercman24]

wonder why all the posts about "this supermarket empty, that supermarket empty" why would a holiday maker go shopping in a bloody supermarket for ?,they eat out, when i pop down to Pattaya i never go in a supermarket. can't see the logic in that argument.

[LennyW]

If there was a prize for serial trolling, the OP would be a gold medallist in every subject !

[TheCruncher]

Just a reminder to Jiu Jitsu and others. The discussion is 'Pattaya is Dead'. Not 'Tourism is Dead'. Someone commenting on Central Festival being so full he couldn't find a parking space is making a relevant comment--so don't knock it. Can't be too dead if you can't get a parking spot at the mall. It's not ALL about the tourists. There seem to be plenty of tourists but the demographic has shifted so there are probably fewer who spend their holiday on a bar stool.

Central Mall parking is always chaotic on Saturday 3pm. That's the "peakest" time of the week and no indication of how busy Pattaya is in general.

How do you know, since you have stated many times already that you don't drive a car in Thailand.

Only a few posts ago you didn't even know how the car parking looked like.

LOL. You have been paying close attention. I don't even remember your avatar.

I'm at Central just about everyday of the year, and that includes a ride through the carpark.

3 PM Saturday is pretty close to the weekly peak time - not a good time to draw conclusions.

Strange I thought that motorbikes were not allowed on any other floor than the basement , or maybe ground level where the bike parking is, so I highly doubt that you would be allowed to go 6 levels on your bike.