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Do you like the way Pattaya has changed?


Krapow

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Sweet and sour for me

I used  to love my early days 20+ years ago. I enjoyed the rawness of the place, the low prices and good FX rates.  It was much seedier then, and generally, the attitude of the girls was better, no smartphones, mainly internet shops, less dating sites. A lot more raucous action in many of the GoGos and Soi 6 too. Less bars, but more girls. 

That said, it was inevitable that change would come about. A lot of it for the good. Better standards of accommodation, much better choice of eateries and better quality food. A new  and better airport. Cleaner streets, nicely done out Gogos. But with all that has come tattoos, higher prices, more strict regulations, in an effort for the Thais to make or try and make Pattaya a "world Class" destination. Swarms of Chinese, Korean and Russian tourists added into the mix, and long queues at immigration. Not that I resent them, as they have every right to visit, and don't bother me in person, but they have been part of the overall changes as tourism has developed in the City. 

I guess I have also changed, and as I am older now and referred to as "papa" by some of the girls, I no longer feel like a handsome man on heat, well not as often. I do like the fact that I know so many people in Pattaya as well as regular tourists who are out at the same time  Never alone if I do not wish to be.

I think mostly for me, personally, I prefered Pattaya when I first started to visit and was totally overwhelmed with the place. Nowadays, I know where everything is, what to avoid, and almost what my holiday is going to be like, with few surprises left.  Always looking for something new, but very rarely find it, so it has become very predictable for me

I remember when I couldn't wait to get back to Thailand and would book my next leave period as soon as I returned to the UK, so that I had it to look forward to.  That is not the case anymore, and probably twice a year at the most is my limit. 

Although I am past the addictive stage, there is still something that lures me back to Pattaya. So many times I have thought about going somewhere else for a change, but in the end I am on the internet booking another flight and accommodation in Pattaya.

I still enjoy my holidays, but I don't have that sadness about leaving at the end, and after 3 weeks or so, I am ready to come back to normality and exhausted my options

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Go back 22 plus years no 3rd road passed the klang no soi 7 beer bars just green fields  soi 8 just starting  total Wild West . No police check points at night hardly any police visible at night all all.

Back in those days being single I loved it town was open 24/7 so much fun to be had.

Now being married with children with responsibilities and being 55 years old instead of 33 I prefer this pattaya hands down still fun to be had but in a different way.

 

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16 minutes ago, Tony Justice said:

Go back 22 plus years no 3rd road passed the klang no soi 7 beer bars just green fields  soi 8 just starting  total Wild West . No police check points at night hardly any police visible at night all all.

Back in those days being single I loved it town was open 24/7 so much fun to be had.

Now being married with children with responsibilities and being 55 years old instead of 33 I prefer this pattaya hands down still fun to be had but in a different way.

 

Same as myself, people change, their situations change, Pattaya's changes now suit my situation.

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On 9/14/2018 at 11:06 PM, Krapow said:

Or Thailand in general?

When I first started coming Pattaya was very much a 'Man's Town', where it would be rare to see families or groups of females apart from Thais. It was kinda the wild west, where most there knew what they were there for, Thai or farang. Beach Road was rammed with freelancers, there was no big shopping malls bar Royal Garden, Mikes, the Bid C's etc. Infrastructure was not as it was today, in general a lot more seedy. 

Now the place is coming down with families, groups of middle aged females waddling across 2nd Road, big flashy malls, loads and loads of Chinese, Indians, Russinas etc, loads more choice in food outlets, places to go or see. Yes the 'girls' are still there, but no way as in your face, it's different, sanitised to an extent if you like.

On trips to Thailand, I spend a few days in Pattaya, I have a small condo there, but the changes now suit me as I visit with my wife and young daughter (who's 2). Things like all the very nice kids play places in Central, places like Central full stop, all the new choices we have, and of course the 'girls' aspect changing doesn't impact me now.

That said, if I was of the same mindset as when i first came to Pattaya 12/15 years ago, not married, I would not be happy with the changes. I'd have preferred it the way it was, more like the wild west, a man's town, wanting the 'sex and girls' more in your face etc.

Mirrors my feelings about the place---liked it better in those days but the passing years have made the town a little more user friendly. Still,  that old feeling of getting into town and knowing that just about everyone you saw anywhere was focused on the same thing-- the ladies!--is long gone. It was that "Man's Town" aspect that made it so much fun and so different than any other place. That character of the city has vanished and been replaced by hundreds of tour buses, throngs of tourists for whom Pattaya is just another stop on a pre-packaged holiday. The ladies are still here and easily found if wanted, but that old character has been swamped by the new and makes the town seem far less unique.

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Personally I've changed a hell of a lot over the past 20 years so the changes in Pattaya probably aren't as noticeable to me especially as when we come to Thailand we stay at our house on the darkside.

I still expect one could get a drink and f**k 24/7 in Pattaya town. The biggest change I have seen is the crackdown on drink drivers.

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5 hours ago, thegrogmonster said:

Personally I've changed a hell of a lot over the past 20 years so the changes in Pattaya probably aren't as noticeable to me especially as when we come to Thailand we stay at our house on the darkside.

I still expect one could get a drink and f**k 24/7 in Pattaya town. The biggest change I have seen is the crackdown on drink drivers.

Regularly stopped on the motorbike but that was to be as expected but never stopped in the car in and around Pattaya until about 3 years ago. I have now had a full licence check in the Car 12 times with most, but not all, on the Sukhumvit Road. One of the checks was at 10.30 on a Saturday morning and they were breath testing drivers although I was not tested myself.

It has certainly changed my habits. When I am out on the piss in Pattaya I stay overnight and drive back to Bangsaray after lunch.

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