Are the good days in Pattaya gone for good?

[Lumbini]

Let's face it the place has changed more in 5 years than it did in the 15 years before that . The place has been butchered , polluted , and lost much of its real feel . Cutting the trees on beach with the widening of beach road now packed with traffic and the stadium lights at night on the beach killed a good thing . The girls are still there but other than that not much else . I still love the place but in no way is it anything close to what it was like 5 or 10 years ago .

[puukao]

the greatest days are during the years of 4582 and 5988 AAR (After Alien Rule).

this is nothing!!!

[meatboy]

Let's face it the place has changed more in 5 years than it did in the 15 years before that . The place has been butchered , polluted , and lost much of its real feel . Cutting the trees on beach with the widening of beach road now packed with traffic and the stadium lights at night on the beach killed a good thing . The girls are still there but other than that not much else . I still love the place but in no way is it anything close to what it was like 5 or 10 years ago .

i lived there in the early 80's,my walk every day from soi 6 down to where the taxi's turned,[currency ex]

same in the evening,only one katoey working the whole length,never saw a fight in 3yrs.

what i read about the place now,not printable.

[sawadee1947]

A friend of mine joined the Vietnam war and was used to fly over to Pattaya... Those were the days dreams came true. Nowadays a hole with prostitutes (or former ones )

[phycokiller]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

[tropo]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

The problem with drawing comparisons such as your such as "I think its lost alot of its funness" is that Pattaya will always lose "funness" for people who have been here a long time. Put another way, it will grow old for most people, eventually.

[Old Timer]

For me it all went down hill '59 when the Gi Joes invaded. It lost all it's charm and character. Locals were much friendlier, less crime, less scum yes the "good ole days" pre '59 are long gone.

[onemorechang]

For me it all went down hill '59 when the Gi Joes invaded. It lost all it's charm and character. Locals were much friendlier, less crime, less scum yes the "good ole days" pre '59 are long gone.

What a load.

[phycokiller]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

The problem with drawing comparisons such as your such as "I think its lost alot of its funness" is that Pattaya will always lose "funness" for people who have been here a long time. Put another way, it will grow old for most people, eventually.

that has to be taken into consideration but I think theres plenty of supporting evidence that things have changed a lot in Pattaya and Thailand. one example might be the gfe that Pattaya was once famous for, no longer exists, you will be lucky to get a long time. May not matter to you or me but changes like that are more then a nostalgic imagination.

[tropo]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

The problem with drawing comparisons such as your such as "I think its lost alot of its funness" is that Pattaya will always lose "funness" for people who have been here a long time. Put another way, it will grow old for most people, eventually.

that has to be taken into consideration but I think theres plenty of supporting evidence that things have changed a lot in Pattaya and Thailand. one example might be the gfe that Pattaya was once famous for, no longer exists, you will be lucky to get a long time. May not matter to you or me but changes like that are more then a nostalgic imagination.

Comparing the attitude of sex-workers is not really the best way to compare the ages because you're seeing Pattaya from the limited view of a sex-tourist... but wouldn't you prefer the girls to be transparent rather than pretending they actually like you and what they're doing?

Yes, times are always a-changin' - that's a given. Technology is probably the biggest factor in attitude changes. The girls can now run their own business right from their mobile apps.

Edited March 16, 2016 by tropo

[mcfish]

10 year's living in bangkok and plenty of trips to Pattaya. I thought I was due for a change, perhaps a permanent move to Pattaya /jomtien but after 3 months Im out of here. The city has no soul and the expats are ooold and I'm no spring chicken myself but your skin needs to look like wrinkled leather to blend in.

Great for holidays but it's empty, just hookers and bars..

Edited March 16, 2016 by mcfish

[tropo]

10 year's living in bangkok and plenty of trips to Pattaya. I thought I was due for a change, perhaps a permanent move to Pattaya /jomtien but after 3 months Im out of here. The city has no soul and the expats are ooold and I'm no spring chicken myself but your skin needs to look like wrinkled leather to blend in.

Great for holidays but it's empty, just hookers and bars..

What do you have in Bangkok which makes it a better place to live?

This is a serious question because from what I've seen I would never want to live in Bangkok. I don't mind visiting there for a day or two for shopping, but what else is there on offer that I'm missing in Pattaya?

