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This Christmas and New Year in Pattaya


Jambo

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Sadly, is not going to be anything like this!

Xmas.jpg      Xmas 2.jpg

I normally return to Bangsaray/Pattaya for about 10 days every month. Sai comes down for usually 3 days for her monthly dental appointment and then heads back to Mae Sot on the Thursday leaving me to meet up with friends and enjoy speaking exclusively with english speakers once again.

As Sai and her sister will be particulary busy in Mae Sot over the "Buddhist" Christmas/New Year opportunity to make money it was suggested I make an extended stay in Bangsaray/Pattaya next month.

I was very much looking forward to that until it dawned on me that it is going to be nothing like the Christmas/New Year festivities and party atmosphere I have enjoyed for the previous 13 years. How can it be with none of the usual visitors from all over the world and the Town's entertainment venues dependant upon the same expats who will be out and about every week?

There is no high season to look forward to and there is no low season just the new abnormal.

If I was not a born again "hansum Man" I might well get depressed. 🤣

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I'm thinking of spending Christmas up country actually. 

There's a local bar that will do a Xmas dinner which I surmise will be full with all the local expats so should be good. 

I'll then return after Xmas to avoid the crazy NYE traffic. 

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1 hour ago, fforest said:

As long as you don't have a business in Pattaya or your not a working girl or a moto-cy driver its really not to bad.... 

Yea, I agree!

It just boils down to what you make your life everyday  ( regardless of the ups and downs .. even though I really never have any downs ) ... I am a happy camper !

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It'll be almost exactly the same as last year: a full Christmas dinner cooked with my own fair hands and served outside on the patio. The same GF, the same guests, the same food, nothing different here other than that I'll be serving a cheaper "champagne" (channeling my inner scrooge, lol) and we'll all be a year older, but thankfully all still alive. And thank you for that blessing, Thailand!

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UK wise not sure. My sister's where I usually go, will be full of kids. With Diabetes2 not sure a wise move. Sister said I should go as only one day....I explained that was a reason for not going. Exposing yourself for the sake of one day.

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13 hours ago, Jambo said:

Sadly, is not going to be anything like this!

Xmas.jpg      Xmas 2.jpg

I normally return to Bangsaray/Pattaya for about 10 days every month. Sai comes down for usually 3 days for her monthly dental appointment and then heads back to Mae Sot on the Thursday leaving me to meet up with friends and enjoy speaking exclusively with english speakers once again.

As Sai and her sister will be particulary busy in Mae Sot over the "Buddhist" Christmas/New Year opportunity to make money it was suggested I make an extended stay in Bangsaray/Pattaya next month.

I was very much looking forward to that until it dawned on me that it is going to be nothing like the Christmas/New Year festivities and party atmosphere I have enjoyed for the previous 13 years. How can it be with none of the usual visitors from all over the world and the Town's entertainment venues dependant upon the same expats who will be out and about every week?

There is no high season to look forward to and there is no low season just the new abnormal.

If I was not a born again "hansum Man" I might well get depressed. 🤣

I see MO in first pic flashing his little brownie.

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22 hours ago, fforest said:

As long as you don't have a business in Pattaya or your not a working girl or a moto-cy driver its really not to bad.... 

Tell that to the large number of Thai's in Pattaya who used to have a job in the entertainment/hotel/restaurant/shops and even 7/Elevens all over Pattaya.

As for expats there are large areas of Pattaya that are basically in darkness in the evenings and common sense says stay out of them at night. It is only a matter of time before unemployed Thai's become dangerous unemployed Thai's!

Just walking from Le Pub to the Temple Car Park made me feel uncomfortable and even more so when you get there and find your car is now in the dark.

There are, by all accounts, other entertainment venues hanging on until the New Year after which things may well get decidedly worse.

Light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines on the horizon but I cannot see Thailand being able to vaccinate sufficient of the Thai population to politically open up their borders to mass tourism before the end of next year at the earliest.

 

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5 hours ago, Jambo said:

to the Temple Car Park made me feel uncomfortable and even more so when you get there and find your car is now in the dark.

Switching off the lights early, those dang monks and all their concerns about global warming, lol.

