News Forum - Pattaya sees big tourism growth, but mostly domestic

[JohninDublin]

2 hours ago, Cabra said:

Thailand has always downplayed the existence of prostitution and now the powers that be see an opportunity to further promote that narrative. Which is why I suspect Pattaya is being left behind as reopening slowly takes hold. Pattaya needs to desperately reinvent itself (to the chagrin of many expats) or suffer even more.

But not just yet.

[JohninDublin]

15 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Exactly.

I haven't been to Pattaya for a few years but still have friends there (farangs and floozies) and none have suggested or seen this at all.

Like so much else here, there's nothing to support it in any way and it's all based on a few bar-stoolers, many of whom aren't here, looking for something to complain about.

Wishing for it to be so, won't make it so.

[mickkotlarski]

51 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Well, evidently Hun Sen doesn't feel the same way as he's done the opposite, and while Cambodia's attracted some of the dross from Pattaya who were priced out as they couldn't do unlimited visa runs or meet the financial minimums here any more, he's cleaned up a lot of the seedier side of Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville's beer bars.

Their main target is also Asian, particularly the Chinese who own and control far more of the tourism side there than they do in Thailand.

The absolute last thing any of them are doing is ploughing millions into anywhere to rival Pattaya.

Agreed for now as Hun Sen would have promoted red light districts earlier but would a post Hun Sen Cambodia see the profit to be had? Perhaps something similar to Nana plaza but different scale. After all many Chinese cross into Northern Myanmar for "entertainment" though more gambling and call girls but still some dodgy non family oriented activities.

[PJK]

As long as there is a long list of hoops to jump through…the government in not serious about tourism.

GDP will swirl the drain for at least another year at this point . 

[EdwardV]

4 hours ago, Stonker said:

All he put it down to was being unable to open the bars and "night entertainment industry", which seems far more realistic than the idea that a couple thousand baht for a PCR test is putting people off:

Exactly. Within a couple of months of reopening entertainment zones and clubs, the numbers will jump. I think the idea the government is trying to clean up Pattaya (or anywhere else) is projection and little more. All they are really doing is trying to open safely as possible. Threading a needle if you will. 

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, J121 said:

The authorities are few steps behind other countries opening the country up to foreign travel. The easing of entry requirements they announced in November should have been done in July. Hence the new requirements are outdated from day 1. What is a point of admitting vaccinated tourists in but still asking them to provide troublesome, negative PR test from no more than 72 hours before arrival? And if that trouble was not enough, asking them to test again on arrival and stay in Micky Mouse hotel? And also to purcharse a health insurance! And apply for some passes! This is ridiculous and unless it is dropped quickly the end of the year high season is wasted again. No more difficult entry procedures for vaccinated travellers now! Full stop.

Having taken the decision to open the country to tourism, then I’m in full agreement with your comments. I still maintain that they are deliberately holding back on an easy route for tourists. They want to give the impression of being open, while at the same time stifling demand. Double dealing as so often the case. 
 

The issue with the test on arrival, is not so much the test, as the fact it’s a PCR test and hence takes many hours to process during which time quarantine is required. How can they call it quarantine free, when the very first thing you do is quarantine? A PCR test prior to departure and an ATK on arrival is all that should be required at the most. If you had the test as you disembarked, the result would be ready by the time you cleared immigration and collected your bag. 
 

I do hope the Thai authorities have been using this down time to good effect. Plenty of customer service training at the airport would be a good start and start with immigration staff. 

[ace035]

Pattaya is a major disaster right now, go to Phuket, everything open where farangs and Thai nationals are partying like crazy that you have never seen before since the beginning of scamdemic.

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, ace035 said:

Pattaya is a major disaster right now, go to Phuket, everything open where farangs and Thai nationals are partying like crazy that you have never seen before since the beginning of scamdemic.

Stop being silly ! 

[ace035]

49 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

Exactly. Within a couple of months of reopening entertainment zones and clubs, the numbers will jump. I think the idea the government is trying to clean up Pattaya (or anywhere else) is projection and little more. All they are really doing is trying to open safely as possible. Threading a needle if you will. 

If it is true of what you talking about, tell that to Phuket, they have been partying like crazy over there since October 1

[EdwardV]

5 minutes ago, ace035 said:

If it is true of what you talking about, tell that to Phuket, they have been partying like crazy over there since October 1

If anything, I would think Phuket actually proves my point. If Thailand really wanted to stamp out prostitution and redesign areas, Bangla road would already be gone. 

[JohninDublin]

1 minute ago, EdwardV said:

If anything, I would think Phuket actually proves my point. If Thailand really wanted to stamp out prostitution and redesign areas, Bangla road would already be gone. 

Yes! It really doesn't make sense that there is a hidden agenda to convert Pattaya to a non-mongering destination overnight.

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, EdwardV said:

I think the idea the government is trying to clean up Pattaya (or anywhere else) is projection and little more. All they are really doing is trying to open safely as possible. Threading a needle if you will. 

