A quiet Chinese New Year in Pattaya

[webfact]

A quiet Chinese New Year in Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- Monday saw Thailand and the rest of the world celebrate the Chinese New Year, a time for many to relax and enjoy time with their family and friends but Pattaya was wondering, where did everyone go?

With local Police preparing for long traffic jams by deploying officers at strategic points around Pattaya, they were left with little to do as the predicted rush into Pattaya never materialized.

We toured the city and found Highway 7 very quiet, the Sukhumvit Road was also quiet with normal traffic levels around the Central Pattaya Underpass Construction Site. Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches were also quiet.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221379/a-quiet-chinese-new-year-in-pattaya/


-- Pattaya One 2016-02-09

[shirtless]

Pattaya can expect more non events in the future , as Thailand falls into their tourism tomb.

[harada]

Don't panic TAT say they are on their way by the millions.

[craigt3365]

We were at a major hotel in Ban Chang last week. We saw 2 people by the pool at lunch. This is a huge hotel. And we only saw 2 people.

[never me]

We were at a major hotel in Ban Chang last week. We saw 2 people by the pool at lunch. This is a huge hotel. And we only saw 2 people.

Craig, please dont let this get back to TAT.

[doctormann]

Possibly all on Koh Samet.

Hordes descending on Nadan Pier yesterday morning as we made our escape - just in time!

DM

[WhizBang]

Well,Pattaya may be quiter than expected, but it is definately busier than it has been for the past couple of weeks.

[soalbundy]

We were at a major hotel in Ban Chang last week. We saw 2 people by the pool at lunch. This is a huge hotel. And we only saw 2 people.

Last weekend i visited friends in the up market Dusit Thani hotel on Rama 4 in Bangkok,friends said it was booked out, seemed to be mostly Japanese with a sprinkling of Brits

[morrobay]

Well,Pattaya may be quiter than expected, but it is definately busier than it has been for the past couple of weeks.

The Beach walk was more crowded yesterday afternoon than i have seen it so far this hi season.

Just loads of Asians and middle age and up caucasian couples / groups.

[Yann55]

Don't panic TAT say they are on their way by the millions.

Or was it 'billions' ?

[AG1]

There are probably enough Expats/Tourists in Pattaya, may be they are busy in there Hotel and study the Thai-Law in the first Place, before going out and take part on such dangerous Activities like playing Cards in a Bridge Club!

[Bernard Flint]

Not quiet for me, so many chinese/ thai neighbours were coming around, giving me presents, was thinking about all the thai haters on here, and had to have a smile, maybe i had wind though.

[Bernard Flint]

We were at a major hotel in Ban Chang last week. We saw 2 people by the pool at lunch. This is a huge hotel. And we only saw 2 people.

They were all still in bed, with their tilak ja, 2 thousand baht lighter.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I would like nothing better than to bash TAT as well but the fact is that there will be a steady influx of Chinese to Thailand and many other countries as well.

They have a booming middle class. There will be literally millions of them travelling. There will be no stopping it.

[peterb17]

On my way back from Foodland to Jomtien counted over 80 parked buses- the Chinese were here- but must admit did not see a single one.

It's a mystery. I have a suspicion they were in many of the new huge Chinese only restaurants that have recently sprung up around the city .

Maybe they were in bed early - to look forward to the buffet breakfast.

[DrTuner]

One of the good sides of Pattaya is the low number of Chinese-Thai. It's more of Isaan 2.

[DrTuner]

On my way back from Foodland to Jomtien counted over 80 parked buses- the Chinese were here- but must admit did not see a single one.

It's a mystery. I have a suspicion they were in many of the new huge Chinese only restaurants that have recently sprung up around the city .

Maybe they were in bed early - to look forward to the buffet breakfast.

They are herded around to places catering for groups, like the floating market. The buses then park somewhere, to wait until the herd has been fed and fleeced and picks them up.

How the Chinese can enjoy being cattle I've no idea. Must be that funky cultural revolution thing.

[MrTee]

I heard they were all playing Bridge to while away the hours

[TheCruncher]

It was indeed striking how quiet Pattaya was on Monday compared with just a few days earlier.

Empty roads and supermarkets. When I entered Big C extra I was reminded that it was Chinese new year, and it became even more obvious how few people were inside.

Edited February 9, 2016 by TheCruncher

[wabothai]

On my way back from Foodland to Jomtien counted over 80 parked buses- the Chinese were here- but must admit did not see a single one.

