Pattaya is Dead - Lowest Foreigner Visits This Winter

[AjarnMartin]

I’ve been coming to Pattaya for many years whilst I lived elsewhere around Thailand and this is definitely the quietest I’ve seen it. Thankfully! I’ve been amazed that there are so many bars where the ‘girls’ have been talking among themselves rather than to punters who are scarce or non-existent. Huge parties of Chinese, Korean and Indian visitors who try to negotiate everything at 2 or 3 Baht discount. ???? However, Pattaya is trying hard to clean up its image (not in a sexual context) and the beach and beach front are kept clean and tidy by hordes of women with brooms (no pun intended). To counteract this positive action, Pattaya, in its infinite wisdom have declared Wednesdays as a no deckchair zone which must surely bemuse the holidaymakers? Only in Thailand? Found some great new venues this week such as Pastry Addiction on Beach Road for coffee, cakes and an extensive menu, and Sky Gallery for a great ambience at sundown with superb cocktails and a lot of very attractive, chic young patrons who decorate the place with their inimitable style. I’ll be back... ????????

[MadMuhammad]

2 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Had many friends from Aus who only come 1-2x a year ask me about the visa situation, They are tourists and I tell them what everyone else has told them as well, You may be denied at the airport depends on the I/O of the day, better to goto vietnam. Guess what they all went to vietnam!!

Pretty ill informed of you to tell them that. The people being weeded out and denied are the constant extenders and people obviously living in country on tourist and ED visas. ‘Genuine’ tourists will have no issue whatsoever 

[DannyCarlton]

15 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

According to what you read on here, the lowest foreigners visit Pattaya all the time!  

True. Hoards of midgets here. Annoying. I usually get out of Pattaya when the annual dwarf convention comes to town.

[POMRAKSIAM]

said:

And your point is.....?

IDK. Perhaps he's invested in a bar/hotel, or like to mingle with foreigners instead of Thais when in Thailand? All-included charter flights does fit some

 

Agreed. However I have really noticed the total lack of tourist at Jomtien Beach, few to no Chinese or Indians in the afternoons lately  and the few venders seem desparate at times. Also my drive to Pattaya on motorcy great with 90% (no data) less coaches bleching black smoke! And yes I love respite from high season numbers but do feel for business folks.

 

[jesimps]

21 hours ago, cooked said:

My son saw a cheap deal flight + hotel to Pattaya with his son and I told him to go somewhere else, filthy beach and sea, ripoffs, sex trade everywhere, try an island. he loved Koh Samet.

Depends how old his son is. Both my grown boys love Pattaya, as do I. If you're after pristine and quiet, stay in the west. 

[Ron jeremy]

3 hours ago, tgw said:

BTW, Pattaya business owners could try to put their heads together to think up schemes to attract more people.

One thing could be to offer discount packages, flight + hotel + restaurant + bar + discos.

 

For example booking at a participating hotel for 2 weeks gives 25% discount on the flight, and 10% discount on everything in those restaurants, bars and discos that take part in the offer.

 

Another incentive could be given for people actually promoting Pattaya at home.

Promoting pattaya at home????? Are you <deleted> kidding me, any time the place is mentioned anywhere, people associate you as a sex tourist.  Thailand, Asia, or back home. 

[DannyCarlton]

Just now, Ron jeremy said:

Promoting pattaya at home????? Are you <deleted> kidding me, any time the place is mentioned anywhere, people associate you as a sex tourist.  Thailand, Asia, or back home. 

Most people in the UK wouldn't know what country Pattaya is in, much more so in the US. I've met Thais who were unaware of Pattaya's reputation. It wouldn't be the first time a Thai has asked me what Changwat Pattaya is in.

[Leaver]

17 hours ago, shdmn said:

You found a table in a bar all to yourself.  Quite a convincing argument that Pattaya is dead.

You ridicule my post, but due to the time of evening when I have gone to Triangle Bar, I have ALWAYS had to share a table in the bar. 

 

On the last occasion I went to Triangle Bar, just a couple of weeks ago, what few customers were in the bar, all had their own table, that's how quiet it was, and yes, I have even had to share a table in low season in the past. 

[shdmn]

13 hours ago, pepi2005 said:

Pattaya once had something that is usually extremely expensive for tourism marketing agencies to achieve: a world-wide brand image. In this specific case, the image "A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS", and for the city to be a fun place with CHEAP BARS and GIRLS (sex).

 

However, they turned arrogant and started to clamp down on bars that stayed open for longer than midnight (later to be slightly extended again), started with "crackdowns" on bars that displayed nudity, fun bars were replaced with faceless 'condo' buildings (mostly empty during the year) or fastfood shops, and the barfines and fees for girls are today a MULTIPLE of what they were just a few years ago. 

 

Sex in Pattaya is now more expensive than in most European countries (if you know where to go). To that, add airplane tickets, food and accomodation. Uniformed highway men on every 3rd corner checking alcohol levels, unfriendly faces from arriving at the airport until leaving, visa hassles and more. Mandatory biometric registration as if you were a suspect entering a jail.

 

No surprise that tourist numbers are dropping.