Edited March 16, 2016 by tropo

[mcfish]

10 year's living in bangkok and plenty of trips to Pattaya. I thought I was due for a change, perhaps a permanent move to Pattaya /jomtien but after 3 months Im out of here. The city has no soul and the expats are ooold and I'm no spring chicken myself but your skin needs to look like wrinkled leather to blend in.

Great for holidays but it's empty, just hookers and bars..

What do you have in Bangkok which makes it a better place to live?

This is a serious question because from what I've seen I would never want to live in Bangkok. I don't mind visiting there for a day or two for shopping, but what else is there on offer that I'm missing in Pattaya?

It's really no different to comparing any other major city to a beach town. Firstly you have to be a city boy at heart and enjoy the buzz of a big city. However there are 2 specific reasons I prefer bangkok to Pattaya and they are the quality of expat and quality of women.

The fact that Pattaya has polluted beaches doesn't even make it a beach town really so the major attraction is cheap sex. I find that f

Good fun as a tourist but a tad depressing 24/7 for ever.

[tropo]

10 year's living in bangkok and plenty of trips to Pattaya. I thought I was due for a change, perhaps a permanent move to Pattaya /jomtien but after 3 months Im out of here. The city has no soul and the expats are ooold and I'm no spring chicken myself but your skin needs to look like wrinkled leather to blend in.

Great for holidays but it's empty, just hookers and bars..

What do you have in Bangkok which makes it a better place to live?

This is a serious question because from what I've seen I would never want to live in Bangkok. I don't mind visiting there for a day or two for shopping, but what else is there on offer that I'm missing in Pattaya?

It's really no different to comparing any other major city to a beach town. Firstly you have to be a city boy at heart and enjoy the buzz of a big city. However there are 2 specific reasons I prefer bangkok to Pattaya and they are the quality of expat and quality of women.

The fact that Pattaya has polluted beaches doesn't even make it a beach town really so the major attraction is cheap sex. I find that f

Good fun as a tourist but a tad depressing 24/7 for ever.

So really there's really nothing in Bangkok to entice a Pattaya resident to change locations. Different quality of women is a mythical subject best left for a whore monger's forum. There's lots of buzz in both places with even more traffic in Bangkok, but the coast line offers a big relief from oppressive heat even if you don't dip your body into it. What about the pollution in Bangkok. It's often blanketed in smog.

As for quality of expats being higher in Bangkok - that's an interesting statement? Are you of higher quality than us wretched Pattaya expats? How do you judge the quality of our fellow expats?

[mcfish]

10 year's living in bangkok and plenty of trips to Pattaya. I thought I was due for a change, perhaps a permanent move to Pattaya /jomtien but after 3 months Im out of here. The city has no soul and the expats are ooold and I'm no spring chicken myself but your skin needs to look like wrinkled leather to blend in.

Great for holidays but it's empty, just hookers and bars..

What do you have in Bangkok which makes it a better place to live?

This is a serious question because from what I've seen I would never want to live in Bangkok. I don't mind visiting there for a day or two for shopping, but what else is there on offer that I'm missing in Pattaya?

It's really no different to comparing any other major city to a beach town. Firstly you have to be a city boy at heart and enjoy the buzz of a big city. However there are 2 specific reasons I prefer bangkok to Pattaya and they are the quality of expat and quality of women.

The fact that Pattaya has polluted beaches doesn't even make it a beach town really so the major attraction is cheap sex. I find that f

Good fun as a tourist but a tad depressing 24/7 for ever.

So really there's really nothing in Bangkok to entice a Pattaya resident to change locations. Different quality of women is a mythical subject best left for a whore monger's forum. There's lots of buzz in both places with even more traffic in Bangkok, but the coast line offers a big relief from oppressive heat even if you don't dip your body into it. What about the pollution in Bangkok. It's often blanketed in smog.

As for quality of expats being higher in Bangkok - that's an interesting statement? Are you of higher quality than us wretched Pattaya expats? How do you judge the quality of our fellow expats?

Not comparing whores. I mean real women. What does quality of expat mean? Lots of interesting professional people not just weathered old mungers. Im of course not speaking about all expats but you get the general idea right?

I still like Pattaya in short periods and will continue to come here over the years but it's a no go for ever. No big deal to you so relax lol

[tropo]

Not comparing whores. I mean real women. What does quality of expat mean? Lots of interesting professional people not just weathered old mungers. Im of course not speaking about all expats but you get the general idea right?

