Pattaya Low Season ‘09 in Photos
Posted by Pattaya Ghost | Blog, Pattaya, Reader Submissions | Posted on June 18th, 2009
As a follow-on to Banglamung’s recent diatribe, I obtained a 24-hour pass from the missus and ventured out to Walking Street Tuesday. It wasn’t my intention to be a documentarian of the woes and lows and Pattaya in the Age of Piggy Flu, but the sights were pretty shocking. So, as I stumbled my way from north to south, I snapped a few photos between 10 p.m. and midnight with my trusty N82 so definitively answer the question, “Just how slow is Pattaya.” The answer lies below.
If one wants to gauge the impact of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak in Pattaya and Thailand, simply visit the muay thai boxing exhibition ring downstairs from Peppermint and outside Dollhouse. At 10 p.m., these seats would normally be full of Chinese and Korean package tourists. But after three Taiwanese returned home last week with swine flu after touring Pattaya, other tours canceled. The boxer simply stood there for a few minutes, figuring he’s not going to fight if no one’s going to watch.
Even as Pattaya’s tourist numbers tumble, bars continue to open, many with dreams that the Russian ruble will carry them to success. There are some Russians in town, but not enough to support this and other music lounges on The Street. Republika disco closed late last month. This one near Soho Square may not be far behind.
These bars already have closed. Soi 16, near Covent Garden, is Walking Street’s gangrened left foot. A few months ago, just one of the beer bars outside the Catz/Club Boesche/X-Zone complex was abandoned. It’s now up to three. X-Zone last night was running two stages, but for only four customers. Rumors suggested the bar was supposed to close two weeks ago. It’s not far-fetched to say the entire street is on borrowed time.
If Covent Garden is gangrenous, then Soho Square, further to the south, is outright necrotic. B-52, comprised by a beer bar downstairs and disco upstairs, had apparently closed. A week ago shutters covered the whole place. But someone breathed enough air into it to reopen. For what is anyone’s guess. Soho a huge development of retail shopfronts, beer bars, music houses and two go-gos. It now has three operating businesses, B-52, another music place that had two customers last night, and the K (Wonder Girls) go-go in the far back right corner. Last night K had four customers. I noted on the way in that the beer bars across from K are now dark.
Like their Bangkok counterparts, Pattaya’s discos are well-known for their overpriced drinks. Soaking Russians was even better sport. So it’s a telling sign when banners offering 110 baht whisky and beer at Ocean 10 go up behind their sexy coyotes. It’s discount heaven in Pattaya right now. Come one down and take advantage of it.
43 Responses to “Pattaya Low Season ‘09 in Photos”
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If we're exchanging stories about wanking, when I was 14, I came back ...
PE: where to get 'em is a good start. But that's easy: Thai pharmacie...
Enough with the brush-off comments, already! This is as honest as writ...
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz- Good points, Fender, good points. But I'll take issue with your "usefu...
U huh.
Just to give people an example of how swine flu was blown out of propo...- PE: easily explainable. Pot is already legal in California and will l...
I wouldn't worry so much about the drug abuse. Child stars have been u...
This reminds me of something.After 4 months without getting wet (due t...
I will be bringing my cheap-ass there from the 25 – 28 of this month.
View all comments by I Phukit
“It’s disocunt heaven in Pattaya right now. Come one down and take advantage of it”.
DISOCUNT = is that a typo error or is that a word for dizzy (cheap) hookers?
View all comments by Daywalker
Those coyote dancers are F*I*N*E
View all comments by Alan Smith
PG – Are those coyote slags at Ocean10 ‘game’ or not do you know
Its obviously a major cunt for business owners and people who work down there, but I gotta say those pix are kinda filling me with joy, as I have a few trips for Patts next month
I take it the girls down soi6 are hungrier then ever?
View all comments by Young Penfold
lets organize a stimulus package for pattaya. get a busload of the most depraved mongers to inject a little cash into the local economy. a few of these ought to keep things above water until the next high season.
View all comments by UnCochinoWetback
UCW… good idea. However, might I suggest you practice 1st at the Mango. A whole bunch of people go there and spend as much cash as possible? Sounds like an excellent plan.
View all comments by Daywalker
Thailand mistreats it’s visitors. From the baggage claim area to every tourist spot, you’ll find some fucker will be there trying to scam visitors.
It’s out of control.
The double pricing shit, the scumbags like the cigarette butt cops, taxis trolling for suckers, crummy disposition in the bars, and a bad attitude towards ‘the farang’ in general these days.
