Thread: Pattaya - Consternation as tourism figures plunge 30 percent

Surprised? 4yrs ago you could get a return flight to UK for 450 quid. Now I hear it's 600!

Also I stayed in Nana Hotel BKK for 1200bht a night then. Now it's 1650!

Higher Prices here have knocked the bottom out of the market.

Not to mention the big increases in countries abroad.

People simply do not have the money to spend on Pattaya nowadays.

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

So the headline reads "Pattaya tourist takes a dive!"

That's the one I was loking for. "Plunge" "Dive" Balcony"

Pattaya, diving paradise. We've got more balconies than any one!!!

Why one earth would anyone pick Pattya, out of all the resort locations in the world, given the press it's had over the last couple of years.

If you're sitting in Aus, UK, USA, or where ever, planning you annual holiday, your honeymoon, your anniversary celebration, whatever, WHY, WHY, WHY would you pick Patters. Seriously. It's a just not up for that kind of market.

(include long list of adjectives describing typical Patters tourist.) is what Pattya has become. Sodom and Gommmorah.
Great there's a market for sleeze and shit but it's not going to be a "developing industry, they've already burnt that out.

Even the Russians are going else where.... ThankF

I really can't see the future of Pattya being all that er ... "rosy", "pink" WTF

Russians are going elsewhere - please say its true.

There is a crackdown going on around here on these motosai gangs. Driving home 2 nights ago from Soi Khao Noi to Mabprachan area, I saw two police squads apprehending a group of kids on motosai's.

Last week, a local village bloke was sitting at the local Wat talking to some other blokes- a group of cops swooped, and piss tested them all. So, at least out here, something is being done- although for how long and how effective, who knows.


As for Pattaya, this speculation about the end of Pattaya as a tourist destination has been going on since the end of the VN war. It just continues reinventing itself. Two years ago, the tourist arrivals for Pattaya were an all time high.

Why is Pattaya so popular? I wouldn't have a clue frankly, different reasons for different people I assume. Personally, I reckon it is overrated as a tourist destination- although it's one of these places that many if not most tourists in Asia have to see, if only once, if only to slag off the place. But reading the Pattaya Mongers boards, you would think that they are the lifeblood of this place. They are not, they are just a segment of the market.

Originally Posted by melvbot

Wonder if its got anything to do with the murders, muggings and gangs with guns?

This drop coincides with the increased cost of oil and the world-wide economic down-turn. Nothing to do with crime rates.

^ pretty much agree, plus the whole experience is becoming tired & overworked. I can recall in the late 90's the gogo thing was the rage. Couldn't get in a decent gogo they were packed.

Anyone seen a "packed" gogo recently? Not many around that consistently bang em in like the old days.

Today's society has become bored with the sex for hire thing when is is so freely available just about anywhere. Today's morals have changed to the point where 'sneaking' off to Thailand for some fresh flesh has lost its luster. No adrenalin rush now just a matter of taking care of bodily functions.. ho hum.


E.
G.

That first post was slightly tongue in cheek, thats why I mentioned the credit crunch in a later post.

Originally Posted by sabang

Why is Pattaya so popular? .

Relatively cheap (previously), glut of hotels to suit all price ranges, sea sun, beach - sounds good.

But look at the last few years for Thailand as a whole - drugs war, nightlife crackdown and early closing, Tsunami, tanks on the street, political unrest, SARS, brutal murders - I think Thailand is by and large just comming off the list of places to go - add the rising fuel costs, and better, cleaner, cheaper, safer palces nearer at home. Even for the whore mongers, the newly opened east europe has its attractions, girls, cheap booze.

Only real wonder is why people still come here at all.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Only real wonder is why people still come here at all.

I don't wonder why people come here- new markets have opened up consisting of tourists who previously had neither the funds nor the freedom to travel, i.e., Eastern Europe and China, plus the valuation of the British pound and the high cost of drinking/chasing skirts in England and/or Europe have brought in a lot of the British crowd that normally wouldn't go further than Majorca or Greece.

What I don't understand is why people come back, not only to a place like Pattaya which has but one thing to offer, but even to Phuket or Chiang Mai. If it is beaches and diving you want Central America and even Florida are better than nearly anything Thailand has to offer, and insofar as eco-tourism (forest hiking, visiting exotic tribes) a badly environmentally-degraded Thailand has nothing to compare with the Americas in that department either.

So what does Thailand have? Fairly hospitable people overall (but still a hell of a lot of scammers), very good food, some good hotels and resorts that are not such great bargains anymore, and plenty of easily available sex. With the exception of the latter, none of these things are exclusive (or nearly so) to Thailand. Of course plenty of other countries have large sex industries, but Thailand is one of the few where such can be partaken in relative safety (even in Pattaya). The thing is, other than for single guys (which would include the convention business, of course), Thailand doesn't seem to have much going for it these days. Tourism is an interesting industry because it almost inevitably becomes a victim of its own success, and I think that in large part has happened here.

[quote=nidhogg;718963]

Originally Posted by sabang

Why is Pattaya so popular? .