I still like Pattaya in short periods and will continue to come here over the years but it's a no go for ever. No big deal to you so relax lol

OK, got it. Yes, I will definitely concede there are a lot more professional, normally employed "real women" in Bangkok. Apart from being good to look at, these women are not really of any significance to older retired expats though. It's not likek they're going to be interested in older, retired expats.

Everyone becomes old and weathered with time, even those "interesting professional people" you find appealing in Bangkok. Older expats prefer to retire in a more relaxed environment i.e. a beach side town. When I wake up in the morning all I hear are birds chirping and the clock ticking. There's a lot of quiet places to live in Pattaya, even near the centre of town.

[phycokiller]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

The problem with drawing comparisons such as your such as "I think its lost alot of its funness" is that Pattaya will always lose "funness" for people who have been here a long time. Put another way, it will grow old for most people, eventually.

that has to be taken into consideration but I think theres plenty of supporting evidence that things have changed a lot in Pattaya and Thailand. one example might be the gfe that Pattaya was once famous for, no longer exists, you will be lucky to get a long time. May not matter to you or me but changes like that are more then a nostalgic imagination.

Comparing the attitude of sex-workers is not really the best way to compare the ages because you're seeing Pattaya from the limited view of a sex-tourist... but wouldn't you prefer the girls to be transparent rather than pretending they actually like you and what they're doing?

Yes, times are always a-changin' - that's a given. Technology is probably the biggest factor in attitude changes. The girls can now run their own business right from their mobile apps.

thats true, but my point is that if you did like how it was before there are still places similar that you can live in. its a matter of what you want but for me Pattayas no no longer has what I came for, altho its still a lot better then most places

[tropo]

thats true, but my point is that if you did like how it was before there are still places similar that you can live in. its a matter of what you want but for me Pattayas no no longer has what I came for, altho its still a lot better then most places

Maybe this is going a bit off track, but newbies appreciate bargirls a lot more than more experienced punters who learn about all the warts. I think when a lot of people are making comparisons to the old days, they're comparing newbie excitement with current reality. After awhile Thailand (and Pattaya) gets old - it wears off. Most places do.

[morrobay]

all depends what you are looking for, if you have plenty of money and want a lifestyle similar to the west but warmer weather, nice condo, car, supermarkets, hospitals, night out at hooters, then Pattaya has probably never been better. for myself, I think its lost alot of its funness, people arent as friendly as they once were, and fortunately there are some good alternatives so I wont be here much longer

The problem with drawing comparisons such as your such as "I think its lost alot of its funness" is that Pattaya will always lose "funness" for people who have been here a long time. Put another way, it will grow old for most people, eventually.

that has to be taken into consideration but I think theres plenty of supporting evidence that things have changed a lot in Pattaya and Thailand. one example might be the gfe that Pattaya was once famous for, no longer exists, you will be lucky to get a long time. May not matter to you or me but changes like that are more then a nostalgic imagination.

Comparing the attitude of sex-workers is not really the best way to compare the ages because you're seeing Pattaya from the limited view of a sex-tourist... but wouldn't you prefer the girls to be transparent rather than pretending they actually like you and what they're doing?

Yes, times are always a-changin' - that's a given. Technology is probably the biggest factor in attitude changes. The girls can now run their own business right from their mobile apps.

The general environment in Pattaya and gfe/attitude of the girls have to be taken in tandem.

For alot of single males here the gfe was main attraction and it could over ride the negatives that have come into play in last 5 - 10 years.

But now if that kind of experience is not so common * Then it is not worth it to many to put up with what this place has become.

In order of best to worst:

1. Nice geographic environment and gfe ( good old days)

2 Degraded geo environment and gfe available ( intermediate period )

3. Degraded geo/social environment and gfe not available. * (present period )

* this type of experience is still available but limited availability

Edited March 17, 2016 by morrobay

[Awohalitsiktoli]

I can appreciate the three different periods and have lived through them all. There are so many variables that can characterize each period, but the transition from a relaxed social environment (the past) and less degraded physical/biological environment (the past) to a terrible social environment (the present) and horribly degraded physical/biological environment (the present) is clear to those with a long-term perspective. I am seeing some terrible trends: 1) acceleration of the degradation of the physical/biological environment; 2) rising xenophobia and associated anger and frustration (mental problems are off the scale--both farangs and Thais); 3) a new generation with nothing between its ears but anger and a love for alcohol and noise pollution. The new, shiny condominiums are not enough to make this "fetid smell" go away. On the positive side, Central Festival Mall is a great mall. And it is nice to have access to good hospitals and dentists. It is too bad that the promenade development projects in both Pattaya and Jomtien destroyed what was once one of the main attractions. RIP........yes, the "good days" have definitely left the room, but there are worse places to be, that is for sure.