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5 hours ago, Jambo said:

Tell that to the large number of Thai's in Pattaya who used to have a job in the entertainment/hotel/restaurant/shops and even 7/Elevens all over Pattaya.

As for expats there are large areas of Pattaya that are basically in darkness in the evenings and common sense says stay out of them at night. It is only a matter of time before unemployed Thai's become dangerous unemployed Thai's!

Just walking from Le Pub to the Temple Car Park made me feel uncomfortable and even more so when you get there and find your car is now in the dark.

There are, by all accounts, other entertainment venues hanging on until the New Year after which things may well get decidedly worse.

Light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines on the horizon but I cannot see Thailand being able to vaccinate sufficient of the Thai population to politically open up their borders to mass tourism before the end of next year at the earliest.

 

For Thais, yes things are really bad...

For farangs with businesses, yes things are really bad....

But for retired expats things are not so bad...

For bargain hunters looking for deals on rent or whatever things have never been better...

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7 hours ago, fforest said:

For Thais, yes things are really bad...

For farangs with businesses, yes things are really bad....

But for retired expats things are not so bad...

For bargain hunters looking for deals on rent or whatever things have never been better...

Yep     

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13 hours ago, Jambo said:

Tell that to the large number of Thai's in Pattaya who used to have a job in the entertainment/hotel/restaurant/shops and even 7/Elevens all over Pattaya.

As for expats there are large areas of Pattaya that are basically in darkness in the evenings and common sense says stay out of them at night. It is only a matter of time before unemployed Thai's become dangerous unemployed Thai's!

Just walking from Le Pub to the Temple Car Park made me feel uncomfortable and even more so when you get there and find your car is now in the dark.

There are, by all accounts, other entertainment venues hanging on until the New Year after which things may well get decidedly worse.

Light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines on the horizon but I cannot see Thailand being able to vaccinate sufficient of the Thai population to politically open up their borders to mass tourism before the end of next year at the earliest.

 

Good post.

I don't think mass tourism will open up before mid to late 2021 if the influx of tourists is going to be based on most Thais having been vaccinated. My issue though is related to wanting to go in summer as I can with my Thai wife but I won't travel if quarantine is as it is now.  I am hoping quarantine will be reduced or cancelled for those with a vaccination certificate even if mass tourism is still not on the cards till late 2021 earliest.

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On 11/26/2020 at 3:52 AM, Esco said:

I'm thinking of spending Christmas up country actually. 

There's a local bar that will do a Xmas dinner which I surmise will be full with all the local expats so should be good. 

I'll then return after Xmas to avoid the crazy NYE traffic. 

I spent last Christmas up in the old Moo Baan about an hour from you. Loved eating Christmas dinner outside around 3pm and later in the evening bought some cases of beer and a box of Lao Khao for the locals had a great evening. Thais love Christmas these days ................... most people do when food and drink is free. 

Enjoy up country weather will be better freezing this weekend in London ...... makes Rotterdam seem like it is the Riviera.

I believe the technical term is "Brass Monkeys" .....BM Jambo will know that .............

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38 minutes ago, nampla69 said:

I spent last Christmas up in the old Moo Baan about an hour from you. Loved eating Christmas dinner outside around 3pm and later in the evening bought some cases of beer and a box of Lao Khao for the locals had a great evening. Thais love Christmas these days ................... most people do when food and drink is free. 

Enjoy up country weather will be better freezing this weekend in London ...... makes Rotterdam seem like it is the Riviera.

I believe the technical term is "Brass Monkeys" .....BM Jambo will know that .............

lol......

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17 hours ago, nampla69 said:

I spent last Christmas up in the old Moo Baan about an hour from you. Loved eating Christmas dinner outside around 3pm and later in the evening bought some cases of beer and a box of Lao Khao for the locals had a great evening. Thais love Christmas these days ................... most people do when food and drink is free. 

Enjoy up country weather will be better freezing this weekend in London ...... makes Rotterdam seem like it is the Riviera.

I believe the technical term is "Brass Monkeys" .....BM Jambo will know that .............

Actually it is the "cold" season now in Thailand. It dropped to a baltic 22c last night up here although it will be around 30c by this afternoon.

During my last visit to Bangsaray/Pattaya I did the Friday market but had great difficulty in finding stalls selling mens T-Shirts. It was stall after stall selling ladies winter coats.