Except for the fact they aren't.  Change the title of this thread and ever single argument supporting it to Euro tourists.  Tourist numbers overall are rising.  More tourists here than ever.  Maybe less Euro tourists which is not a bad thing imo. More of what they usually come for available for the rest of us.  There are still PLENTY of Euro's around Buakao btw.  Lots and lots of them everywhere.  And plenty of eager Issan beauties around separating them from their cash.

 

In the traditionally Euro area of Naklua, maybe less Euro's but more Asians and Russians.  Lots of signs and menus in Mandarin (?) and Russian there now.

 

The guys complaining that it is not as busy are probably looking at it through Euro eyes imo.  So maybe some of the Euro places they used to go are not as busy and not as many of their fellow Euro's to socialize with.  But more of everything else replacing them.

[Suradit69]

22 hours ago, Banana7 said:

Of the ones who have arrived, they are indicating several reason why their friends won't be arriving. Basically 3 reasons:

Interviewed them all did you or just the ones who you managed to corner and who insisted that they had friends despite all evidence to the contrary?

 

It's that time of the year when the "final nail in the coffin" posts start to appear from self-appointed demographic analysts. I can remember them as far back as 20 plus years ago in the letters section of The Pattaya Mail. 

 

 

 

 

[Leaver]

18 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

I go into Central Pattaya a couple of times per week, was there yesterday. It's true that there are quite a lot fo people around but not farangs. Businesses that rely on farang trade, bars and farang restaurants are really struggling.

This is what some on here fail to understand.  They quote TAT figures showing tourist numbers are up.  The numbers probably are up, but they are package holiday Chinese and Indians.  In general, these nationalities do not have a drinking culture, are certainly not interested in western food, with very few of them engaging in the sex trade.

 

You will see plenty of them in Pattaya, and elsewhere in Thailand, making the place look busy, but not in bars and restaurants that traditionally have catered for westerners.  As these tourists are now the main tourists to Thailand, I started the thread "Is the closure of your favorite bar or restaurant imminent?"  

 

I agree with you.  Any business that cater for westerners are now struggling, for a variety of reasons, but most outside of their control, and whilst it is low season, it is the quietest low season I have ever seen, which tends to indicate that the coming high season will also be the quietest high season I will have ever seen, which may just see a lot of businesses catering for westerners close their doors.   

[emptypockets]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Was that the last year you were renting? Those prices went for many more years.

 

Pattaya was built on the backs of young Thai women, and now the ones still in the bars just ain't worth what they are asking. It's probably on line now, which means one doesn't have to go to Pattaya anymore to get what one wants.

'Pattaya was built on the backs of young Thai women' is close.

 

'Pattaya was built on young Thai women on their backs' is more accurate.

[Max69xl]

"Never before in the past 25 years, has this time of year seen so few foreigners in Pattaya."

Then I'd guess you weren't in Pattaya or anywhere else in Thailand 2008-2009 when the red and yellow shirts were causing chaos in BKK and even seized Don Muang Airport? Much less tourists in Pattaya those two years than this year. 

[hobobo]

23 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

but Chinese and Indians are still coming.

...but unfortunately they don't want any (Thai) businesses to cater for them.

[finnishmen]

i hope tourism and foreign busines be end and stopped all year and then immigration chief understand how important foreigns and him money have all thai economy and chief end ALL idiot laws to immigration .ewery country around world not have same idiot laws at immigration. i hope not have any tourist and not any busines some year in thiland, then thai can understand how many million peoples need foreigns money to thailand and economy go down maak and destroy all economy and money current drop 1;36 to 1;100 and thai not can buy anythink europe stuff if not have 5x more money hahahaha.

[atyclb]

23 hours ago, cooked said:

My son saw a cheap deal flight + hotel to Pattaya with his son and I told him to go somewhere else, filthy beach and sea, ripoffs, sex trade everywhere, try an island. he loved Koh Samet.

 

erratum  "fat chicks sex trade everywhere"

[murraynz]

21 hours ago, shdmn said:

Visits up 5.6% this year. If you don't see that maybe you don't get out much or need to get your eyes checked.  I've never seen it so busy this time of year overall.  Some areas may be quieter but others more busy.  One thing I have noticed is that Central Festival is not as busy.  But that is because their food court is closed for renovation and because of T21 mall.  So people and traffic seem more spread out now between the 2 malls.

 

Of course restaurant/bar owners will always complain that it's not busy enough.  And options are ever changing/expanding so some businesses are doing better than others.

do you talk to any bar managers,mamassan or even 'longterm' bar ladies..?? they will all confirm for you---that pattaya is very quiet at present...the patrons spend a lot less than prveiously..

i personally see in the popular  bars--very few customers, even on a saturday night..

[Nanaplaza666]

I dont know if the numbers are down compared to last winter ,it's not winter yet so i cannot compare . 

[kevin612]

Okay okay, I open a Thai shop to target Thai people, I guess it must be cheap price to earn a profit.

[Leaver]

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

Interviewed them all did you or just the ones who you managed to corner and who insisted that they had friends despite all evidence to the contrary?

