Patong - The Wake

[xylophone]

On 9/28/2020 at 4:45 PM, DFPhuket said:

There is hardly any place left to eat at Jungceylon. In the outside eating street where Wine Connection is (and is closed), only Pizza Hut remains open (probably because they deliver). In the rear the food choices are McDonald's or the small menu at Starbucks, in the center court the Thai restaurant and KFC are open, and Burger King plus Coffee Club remain open in the front. 

Regarding your point about there being hardly any place left to eat in Jungceylon (or anywhere for that matter), I was fortunate enough to be able to dine at a restaurant in Kathu last night, and I know it's not Patong, but it might interest folks who live in Kathu, or for those in Patong who don't mind travelling over the hill for good food.

 

The name of the Italian restaurant is: La Casina Rossa Phuket, and it was a lovely relaxing and well laid out restaurant and extremely clean, and it served great food, delivered by very pretty waitresses I have to say. Anyway it was a treat to get out of Patong and eat in that restaurant, and I can highly recommend it.

 

On the way back I decided to stop off and have a look at Bangla Road and pay a visit to the Hippie Road bar, and I was extremely disappointed, because Bangla was almost empty apart from a few girls in a small bar or two who were staring hopefully into an empty Bangla, with some Thai folk meandering around.

 

I did notice that Sweetie Bar had installed a live Thai band in the place, probably hoping to lure some Thai punters, although the previous week there was a Farang singing with the band, and that Farang was actually in Hippie Road bar when I went there last night, singing to an audience of three Thai folk!!!

 

Obviously I didn't stay at the Hippie Road bar and decided to head off home.

 

Something I forgot to mention on my last post was that a few days before it, I spotted a couple of pickup trucks in Nanai Road, which were loading up motorbikes from a couple of shops, as the market to hire bikes has obviously dried up, and from what I gather from a couple of folk I know who own businesses similar to this, quite a few of these rental places actually buy their bikes on hire purchase and hope that the monthly rentals they receive, cover the repayments and provide a profit. Whereas others go to auctions and pick up repossessed bikes on the cheap.

 

Whatever they do, they, like many other businesses rely on tourists and we know what's happened to them.
 

[Agusts]

Farang tourist resorts, Phuket and Patong specially, are not doing well at all, in comparison other spots are doing okay. I went for a few days motorbike trip to Nakhon si thamarat last week, first two hotels were full, not one room for me...!?

3rd hotel was almost 3/4 full...! 

 

They said travel agents packing large coaches with villagers from various parts and bring them over, getting more money from government subsidies than they actually spend - aka lots of creative accounting... ! ????

 

Two biggest discos on Sat. night charge 200b and 100b entry, and told me it's really packed insude, I saw people stuck at the door so turned away. Next night when free entry I went in, imagine a place 3 times size of illusion packed with hardly a place for stand...!!! 

 

Restaurant and bars with live music had many people, okay , it's a big city , but also many visitors, normal life and trade goes on there, hardly any masks, traffic all day. On the mountain and seaside met a few minivan full of Thai visitors from Phuket...! 

 

General consensus was not good about Phuket when I said it's dead, opinion is that the place is expensive rip off for farang and full of Corona ...!!!??? Give me a break about Corona...☹️ - but that's how Thais from other parts think of the place...

 

Only opening of borders to farang will save places like Phuket, Koh Samui, Ao Nang..., while other places can cope with Thais and government subsidies...

 

 

[DFPhuket]

Now The Coffee Club in front of Jungceylon has also closed. 

[London Lowf]

When this thread started (over three years ago) the title was a little sensationalist and over-dramatic - events have now unfolded in such a way that fiction has become fact!

 

Yesterday Singapore Airlines/Silk Air cancelled my December>March trip (surprise, surprise) and, after ten winter months over the last six years, I have given up on Thailand and shifted my attention to the Caribbean or South America.

 

I don't believe that Thailand will open up to regular international tourists until there is a generally available vaccine, assuming that there is such a thing in the pipeline somewhere, and I really can't blame them.

