Goodbye "Sin City" hello "Sports City" - Kobkarn announces Pattaya makeover citing Jetskis as major world attraction

[Lingba]

Thailand is the comedy hub of the world

[Lingba]

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I can just see the "underground powers" that are running the sex industry in Pattaya snickering right now....Like they are going to cave in to her demands so quickly?

[Don Mega]

So tag teaming 10 rentals with 12 mates is not a sport ?

[Prbkk]

She's no fool , but it has not yet dawned on her that flogging fridges and aircons is fundamentally different from, far more simple than, running a complex multi-faceted industry like tourism. She lurches from one lunatic idea to the next without drawing breath and quietly drops last week's plan A in favour of the next poorly conceived bit of nonsense. This scatter gun silliness can never replace some decent strategy development and a "warts and all" review of Thailand's performance and opportunities. She's getting poor advice.

[alant]

I can't remember when this was first actioned but it is years ago that Pattaya was to be changed into the sporting capital of ASEAN. Is this the same article reprinted?

[howzat]

Ha ha. 

Well the announcement last year I think if closing down all the dodgy massage parlours on Soi 33 and Soi 26 in Bangkok came to nothing. In fact they are more blatant than ever particular on Soi 26 which isn't even a recognised so called entertainment area. 

[Jingthing]

Here's my idea.

Invite young international artists of all kinds to have residence in Pattaya and surroundings.

Offer a special visa for the "international artists zone VISA" with full residence rights including a path to citizenship.

Build an opera house. Live theaters. Art galleries (not Teddy Bear "museums")

There is cheap rent here, nice weather, with a NEXUS of such people in 10 or 20 years Pattaya could become one of the major arts and culture destinations on the planet.

I have no illusion they would do such a thing but that is a way they REALLY could change the image of the place in the LONG TERM. 

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, johng said:

The ladies tennis and golf championships, jetski championship @ Jomtien beach,Pattaya (not very)  "international" Music festival,The fireworks competition,Pattaya Marathon are some that  maybe somewhere nearly approaching a world class standard (which world is open to question )

Aliens welcome.

[Wowed]

I wonder if this officials get a special bonus end of the year for the bigger the laughter and the more embarrassing ideas the bigger the money or a free 1.class trip around the world 

[Prbkk]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Here's my idea.

Invite young international artists of all kinds of have residence in Pattaya.

Offer a special visa for the "international artists zone VISA" with full residence rights.

Build an opera house. Live theaters. Art galleries (not Teddy Bear "museums")

There is cheap rent here, nice weather, with a NEXUS of such people in 10 or 20 years Pattaya could become one of the major arts and culture destinations on the planet.

I have no illusion they would do such a thing but that is a way they REALLY could change the image of the place in the LONG TERM. 

Indeed. And structured gap year/study abroad could be part of that. Unfortunately it would take an awful lot of talking to get parents to agree to let "precious" spend 24 hours in Thailand unchaperoned, let alone 6 months or more.

[happyinthailand]

Thailand is hosting the Optimist world sailing championship in July, taking place at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya. 300 participants are from at least 57 countries! Optimists are generally the first boats children learn to sail in and many Olympic champions started in Optimist boats. I hope the Minister is aware of this event and supportive of it as it seems to be exactly what Thailand needs and Pattaya could do with to shake off some of it sleazy image.

[AGareth2]

do they have a cricket ground?

[brucegoniners]

That's hilarious!

[Prbkk]

Maybe a couple of Bridge tournaments.

[Maejo Man]

" The ministry needs to get the word out to foreigners interested in sports and they will come flocking, she said. " 

Of course they will! 

[Chivas]

The women is clearly short of multiple screws. Classic case of engage your brain before opening the verbal exit. Wonder if she'll reinstall Deckchairs on Wednesdays if I ask nicely

[Emster23]

"Goodbye Sin City"? Jet skis? I guess she doesn't consider bearing false witness, theft (charges for damages you didn't cause), sloth, etc as sins. I would say the sin you pay for that Pattaya is known for is far more honest and straight forward. Usually...

