Please check the sub-heading of the Regional news forum

[Bangkok Barry]

I've just been to Pattaya for the first time in a year and was amazed to see such a huge area has been cleared. I'm talking about at the Dolphin roundabout end of Second Road, on the right hand side where you then head up to the bus terminal. It looks too big for a hotel or even a huge housing estate.

You locals will know that is happening there, and I'm all ears.

[letudraceh]

Terminal 21 - Pattaya mall
Construction starting soon....

[donnybay]

Ifs its anything like the Bangkok one, marvelous, can't wait for it to open

[gk10002000]

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

[lookforzeros]

Of course the Thais use the malls. I'm sure they'll consider tearing them down now though, after learning about how many you've got in Florida and how you don't need any more.

[tropo]

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

Commiserations! If you lived here full time you might appreciate decent malls. I know most "real" tourists do... and spend a lot of money at Central (currently the only real mall). I do too...

I suppose it's mainly the sex-tourists who are uninterested in mall shopping, but the sex-workers love the malls.

When this new mall opens business is going to get tough in an already tough market. Central Center is closing down for 8 months in May for renovations (excluding Big C supermarket and the Cinema), so they're trying to prepare themselves for extra competition.

[canathai8]

They're building a monument to excessive consumerism, sex-tourists and the odd straight couple..

[DD13]

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

I'll pop along there today and let them know that you won't be shopping there.......

They'll probably "down tools" and scrap the whole idea......

[jacko45k]

Ifs its anything like the Bangkok one, marvelous, can't wait for it to open

Can't wait for all the traffic problems when construction gets under-way!

Another route in and out of town impeded!

[1FinickyOne]

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

I was first in Pattaya in 1974 - a dusty street with a few bungalows - but you can't go back - - and I rarely go to Pattaya but when I do, it would be futile to dwell on what it was -- maybe the greater and more constructive challenge would be to find someplace else with a few bungalows and few tourists...

Maybe you should search out another destination. I am sure these malls do have clientele, be it Thai, Chinese or any varied nationalities.

good luck - paradise is a moving target which changes not only with a place being developed, but within ourselves too..

[SOTIRIOS]

...aside from the illegal condo tower....which they have yet to demolish.....

[AlQaholic]

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

I live in a small fishing village, I go to Pattaya for the glittery shopping.....

[tomyumchai]

really? another mall? with all the same shops selling all the same stuff at exactly the same prices as all the other shops and malls nearby? well at least you dont need to go 200m down beach road now to buy kfc and mcdonalds crap. nice.

[does]

By other (economic) standards, the developement of Pattaya can be seen as economic miracle - from sleepy fishing town to thriving metropolitan city. It's also a weekend magnet for residents of Bangkok, especiallly since Central opened.

Anyone known the (permanent) population of Pattaya?

[Henryford]

Looking at the thumbnail there will be an airport as well, landing could be tricky.

[akentryan]

RE: DOES request for permanent population of Pattaya

The last number I saw was 500,000 made up of one-third Thai, one-third Russian and one-third everything else.

Anotther recent marketing study reported that, including tourists and non-residents, there are 2 million people in Pattaya every day.

Interesting to see if anyone has better info

[DD13]

On the bright side..........

They will probably include a car park.....street parking spaces now being at a premium to the mere mortal car drivers....by the hundreds of buses lining the kerbs

It's another air conditioned place to escape to in the very hot season.......

So........grin and bear it.........in fact.....enjoy it

As far as another mall is concerned....that end of Pattaya is becoming increasingly busy.....and there isn't one.....

[morrobay]

Of course the Thais use the malls. I'm sure they'll consider tearing them down now though, after learning about how many you've got in Florida and how you don't need any more.

If the Thais dont use this new mall not sure how it will be supported. For example isnt The Avenue an example of a non - Thai mall that is not making it ?

Edited March 24, 2016 by morrobay

[buythisdashcam]

"I am..." "I am..."

Any idea that you are not alone in this world ?

And do you think that they are stupid enough to build a mall if they are not 100% sure to make profit ?