 

Patong is indeed dead and I don't believe it will ever recover to it's (already poor) 2019 levels - the infrastructure will literally crumble in the tropical heat and humidity if there is no money to maintain it.

[billythehat]

On 10/7/2020 at 5:52 PM, London Lowf said:

When this thread started (over three years ago) the title was a little sensationalist and over-dramatic - events have now unfolded in such a way that fiction has become fact!

 

Yesterday Singapore Airlines/Silk Air cancelled my December>March trip (surprise, surprise) and, after ten winter months over the last six years, I have given up on Thailand and shifted my attention to the Caribbean or South America.

 

I don't believe that Thailand will open up to regular international tourists until there is a generally available vaccine, assuming that there is such a thing in the pipeline somewhere, and I really can't blame them.

 

Patong is indeed dead and I don't believe it will ever recover to it's (already poor) 2019 levels - the infrastructure will literally crumble in the tropical heat and humidity if there is no money to maintain it.

“I don't believe that Thailand will open up to regular international tourists until there is a generally available vaccine, assuming that there is such a thing in the pipeline somewhere, and I really can't blame them.”

 

The issue of international tourists being able to go to Lalaland is a more complex issue than Somchai High Command issuing the command to open the trap door and allow international mongers tourists back in at this present time. The Chinese on the other hand would come even if the whole island was buried under 2 meters of Buffalo pooh.

 

“Patong is indeed dead and I don't believe it will ever recover to it's (already poor) 2019 levels - the infrastructure will literally crumble in the tropical heat and humidity if there is no money to maintain it.”

 

Regarding the subject of infrastructure; the supply of potable water and treatment of surface/waste water must be maintained at all costs for public health and safety, lest malaria/cholera get a foothold. Conversely, with less strain on the existing sewer networks due to less tourists in the main areas that cater for such, the network would be unlikely to ’crumble’ too quickly. Can’t see they would fail to maintain the treatment plant in Patong either, but then again...

[xylophone]

17 hours ago, billythehat said:

but then again...

But then again, nothing surprises me in Patong any more and I only hope that the drains that they are digging up again and stuffing around with, is an effort to improve them, rather than because they are crumbling.

 

As I said nothing surprises me, although one or two new shops have opened up around the place and I suppose these people are taking a long-term punt, although I did hear rumours that they were a few people around, who had money, and were looking for bargains?

 

Maybe there are, or maybe there aren't, however I do know that there are folks out there who are willing to sell at a reduced price, and indeed a lady friend of mine has just sold her Toyota Yaris, with just 29,000 km on the clock, for 270,000 baht, and in the end it was a desperation sale.

 

On the other hand, another friend of mine has one rai of prime land (with chanote), with a sea view, near Kata which could be a great spot for a huge villa, or apartments, or indeed two or three villas, if bought by a developer, but no one seems to be beating a path to his door as yet, so maybe there isn't that much spare money around and what I heard were just unfounded rumours??

 

A friend who went out on Monday night to celebrate a Thai lady's birthday was shocked at the lack of people in Bangla, and did tell me that the largest bar in the street is now only going to be open on weekends (including Friday I think) whilst another bar owner has thrown in the towel because the landlord wants the key money upfront now, and it is in the millions of baht, so that becomes a "no-go" situation (I suppose the landlords are wealthy enough not to have to worry??).

 

Not going to get better any time soon, even if jet loads of Chinese arrive here, not that they would be welcomed by everybody.........
 

[LivinginKata]

Ok so I will pop my head up and comment. Our rental homes are not making any income. We have plenty tenants but they can't pay rent as in the entertainment sector. They just manage pay electric charges. Given we own our properties then our maintenance and on costs are low. As it happens I have some pension money that keeps us afloat.  I expect we need to eat into our savings to pay the bigger insurance bills like medical.

 

I don't expect any regular paying guests until late 2021. Very bleak for everyone with a small business.

[DrDave]

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

Ok so I will pop my head up and comment. Our rental homes are not making any income. We have plenty tenants but they can't pay rent as in the entertainment sector. They just manage pay electric charges.