[Thailaw]

35 minutes ago, Prbkk said:

She's no fool , but it has not yet dawned on her that flogging fridges and aircons is fundamentally different from, far more simple than, running a complex multi-faceted industry like tourism. She lurches from one lunatic idea to the next without drawing breath and quietly drops last week's plan A in favour of the next poorly conceived bit of nonsense. This scatter gun silliness can never replace some decent strategy development and a "warts and all" review of Thailand's performance and opportunities. She's getting poor advice.

The lady seems to think that you can put lipstick on a pig and turn it into .... a thoroughbred Kentucky Derby- winning champion. Sorry, it is still a "pig".  Pattaya doesn't need "world class" sports events or other attractions, although a few attractions to give people something fun to do for a day or an evening wouldn't hurt. What it needs is a simple and thorough cleaning up, as the pictures above demonstrate is desperately needed. Take the money that would be spent on events, and use it to clean the beaches, the water and the surrounding areas of the trash and filth, and Pattaya will be "world class" in short order. And get the police to control the scammers, the gold chain grabbers and ladyboys, and enforce the traffic laws, and you would be well on the way to creating a Pattaya known for great vacations and not as (or only as) the place for males (old and young) to come for cheap sex. But given the forces and influences involved, it will be difficult/impossible to bring about. So, it is easier to talk about putting lipstick on the pig, as if it will miraculously turn it into that thoroughbred. Nothing but talk; complete nonsense. As it is, Pattaya is a "pig", and sports events ("lipstick") won't change that -- it'll still be a pig. Next........ 

[daveAustin]

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This kind of trade exists in every city worldwide but it is restricted to certain areas and cannot be easily accessed"

Not in my city (in UK), duck. It would undoubtedly give the brawling yobbos that can't get 'any' something else to focus on, but good gawd, perish the thought, munter's paradise! 

[12DrinkMore]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

She intimated this needed to change by zoning

 

I thought Pattaya was already the zone, and a hub?

[manhood]

Yes Khun Kobkarn ......more brainless ideas from your side to change into a sport hub and i really think that the whole governent in charge lost all their brain for anouncing all the hubs in Thailand......

Thanks god we have free press in Europe and can joke about all these empty boxes you all want to sell to the public and lucky thais still can read the truth on other platforms around the world as far able to read other languages...ups shit thais should'n learn it to understand what is going on beside the Thai HUB of the world!

[fforest1]

Another cutting edge idea from the ministry of stupid ideas....

[phantomfiddler]

Good God, are they trying to legitimize the biggest ripoff scam in Pattaya ? Shame on them ! These guys make the motorbike rental crowd look like amateurs

[Jonmarleesco]

'There are many events in the province that are world class ... she ... cited the Jetski World Cup Pattaya and the Bang Saen Triathlon as prime examples.'

 

Might need to get the word out a lot further than it's been travelling. The Jet ski World Cup doesn't seem to have travelled far around Thailand; I doubt the world knows much about it.

[williamgeorgeallen]

water quality in pattaya and north jomtien is disgusting. i wont swim there any more. any word on improving the water quality to enhance attracting tourists?

[Ulic]

Dancing will be the most popular sport. In particular the horizontal mambo.

[peterb17]

2 hours ago, harada said:

Yeah right, Step 1, get through immigration, Step 2, if you haven't decided to leave for another country, head for the city of scams. 

Ah another one who does not actually live in Pattaya- can you enlighten us on your personal experience of being scammed.

 

I have a suspicion we will wating a long time for your reply 

[wirat69]

Yellow Zone at airport for kite flying, or chukwow as it is locally known

Blue Zone for muscle men, and weight lifting as it is colloquially known

Pink Zone for Hero Parade ... and I am unfamiliar, but maybe some cooking shows

Green Zone for the beach with massage and Jet Ski activity 

Red Zone for "service industry" also called Pattaya historic centre

 

 

 

[peterb17]

Oh Dear

 

Yet another Pattaya bashing thread- from the people whose daily excitement is reporting how the rice has grown that day- and of course wish they were in Sin City.

 

The idea of zoning has been around for ages- personally I think get rid of all the beer bars dotted around and push everyone to one small Soi down the coast somewhere . 

[Krataiboy]

Can't wait for her planned visit to Pattaya.

 

Imagine the scene. An elegant and unusually classy (for Walking Street) lady stops a drunken falang tourist in his tracks with a Question of National Importance.

 

"Are you here for sex?"

 

The man can't believe his luck and blurts:

 

"How much?"