Pattaya And Me...the Romance Is Over.

[Steve]

Made my first trip back for a week since spending 3 weeks there back in 2011. I've been coming to Pattaya pretty much exclusively since 1999. Wow. Didn't seem that long ago but I have. I came to Bangkok for the first time in '99 and then visited exclusively to Pattaya since. What prompted me was back then it was hard for a black guy to get women in Bangkok in those days and Pattaya was more black guy friendly. In fact, soi 8 and the adjacent sois would treat me like a b list celeb. Hence how I got my name. They would yell 'Chocolat!!' to me. The spelling is how they said, it like how the French say it. So, I was compoletely sold on Pattaya and was a hard core Pattaya guy since. This trip and the one before was more about shopping. I have fell out of love with Pattaya. A few reasons. I've changed. I'm a different guy. Second, Pattaya has changed. Its built up, more sordid, it lost a little of its flavor. It was more easy going back then. Its strictly business these days. Its way over built. Third, the demographics have changed for the falangs as well. This is gonna sound racist and maybe it is but I got along better with the westerners, More subcontinent types and its ironic coming from another person of color saying that. I am an easygoing, happy go lucky guy if you've ever met me. I do speak to the Indians, Pakistanis and Turks but its a guarded, reserved chat next to them at the bars. In the old days, I had easygoing, free flowing conversations with the French, Danish, Brits, whomever (Aussies my favorite). I'm viewed with more suspicion by the newer guys. But I won't judge all, had a few good exchanges with some at a beer bar but by and large, its not an easy mix, funloving atmosphere at the beer bars. In the clubs, the younger guys, especially the Turks have an adversarial look to them. I'm fairly muscular and work out and they once in a while, especially at club Mixx at the end of Walking Street, one or two will do the bump the shoulder thing. The girls give a lot of attention there and maybe its jealousy but the vibe isn't good. To be fair, some of the European falangs as well. Russians sometimes and a few others. Fourth, is and maybe its me but there seems to be soooooo many more ladyboys around and they are way more aggressive than when I first came there. No shame in their game. its harder to tell. If I have ANY doubts I don't. haha...I almost got one by mistake this trip. They are getting better at hiding their gender. I now stick with the girls who have less make up or no make up and are obviously female. No question. The trannies come out to the street and try and grab me these days and if my 'Philly street stare' doesn't tell them its a no, then the 'Get the f*ck off me in a north Philly accent' does. Playful 'hey chocolat or 'hey dam (black)' okay, but hard sell, getting in my face, not taking no for an answer, when its obvious I don't go for you, no, I don't like that and they are getting way more bolder. So, next time around I'm gonna check out Phuket. Never been and will be going for relaxation, I know they have a more sedated scene there and that's fine. As long as I can get some I'm okay...hehehe...Most of us come to this point at some point or another. You get older, change, get tired of it. Some of us are kids forever and that's okay too. I may visit again but it won't be exclusive. I have a few friends there, both falang and Thai and would go for them but the scene is getting old. The clubs are still a draw. the girls there LOVE black guys. If I wear an NBA jersey, I sometimes get offers for free or very little money. I stay in fairly good shape and don't look my age to most. Anyway, Pattaya, its time. We had a good run you and I but I have to move on. Take care.

[Mekong]

Steve,

 

I hear you mate

 

I first visited Pattaya in 1988 and lived there / worked in the region full time 1991 through 1999 before I relocated to Bangkok and a lot of what you are describing is how I felt back then as a 35 year old Caucasian. I have worked there since but to be honest could not wait to get to get back to Bangkok for the weekends, I grew bored of the scene or did the scene get too big for me? Who knows.

 

Take care Bro

Kong

[bust]

Went once in 2006....stayed a couple of hours and never been back.

[Flashermac]

Pattaya in the '70s was a delightful, out of the way place. It was even better in the 1980s. I have no desire whatsoever to go there any more.

[think_too_mut]

To brush the bad image off, Thais have doubled the number of visitors, hushed down the traditional ones. In 2001 10 million, now 22 million, all new markets. That is not a fluke, that has been a strategy. Pattaya has almost equal number of displays in Russian as in English.

 

Perhaps, the supplying side for the "traditional" has moved on to cater for the new visitors. Asians.

