Pattaya at the moment

[fforest]

11 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Good point. In the 14 years I've lived in Pattaya it's been nothing like the Songkran I experienced in the villages around Thailand. What has changed is a gradual lengthening in the duration and intensity of the madness here. Shame I have to leave my home to avoid the stress of Songkran, but that's what I intend to do from now on.

Yea....I can only imagine what a perfect target you would be on your bicycle for the water chunkers....Not fast enough to get away......The perfect speed for direct hits.....

[fforest]

Farangs are missing in action on Walking Street.....Very few farangs in this video compared to non-water days...

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by fforest

[forcebwithu]

21 minutes ago, fforest said:

Yea....I can only imagine what a perfect target you would be on your bicycle for the water chunkers....Not fast enough to get away......The perfect speed for direct hits.....

Only out on my bicycle in the daytime. Don't have the cojones to ride at night here. Even when out during the daytime I find the bicycle much more nimble than a motorbike, and I can squeeze through spots a motorbike can't. Avoiding the water fights hasn't been a problem during the day.

[Britboy]

Pic from yesterday, fight on the road below my balcony.

Farang couple got really pissed off after being soaked from the pick up. No fisticuffs but loud swearing and a bit of pushing.

[Britboy]

When will they ever learn . . . One day to go of the 7 deadly days.

 

[Pillow Biter]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYWH9h5r/

And a good ol murder right on the beach

[Jambo]

4 hours ago, Britboy said:

When will they ever learn . . . One day to go of the 7 deadly days.

 

It really is a National disgrace.

I am sure that a contributing factor to the total number of accidents is the sheer overall number of vehicles on the road all at the same time and long journeys being made by Thai's visiting family. Visiting family is very much part of the tradition of Songkran.

That only tells part of the story. I wonder to what degree alcohol contributes to the injured and dead totals particularly with regard to motorbikes?

I would love to see a statistic for the number vehicles that never complete their Songkran journey. It is the time when Thai's discover that a Prayer on the car ceiling or any number of Buddha figures hanging from the mirror will eventually never replace a basic service.

[forcebwithu]

24 minutes ago, Jambo said:

It really is a National disgrace.

I am sure that a contributing factor to the total number of accidents is the sheer overall number of vehicles on the road all at the same time and long journeys being made by Thai's visiting family. Visiting family is very much part of the tradition of Songkran.

That only tells part of the story. I wonder to what degree alcohol contributes to the injured and dead totals particularly with regard to motorbikes?

I would love to see a statistic for the number vehicles that never complete their Songkran journey. It is the time when Thai's discover that a Prayer on the car ceiling or any number of Buddha figures hanging from the mirror will eventually never replace a basic service.

Do doubt alcohol plays a big part, but it's also their atrocious lack of driving skills. They're woefully bad when creeping along within a city, demonstrating time again their inability to judge distances and anticipate hazards that may come their way. At highway speeds that's a recipe for disaster.

[Jambo]

55 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

Do doubt alcohol plays a big part, but it's also their atrocious lack of driving skills. They're woefully bad when creeping along within a city, demonstrating time again their inability to judge distances and anticipate hazards that may come their way. At highway speeds that's a recipe for disaster.

That was my point really.

If they are bad driving around town is it any wonder that accidents go through the roof when they migrate all over Thailand on Songkran family visits.

[Britboy]

Getting busy and has been really noisy since 9 am.

I usually have my balcony doors open and the double back doors open, which gives a great breeze through the condo. Today there's booming music coming through the balcony doors from the street below with different booming music coming in the back door . . 

Not a time to go out though . . .

 

[fforest]

Only 355 days till Songkran next year.....I am already getting excited....

How about you guys?

Edited April 20, 2023 by fforest

[Nightcrawler]

I am hearing lately that Pattaya is very quiet at the moment, with less tourists and many bars half empty at night. I have been a few times since Covid, and whilst Pattaya has opened up again, less people seem to be visiting and prices for most things just go up. 

When you think about it, with airfares having almost doubled in some cases, if you come out for  3 week holiday, it costs at least £35 per day just to be there, and that's just economy if you divide the fare cost by number of  days holiday.   Then there is hotel of course which seem to still be pretty good value generally so add on anywhere between £20 -£30 a night average. So that's around £60 a day, before even thinking about food and entertainment etc. Then take into consideration worse exchange rates 

Girls seem to be asking twice as much, more hungry for drinks and bargains in GoGos has gone through the roof  

For those of us who have been visiting for years,I guess the change seems more gradual and of course inflation affects every country in the world. 