I stopped going to the bars long ago. It just wasn’t fun any longer. I don’t want to buy lady drinks for half the staff every time or say no, no, no all night long.
The best times to be had in Bangkok now are the oil massage joints…and Lolitas of course.
View all comments by JJ
DW, it was indeed a typo, but pretty funny one I must say.
I don’t know about the coyotes at Ocean10. I’m assuming they are, for the right price. I’ve never tried nor even ventured into O-10. I’m betting they get their pick of young Ruskies flush with mafia cash, so it would be beyond what I’m willing to pay.
YP — Very hungry. The katoeys are jumping out and molesting guys in the middle of the street. Just your speed.
View all comments by Pattaya Ghost
Comments like this just make me want to buy a bar. Just how much downside remains?
View all comments by MSB
@MSB – my feelings also!
There is a shop house on a dead end (Soi 6 – Jomtien) that is a real, real nice building with 3 stories above it with big clean rooms! But – 3.5M – not sure yet – think I could find better!
I have no experience with bars (there is one on the bottom floor of this building) nor do I want to gain any – the building is in a semi-good spot in Jomtien and I could remodel the top 2 or 3 floors and have a nice get away for myself!
Then I wonder what will Jomtien be like in 20 years?
But, then I look at some places like Koi Chang (4 hours from BKK) and then I start thinking ‘all over’ again and it is really nice there – I think!
I just confuse myself! But I do want to do something on a 30yr lease – If I could get the right deal.
I think there are gonna be some ‘real’ deals the longer I hold out – even into this time next year – no empirical evidence to support my thoughts – but?
View all comments by JDH
It’s not only yourself you confuse.
View all comments by Poodle
@JJ is absolutely 100% right.
Thailand DOES mistreat its visitors.
Weird. I used to say stuff like this but all the newbies back then (more than a few of them have fashioned themselves into old-bies and are saying the same thing now.
But not so long ago they used to “cheap-shot” that I just had an overly romantic view of what I was entitled to due to my advanced years and my lack of youthful perception and other such abominable shite.
For the umpteenth time; it’s NOT the f*cking swine flu, it was NOT the Tsunami, it’s NOT the yellow shirts, it’s NOT the red shirts it’s not the economy, it’s NOT the airport closures, it’s not ANY OF THAT local nonsense.
In the age of the internet, travelers and expats with money are simply tired of getting treated like shit here. They have talked about it. They continue to talk ab0ut it they told their friends and it’s NOW THRESHOLDED to the point that are staying away in droves.
View all comments by Prufrock
Discount heaven indeed. Am staying here since the beginning of may, never seen Patts soooo slow. Went with an ex-showgirl from Coyotee A-go-go a week ago for 500 bahts ST. The next day she called me and texted me. I answered “sorry I don’t have money” so that she leaves me alone. Her answer: “mai pen rai, how much u can give me? I just want nid noi for eat”. Scary! Beach road girls go for 200-300 bahts. And I’m not talking about the dogs… Soi 6, even the cutest girls do not ask for 700 ST any longer.
View all comments by mart
I guess the bars an go-go’s really do miss the 2 week millionair’s that the ex-pats are always making fun of.I guess all those ex-pats really can’t hold up the economy of Pattaya all by themselves.It’s hard to face the truth when your a ex-pat “Loser”.
View all comments by Trapperjohn
any thoughts to where they are all going or where the next big thing is prufrock??
View all comments by Maz
Sad to see the place looking so slow.
Even if you take into account the assholes and the scammers how many people can honestly say that they didnt have a great time in Pattaya?
Trouble is the industry has tried to get the package and regular tourist market in a place which is the mongering capital of planet earth!
Thailands authorities will never be proud of this honour and this will lead to an irreversable downturn.
Shit, Im really looking forward to going back this time.
View all comments by ao nang
Well, they’re definitely wearing short-shorts, but I’m not sure if those coyotes are all that. The one on the left looks like she’s got the Issan square-jaw affliction. The one in the middle might pass muster. Maybe my monitor’s resolution is too low…
View all comments by fender
The middle one was definitely hot.
View all comments by Pattaya Ghost
@TrapperJohn —
Why should any group of ex-pats ‘hold up any local economy’?
So just because I am an ex-pat – I am a loser?
View all comments by JDH
@ Prufrock – You’re right, people are getting fed up with bad attitude for their ‘hard-earned’ and that is having an effect.
