Thailand's tourist haven Pattaya devastated as coronavirus hits travel

[DLock]

47 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Isn't COVID a golden opportunity to rethink this place 100%? They should hire consultants from Korea or Singapore to come up with some plan plan as no-one in Thailand has the brain, nor backbone, for that sort of achievement.

 

As was the Tsunami when it literally destroyed Patong, so that hard work was done for them.

 

But no, it's a bigger <deleted>-hole today than before the Tsunami.

 

I agree, this would be the best time to knock down all the illegal structures, clean beaches, fix stuff, plant trees and make Pattaya a place normal people would want to go to.

 

...but will it happen. Never. 

[Hoppyone]

2 hours ago, kevin612 said:

this is a global recession, stay closed for a while.

Looooong time

[geriatrickid]

18 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Isn't COVID a golden opportunity to rethink this place 100%? They should hire consultants from Korea or Singapore to come up with some plan plan as no-one in Thailand has the brain, nor backbone, for that sort of achievement.

You are correct. However it would require a change in mentality and a revision to the type of visitor currently targeted. Pattaya's future is in recreating itself and moving towards a classier destination, emphasizing family fun, conferences and conventions and a more refined adult district.  It's proximity to Bangkok is wasted when it allows itself to be over run by cheap beer bars. 

Sitting on uncomfortable  patio furniture  or hard wooden benches and drinking cheap beer was fine when I was in school and  hadn't a care in the world, but it's just pathetic and boring when you are past the age of  30. Bar girls/boys are so very 1980's and no one under the age of 40 is interested. Older folks with some dignity/class/dosh  have better (and safer) ways to  meet a short term friend.   This  doesn't just apply to pattaya but to the typical entertainment zones in the other Thai tourist towns. It is why so many of the bars have closed. Consumer preferences changed and pattaya did not adapt.

 

27 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Join the club. Hundreds of millions around the world are struggling to make a living, at this moment. As I said on another thread, I expect the consequences of the economic shutdown to be 100 times worse than the virus itself. It is like making a facial pimple into a cancerous tumor. More people died last year in Italy, of pulmonary issues in two weeks time, than the total number of worldwide deaths to date from corona. 

 

This zombie apocalypse reaction, with regard to the economy is so far beyond inane, that it barely merits discussion. Millions could die of starvation in India alone. 

Wow. You really have no clue as to the impact  of the  pandemic in Italy. it is not about the deaths, but the numbers of seriously ill who require intensive care. Do you not understand that the emergency rooms are overwhelmed with the sick? For these people, if they are to recover, they need  interventions. Your dismissive ignorance is an insult to the 41 health professionals who have died while delivering care to the ill.

Is it normal to have a die off of 41 health professionals in  less than two months, with the numbers continuing to increase?

Your imaginary comparison  of "more people died of pulmonary issues in two weeks in Italy " does not include the deaths of  the 41 does it? Do you not understand that the loss of 41 health professionals in two months savages a health care system?   A large number of the dead were specialist physicians and nurses attending to the infected. Your imaginary comparison does not take account that 5,000+ doctors, nurses, technicians, ambulance staff and other health employees have been infected, disrupting the delivery of essential services in italy. It isn't the dead as much as it is keeping the fatalities from exploding through lengthy and complex medical interventions. Italian ICUs have a 15%+ occupancy rate by people aged 19 -50, and 50% are aged 51-70.   It's this demographic which is the working "expertise" in Italy.  No intervention means that they will die. The economic damage is the loss of that intellectual capital and the burden on the healthcare system.  Your dismissal of the measures taken would see the numbers explode and the inability for tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands to access medical care.

 

Thailand is right to proceed with a lockdown. It's the one thing almost every country in the world agrees on.

 

17 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

I wonder if they still think it was a good idea to allow millions of Chinese tourists in during January and February...

As much as I am a critic of that decision, in hindsight, it isn't so stupid after all. The second wave of infections was brought by Europeans. If Thailand had blocked the Chinese they would had to block the Europeans. Rather than deprive the economy of three  months of profitable Chinese revenue, the  powers that be  played the long game, knowing that the country would at some point be over run by infection and that it could use the  revenue of those  months.  The infections were in expendable parts of the country and afflicted mostly foreigners and younger Thais who it was assumed would recover from the infection.

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

 

Interesting already in 2019 Pattaya had a 20% drop of visitors in comparison  with 2018...( that without corona)

And something that I'm sure TAT forgot to mention.

[NCC1701A]

many restaurants in Pattaya still allow sit down dining. 

on another well know Pattaya forum members jokingly taunting BKK people with photos of beautiful dinners on their tables and a glass of beer. 

[Youlike]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The city in recent years has been trying to shed its association with sex tourism that started in the 1970s when it became a rest and relaxation spot for U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

 

Try harder!

 

As a man you even can't walk around in Pattaya because the ladyboys will harass and even sexually abuse you on the street.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

59 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

I wonder if they still think it was a good idea to allow millions of Chinese tourists in during January and February...