[Rimmer]

An off topic inflammatory post and reply have been removed, topic is 'the good days'

[onemorechang]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

Edited March 17, 2016 by onemorechang

[DrTuner]

gfe = girlfriend experience. Days bygone.

[onemorechang]

gfe = girlfriend experience. Days bygone.

Thanks

[tropo]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

It describes a charade in which a prostitute pretends to be a genuine girlfriend during her period of employment. Played skillfully the end result could be marriage or ongoing remuneration packages.

It's one of the biggest dangers a naive sex tourist faces. It's definitely not a good thing as unsuspecting punters lose touch with reality.

[onemorechang]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

It describes a charade in which a prostitute pretends to be a genuine girlfriend during her period of employment. Played skillfully the end result could be marriage or ongoing remuneration packages.

It's one of the biggest dangers a naive sex tourist faces. It's definitely not a good thing as unsuspecting punters lose touch with reality.

Yes , that's why i never got it.

Prostitute and girlfriend are not the same.

But they must be for some people.

[brewsterbudgen]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

It describes a charade in which a prostitute pretends to be a genuine girlfriend during her period of employment. Played skillfully the end result could be marriage or ongoing remuneration packages.

It's one of the biggest dangers a naive sex tourist faces. It's definitely not a good thing as unsuspecting punters lose touch with reality.

Yes , that's why i never got it.

Prostitute and girlfriend are not the same.

But they must be for some people.

Ah, but in Pattaya the prostitute/bargirl/girlfriends are different

[DrTuner]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

It describes a charade in which a prostitute pretends to be a genuine girlfriend during her period of employment. Played skillfully the end result could be marriage or ongoing remuneration packages.

It's one of the biggest dangers a naive sex tourist faces. It's definitely not a good thing as unsuspecting punters lose touch with reality.

Yes , that's why i never got it.

Prostitute and girlfriend are not the same.

But they must be for some people.

Ah, but in Pattaya the prostitute/bargirl/girlfriends are different

Actually might have been. Where the earlier batches were looking for a long time sponsor, it seems like the industry has now globalized into the standard stopwatch running system. Thais are losing the edge they had in the game.

[tropo]

What's a gfe ? ( girl friend ? ) who knows.

I just cant keep up with the three letter acronyms

It describes a charade in which a prostitute pretends to be a genuine girlfriend during her period of employment. Played skillfully the end result could be marriage or ongoing remuneration packages.

It's one of the biggest dangers a naive sex tourist faces. It's definitely not a good thing as unsuspecting punters lose touch with reality.

Yes , that's why i never got it.

Prostitute and girlfriend are not the same.

But they must be for some people.

Ah, but in Pattaya the prostitute/bargirl/girlfriends are different

Yes, which brings to mind another charade. Ex-bargirl, usually a bit long in the tooth, sets up a small business such as a hair salon, clothing stall or shop, restaurant, laundry etc. Unsuspecting tourist thinks the girl is "real" i.e. His girl is different. These "good" girls can do rather well even into their 40's.

[Nasrullah]

I can appreciate the three different periods and have lived through them all. There are so many variables that can characterize each period, but the transition from a relaxed social environment (the past) and less degraded physical/biological environment (the past) to a terrible social environment (the present) and horribly degraded physical/biological environment (the present) is clear to those with a long-term perspective. I am seeing some terrible trends: 1) acceleration of the degradation of the physical/biological environment; 2) rising xenophobia and associated anger and frustration (mental problems are off the scale--both farangs and Thais); 3) a new generation with nothing between its ears but anger and a love for alcohol and noise pollution. The new, shiny condominiums are not enough to make this "fetid smell" go away. On the positive side, Central Festival Mall is a great mall. And it is nice to have access to good hospitals and dentists. It is too bad that the promenade development projects in both Pattaya and Jomtien destroyed what was once one of the main attractions. RIP........yes, the "good days" have definitely left the room, but there are worse places to be, that is for sure.

Good post!!!

Rising xenophobia or rising contempt?