It's close to Bangkok

Originally Posted by melvbot

I was living in Jomtien about 6 1/2 years ago and the beach was a lot better than Pattaya's. Cleaner, not so many people and a hawker about every 15 mins, so not that bad. The sea was still horrible though.
Has it gone the same as Pattaya now?

That's not true, even back then you got pestered by hawkers constantly. I remember my tactics to ignore them by reading newspaper did not work. It resulted in having three of them them standing around me until I told them to go away.

It was great when it was a small shithole,

now it's a huge shithole, not as much fun, the scums running things there are starting to take themselves too seriously, while before it was all in retirement fun,

which explain the higher crime rate, higher interests for all parties

Originally Posted by plorf

So... where's the great, spicy food, beaches, relatively cheap prices to be found in combination with a bit of sex appeal and nice people ?
Thailand's tourism is only that strong because that of its neighbours has serious flaws.

I referred in my post to Central and South America- I neglected to mention the Caribbean, and I have tourists from Western Europe and North America in mind. Most of my buddies in Florida would prefer to go to Brazil, even though the flight is quite long (no jet lag), for example. For the Chinese and probably the Russians Asia is probably a more convenient location, so Thailand might remain the best choice.

Terrorism may be an issue to some people vis-a-vis going to Bali, but that makes about as much sense as not going to NYC, London, or Madrid for the same reason. In terms of culture and art, and maybe especially music, Bali has the richer surviving traditions.

In SE Asia Thailand still has the best tourism infrastructure, but in certain niche markets, like diving, there are far better destinations. If you want to do serious jungle trekking there are better places in Indonesia, and for the mountainous areas Laos or (supposedly) Yunnan are very good. Shame about Burma, though, isn't it, it would smoke Thailand in every category (except maybe food) if it were run by sane, as opposed to just corrupt, politicians.

Whether or not it makes sense not to go to Bali because of terrorist attacks is up to the individual, but Bali tourism took a serious plunge after the 2002 bombing (202 deaths) and dropped again after 2005 (26+ deaths)
Jemaah Islamiah is a serious threat there, and there are likely going to be more attacks on tourists.
But you're right of course, in many individual areas there are far better options, but for most people it's still the package that counts, I think, and that has been the message of my post.

People can defend Pattaya all they want, but at the end of the day it is still polluted, over priced, the BIB trying to shake you down for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, dangerous, and the most hurtful part of all; the local Thais with such a shitty attitude after you spend so much money here...good to read that finally foreigners are getting the message that they are not welcome here and are staying away...maybe this drop in visitors will cause an improvement in or that tourists should be treated special instead of always being shit on, taken advantage of, or ripped off.

Agree with you there Lynn, Samui & Phuket could use a serious overhaul as well, infrastructure, criminality, youth gangs, corruption, general friendliness etc etc...
So if this decline in tourism overall would result in some changes, at least in attitude, I certainly wouldn't mind... if not and the offer remains the same or gets worse: som nam na !

Originally Posted by Lynn

People can defend Pattaya all they want, but at the end of the day it is still polluted,

Agree with you.

over priced,

Very inexpensive, so you are wrong.

the BIB trying to shake you down for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle,

There are helmet laws, and its for your own safety. When they choose to enforce it is up to them.

dangerous

No less dangerous than most places in the world, actually probably less so.

the local Thais with such a shitty attitude after you spend so much money here

Always feel welcome and local thai(s) are lovely people for the most part, perhaps its you?

...good to read that finally foreigners are getting the message that they are not welcome here and are staying away...maybe this drop in visitors will cause an improvement in

Again always feel welcome wherever are go, if you don't stop whinging about it and move on.

or that tourists should be treated special instead of always being shit on, taken advantage of, or ripped off.

Why should you be treated any different than a local? Special One is only shite on, taken advantage of, or ripped off when you allow it to happen. Never personally had it happen nor know of anyone who has.

Originally Posted by peterpan

Originally Posted by britmaveric

Dunno talking to some bar owners and they have been quite busy.

You should know Bitty that bar owners are even bigger bullshitters than real estate sales men.

Right on, and don't forget the used-bookshop owners.

Originally Posted by Luckydog

Surprised? 4yrs ago you could get a return flight to UK for 450 quid. Now I hear it's 600!

Also I stayed in Nana Hotel BKK for 1200bht a night then. Now it's 1650!

Higher Prices here have knocked the bottom out of the market.

Not to mention the big increases in countries abroad.

People simply do not have the money to spend on Pattaya nowadays.

Ref: Higher Prices here have knocked the bottom out of the market. Been trying to put together a trip to the US and Canada to avoid as many layovers as possible. I am completely overwhelmed by the prices of accommodation enroute, 200 dollars a night for even a motel room.

Originally Posted by robuzo

In SE Asia Thailand still has the best tourism infrastructure, but in certain niche markets, like diving, there are far better destinations.

In the niche market of cheap and available prostitution Thailand is still the one to beat.

Originally Posted by EmperorTud

In the niche market of cheap and available prostitution Thailand is still the one to beat.

Jesus, I was in Surat Thani yesterday and upon checking into the hotel (a nice big local hotel catering virtually exclusively to Thais) I was literally propositioned by the 30 something desk clerk. She had light skin, red hair and looked good.

I gave it a miss...

^ tel no please