It seems like the low season this year is really low, even compared to previous years.

 

Is just my figment of imagination or is there real decline in tourist around?

 

 

Edited September 14, 201610 yr by jvr

You are right. It is  only a figment of your imagination.

If all those "low-season-lower-than-last-year" threads that I read over the years woild be only half true, then beaches, shops and roads in Pattaya would be empty... ?

I get the impression that whilst total numbers may be about the same or less, a lot of traditional tourist types have been replaced by Chinese. This means that some venues/places are now empty whilst others are full. Luckily I only ever really see the Chinese when they are in their tour buses as I rarely if ever go to the same places as them.

There are lesser farangs, at least that's how I see it, this is of course the "low season" , but as for me it seems very low this year.

 

I manged to park at 3 separate locations on Second Road between late afternoon and early evening yesterday.

 

Low season is really here.... or it was yesterday anyway.

 

As always, your experience may differ.

There's also a greater concentration going on, a 'ghettoising' of at least farang tourists.

 

Soi Bukhao and Soi LK bars are full of drinkers, some busy even in the afternoon, whereas the proliferating music bars of (farang-lite) Walking Street seem to be at least grabbing SOME Chinese trade down there, although the Walking Street beer bars are very quiet, as their traditional market seems to have migrated to Soi Bukhao.

Low season? Yes, if you check out the attractions in Soi 6, 6/1, 7, 11, 12, 13, 13/1, Walking Street and Soi Bhuaokhow...it's low season. 

 

If you check out the mediocore hotels just outside Pattaya, Jomtien and Naklua and the typical tourist attractions in and around town, they don't complain. 

Lots of Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Taiwanese tourists around and they do spend quite some money, but unfortunately it flows into Chinese businesspeople's pockets.

 

So yes, it's low season for many.  

I am quite enjoying the few, multicolored tour buses that are striving to replace the mostly grounded OA Transport fleet. It may be purely coincidental but traffic does seem to be less obstructed around town.

Just wait!

When's Songkran again ?

Songkrans long gone in April,  next big Pattaya events are Loy Krathong and fireworks festival followed by Christmas and New year.

I'll be very surprised if Thailand has a good low , or high season this year. Apart from the low cost tourists, mostly Chinese and Russian , there will be a lot less of European/ American tourists.There are a lot of economic problems around the world today, and people are holiday ing close to home. We have seen this in nearly all of the favourite holiday spots this year. Add to that, Thailand is no longer a " cheap" place to vacation. Prices in good hotels are near prices asked in Europe these days.A week or two , for example, on Koh Chang or Phuket will cost the same in a similar European resort. Sadly, I was told by one of the leading travel agencies, Thailand is not fashionable anymore and has too much bad press concerning accidents , murders and attacks on foreigners. 

Still plenty of people in Patong walking street at night,,  just the girlie bars that suffer,  as most seem to be Chinese or Korean and they all have their own pretty woman with them..  In fact some are downright beautiful  !!!!  

I wish some of them would stay and work in the bars.....  hehe  

On 9/14/2016 at 1:04 PM, KittenKong said:

I get the impression that whilst total numbers may be about the same or less, a lot of traditional tourist types have been replaced by Chinese. This means that some venues/places are now empty whilst others are full. Luckily I only ever really see the Chinese when they are in their tour buses as I rarely if ever go to the same places as them.

haha, yeah they don't go to the bars much, but plenty of them at the malls with bags of goodies, so they do spend money,   but not on beer and woman..   But that's ok,   more for meeeee  

yes it is quieter 

According to one expat I know who has two hotels in Jomtien, he said tourist business has been steadily declining for years. He said the recent influx of Chinese doesn't help and he doesn't even want their business. He said they are rude, difficult to deal with, trash the rooms, and want special deals where he won't make any money.

 

He believes it will continue to decline. The increased social media awareness of the crimes against foreigners (and lack of police enforcement) also has an effect.

 

He said he doesn't expect it to improve for a number of years but he's going to stick it out.