I suppose with no tourists the market (pun) has dropped out of "Bad men go to Pattaya" wife beaters. 🤣

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3 hours ago, Jambo said:

Actually it is the "cold" season now in Thailand. It dropped to a baltic 22c last night up here although it will be around 30c by this afternoon.

During my last visit to Bangsaray/Pattaya I did the Friday market but had great difficulty in finding stalls selling mens T-Shirts. It was stall after stall selling ladies winter coats.

I suppose with no tourists the market (pun) has dropped out of "Bad men go to Pattaya" wife beaters. 🤣

^^^^  What was that saying on those T-shirts ?

Good guys go to hell ... bad guys go to Pattaya ?

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4 hours ago, Jambo said:

During my last visit to Bangsaray/Pattaya I did the Friday market but had great difficulty in finding stalls selling mens T-Shirts. It was stall after stall selling ladies winter coats.

I suppose with no tourists the market (pun) has dropped out of "Bad men go to Pattaya" wife beaters. 🤣

One of my biggest regrets in life, was never ponying up the $8 or so for one of those shirts. I believe they made one with the back saying “I support Thai single Moms”.......2 for the price of 1

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7 hours ago, Jambo said:

Actually it is the "cold" season now in Thailand. It dropped to a baltic 22c last night up here although it will be around 30c by this afternoon.

During my last visit to Bangsaray/Pattaya I did the Friday market but had great difficulty in finding stalls selling mens T-Shirts. It was stall after stall selling ladies winter coats.

I suppose with no tourists the market (pun) has dropped out of "Bad men go to Pattaya" wife beaters. 🤣

I arrived in Pattaya a couple of weeks after 9/11 and the t shirt sellers were all selling Bin Laden and 9/11 'celebration' shirts. 

Wonder how many they actually sold?. 

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15 hours ago, galenkia said:

I arrived in Pattaya a couple of weeks after 9/11 and the t shirt sellers were all selling Bin Laden and 9/11 'celebration' shirts. 

Wonder how many they actually sold?. 

I truely am astonished.

I would have thought that would have provoked a suitably violent response!

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On 11/27/2020 at 7:47 AM, fforest said:

 

For bargain hunters looking for deals on rent or whatever things have never been better...

Depending how old you are....... one of the real old financial geniuses was saying this morning ......... people born after 1966 who haven’t retired yet, haven’t woken up to the fact that they are the real losers from COVID-19 

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Nothing really for me "Up Country" at Christmas and Sai working mostly over the New Year period so after much consideration decided to drive Sai and I down on the 13rth December in good time for her monthly dental appointment. Sai will go back on the 17th and I will stay in Bangsaray/Pattaya through Christmas and New Year and wait for Sai to return for her January dental and we both return to Mae Sot.

We both think such a break will be good for both of us as the constraints of Covid combined with living much of the time with Sai's family has been difficult for everyone at times. Nevertheless, I know I will all too soon miss Sai and our four dogs.

Looking forward to enjoying after all a traditional Christmas dinner if not with my daughters back in Scotland with friends. 

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until i cam here, all my life I either worked xmas and NY or was paying staff not to work so had to make the dosh somewhere.  i enjoyed xmas with the kids and family, but now, here its not sepcial.

 

I think I will make the effort this year with the tree, fuck knows why.  am booked for xmas lunch which will result in a piss up I know with the lads

NY means zip to me and I will probably be in bed by 10

 

both days give me 2 3 day weekends, that to me will be heaven 🙂  plus there is a sprog living 2 doors down who hasnt really seen xmas before, so i might spy to see how he enjoys it.

 

xmas is for kids and buying pets 🙂

 

 

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On 11/26/2020 at 10:51 AM, fforest said:

As long as you don't have a business in Pattaya or your not a working girl or a moto-cy driver its really not to bad.... 

You are absolutely right I wasn't going to be the one to say it though almost looks as though its rubbing it in. Those here on a pension from their home countries without the need to earn money here are not in any way hurting everything is here now that was here before the Dilemma just not in the same amount but how many bars do you need really. How many restaurants do you need? The malls are open the theaters are open plenty of different venues for adult activities right now being here is a pretty good thing.

Edited by Yesitisdakid
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