 

Yes, sadly, I'd imagine so... At some point in the future, we'll be back to being little Wuhan again....

 

[Joinaman]

was in Pattaya last week and very very quiet. Would it not make sense to use some of the out of work locals to clean and repair all the filthy footpaths and alleyways. Seeing it so quiet really showed how dirty and decrepit the whole place is.  If they want people back , at  least try and make a little bit more inviting. Beach road looks a bomb site. Why can Thias never finish as they go. They seem to stop and star , but never complete, while leaving their rubbish everywhere.

But at least they have a tractor and sand cleaner going up and down the beach, just a pity it never seems to get all the rubbish dumped nearer to the footpaths

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Sitting on uncomfortable  patio furniture  or hard wooden benches and drinking cheap beer was fine when I was in school and  hadn't a care in the world, but it's just pathetic and boring when you are past the age of  30. Bar girls/boys are so very 1980's and no one under the age of 40 is interested. Older folks with some dignity/class/dosh  have better (and safer) ways to  meet a short term friend.

I've never found any better way of finding a 'short time friend'.

It's not about the sex (over fairly quickly), it's about the playing, flirting, touching, tempting and teasing ...... and dare I say 'romance' to be had almost free of charge. 

 

Sad that you never understood that.

Edited March 30, 2020 by BritManToo

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Rather than deprive the economy of three  months of profitable Chinese revenue, the  powers that be  played the long game, knowing that the country would at some point be over run by infection and that it could use the  revenue of those  months.

 

Or perhaps they believed that as Thais they'd be immune either by virtue of being Thais or perhaps by virtue of the warm humid weather....  Sadly, I think they're being proven wrong on both counts.

 

[lensta]

Pattaya devastated, Pattaya devastated. Rinse and repeat, Pattaya devastated. The same news for the last 3 weeks and for who knows how long. We get it Pattaya is devastated!!!

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

Er, couldnt you replace the words Thailand and Pattaya with most of the tourist resorts in the world?

 

Pattaya is hardly unique in this.

 

Er, this is a report from Thailand, about Thailand, featured on a Thai-centric forum. I'm sure that if you look up news on, say, the Philippines, there'll be the same kind of story on a Philippine-centric forum. And no doubt there'll be someone on that forum saying that Boracay is hardly unique in this.

[Neeranam]

57 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

Better for who ?

Not the girls who service them or the establishments that provide them with a bed , food and drink.

Better for Thailand's image , well given that 90% of the sex trade is driven by domestic consumption , well not that either.

If Pattaya , Nana , Soi Cowboy , Patpong , Bangla Rd all ceased to exist , there would still be thousands of massage parlours , Karaoke bars etc offering sexual services.

If you dont like the concept , why choose to live in Thailand , prostitution has been part of the culture for centuries.

Better for the image of the normal expat and foreign tourist.

Yes, better for the prostitutes. Try working in a drug and alcohol rehab like I have for 15 years, and you'll see the OTHER side of girls forced into the sex trade, often by their parents/husbands. I know there are many monger that are in total denial, like all addicts.

Prostitution has been part of every culture, but Pattaya has been turned into a place where the dregs of Thailand meet sad old sex addicts and dregs of the world(pimps, organised crime/mafias, etc). 

Some of us here integrate into society, learn the language, have kids,apply for Naturalization, etc The 60 year-year-old Change vest fatty with a 25 year year old prostitute are a huge embarrassment to us and we are often tarred with the same brush.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, thaiowl said:

The authorities and underemployed could use the down time to clean up Thailand's resorts. As I ride my bike, I am depressed, astonished and disheartened by the vast amount of litter that is everywhere. As a population that purports to be so proud of their country, how come the locals are quite happy to throw their litter anywhere? A lack of education, integrity, pride and law enforcement all contribute to the disgrace that is Thailand's litter problem. I pick up litter every day, and it does make a significant difference over time.

When I first moved into my house in Nakon Nowhere, I filled two very large sacks from the grass roadside verge outside. And now when I put the rubbish out for collection each week I have to add several discarded items to the bin. They seem to have no personal pride, not only in the way they litter but so often in the job they do. Anyway is okay. Imagine spending your life doing a job you have no pride in.

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Better for the image of the normal expat and foreign tourist.

Thailand is a dirty, dangerous and repressive country, can't imagine 'normal people' coming here more than once.

Although I do understand the old/lonely/single/ugly/socially inept guys (pick 'n' mix) that came here and bagged a woman, who wouldn't have looked at them in their home country, trying to convince the world (and mostly themselves) that they were ever 'normal'.

 

But I get it ...........

It's a bit like the ugly woman not wanting mirrors in her home.

Edited March 30, 2020 by BritManToo

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Boomer6969 said:

Isn't COVID a golden opportunity to rethink this place 100%? They should hire consultants from Korea or Singapore to come up with some plan plan as no-one in Thailand has the brain, nor backbone, for that sort of achievement.