I met up with a friend of mine recently who recently had a holiday in Pattaya, having not been there for 8 years. He was telling me how strange it felt compared to his last visit and not for the better . He reconed the cost of his holiday cost him nearly three times as much as his last  

I reckon that maybe a lot of people who maybe used to go out 3 or 4 times a year have probably cut back. Add in higher living cost in UK and elsewhere including fuel, energy, food, mortgage interst rates and just about everything else and it's not surprising. That said, internal travel is still good value.

Pattaya certainly isn't quite so attractive for cheap sex holidays, but where is anymore? 😁

I can't see airfares coming down anytime soon, or prices coning down in Pattaya and it occurs to me that there will continue to be less tourists from the West at least. 

I know it's slightly different for expats who have their own accomodation, only a couple of flight back home each year and are not on piss every night. But they must still feel a heavier weight on pensions etc. 

Of course I am looking at it from a UK point of view but I am sure it will be similar generally for most visitors from Europe,US and Australia etc . 

Just thought this might be good for discussion although there is little we can so about it  🙂

[forcebwithu]

I would say Pattaya in general isn't quiet at the moment, just the bar scene.

What has changed is the demographic of the tourists coming to Pattaya. With the city govt running some type of festival or event every weekend, Pattaya is staying busy with domestic tourists. Those tourists are not the ones that are going to be visiting the bars in any great numbers.

[Jambo]

6 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

I would say Pattaya in general isn't quiet at the moment, just the bar scene.

 

I don't think that is surprising.

We know domestic tourists do not fill western style bars.

A year or so before covid wiped everyone out for a long while there were many comments in this forum as to the fact that apart from the bars that were always busy there were many others with few or sometimes no customers. The reason being that there were simply far too many bars all chasing the same diminishing number of potential customers.

Well covid restrictions are over and tourists have returned however has the overall picture changed for the better?

This forum keeps showing new bars and new developments all over the place. Are we not back to the same pre-covid problem of far too many bars all chasing the same diminished number of potential customers? Every new bar that comes on stream just adds to the problem does it not?

I can only currently watch from afar. I know this is just one example and may not be representative of the whole but I viewed a U-Tube video recently which was filmed in the evening and featured a walk down Soi 6. It was absolutely rammed with pussy but you could count the number of customers on one hand.

I would be interested to know from those in Town if my comments make sense or am I talking out of the back of my ass? It wouldn't be the first time.😄

[Lemondropkid]

3 hours ago, Nightcrawler said:

am hearing lately that Pattaya is very quiet at the moment, with less tourists and many bars half empty at night.

That's sound more pleasant than Pattaya Jan high season to me!!!

I've given up trying to replicate the holidays I had even 10 years ago. My body can't take it.

Think boxing clever is the way to have fun.  Lay off the booze for a few nights a week, do some regular tourist stuff and vary up the routine.

There's still fun to be had out there. PP was overflowing with girls, if you believed what you'd read online it wasnpt  safe to walk the streets, let alone possible to have fun out.😀

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Lemondropkid

[Horizondave]

My mate is in Hua Hin and he says the bars etc., in the entertainment areas (for the guys) of Soi 94/Soi 88 are far from busy. He also did the trip across to Bintibaht and after running (actually hobbling with a stick) down the main drag, he did an about turn, got on his bike and returned to Soi 94/88.

As mentioned here, the prices for available girls are not really heading down, more an upward spiral, so if your holiday (and fun) is reliant on girls and their abilities, then it may be getting more expensive. It certainly is probably a big percentage of your spending budget.

The normal restaurants, food courts (like Baankunpor) on 88 and other tourist eateries are not putting their prices up as much and a tourist (temples and beach) can still see their budget go quite a way. A large beer in the Food Court has probably gone up no more than 5 or 6 baht over the course of Covid until today.

My mate was in a bar called Sugar Sugar tonight and 2 days ago he had a meal there for 150 baht, tonight that same meal was 200. After asking the girl why, he was told that the boss had put up prices as no customers; well that is really going to pull them in.