However, more to the point people are skint,broke,potless and if they are still in a job scared of losing it. No-one wants to spend or can afford to spend. Unemployment in the West is really gaining momentum now irrespective of demented economists saying that they are seeing the ‘green shoots’ of recovery….bullshit!! The man on the street is fucked at the moment and until that changes people wont be travelling.
Link that with an exchange rate with GBP that makes things expensive in the farang dominated areas now and a recovery is a long way off.
Still, just bought my flight for the 5th July and will be attending the 1st Anniversary bash at Big Mango. Is that ladyboy ‘Gaywalker’ still going to the bar??
Signs of a difficult economy in Bangkok is that the Omni Tower,Soi 4 is doing apartments for 1000 Baht a night….cheapest I have ever got.
Also got an invite to a free trip to the Royal Yacht Club in Phuket which has been redeveloped into apartments for 3 nights and travel(flight) from BKK for free. Obviously will have to attend a sales function but who cares…..
Pattaya Ghost….nice update, time to visit in my book and take your pick for not a lot.
View all comments by ChelseaBlue
careful CB… don’t wanna get banned now do ya?
View all comments by Daywalker
No discounts at the Sheraton Grande.
But I’m not paying! Yay business travel!
View all comments by fender
The other places were suprising, but Soho Square? That place was lawys empty. I don’t think I have ever seen anypne in there besides myself walking through and that was a year and a half ago. No real suprise.
Convent Garden used to have some business it looks to be going next.
View all comments by Kdogg
TJ – just coming back from Insomnia. We all miss the 50-weeks-wankers, there’s way too much pussy for us losers. Please come back and don’t forget your cash!
View all comments by mart
damn..those pics are telling. It looks like a ghost town..did you see any tumble weed or chirping crickets? I’m thinking late June early July would be a good time to head down there.
WPD??
View all comments by Indu WangZi
notice any dearth of drunk, foul mouthed, hooliganish, bare chested, recently released british ex-cons in town ghost ?
(and i’m not saying any of that in a bad way)
is so, that could get me down there.
View all comments by jack dawson
lol…
Discounts…
Pretty funny, was at Happy Go GO the other night, one of the girls told my brother she wanted 3,000 Bht LT. He laughed and said, “The max you get from me is 1,000.”
She laughed and replied, you want cheap girl, you go to Insomnia.
Well, around 3:30 am guess who we see at Insomnia??
————-
We been here 4 weeks now and we’re havin’ a rock’n time. Never seen Pattaya in high season but right now as it seems its treatin’ us well.
I can totally agree with P’G’s write up here. The Go-Go’s are wastelands once you walk in. As for places like, What’s up, Diamond and Air Port Club they seem to be doing better than the rest but still hurting at times. Come the weekend these places are pretty full (for a time being that is) then it dies down fast.
You walk into Insomnia and your walking out with a stunner for 500-1000 bht. Some of the girls from Diamond’s (Super Sexy BKK Models lol) who’s prices are ridiculous venture to Insomnia after the shift is up. I’ve pulled a couple outta Insomnia for 1000 clean. They won’t even complain. Its like Insomnia is the ‘last stomping ground’ for gettin’ paid. Thou it always has been… but the girl’s aren’t raising an eyebrow at the offered price. They are like… okay.
And for the guy’s complaining there are ‘no good looking girls in town’… well they must be banging Super Sexy BKK Models cause it seems there is plenty to go around here.
Then again, I haven’t seen Pattaya in its high season so I really can’t tell the difference. I’m sure some have gone back to the farm but there are lookers if you hunt a little.
View all comments by Canadianboy
Pattaya Low Season – clever title
View all comments by Professor
My hypothesis is that maybe all this downturn is some sort of divine act of checks and balances. I’m not sure, but tourism in Thailand 20 years ago probably wasn’t as good as it has been in the last 5-10 years since I started going, therefore, prices for everything has gone way up, and treatment of farangs has gone way down. The point of going to Thailand for me was always the relatively stress free lifestyle, kindness of the natives, the volume and availability of women, and lower prices for everything. I have noticed a negative shift just in the last 3 years or so. I don’t totally blame the Thais. I’ve seen some embarrassing situations of yelling, impatient, brash farangs throwing their weight around like they own the place, so I could see the locals getting fed up with that. I blame the Thais for seemingly not knowing how to handle their own success. Ex: letting Suvarnabhumi get bum rushed and shut down for a week at the dawn of high season, getting quoted 4000 LT in G-Spot a go-go just last week (mamasan had a laminated price list, WTF?!?!), routinely paying 135 BHT for a beer in pretty much any go-go, ASEAN leaders having to get airlifted out of Pattaya to get rescued from the red shirts, etc. etc.