<snip>

Hopefully the non-paying tenants will do the right thing and pay some or all of the back rent when things improve. As the landlord, you did the right thing by allowing them to stay, and I would hope they'd return the favor when they're able.

[Agusts]

14 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

Ok so I will pop my head up and comment. Our rental homes are not making any income. We have plenty tenants but they can't pay rent as in the entertainment sector. They just manage pay electric charges. Given we own our properties then our maintenance and on costs are low. As it happens I have some pension money that keeps us afloat.  I expect we need to eat into our savings to pay the bigger insurance bills like medical.

 

I don't expect any regular paying guests until late 2021. Very bleak for everyone with a small business.

We all pay our condo rent in full in our building, even one on annual contract who can't get back pays it as normal, I only manage to go to low season rent after June...!

 

Where are you, I maybe can move into your building... ????, not sure who your renters are, Thai or foreign, but surely they can't just stay on and on for free...! ????

 

[KarenBravo]

I wouldn't drop rent by 100%. Wear and tear is still going on.

If the land-lords do lower rent, the figure is usually 50%.

Can't pay 50%? Then you should go back to your own country.

LiK, your tenants are shameless.

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

I wouldn't drop rent by 100%. Wear and tear is still going on.

If the land-lords do lower rent, the figure is usually 50%.

Can't pay 50%? Then you should go back to your own country.

LiK, your tenants are shameless.

 

You have no idea. These are multi year good tenants. You want me to throw them out. Jeez .... 

[KarenBravo]

51 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

You have no idea. These are multi year good tenants. You want me to throw them out. Jeez .... 

Multi-year clients that are now paying nothing. You can't get 50%, or 25% out of them?

They were good tenants, but, could you really describe them as that now?

Have they even tried to pay you some rent?

 

Your business is no longer a business. It's a charity. If you can afford that, then all power to you.

[stuandjulie]

17 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Multi-year clients that are now paying nothing. You can't get 50%, or 25% out of them?

They were good tenants, but, could you really describe them as that now?

Have they even tried to pay you some rent?

 

Your business is no longer a business. It's a charity. If you can afford that, then all power to you.

Bit harsh, I think he has Thai's as long term tenants, how can they pay if they get no income and nothing from the Gov ? Seems to me he is being a good guy.

[DrDave]

LiK's post about tenants unable to pay rent drives home the point that in a severe economic downturn such as this, someone is always left "holding the bag".  As in this case, sometimes it's an individual landlord. Sometimes it's a company, and often it's the banks. Like a game of musical chairs, whoever is at the end of the economic chain is left without a chair when the money stops flowing.

The first reaction of many people is that banks should forgive loans, or provide lengthy grace periods. The problem is that banks are a business, much like any other business. They have employees to pay, capital and non-capital expenses, taxes and other obligations to pay and so on. In addition, banks have to maintain government mandated liquidity levels in order to stay in business. I think we all know what happens when a bank falls below liquidity thresholds and becomes insolvent.

The other common reaction is that the government should step in and provide some sort of assistance or bailout. That money has to come from somewhere. Few (if any) governments have reserves for this type of action, so in simplest terms, they're faced with borrowing, or printing more money, which devalues the country's currency in the world market.

So, bringing this back to the situation in Patong, some bag holders are better positioned than others. Business owners (bars, guesthouses, etc) face losing their income, and possibly capital investments when they're evicted by the landlord for non-payment of rent. Landlords with no mortgage are in a better position than those with mortgages (although like the business owners, they lose the income they rely upon for daily living expenses). Large national banks are better positioned than regional banks that operate only in a distressed area because they're more likely to be able to absorb the cost of non-performing loans in a particular region without becoming insolvent, but it's still a major risk.

There's no simple solution, however it's obvious that in situations like this, someone (or some entity) is always left holding a big steaming bag of doggie doo-dah.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

Multi-year clients that are now paying nothing. You can't get 50%, or 25% out of them?

They were good tenants, but, could you really describe them as that now?

Have they even tried to pay you some rent?

 

Your business is no longer a business. It's a charity. If you can afford that, then all power to you.

 

I just knew I should not have poked my head out with the Thaivisa Crew. 