I think if you are that tourist that doesn't rely on pussy and bar hopping as the main reason for getting on a plane, I think it could still be a decent country to visit. For me I will enjoy a drink in a bar and enjoy listening to bands but I no longer need to have 2000 - 5000 baht a night available for a companion, my budget will solely be for bar hopping and that really is still competitive. Saying that, there are still plenty of guys not affected by the increases for a partner but maybe that group is getting smaller.

Also with all these bars opening up in Pattaya, how can they all get a good share of the available money plied into the pussy trade. Certain bars will still do well but I bet a lot will go quickly to the wall.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Horizondave

[boydeste]

2 hours ago, Jambo said:

I don't think that is surprising.

We know domestic tourists do not fill western style bars.

A year or so before covid wiped everyone out for a long while there were many comments in this forum as to the fact that apart from the bars that were always busy there were many others with few or sometimes no customers. The reason being that there were simply far too many bars all chasing the same diminishing number of potential customers.

Well covid restrictions are over and tourists have returned however has the overall picture changed for the better?

This forum keeps showing new bars and new developments all over the place. Are we not back to the same pre-covid problem of far too many bars all chasing the same diminished number of potential customers? Every new bar that comes on stream just adds to the problem does it not?

I can only currently watch from afar. I know this is just one example and may not be representative of the whole but I viewed a U-Tube video recently which was filmed in the evening and featured a walk down Soi 6. It was absolutely rammed with pussy but you could count the number of customers on one hand.

I would be interested to know from those in Town if my comments make sense or am I talking out of the back of my ass? It wouldn't be the first time.😄

You are spot on, there was a massive decline in visitors well before covid, especially out of the Xmas, New Year period. 

Apart from the usual popular bars, others were definitely suffering. 

Covid has closed many of the more obscure bars, so there may be less now, but with Tree Town expanding rapidly who knows.

[maipenrai]

5 hours ago, Lemondropkid said:

That's sound more pleasant than Pattaya Jan high season to me!!!

I've given up trying to replicate the holidays I had even 10 years ago. My body can't take it.

Think boxing clever is the way to have fun.  Lay off the booze for a few nights a week, do some regular tourist stuff and vary up the routine.

There's still fun to be had out there. PP was overflowing with girls, if you believed what you'd read online it wasnpt  safe to walk the streets, let alone possible to have fun out.😀

 

My first post-Covid trip saw me arriving in early December of last year and spending the rest of the month in central Pattaya before moving to Jomtien in early January; I found that the whole Xmas/NYE experience was just too much for me now at my age - too many people, too much noise and traffic, etc. - there will always be fun to be had in Pattaya but how much of it can you or  want to enjoy at this point of your life? I can't go out on the piss every night like I used to, and I have a couple of regular girls who take care of other needs, with the occasional new one for variety - I think I paid one actual barfine in the three months I was there last trip and I can't remember the last time I took out a go-go girl so I don't really care what kind of silly prices they are charging now - let the high rollers have 'em; I don't think of myself as a cheap charlie but I want some value for my money - there won't be many 200b+ lady drinks in my future plans, I don't need to spend this kind of cash to have fun in Pattaya. 

 

[Lemondropkid]

7 hours ago, maipenrai said:

in early January; I found that the whole Xmas/NYE experience was just too much for me now at my age - too many people, too much noise and traffic, etc.

Stayed a week off Soi Buakhao soi 21 in mid Jan, traffic on the main road was horrendous.  The area seemed a magnet for dickheads of all nationalities. Won't ever visit at that time of year again.

 

7 hours ago, maipenrai said:

there won't be many 200b+ lady drinks in my future plans, I don't need to spend this kind of cash to have fun in Pattaya. t

Agree totally.

 

[Yesitisdakid]

Still wouldn't want to live anyplace else

[Bazle]

15 hours ago, Jambo said:

I would be interested to know from those in Town if my comments make sense or am I talking out of the back of my ass? It wouldn't be the first time.

I've been in town for 4 weeks. The haunts of the traditional falangs are definitely quiet. 

I've been to WS just twice, and see no reason to go back there. Some places there are doing a rip-roaring trade (Pin-Up and XS), and Windmills 1 and 2 are ticking over. Other places are probably lucky if they are breaking even. Still loads of flag followers there. 

Treetown I have developed a hatred for: deafening music all around.

Soi LK Metro not very busy, and an awful place to walk around because of so many parked motorbikes. The only bright spot there has been the recent opening of LK Angels. 