I so miss a smaller Pattaya. I don't need any malls. I have plenty of malls here in the USA, California and Florida being my two principal places. I don't go to Pattaya to shop in some glittery place for things that I am not going to buy. I am there touristing for 30 or 60 days. I am not accumulating anything. The old Big C, an old Carre 4, and the gardens mall at the other end of town were all I needed. The Thai locals don't use these big malls. And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there. If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

[i claudius]

Pattaya really needs another shopping mall and with any luck it will have a lot of coffee shops ,we are rather short of those as well ,then it can attract lots more people from Bangkok and at weekends we can all have fun sitting in our air conditioned cars for hours as we drive the 3 killometres to town . yippee

[marmaduke]

I read the mall will have 200,000 sq meters compared to the one in Asoke which is 70,000 sq m.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Rimmer
Forbidden link removed

[avidflyer]

Rugby, from City Hall, told the Pattaya City Expats Club 3 weeks ago that the permanent, registered, population in Pattaya is around 50,000. Total population he guesses is about 110,000.

He expects 10 million visitors next year.

He thinks Pattaya can handle up to 15 million.

He mentioned that there are about 120,000 rooms available for tourists.

[KittenKong]

Rugby, from City Hall, told the Pattaya City Expats Club 3 weeks ago that the permanent, registered, population in Pattaya is around 50,000. Total population he guesses is about 110,000.

There is a reason for this odd statistic: most Thais who live/work here come from somewhere else and are still registered there. As far as I know non-Thais are never counted as residents unless they actually have permanent residency (which hardly any have).

[Bangkok Barry]

really? another mall? with all the same shops selling all the same stuff at exactly the same prices as all the other shops and malls nearby? well at least you dont need to go 200m down beach road now to buy kfc and mcdonalds crap. nice.

If KFC and McDonalds are crap, i wonder how they became popular enough to serve millions of people every day. They provide what people want, always a good business model to follow don't you think?

[nakhonandy]

Rugby, from City Hall, told the Pattaya City Expats Club 3 weeks ago that the permanent, registered, population in Pattaya is around 50,000. Total population he guesses is about 110,000.

There is a reason for this odd statistic: most Thais who live/work here come from somewhere else and are still registered there. As far as I know non-Thais are never counted as residents unless they actually have permanent residency (which hardly any have).

I am sure you are correct on the non-Thai bit as for example a retirement or marriage visa is not seen as residency by Thai authorities, although ironically people who have them, including myself think of them in that way.

The Thai bit as well as my wife is still registered officially in her home village, as are almost all of our non Pattaya born friends.

The actual population of permanent people here is of course much higher than that registered, difficult to estimate!

[DrTuner]

Right, there go the accessible German restaurants nearby then. Another development for the worse.

[guzzi850m2]

The more shopping center's there are, the better for my family. Sounds like it will be very big, perfect

[wabothai]

tents

[CGW]

A public park

[JSixpack]

The Thai locals don't use these big malls.

Yes they do. They work in them too. And we're very concerned about jobs for Thai women around here as you know. (Jobs for Thai men seem never mentioned.)

And I don't think that many foreigners spend that much money there.

It's comforting to think whatever we wish w/o basis in fact, eh. CPN, though, has the numbers and they say that foreigners are a big part of the bottom line:

Improved performance of existing projects e.g. at CentralWorld, CentralPlaza Lardprao, CentralPlaza Pattaya Beach, etc., supported by spending from foreign tourists mainly from China and Korea during their summer travel season. . . . On a q-o-q basis, revenues from hotel operation increased by 6% thanks mainly to higher occupancy and room rate at Hilton Pattaya Beach Hotel with occupancy high at 92% in the third quarter, enhancing RevPar up 4% q-o-q as a result of an increasing number of Chinese and Korean tourist visits during their travel season in July-August. . . . continuing growth in hotel business with higher occupancy in this quarter on the back of increasing number of foreign tourists visiting Hilton Pattaya Beach Hotel. . . . However, the food court at CentralFestival Pattaya Beach experienced revenue growth, driven by higher traffic from tourist visits in the third quarter.

--Central Pattana PCL, Performance Overview: Overall economic condition in 3Q15

You may have noticed a few Chinese here & there around town.

If they would spend the money on fixing the filthy beach water, they would draw more money

No. That's why the new malls are coming here rather than the "cleaner" beach towns.

But you seem to have fallen victim to the Five Stages Of TVF Poster New Construction Syndrome (TVFPNCS):

1. puzzlement
2. disbelief; "no need"
3. laughter; doom prediction
4. hate (disappointment)
5. acceptance

This too shall pass.

Edited March 24, 2016 by JSixpack