 

It's that time of the year when the "final nail in the coffin" posts start to appear from self-appointed demographic analysts. I can remember them as far back as 20 plus years ago in the letters section of The Pattaya Mail. 

 

 

 

 

I also know people holidaying elsewhere this year.

 

2019 / 20 will be different than the past 20 years.  Thailand has finally arrived at the destination it had been heading in for some time. 

 

There are also some things outside Thailand's control that will have a negative effect on their tourism industry.  

 

Thailand / Pattaya has always bounced back from tsunami, bird flu, swine flu, volcanic eruption, protests, terrorist attacks, military coups etc. 

 

This is not a dooms day post.  Thailand / Pattaya has been resilient in the past. 

 

The difference with the current circumstances is most of the factors effecting tourism have been manufactured through Thai policies and laws. Eg.  marketing to zero baht tourists, new visa requirements, not devaluing the baht. 

 

The Thai's in authority will not be able to blame natural disasters, or epidemics, like they have in the past.  This time, most of it is of their own doing.  This is why I see it as a long term issue, not something that will pass.

 

The next 6 to 12 months will be interesting times for Thailand's tourism industry.   

[BobinBKK]

20 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Could be Indians, could be Arabs. Could be Chinese, could be Koreans. I can't tell the difference.

 

Off topic. I was in a bar the other day when a girl came up to me and started talking as if she knew me. When I pointed out that I'd definately never met her before she replied, "Sorry, all farangs look the same to me".

It's easy to tell the difference. The white ones are polite, spend money and don't smell. Can you guess which ones try to get the 12 men group discount with one freelancer on beach road?

[Traubert]

20 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

A lot of Chinese tourists are "zero-dollar" tourists.  It works like this:

 

 

Back in China, would-be tourists are offered heavily discounted, all-inclusive package tours that include accommodation as well as flights, transport, meals and translators. The trade-off is that, along with the usual trips to the beach and fine restaurants, tourists are also taken to overpriced shops and urged – in some cases, reportedly even intimidated – into buying marked-up goods.

 

Money from shopping then flows back to the tour operator from the shop owners, to make up for the money lost from the discounted travel package.

 

The shops in Thailand are Chinese-owned and run by Thai proxies. And much of the revenue from the shopping component of the tours flows straight back to China. 

 

 

Except that over 60% of Chinese tourists aren't in tour groups now but are free independent travellers.

 

Do give my regards to 2009 while you're there.

[UncleFesterNightmare]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:14 AM, RoadWarrior371 said:

Oh lovely, another end of the world post.

 

1.  Sounds like a personal problem in Europe.

2. Does not pertain to tourists.

3. Sounds like a personal problem in Europe.

 

I am loving the cheap prices and more quiet beaches.  Meanwhile......... on TVF:

 

 

You forgot 2008.  Oh, that would not be crossed off the list.

[Suradit69]

2 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

Promoting pattaya at home????? Are you <deleted> kidding me, any time the place is mentioned anywhere, people associate you as a sex tourist.  Thailand, Asia, or back home. 

You go about Asia and back home mentioning Pattaya to significant numbers of random ( undoubtedly startled ) strangers and they conclude you're a sex tourist? Maybe you need to find something else as a conversational ice breaker. Or are these old friends who had reached that conclusion based on a confluence of factors?

 

 

 

[kingofthemountain]

Yes Pattaya is currently empty of white tourists, and half full of indians\chineses and others nationalities

so the ''traditionnal'' business farang oriented (Bars\restaurants\beach and street vendors...) is dying quickly.

 

What will be the future of the city? Nobody knows i think but for sure it is never going to become a family resort, very dirty sea water, ugly city buildings with no walkway, crazy traffic, pollution and garbage everywhere with the smell of sewer all over the town are a no way for most of the ''quality tourists''.

 

Somewhere it could be someone with a ''plan B''

when all the actual business will really be at the bottom of the hole

it should be the good time to introduce the ''rescue solution'' of Pattaya as a special zone in Thailand

where Casino are allowed, and the chineses are probably already working hard for that option....

 

Wait and see!

 

[30la]

I marvel at what you write, the tourism minister continues to say that tourism is on the rise!????

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

 

 

It's that time of the year when the "final nail in the coffin" posts start to appear from self-appointed demographic analysts. I can remember them as far back as 20 plus years ago in the letters section of The Pattaya Mail. 

 

 

 

 

Dont forget all those golden geese that the authorities have murdered. I'm avoiding Thailand because I read here that its knee deep in dead poultry. ????

[Chivas]

55 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Except that over 60% of Chinese tourists aren't in tour groups now but are free independent travellers.

 

Yep very much so. Lot of bars in North Pattaya are inundated with them in groups of 5-6

[LivinLOS]

20 hours ago, Chivas said:

Lol so after 34 years in finance I dont know how to calculate interbank for any given currency (calculate it NOT look at an app lol)

Right oh.

Transactions happen in 100s of ways.. Currency forwards etc etc etc

 

If one party gives another party fiat currency, in exchange for another fiat currency, thats a direct currency exchange.

[Rimmer]

A couple of off topic posts removed