The THAIGER
OCTOBER 25, 2020

“It didn’t take long for the bargirls to flood back and the shutters open on the bars again

Pattaya, struggling along for the past 7 months with a handful of domestic tourists and Bangkok weekenders, has had its busiest weekend for a long time, albeit a long weekend created by the public holiday in commemoration of King Chulongkorn. Much of the increased traffic were Thai faces, a big change to the city’s old demographic of international tourists and expats.

The focus of the weekend’s events was the Beach Road which was visibly busy with expats, locals and tourists joining in the foreshore festival, talent shows, music concerts and local food. Central Festival, in the middle of the Beach Road, hosted a range of activities and shows.

Several proprietors with businesses in the city’s red light areas also told The Thaiger that it was the busiest they’d seen areas like Walking Street and Soi 6 since the tourist tap slowed to a dribble after the borders were closed down in late March.

Another expat, working in the tourism sector, (who didn’t want to be named) noted that Pattaya’s famous (or infamous) nightlife had sprung back to life.

“It didn’t take long for the bargirls to flood back and the shutters open on the bars again. Most of the faces I’m seeing are Thai. I figure it may be the first visit to Pattaya for many of them. Let’s hope they keep coming.”

FULL. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... re-to-come

I moved back to Pattaya (from Bangkok) almost a month ago. I am liking the quiet and the fact I can cross Second and Third Roads almost without looking. Empty baht bus after empty baht bus rolls by. And not a single sighting of a belching, noisy tour bus that used to clog the roads and respiratory system.

The shock of shocks, moto taxi guys have been polite, smiling, helpful and appreciative of my custom. Yeah, almost feels like a parallel universe.

But it's so sad to see so many many many businesses, bars and restaurants shuttered. Some have messages optimistically declaring temporary closure.



Many spaces where 7-11s and Family Marts resided have been abandoned all over town. I walk a lot so I see the empty spaces in the sub-sois and major roads.

I am often one of only two to five customers in places like Witherspoons, Retox Game On, I-Rovers, Jameson Pub, Scooters (LK Metro), Continental, Bake N Brew, French Bakery (5-6 customers), Pitini. Even Climax music bar only had maybe 10ish customers in the evenings I was there. In summary, LK Metro is relatively busy compared to Beach, WS. New Plaza is almost dead and buried.

Climax



Witherspoons during Aussie footy prelim finals game.



Retox during last regular season games


Just returned Sunday from a Bangkok visit. Looked the same quiet places to me up on Buakhao, Third and Klang. Mind you I never go to Pattaya Beach Road or Walking Street (some 8 years since I'd been there).

Noticed Jomtien Beach Road was nicer and a bit busier. That's when I hooked up with @Cowshed Cowboy a few times for a late afternoon pint or two at a lovely beachside bar/resto called Vichan's.

I have a feeling the weekenders stuck to the Beach. I saw no sign of them when I went to lunch at I-Rovers in LK Sunday noon.

Looking forward to this weekends Bikini Run on the beach, will have to get the telephoto lens out for that one, should be a bumper turnout with that, Halloween and Loy Kratong. I used to avoid big event/holiday weekends but what I've come to notice during the current situation is the vibe with purely domestic tourism is much more laid back and pleasant even though busy. For the Thais it's all about sociable group/family eating and drinking at the beach as opposed to the overseas tourists who are primarily there for the hedonistic bar and nightlife scene.

Some good entertainment coming up more or less every weekend to the end of the year, the Music and Fireworks festivals are always top notch, one thing Pattaya is very good at is putting on these types of events

I think Pattaya could be gaining a few extra visitors at the weekends from those based in Bangkok who don't want to be around the protest situation on their time off. However I still expect to see a lot more bar closures before the end of the year, surviving on the current level of custom isn't sustainable for even the biggest operators, notably The Nightwish Group which is basically Soi 6, never mind smaller independent traders. Ex Penh Mans photos above show the situation perfectly in even the most popular places.

Pattaya is nicer now than it has been in years. The absence of buses full of Chinese tourists blocking traffic, the Indians who are clueless or the rude Middle East mongers with their burka-clad slaves is wonderful. The hotels are also dirt cheap and all the services that used to be available still are, perhaps with a slightly lower selection. Pattaya's atmosphere now reminds me of how it was when I first came here in 2005.