I'd suggest 'conjection' rather than "projection", as like so much here it's based on absolutely nothing.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, mickkotlarski said:

Agreed for now as Hun Sen would have promoted red light districts earlier but would a post Hun Sen Cambodia see the profit to be had? Perhaps something similar to Nana plaza but different scale. After all many Chinese cross into Northern Myanmar for "entertainment" though more gambling and call girls but still some dodgy non family oriented activities.

Hun Sen's been running the country for 40 years and lining up his son to take over, so it's hard to imagine anything like that changing.

[Soidog]

5 hours ago, Soidog said:

Well if I was Hun Sen I’d be marketing places to attract as many people out of places like Pattaya as I could. I’d make entry requirements easier such as visa fees and plough millions in to places to rival Pattaya. 
 

Slight aside story. A few years ago I visited Cambodia and was surprised to see they had an E-visa system up and running. It took all of 10 minutes to complete the online form. I got an instant notification of the application, 48 hours later I got an email with my visa attached. It even told me I didn’t need to print in colour and just make two copies. Worked flawlessly. The Thais are just getting around to it and the system is, well, how should I best describe it? SH1T !!

I just read Cambodia is opening up tomorrow. It’s not clear to me what this means in terms of the covid test. There is no mention of a PCR on arrival but I would be surprised. 
 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cambodia-end-quarantine-vaccinated-travellers-nov-15-pm-hun-sen-2021-11-14/

[palooka]

5 hours ago, Stonker said:

Hun Sen's been running the country for 40 years and lining up his son to take over, so it's hard to imagine anything like that changing.

Cambodia just opened a new International airport for Chinese in a designated area of development for Chinese,  seems to be where Hun Sen is looking for income.

[gummy]

5 hours ago, Soidog said:

I just read Cambodia is opening up tomorrow. It’s not clear to me what this means in terms of the covid test. There is no mention of a PCR on arrival but I would be surprised. 
 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cambodia-end-quarantine-vaccinated-travellers-nov-15-pm-hun-sen-2021-11-14/

And Cambodia has the Casinos too, something that Pattaya desperately needs.

[Lowseasonlover]

They should turn Phuket into a duty free island and allow casino's 

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, palooka said:

Cambodia just opened a new International airport for Chinese in a designated area of development for Chinese,  seems to be where Hun Sen is looking for income.

Income and power, as he always has whether under the Khmer Rouge, the Vietnamese, the UN, and ever since.

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, Lowseasonlover said:

They should turn Phuket into a duty free island and allow casino's 

Both would bring money to the few who controlled them, and contribute nothing to the vast majority of the population. 

If that's what you want, fine.

[Tonykea]

Thai Local tourist means nothing to the growth of pattaya.  Nothing.  Most bars, restaurant and strip joints are for westerners.  

[Tonykea]

14 hours ago, gummy said:

And Cambodia has the Casinos too, something that Pattaya desperately needs.

Sure!! The Mafia and the Ladyoboys would love that! 

[Stardust]

On 11/14/2021 at 6:53 PM, Soidog said:

I think that’s correct. When I go to Pattaya I often take a short bike ride out of town north along the coast and there are plenty of nice hotels and restaurants full of Bangkok Thais. There are also plenty of nightspots where they can “relax” in the evenings. 

But most hanging on the beach and buy their food at 711 or this cartfoods at the street. Pattaya is at the weekend (beach area) full with people mostly from BKK but the restaurants are empty. Thats the sad fact of the domestic tourism.

[smashingguy]

Hi, newbie here although I have been to Pattaya many times. Are massage parlours open?

[gummy]

8 hours ago, Tonykea said:

Sure!! The Mafia and the Ladyoboys would love that! 

Ladyoboys, are these  Austrian yodelling Ladyboys coming to Thailand ? 

[Thommo]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:09 PM, J121 said:

The authorities are few steps behind other countries opening the country up to foreign travel. The easing of entry requirements they announced in November should have been done in July. Hence the new requirements are outdated from day 1. What is a point of admitting vaccinated tourists in but still asking them to provide troublesome, negative PR test from no more than 72 hours before arrival? And if that trouble was not enough, asking them to test again on arrival and stay in Micky Mouse hotel? And also to purcharse a health insurance! And apply for some passes! This is ridiculous and unless it is dropped quickly the end of the year high season is wasted again. No more difficult entry procedures for vaccinated travellers now! Full stop.

Thailand is following a similar protocol to other countries in regrads to the PCR testing. Not sure how you can draw your conclusion that Thailand should have opened up in July.  We all have a choice when entering a country, follow their rules or elect to visit somewhere else (or complain on a forum). For me personelly I am happy I have been in Thailand compared with my home town of Melbourne but i will need to PCR test to fly there in Jan and another to return here,  and another at the hotel  which will not be a "mickey mouse hotel"