 

These are foreigners with no income.  Those that could get back home are gone. There is no-one looking to rent. I could leave homes empty or have known tenant take good care of the property. They all offer to do repairs whatever. You expect me to offer free rent for any passer by.  Get real.  

[KarenBravo]

36 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

I just knew I should not have poked my head out with the Thaivisa Crew. 

 

These are foreigners with no income.  Those that could get back home are gone. There is no-one looking to rent. I could leave homes empty or have known tenant take good care of the property. They all offer to do repairs whatever. You expect me to offer free rent for any passer by.  Get real.  

Passer by, or not. The result is the same. I think I am in the realm of reality, but, are businessmen who give away their products for free. No income? How do they eat? I bet quite a few of them are still drinking alcohol. Money that should be in your pocket.

[Kopitiam]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

Passer by, or not. The result is the same. I think I am in the realm of reality, but, are businessmen who give away their products for free. No income? How do they eat? I bet quite a few of them are still drinking alcohol. Money that should be in your pocket.

It's the pregorative of LIK not to collect rent in this pandemic time.  He is making merits with his kind act and the satisfaction of doing a good deed is more than whatever money he can squeezed from his long time tenants.  We should not pass judgement on LIK.

[KarenBravo]

10 minutes ago, Kopitiam said:

It's the pregorative of LIK not to collect rent in this pandemic time.  He is making merits with his kind act and the satisfaction of doing a good deed is more than whatever money he can squeezed from his long time tenants.  We should not pass judgement on LIK.

Did you read the last sentence of my post #1542?

[stuarty]

3 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

I just knew I should not have poked my head out with the Thaivisa Crew. 

 

These are foreigners with no income.  Those that could get back home are gone. There is no-one looking to rent. I could leave homes empty or have known tenant take good care of the property. They all offer to do repairs whatever. You expect me to offer free rent for any passer by.  Get real.  

No you get real  It is a loser situation  Give them a bottom line for payment  Nobody has no money, and if so chuck them out .. <deleted>, LIK?

 

 

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

I just knew I should not have poked my head out with the Thaivisa Crew. 

 

These are foreigners with no income.  Those that could get back home are gone. There is no-one looking to rent. I could leave homes empty or have known tenant take good care of the property. They all offer to do repairs whatever. You expect me to offer free rent for any passer by.  Get real.  

What you do and how you treat your tenants is entirely up to you LiK. No need to take notice of anyone else, your decision and yours alone and that's all there is to it.

 

Good on you for showing some compassion in these troubling times.

[pagallim]

33 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Multi-year clients that are now paying nothing. You can't get 50%, or 25% out of them?

They were good tenants, but, could you really describe them as that now?

Have they even tried to pay you some rent?

 

Your business is no longer a business. It's a charity. If you can afford that, then all power to you.

The reality is that were LiK to evict the tenants, where are there replacements going to come from?    Thus their remaining there is cost neutral as long as they are still paying for utilities.  When (and if) the situation improves and they are once again earning, I'm sure that LiK's kindness will be remembered.

[Old Croc]

9 hours ago, pagallim said:

When (and if) the situation improves and they are once again earning, I'm sure that LiK's kindness will be remembered.

I hope your optimism about the morality of so many in this age is not misplaced.

Perhaps I live too much in the past, but the trait of self first seems to be the overriding trend in todays society.

[Patong2]

I would never proffer an opinion on LIK's business decisions

As a landlord myself I am very aware that good tenants are something to be treasured and if their prior dealings are good and there is little chance of reletting I think I would come to the same decision perhaps with a month by month review for when they get a job.

 

The good tenant you know is better than a new tenant you don't know. The stress a poor tenant gives and the damage they can do far outweigh what you would lose for a short term downtime in rent. An empty apartment invites problems too.

[Agusts]

Are there still foreigners here who are out of the job and not earning...!? I thought their work permit and visa expire by now and they have to leave...! 

 

Although if they are some Russian lap dancers from Bangla I could easily accommodate them as a landlord ... lol ????... ????...

