TotallyOz Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I had friends in Bangkok this week and they wanted to come to Pattaya. I suggested the Marriott. They made a reservation and came down last night. They are a family with 2 kids. I had dinner with them last night and breakfast this AM and played with them at the pool at the Marriott. The Marriott was booked over the weekend. They could not get reservations on Sunday night and I called in a favor. When I went this AM for breakfast, the place was standing room only. EVERY table in their large dining room was full. At over 700 baht per head (unless included in your room), this is not a cheap place to eat. We had to wait 10 minutes for a table. The food was great. We then headed to the pool which was also getting crowded. They just came from Bangkok where they said the hotel they were in was also full and they were in one of the most expensive hotels in Chiang Mai for 4 days for the kids to go Elephant treking and that hotel was full. The vast majority of people at breakfast this AM were families and predominately Asian. Is this the end of Sin City? Is a trend to family's going to take over Pattaya? Is this the real reason for the bar clean ups and raids? Quote
Guest travelerjim Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 GT, The city fathers...so to speak, have said time and time again... their aim is to be a "family destination". I think there is conflict with the need for the BIB to gather the $$$... and the city fathers to have their way, when it comes to the "family destination" efforts. Pattaya is Pattaya... and still sliding downhill , IMHO, when it comes to needed change to truly make it a "family destination". The beaches are deplorable as the waters are full of crap, the walkways are dangerous as are the crossings for visitors. The storms bring havoc upon the flooded streets... and the corruption is apparently rampant with state of declining conditions throughout the city. Sad, but I see more and more visitors and expats looking elsewhere. As for the sell out conditions at Marriott... I believe it is a fluke...not norm for Pattaya nor Thailand. As the baht gets stronger...which is unbelievably happening... the US$ will reach 30...and lower??? BP at 48 and weaker??? Euro weakening too...as is the Aussie dollar... slowdowns will continue in travel plans for holiday goers... and Thailand with its political shenanigans, coups, protests, will suffer further...with higher unemployment and terrorism incidents. I wish it weren't to be true, but the Thais seem to keep shooting themselves in the foot, so to speak, time and time again. On to another day in life in Thailand tj Quote
PattayaMale Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I have no proof of this, but I have thought for awhile it is the GAY tourists that are missing. If the gay areas are usually the places we go to, it does seem empty. But going to Central Festival for example seems fairly busy. Some of the restaurants there are also packed. Waiting for a table is now common Quote
Guest RichLB Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I'm not in the contest so posting this is out of interest and not trying to add to my numbers. I don't think TravelerJim is viewing things all that accurately. I've been here for a long time and while his criticisms of the infrastructure of Pattaya aren't that far off, it is hardly as bad as one would believe from what he writes. The beaches are not pristine, but they never have been. The roads aren't the best, but they're a damn site better than they have been. And the bars are not exactly packed, but as has been the case every low season, some are doing well and some are not. In addition, there are a lot more bars competing for the same baht now than there were before. In addition, the array of good restaurants at popular prices (albeit more expensive than years past) seems to be increasing exponentially. It's true the world's financial crisis has resulted in a downturn of tourism the world over, but Thailand, and Pattaya in particular, remains a fantastic choice for tourists and expats living here. Quote
Guest beachlover Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 There might have been a convention or conference at the Marriott. It might have been school holidays for one or more Asian countries. It would be fantastic if Pattaya had beaches as nice as Phuket or Samui or Rio. That would give it the best of both worlds... Quote
Rogie Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 It would be fantastic if Pattaya had beaches as nice as Phuket or Samui or Rio. Beachlover, like you I wish that were so... Maybe it comes a shock to firstime visitors, especially those with families with children, where the beach is pretty crucial for full enjoyment of the classic 'family holiday'. However, most people who come back to Pattaya know the beach is poor, or more specifically the beach is so-so and the sea is vile. Why do they come back then? Because they don't care, or at least they don't care enough to overide their other reasons for coming, whatever they may be. When I come to Pattaya/Jomtien, I like to spend the odd day on the beach in a nice traditional deck chair, watching the world go by, snoozing and generally doing nothing much. I haven't been in the water at Jomtien for 5 years, and probably never will again. Quote
Guest beachlover Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Pattaya Beach is not usable. But I think Jomtien Beach is ok for running or relaxing. It stretches out for a long way and is fairly big. I think the non-gay section is more open and nicer than the gay section. I think some people visit Pattaya (despite the beach/surrounds not being as nice) because it's more easily accessible from Bangkok and probably cheaper to stay in. Quote
ChristianPFC Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 GayThailand, what is "AM"? From context, I assume you mean a.m. (ante meridiem, checking in a dictionary I find it can be abbreviated as a.m., am, A.M., AND AM, didn't know that) and you use AM instead of "morning"? Quote
Guest Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 GayThailand, what is "AM"? From context, I assume you mean a.m. (ante meridiem, checking in a dictionary I find it can be abbreviated as a.m., am, A.M., AND AM, didn't know that) and you use AM instead of "morning"? Yes, I mean a.m. or morning time. Quote
Bob Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 GayThailand, what is "AM"? From context, I assume you mean a.m. (ante meridiem, checking in a dictionary I find it can be abbreviated as a.m., am, A.M., AND AM, didn't know that) and you use AM instead of "morning"? Somewhat common American slang. "AM" means sometime in the morning and "see you in the PM" usually means afternoon hours. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 There might have been a convention or conference at the Marriott. It might have been school holidays for one or more Asian countries. Last Wednesday was the start of what for many is a very long holiday in China. The mid-Autumn Festival covered 5 days ending Sunday, but the 7 day National Holiday starts October 1. So more well-to-do families take two or more weeks off and get away early to avoid the travel chaos out of the country next week-end. Quote
Guest GaySacGuy Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 This isn't really a new trend, at least for the last three years. You can walk through Boystown and Sunee, and have very little traffic and not much happening. Then wander over to walking street and see it alive with people and so crowded that it is difficult to walk down the street. These aren't mostly families, but are mostly straights. So, I think the gay people aren't coming here as much..don't know the reason, but one may be that gays are actively being sought by some areas and some companies to vacation with them. There wasn't much of that is the past. And of course all of Thailand's bad press hasn't help overall, but may have some gays hanging back because they don't want undue attention. Quote
Guest travelerjim Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 I chatted with a Thai businessman who has gifts and the like at TukCom....now has three end caps or displays for his goods to sell... located at the top of the escalator going down to Tops. He said this has been a LOW, LOW Season...never seen it so slow,,, and he pays 43,000 Thai baht (17,000 + 14,000 + 13,000) for this three displays of goods. That's one hell of a lot of goods to have to sell... just to make the rent each month...let alone buy more goods... and make a net profit..He and his wife are sole staff...and work all day from 10am open to 8pm close. tj . Quote