Hopefully when all this mess is cleaned up, prices will return to normal, Thai/farang relations will become pleasant again, and it’ll return to being the paradise we once knew. Or, am I dreaming the impossible?
View all comments by IrishLager
I have just finish to check the pictures, read the article of tfs2m, and the comments below.
Well done, sometimes well commented (Irishlager, the last one, gets the point, I think) and always funny and accurate in its own way.
Well I was in Pattaya to attend Miss Tiffany 2009 one month ago or so and it was allright, very nice as usual.
I must precise to all of you that I am not English, nor Irish, nor Scottish but… French – so you will excuse me if I make some mistakes, I hope, when writing here – I come to Thailand since 1995 or so, and I must say Irislager expresses exactly what I have seen, in the last 15 years…
On Thailand Crisis, many interesting comments too,right now.
By the way Prufrok is also right but I want to point something that nonone has said so far, I believe : on my side, if I would not live with a Thai one since very long time, (story began in my country of origin, I precise, not here) I woud not come here at all… alone. And I must say that I admire you all, as many are bachelors I guess, to try to come alone because to walk alone as a farang in a Thai street is not a pleasure. On my side, I have to repeat it, if I was alone, I would not come here at all !
When you are living with a Thai, you escape all the traps if she loves you (and by the way, if it is the case you do not need to go in those f…g bars since you have what you need at home)even the administration, local traps, tourist traps (not the David Scholler horror movie having this title, of course), and so on..
But for a “single”, I suppose this crisis is the perfect time for coming, either in Pattaya or in any other places : this crisis will put the things square again, I hope.
Thai will realize that they need again tourism and foreign investment.
And it will prevent some very low extraction “farang” to come in Thailand and to behave as they behave in Europe, that is “bad way”, in any case.
So this crisis could have the positive effect to put the things as they should be again…
I write “could” and not “can” : the only thing we know right now is that there is a crisis even here… and that it is better to be here during it that in Europe or in America anyway !
View all comments by francis
Addebdum : I have written in my previous commentary “f…g bars” a little quick and I would not want to be taken at the first degree with that way of speaking.
Besides, honesty must make me precise that I met my Thai one, in France, in a similar kind of bar as well (little yellow face smile !!!) so to say that it was not my intention to attack those who are frenquenting them !
I had my honest share of it in my own bachelor times.
In fact, if was again bachelor, the first positive think that I would do would be to go again in such bars, and to check them carefully evenign after evening, afternoons after afternoons, one by one, till I found some new love…
It is a very rationnal way to proceed, in fact.
View all comments by francis
Double pricing and rudeness to tourists are not exclusive to Thailand.
It’s really only grizzled old expats who are overly affected by that sort of thing. The average traveller leaves Thailand thinking it is truly the Land of Smiles.
Speaking for myself, I narrowly avoided being shaken down by racist cops within two hours of being in Thailand on my last visit – and I still left with a generally positive impression of the people.
Lots of countries’ tourism has been badly hit by the credit crunch.
I reckon it has an added dimension in Thailand because of the number of repeat visitors.
Because money is tight right now, if you ordinarily go to Thailand four times a year, you’re bound to cut back to once a year, or skip a year.
Anecdotally I reckon a lot of multiple visitors are self-employed guys who can take off when they want.
These guys are even less likely to have the means to travel during a credit crunch.
View all comments by milo
seen the same thing happen in the Philippines…pick up a street girl outside the gogo bars for Ph500 and inside the club the barfine has dropped to 1000 or less…rumors that some are a flat rate now ST have yet to be verified by this poster…my pinoy gf is lesbian (most of the time) and when I’m in town we go out trolling for her (its a ton of fun believe me)…she’s got more good looking p%ssy to choose from than you can shake a stick at (and they are ALL willing to jump in the sack with my gf)for cheap…she got 2 of them to go with her for Ph750 total last month (but I had to feed them dinner afterward at KFC lol so it actually ended up at Ph450 a piece)…things are really bad in the worldwide economy and the price of bar girls is plummeting…seems like LOS is really hurting too
View all comments by Fred
Looking at the elasticity of pussy demand during econcomic tough times is interesting. Here in Hong Kong, there has been a flood of Thais, Vietnamese and Filipinos. Most come here because they believe that the demand for their clams is still relatively inelastic. In fact, mates and I were out this weekend in some of the more notorious haunts in Wanchai. I was speaking to them about my theories and decided to put it to the test. Chatted up 2 Thai girls..one from Chonburi the other from Suratthani. Both were first time arrivals to HK and said they wanted HK $1,500 for ST (6,000 Baht). I asked them why they thought they could get 5x as much in HK as in Thailand..and they said..HK has many business man that dont know how cheap the pussy should be.