It's a mystery. I have a suspicion they were in many of the new huge Chinese only restaurants that have recently sprung up around the city .

Maybe they were in bed early - to look forward to the buffet breakfast.

They are herded around to places catering for groups, like the floating market. The buses then park somewhere, to wait until the herd has been fed and fleeced and picks them up.

How the Chinese can enjoy being cattle I've no idea. Must be that funky cultural revolution thing.

Asians mostly function in groups.

[CliffH]

There are normally dozens of speedboats on Beach Road awaiting the daily arrival of busloads of Chinese at 7am, but on Sunday and Monday there were no boats, and no Chinese. Sea was rough, but I've seen the boats operate in worse conditions. Never seen this absence of them over the past 8 years I've been in Pattaya during the Chinese new year.

[KhunBENQ]

On my way back from Foodland to Jomtien counted over 80 parked buses- the Chinese were here- but must admit did not see a single one.

It's a mystery. I have a suspicion they were in many of the new huge Chinese only restaurants that have recently sprung up around the city .

Maybe they were in bed early - to look forward to the buffet breakfast.

They are herded around to places catering for groups, like the floating market. The buses then park somewhere, to wait until the herd has been fed and fleeced and picks them up.

How the Chinese can enjoy being cattle I've no idea. Must be that funky cultural revolution thing.

Asians mostly function in groups.

Just imagine that one day the Chinese would travel by private car to Thailand (in masses)

[madpat]

Everyone knows the Chinese enjoy their guided tours, they do not spend so much in bars or restaurants and like a majority of folk they prefer to celebrate with family and friends. With forever changing visa rules and rumours about taxes for this and thatp much tourists are put off due to not understanding what is required videos on Facebook of cops taking bribes off motorists do not hel

[Mot Dang]

Wait 8 weeks. The annual carnage of Song Kran is yet to start. And there is not a damn thing they can do about it.

[elgordo38]

I would like nothing better than to bash TAT as well but the fact is that there will be a steady influx of Chinese to Thailand and many other countries as well.

They have a booming middle class. There will be literally millions of them travelling. There will be no stopping it.

Yes middle class credit card, bank loan tourists. Debt living beyond your means is the one item we did export to Asia along with good paying jobs. When the music stops in China and elsewhere everyone will be scrambling for a chair and not a beach deck chair either.

Edited February 9, 2016 by elgordo38

[Clutch]

It's also reported sales on long sticks that wave small triangular flags are quite.

[Clutch]

It's also reported sales on long sticks that wave small triangular flags are quiet.

[JESSVANPELT]

Well after doing business all over China for more then 30 years i can tell you that the Chines stay in country for there New Years, Millions of them Migrate home to be with there families. The only Chinese who might travel are the Singaporean Chines and possibly some from Hing Kong, but very doubtful

[JSixpack]

The problem is merely that PattayaOne assumed the Chinese New Year's tourists were all driving down. Well, no.

Beach Rd. today--big traffic jam caused mainly by tour buses I think. And I've never seen so many Chinese on the Promenade.

Nor can you talk about numbers of Chinese visitors without talking about Central and other places they commonly patronize.

Nothing to see here . . . move along now.

[JSixpack]

I would like nothing better than to bash TAT as well but the fact is that there will be a steady influx of Chinese to Thailand and many other countries as well.

They have a booming middle class. There will be literally millions of them travelling. There will be no stopping it.

Yes.

Yes middle class credit card, bank loan tourists. Debt living beyond your means is the one item we did export to Asia along with good paying jobs. When the music stops in China and elsewhere everyone will be scrambling for a chair and not a beach deck chair either.

No. Just In Case Fallacy

Well after doing business all over China for more then 30 years i can tell you that the Chines stay in country for there New Years, Millions of them Migrate home to be with there families. The only Chinese who might travel are the Singaporean Chines and possibly some from Hing Kong, but very doubtful

Try to keep up. Things have changed.

But rising individualism and financial independence are seeing more and more young Chinese choose to defy custom, while at the same time tourism and outbound travel are surging. . . . Growing numbers are also seizing the opportunity for tourism, despite slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy. . . . Chinese travellers are by far the biggest spenders in the world, splashing $165 billion in countries they visited last year, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

--New Year, New Travel: More Chinese Choose Tourism Over Tradition

Edited February 9, 2016 by JSixpack