Soi Boomerang has been quiet all the times I have walked through. Playgirlz, on the Buakhao corner, seems to have upped it's game, and Heaven Above on the bend is my favourite nightlife venue in town. 

That leaves the GCs, which is really where value is to be had right now. Unfortunately, they seem now to be on the radar of East Asian visitors, so I expect that to change in the not too distant future. 

As a proportion of the total number of tourists, there are probably more Indians in town than ever before. There are also many East Asians, who I understand to be predominantly Korean. Not very many Caucasians. 

I left the UK just as it was entering a warm spell, people in Pattaya were complaining about blistering heat, and the monsoon season had officially started. I thought it wasn't going to turn out well. But it has. The weather has been excellent, and I love that it isn't crowded. 

[Glasseye]

I would spend more time down there on short visits (3 nights to a week), even on an every other month basis - that is if the roads weren't so f***d up. 

There are many things I have grown accustomed to and I am comfortable with there, especially when using the Soi 13 area as my base. There are also things you will see on a daily basis that you just can't get, at least as consistently. 

Having the ability/ease of getting around quickly and cheaply is key. Whether it be shooting up to Big C for some shopping, or heading down to Jomtien for a long walk, lunch afternoon/evening of drinks.

Now, you can't even cross Second Road without the possibility of falling into an open sewer. Trying to go somewhere outside of the center of Central is an ordeal. Sometimes having to wait twenty minutes for Grab to pick you up, then Dog knows how long sitting in traffic with a pissed off driver.

It's just not that much fun anymore, hasn't been for quite a while, and unfortunately probably won't be for a long time.

Once the roads get fixed up then visits there may become more regular, I sure hope so.  But as is I will take my cash somewhere else, or just stay put (which I am very comfortable in doing). 

 

[Horizondave]

9 hours ago, maipenrai said:

My first post-Covid trip saw me arriving in early December of last year and spending the rest of the month in central Pattaya before moving to Jomtien in early January; I found that the whole Xmas/NYE experience was just too much for me now at my age - too many people, too much noise and traffic, etc. - there will always be fun to be had in Pattaya but how much of it can you or  want to enjoy at this point of your life? I can't go out on the piss every night like I used to, and I have a couple of regular girls who take care of other needs, with the occasional new one for variety - I think I paid one actual barfine in the three months I was there last trip and I can't remember the last time I took out a go-go girl so I don't really care what kind of silly prices they are charging now - let the high rollers have 'em; I don't think of myself as a cheap charlie but I want some value for my money - there won't be many 200b+ lady drinks in my future plans, I don't need to spend this kind of cash to have fun in Pattaya. 

 

The good thing about ladies drinks (in my case) is that they will no longer lead to further expense overnight. I don't mind buying a few ladies drinks, it's fun. I believe in Hua Hin, they are around 150 baht which seems a bloody good deal. It is the social interaction with my mates which I crave and the pussy is now in the background mostly.

Good thing is I have a wingman when in town, and being a book, that can attract bookends in the form of girls sitting with me doesn't happen often unless I want that deal. Thailand for me is still a great place to visit and offers great value for money on food, hotels etc., and the occasional companion sitting with me is not going to break the bank. Really looking forward to my next trip in September as it is still great value for me on my budget which goes a little further when my bed partners, these days, are likely to be just a cup of tea and an Oreo biscuit.

At my age luckily, Thailand still offers so much value for my money, it just doesn't include having an overnight companion. Still a great place once you have paid for the plane ticket. 

[Pumpuynarak]

17 hours ago, Bazle said:

Soi LK Metro not very busy, and an awful place to walk around because of so many parked motorbikes.

Yep, really pisses me off 🙄

[forcebwithu]

Traffic on Buakhao was heavy and moving slowly last night. Adding to the traffic congestion are the selfish Bolt drivers and passengers.

Sitting at Nikom last night I was gob smacked when I saw what I'm assuming was a Bolt stop in the middle of the intersection to let a passenger off.

I can guess how this came about. Traffic was moving slow, as it usually does, through the offset intersection when the passenger tells the driver she'll get out now and walk. Instead of waiting until they were clear of the intersection the driver stops and then the passenger takes her sweet time getting out, then slowly moves to and opens the back door to retrieve her bag. Amazing Thailand, not one horn was sounded during the time the car was blocking the intersection.