 

[billythehat]

On 10/8/2020 at 2:44 PM, LivinginKata said:

Ok so I will pop my head up and comment. Our rental homes are not making any income. We have plenty tenants but they can't pay rent as in the entertainment sector. They just manage pay electric charges. Given we own our properties then our maintenance and on costs are low. As it happens I have some pension money that keeps us afloat.  I expect we need to eat into our savings to pay the bigger insurance bills like medical.

 

I don't expect any regular paying guests until late 2021. Very bleak for everyone with a small business.

Well done, sir. Philanthropy in these difficult times should be applauded, not slagged off. It’s your look-out and no one else’s business how you conduct your finances.

 

Okay, maybe the missus, but no one else. ????

[xylophone]

And another one bites the dust........I have just driven past what was once a restaurant called "I Love Spaghetti" and it has been demolished!

 

Completely gone apart from a bit of a shell left, and so sad to see it go because it has been a bit of an institution in Nanai and I would think it's been here for about 20 years, however not too sure of that, but I do remember eating there in 2006 and it was well established then.

 

Of course it would have taken a hit from the Italian restaurant about 50 m up on the other side of the road, and also another one which opened a further 60 or 70 metres up from that, and all of the food in those establishments is reasonably cheap, so I guess they were competing on price, and that's never a good thing.

 

IMO the best Italian restaurant in Nanai Road, and for some way around I would think, is Da Moreno, and the large pizzas in that place owe their heritage from the pizzas served in La Capannina in Nanai 2.

 

I say this because my favourite Italian restaurant, Salute, (just off Bangla Road) closed about two months ago so I'm looking out for other ones of note, apart from my own culinary delights!

 

I did bump into a girl who works in a restaurant called "Kitchen", which is just opposite the top of Bangla Road, and almost next to Taipan, and she told me that the restaurant was open and started serving at 5 PM and finishes just after midnight, so I will have to give that a try on my next foray out.

[schlog]

40 minutes ago, xylophone said:

And another one bites the dust........I have just driven past what was once a restaurant called "I Love Spaghetti" and it has been demolished!

 

Completely gone apart from a bit of a shell left, and so sad to see it go because it has been a bit of an institution in Nanai and I would think it's been here for about 20 years, however not too sure of that, but I do remember eating there in 2006 and it was well established then.

 

Of course it would have taken a hit from the Italian restaurant about 50 m up on the other side of the road, and also another one which opened a further 60 or 70 metres up from that, and all of the food in those establishments is reasonably cheap, so I guess they were competing on price, and that's never a good thing.

 

IMO the best Italian restaurant in Nanai Road, and for some way around I would think, is Da Moreno, and the large pizzas in that place owe their heritage from the pizzas served in La Capannina in Nanai 2.

 

I say this because my favourite Italian restaurant, Salute, (just off Bangla Road) closed about two months ago so I'm looking out for other ones of note, apart from my own culinary delights!

 

I did bump into a girl who works in a restaurant called "Kitchen", which is just opposite the top of Bangla Road, and almost next to Taipan, and she told me that the restaurant was open and started serving at 5 PM and finishes just after midnight, so I will have to give that a try on my next foray out.

Thanks xylo for Da Moreno. Will give that a try. My last pizza delivery pizzeria hut 1 also closed after serving great the last months.

It's not easy any more to get good fresh food in Patong.

[KarenBravo]

That's a problem everywhere with restaurants.

Not many customers, low turn-over of food and in this business climate, people are loathe to throw stale food away.

Doing a lot of home cooking these days, not just to save money, but, to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

[Agusts]

Interestingly enough just riding down the second (main) road going north to south, just before royal paradise hotel area , I see a brand new pizza place opened on the left/east side, don't recall seeing it before...! ,  as one closes another one opens, and so it goes on....????

 

[xylophone]

16 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Doing a lot of home cooking these days

And you're not alone by the sounds of it, not only because I have been doing a lot more cooking at home these days, but in speaking to the Thai owner of a recently opened Italian restaurant, about how things were going, she lamented the fact that even though the prices were cheap, quite a few of the "recent regulars" have now told her that they are coming out less and cooking at home more.

 

Needless to say the most of them are Italian.