Vietnamese were even more inelastic, wanting HK$2,000 for ST. While these girls were absolutely gorgeous, I was still shocked they were asking for so much for ST. They said almost the same thing as the Thai FL’s, except, we prettier than Thai and Filipino.
The Flips; however, seemed to understand the economics a little better and the demand curve seemed to be working in our favor. While they quoted HK $1,500 ST..when counter-offered with $700..both accepted. They understood the market a bit better…one commented that she knew many guys werent willing to spend HK $1K or so…and she needed money..so she’d take what she could get.
Shame the Vietnamese and Thais didnt understand that. When I left at 3am..all the girls were still milling around..I said to each of them before I left…your pussy is like a piece a bread. When its fresh out of the oven..people pay..when its been sitting on the shelf for a day or two..no one is going to pay full price.
Dont think they actually got that one, but then again, most arent exactly rocket scientitst.
View all comments by Indu WangZi
I met a Rocket Scientist once. He knew his rockets but not much about anything else. I imagine he would have gladly paid these girls 10,000 baht plus tip, and taken them shopping as well.
View all comments by pmmp
PMMP..I classify those types as so smart..they are dumb. Understand quantum mechanics but social interaction is lost on them…they are exactly the types the Thais and Vietnamese here feast on..and the ones that I vigiliantly battle to keep prices here low..its an uphill battle.
View all comments by Indu WangZi
I agree with JJ The best times to be had in Bangkok now are the oil massage joints…and bath houses and massage parlours………….and some Bordellos that cater for specialist non vanilla interest………What also has driven me out of the Go Gos is the souless deafening music…..And what keeps me out of the bars is the constant loud sports on TVs. If I want crap music and tedious sports bores and their blokish inhabitants I can stay in my compound in Kuwait.
Anyway, maybe the upside of the economic downturn reaching Pattya might be the elimination of the tatooed football hooligan mindless moron element which the Pattaya council/authorities has been feting by turning a blind eye to violence and extending the crass celebration of Songkran as a water war ……..I will see I guess when i get back in September. Last time I was there in April a couple of months ago… girls outside the Nana car park were asking 3000 short time.There were japanese amongst the punters as well as fat middle aged bald bastards like me. What with the japs and guys like me with a fat wallet I don’t really see prices going down…
View all comments by The Sandman
I should clarify that my pinay gf drives a real hard bargin for the young pussy she picks up and most of the time negotiates for ST rates; after she beds the girl(s) it usually ends up an over nighter with no additional payment required (other than an additional meal that I buy)…most of the street girls fall in love very quickly with my gf’s tongue and seldom does she (my gf) require the whore to do any work other than lay there with her legs spread…surprised my gf hasn’t come down with a case of lockjaw quite frankly but her sexcapades are really something to see…price of pussy, one persons demise is another persons gain…
View all comments by Fred
Fred you’re a lucky man. But I would say the whores are getting off too easy. Don’t mean to be a critic but they just lay back with legs spread and let your girl do all the work? I’d be much more demanding…
View all comments by WPD
Has never really liked Pattaya, was there first time in 1990 and have been there once more since then, I have always been a BKK kind of guy. But this year and very soon this is going to change iam finally coming back , i actually looking forward to it especially after all the reports of the lack of visitors ( being nice) and other things cheap. I just hope that the lowlifes hooligans , x cons etc are also staying away.
If this turns out the way i want it i might be a regular , but BKK will always be a stop, when going to LOS.
View all comments by duffMaster69
if they are giving free visa,s away to get tourist.maybe give free drinks and bar fines in pattaya.that may bring them in
View all comments by geoff
“…I would say the whores are ‘getting off’ too easy…”
My gf sees to it; she gets ‘em off really good…shes got a busy tongue and lots of stamina and can really gulp down the “girlie juice”; drives her out of her mind sexually…started sniffing panties at a very early age (with some help and encouragement from an older Auntie) and the rest is history…don’t get me wrong, she likes to get tongued as well but she’d rather do the “tasting” than be “tasted”…got some great home movies of her conquests over the many years…:)
View all comments by Fred
Any chance of an invite for dinner and movies ? PJF
View all comments by Peter F