Have you ever known Thailand to consult foreigners over anything, let alone take on board anything they might suggest? About 20 years ago they called in people from, I think, the Netherlands, to help solve Bangkok's traffic problems. And then ignored all their suggestions as 'they wouldn't work in Thailand'. Thais know best about everything, so they don't need to consult 'aliens'. Imagine the loss of face if it was suggested they couldn't solve their own problems. Even when they can't.

[Neeranam]

51 minutes ago, DLock said:

 

As was the Tsunami when it literally destroyed Patong, so that hard work was done for them.

 

But no, it's a bigger <deleted>-hole today than before the Tsunami.

 

I agree, this would be the best time to knock down all the illegal structures, clean beaches, fix stuff, plant trees and make Pattaya a place normal people would want to go to.

 

...but will it happen. Never. 

Have you Pattaya dwellers ever thought of taking part in local community meetings and having a say in what should be done?

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Although I do understand the old/lonely/single/ugly/socially inept guys (pick 'n' mix) that came here and bagged a woman, who wouldn't have looked at them in their home country

I'm sure there are exceptions in Pattaya. I've heard some live there for the beautiful beach and good restaurants.

[CGW]

9 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Imagine spending your life doing a job you have no pride in.

That sums up the "average" Thai worker, a VERY large percentage have zero pride in the finished product! ???? 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Have you Pattaya dwellers ever thought of taking part in local community meetings and having a say in what should be done?

When my sister from the UK lived in Spain she was allowed to take part in local elections. Logical surely, as almost everything in the town affected her and other expats the same as the locals. Can you imagine Thailand ever allowing 'aliens' to have a say in local affairs? For one thing, they'd turn down to 100 baht bribe for voting and want 500. Can't have that sort of thing.

[tomauasia]

Thailand grass roots survives on tourism. So immigration would want to lighten up after virus calms or your finished.

[Neeranam]

8 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

When my sister from the UK lived in Spain she was allowed to take part in local elections. Logical surely, as almost everything in the town affected her and other expats the same as the locals. Can you imagine Thailand ever allowing 'aliens' to have a say in local affairs? For one thing, they'd turn down to 100 baht bribe for voting and want 500. Can't have that sort of thing.

Did she speak Spanish? I think the fact that most foreigners here don't even attempt to learn Thai is the main reason they are not accepted in many things.

 

How many straight male residents in Pattaya have a male Thai friend, for example? 

 

I take part in my community's affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Neeranam

[CGW]

3 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Did she speak Spanish? I think the fact that most foreigners here don't even attempt to learn Thai is the main reason they are not accepted in many things

I take part in my community's affairs.

I'm sure you are aware which family has run Pattaya for many years now, they can't (won't) even clean the streets, to expect them to accept input from an outside source is beyond reason, I'm afraid to say.................... ????

[Mick501]

7 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Hopefully traffic accident fatalities reduction >> COVID19 deaths.

Had this same thought yesterday.  Usual country death toll averages 60-70 per day.  Not sure what it's like now with far less traffic, but it seems very likely that after however many die from the virus, they will be well below par.

[Bangkok Barry]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Did she speak Spanish? I think the fact that most foreigners here don't even attempt to learn Thai is the main reason they are not accepted in many things.

 

How many straight male residents in Pattaya have a male Thai friend, for example? 

 

I take part in my community's affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She only knows a few words. Wasn't a barrier to her ideas and suggestions being accepted by a nation who are taught the world's international language at school. English was also used by the Germans, Swedes, Russians and others who made up the community there. Just like in Pattaya. The problem in Pattaya might be more that many of the locals struggle with the world's international language and can only properly communicate with their own. They might have been influenced by the PM telling them that one day the whole world would speak Thai - instead of just 70 million out of 7.7 billion. But, even if the entire foreign population in Pattaya spoke Thai, do you really think they would be allowed to vote?

With that in mind, I'd be interested to know what part of community affairs you take part in and what influence you have.

[SupermarineS6B]

Truth is the tourist industry was on its way down long before this very convenient virus excuse turned up......   and we all know why and at who's orders........  Can you imagine how the BIB must be feeling now with little or no "Tea money" coming in....?     Next time boys, take good care of that Goose, that's the one that lays the golden eggs................

[Youlike]

58 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Or perhaps they believed that as Thais they'd be immune either by virtue of being Thais or perhaps by virtue of the warm humid weather....  Sadly, I think they're being proven wrong on both counts.

 

Well at first it seemed the hot weather was stopping the virus, but it spreaded in singapore so that should have ringed some bells..

[Melbun]

8 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

The town has promoted family-friendly entertainment!   ????????????

Right ! I'm sure rabid, man hating, les bean, feminists would love to indulge that feeling. Sorry girls (and I use that term loosely) - take your contagion elsewhere.

[Youlike]

This is the perfect time for pattaya to put ALL electricity underground, make new sidewalks and clean up the place.

[CGW]

6 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Well at first it seemed the hot weather was stopping the virus, but it spreaded in singapore so that should have ringed some bells..

Why? Singapore is half the size of Bangkok with a different lifestyle to the rest of Asia.

It should have spread in Bangkok weeks ago if we analyse the situation with the information we have? ????