On ‎9‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 11:49 AM, Swiss1960 said:

If all those "low-season-lower-than-last-year" threads that I read over the years woild be only half true, then beaches, shops and roads in Pattaya would be empty... ?

 

Many of them are empty.

On 14/09/2016 at 10:58 AM, thaitero said:

You are right. It is  only a figment of your imagination.

+1  I thought it was the rainy season!!! We had a low over us a week or so ago but it's better now. 

We have a low over us this evening.

 

The good bars and GG bars are pretty full. WS is pretty busy. Parts of SLKM are busy. Crap bars etc are pretty quiet. 2nd Rd mercifully quieter most of the time.

On 15/09/2016 at 8:01 AM, sharecropper said:

There's also a greater concentration going on, a 'ghettoising' of at least farang tourists.

 

Soi Bukhao and Soi LK bars are full of drinkers, some busy even in the afternoon, whereas the proliferating music bars of (farang-lite) Walking Street seem to be at least grabbing SOME Chinese trade down there, although the Walking Street beer bars are very quiet, as their traditional market seems to have migrated to Soi Bukhao.

So LK Metro is a Kak free zone. Thus many farang are gravitating there. When you're on your leave from the MENA region you don't really want to celebrate diversity unless of course you are Gay.

I rented a nice hotel room Jan. 2011 for 1700 baht,  then same place Jan. 2016 1000 baht.  They were full up in 2011 and empty in 2016, in fact every hotel I checked had rooms available this year. Must mean something.  Hotels in soi 13 area, Pattaya.

4 hours ago, geisha said:

I'll be very surprised if Thailand has a good low , or high season this year. Apart from the low cost tourists, mostly Chinese and Russian , there will be a lot less of European/ American tourists.There are a lot of economic problems around the world today, and people are holiday ing close to home. We have seen this in nearly all of the favourite holiday spots this year. Add to that, Thailand is no longer a " cheap" place to vacation. Prices in good hotels are near prices asked in Europe these days.A week or two , for example, on Koh Chang or Phuket will cost the same in a similar European resort. Sadly, I was told by one of the leading travel agencies, Thailand is not fashionable anymore and has too much bad press concerning accidents , murders and attacks on foreigners. 

Slightly off topic.I am in Nha Trang,Vietnam at the moment and there are tourists and expats everywhere.Maybe tourists,after doing Thailand a few times have moved on to check out other places.Quite enjoying the price of beer here and the seafood is fantastic.

9 hours ago, villagefarang said:

We have a low over us this evening.

 

 

You look pretty good for a 40 year old dog.  Any humans in your lovely life?

5 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

You look pretty good for a 40 year old dog.  Any humans in your lovely life?

My daughter there is eight and I am sixty two, not forty.  My wife and I are far to sexy for these pages.

8 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

far to sexy for these pages

 

I thought the song went  "I'm to sexy for my shirt..so sexy it hurts"    Right Said Fred

4 minutes ago, johng said:

 

I thought the song went  "I'm to sexy for my shirt..so sexy it hurts"    Right Said Fred

That is the reference but with a little literary license thrown in.

On 20 กันยายน 2559 at 3:49 PM, geisha said:

I'll be very surprised if Thailand has a good low , or high season this year. Apart from the low cost tourists, mostly Chinese and Russian , there will be a lot less of European/ American tourists.There are a lot of economic problems around the world today, and people are holiday ing close to home. We have seen this in nearly all of the favourite holiday spots this year. Add to that, Thailand is no longer a " cheap" place to vacation. Prices in good hotels are near prices asked in Europe these days.A week or two , for example, on Koh Chang or Phuket will cost the same in a similar European resort. Sadly, I was told by one of the leading travel agencies, Thailand is not fashionable anymore and has too much bad press concerning accidents , murders and attacks on foreigners.

I've been hearing the old "less tourists" mantra for years and years, but the prices never come down.

On Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 0:59 AM, villagefarang said:

We have a low over us this evening.

 

 

 

"...in a house, in a field, in a valley with a view ..."

Sounds like a song in the making.

There appears to be no decline in Indians!? In fact a major increase?