 

The whole idea is to eliminate the sanukers and that awful country image.

 

IMO, a good campaign and successful at that. Doubling the number of visitors is not an easy thing.

[Steve]

They get a lot of the Korean and Chinese tour group on tour bus crowd near north Pattaya, where the hard core part of the scene is not visible. I rarely see them near Walking Street in numbers. Maybe they try to keep them away from that part of it. The increase is all well and good and I'm glad there is more money to go around. I'm truly happy for that part but I also don't see the city planning aspect of it. Water. Refuge management. Over building. I don't know if the growth is sustainable from a few different aspects. I'm certainly no city planning expert by any stretch but I do know the signs when I see it. What I also failed to mention as well was that I knew girls in the game from back then and I see them now, years later, their youth gone. Poor Issan girls who came there naïve Most got used by their families. Squeezed for every baht they could get. I felt badly for a few. A few got married, divorced and either came back into the scene or just didn't have the stomach for it and are on the periphery doing something else. Girls who became good friends that I kept in touch even when they got married. Heartbreaking. One of them we asked each other the same question 'What are you still doing coming to Pattaya?'

[baa99]

Hey CS, Phuket is the ladyboy capital of Thailand!

[SpiceMan]

Hey Steve thanks for the trip report.

 

I first visited Pattaya in 1991 and loved it. Been back many times since, more recently with wife. I still love it and plan to retire there one day.

 

Been to Phuket two times. Its over priced and has a terrible transport system, costing 500 baht for a journey that would cost 10 baht in Pattaya. But Patong is a very beautiful beach with world class infrastructure. Its clean and looks well planned, the sidewalks are smooth and brick built, very different from the ankle twisting hazards found in most of Thailand. There are good air con restaurants and a lively bar scene if thats what your interested in. Ladyboys are less of a problem in Phuket than Pattaya because they are less pushy.

 

If you haven't yet been to Phuket I recommend a visit. But I think afterwards, you will say Pattaya is better for the convenience factor.

[sayjann]

Hi CS,thanks for your views about a place i have never visited.

i know Phuket is my playground but SpiceMan came out with some good points about the place.

yes it can be overpriced but why go into a place where you know what the prices are?,i'm in a position where i know where to go and pay sensible prices for anything i need.

yes the place is full of LB's,but there are soi's dedicated to LB bars and they are pretty obvious so no need to enter them.

i do spend time in them because i'm normally with gals who have friends working in them and i don't get any hassle as they know i'm straight and i do go back sometimes on my own and have fun as i feel safe from any problems.

 

i agree with your views on certain nationalities popping up here and there but so many of the bars are themed towards the people you say you get on with

my regular bar over the years is aimed at the Aussie's,but absolutely no connection to that part of the world.

hassle-free with the girls as they are not bar-fineable during their shift,but arrangements have been known to be made out of their work hours.

and they are very good at sorting out any trouble that might occur.

i've got boring as i've got older and tend to stick to 3/4 bars and 1 go-go that i've frequented for many years,but do have the odd visit to somewhere new where my friends have friends working.

 

because of my past visits i know where to go and where not to go and yes i have had the odd bit of trouble over the years but that is mainly down to my behaviour.

 

i'm not sure about the claims of travel being so expensive,never encountered that,but then again i tend to walk most places or have the free use of a motorbike(and driver)if needed.

i only pay 300bt from the airport to my hotel which i consider very cheap compared compared to where i live.

i don't know what sort of things are available for day-trips around Pattaya but Phuket has some good trips and the surrounding area is beautiful.

i still go on a certain day-out every visit and sometimes twice because i like that particular trip.

 

as i know nothing about Pattaya,i don't doubt there are many things to do around the area and there are many BM's out there who have the same feeling about the place that i do about Phuket.

i know i should experience Pattaya,but i'm boring these days and like what i know,i just know i would be like a fish out of water if i went to Pattaya.

 

but like anywhere in the world both Pattaya and Phuket have their good and bad points.

[SpiceMan]

An official taxi from the airport to Patong cost 550 last time I was there and that was the only journey that wasn't a rip off. The tuktuks at Patong charge 500 to go to another beach and they won't negotiate, even if its just a short distance away.