Life in Pattaya vs Bangkok

Recently I have had 2 friends that have decided after living in Pattaya that they are moving to Bangkok. Both have given the same reasons. More to do especially during the day. There are more shopping malls and such to visit. More variety.

When comparing the 2 cities before, most of my friends said that Pattaya has a better life. The expat community is friendlier, easier to get around than in Bangkok, etc.

I know of a few that spend most of their time in Pattaya and yet a good part of it going to Bangkok.

Those living in Pattaya or Bangkok have a view to share?

Recently I have had 2 friends that have decided after living in Pattaya that they are moving to Bangkok. Both have given the same reasons. More to do especially during the day. There are more shopping malls and such to visit. More variety.

When comparing the 2 cities before, most of my friends said that Pattaya has a better life. The expat community is friendlier, easier to get around than in Bangkok, etc.

I know of a few that spend most of their time in Pattaya and yet a good part of it going to Bangkok.

Those living in Pattaya or Bangkok have a view to share?

Over the past 4 months six of my friends have sold up their properties in Pattaya and moved back to Bangkok.

Most of the reasons cited are the same as those that you have given. In Bangkok you do not have so clearly defined ex-pat communities and you mix with a much wider range of people with a choice of a much wider range of interests.

Pattaya is geared towards the sex industry and that is about it. Unlike the fairyland that is Pattaya and the scum that the city attracts Bangkok is a much more pleasant place to live and work. Yes Bangkok has it dropouts the same as any big city, but it seems to be a far less violent city and life in Bangkok is good.

If you want the bars/clubs/shows then there is a wide range to choose from although it may take you a lot longer to get to one considering the size of the city and the traffic problems.

When you really must have your fairyland fix then 2 hours by road will get you back to Pattaya but once you have lived in Bangkok you will see Pattaya for what it really is- La La land, which if you disregard the working boys/girls, is inhabited by an aging ( being polite here) farang population living out there final few years whilst kidding themselves they are capturing the hearts of their 'offs'.

The biggest gay difference I can tell is the lack of a non commercial gay scene in Pattaya outside internet contacts.

As a retiree, I think retiring in Bangkok would be an odd choice. A beach resort like Pattaya a much better fit. Its pretty hard being a beach bum in a city like Bangkok.

For a younger working expat, Bangkok would be much better.
I love visiting Bangkok but visiting there makes me appreciate "mellow" Pattaya that much more.
It is so easy to stereotype Pattaya or Pattaya people. The reality is much more diverse.

Also, you can if you like wear shorts everyday and every night in Pattaya.
In Bangkok, you look like a rube if you wear shorts.

I also have friends that are moving from pattaya to bkk and other locations--hua hin, chiang mai, etc, for some of the same reasons mentioned. While Pattaya does have a beach and ocean to look at, for the true beach bum, it can't be that delightful--the water is so polutted that you can't swim in it. Where will all the sewage and waste water go for the new view talays no being built in Jomtien and for the 91 story Ocean Tower building--the waste treatment facilities in pattaya now, when they are up and running, can't even begin to handle the waste/sewage currrently produced--it is pumped, and not that far off the beaches, into the gulf and ocean.

Look at any of the English language newspapers, the Pattaya Mail, the Pattaya Today, etc, filled iwth the crime news of snatch and grabs, car/motorbike thefts, home breakins, etc--not that Bkk and others do not have their share of crime, but for those who have lived in Pattaya for many years know, these problems have greatly increased within Pattaya in the past 3-5 years, and with the unregulated growth going on, it is unlikely that things will get better. The traffic in Pattaya is a mess and getting worse, even in the low season--in Bkk on Sat/Sun--the when you might go out, the traffic is much better, as Pattaya is a "resort town" with visitors coming here on weekends from Bkk and other places, the Sat/Sun traffic is much worse than during the week. And, doesn't it often appear that there may not be a road that isn't under construction in Pattaya--and for all the stories of how a new airport was going to make the travel to Pattaya so convenient that it would be in a stream of new tourists, anyone who has recently come to Pattaya from the new airport realizes that with the motorway construction which just drags on and on and from the looks of it on a recent trip, will not be completed any time soon, the trip to Pattaya actually takes much longer than it used to from the either Bkk or the old airport!

There have been reports, some of you may have read, that surprise, surprise--the pipes which were supposed to be completed to bring more water to Pattaya were not actually completed and their is a scare of more water shortages come this high season--with all the new condo consstruction in the jomtien area where will all the additional needed water and electricity come from?

There have also been many friends comment that while the number of go-go bars has increased the quaility of the boys in the bars has decreased--most bars staffed by an evergrowing population of very fem boys and ladyboys--great if that is the type of lad you like--but bkk has a much wider range of lads and gay activities available. And as someone poinjted out, a much broader range of a gay community and others with whom to associate.

I have some friends who have tried to sell several studio condos they own in older buildings and cannot move them--Thais do not like to buy secondhand condos, and the market is ripe with brand new places--with al the new construction, it is likely that property values for older units will continue to stagnate or drop!

OK, it is a tourist city with water. It suits me fine and thousands of others. There is really no comparison between Pattaya and Bangkok. They are so very different. I still say if you are retiring it is really jolly to be in a vacation resort all the time, and not a congested work-a-day city. Retiring in Bangkok would be like retiring in Chicago. Who cares what condos are selling for? Not everyone wants to buy anything or is silly enough to think about buying real estate in Thailand the same way as in London.

I lived in Bangkok for five years before deciding to move to Pattaya. It was the combination of air pollution, noise and traffic that drove me out. If Bangkok manages to get a handle on even just the pollution, I'd move back in a heartbeat. I lived in two condos and a townhouse in different areas of the city, and even having maid service mopping the floors 3x a week, the bottoms of my feet would be black. (I'm not fond of air conditioning, so the dirty floors are from open windows.) As if that is not disgusting enough I had respiratory problems, too: obviously that black soot was being inhaled, too. When I go to Bangkok for even an overnight visit, I feel it in my respiratory system. So often, too, the skies were not blue. They were cloudless, but the pollution/haze obscured the blue color. I enjoy the blue skies of Jomtien.

For socializing I really have no preference between Bangkok and Pattaya. However, Bangkok has metered taxis, better public transportation, and more variety in shopping. I also prefer the nightlife in Bangkok. If only Pattaya would come up with an equivalent of Balcony/Telephone Pub where one can sit in a non-gogo and non-host venue to watch the world go by and mingle with non-commercial Thai gay men.

Retiring in Bangkok would be like retiring in Chicago...

What about Pattaya? is it Miami?

Retiring in Bangkok would be like retiring in Chicago...

What about Pattaya? is it Miami?
Sort of.

I just spent 3 weeks in Chaing Mai. I would love to retire to this lovely old city. Its not in your Face like Pattaya or Bangkok and the few bars that are there done me fine. I sat down at the Sunday market and had an hour foot massage for bht120 this same massage would cost Bht 220 on Jomtien. So prices are a lot better. I also found it good to get away from the dirty smelly waters they call beaches arround the Pattaya bay area, still cant understand how people can go out swimming in it. Lovely laid back place.

[x in pattaya]

It's interesting how virtually any "either/or" discussion seems to slide into a slinging match.

Obviously both Bangkok and Pattaya have their good points and their draw-backs. Since you can get from one to the other fairly easily, the choice of where to live really means where do you want to spend most of your time while still being able to visit the other.

I enjoy sitting at Jomtien most mornings while I read and people-watch. Most of the year it's fairly peaceful, but during the high season it's pretty hectic. If that sort of thing appeals, there's no easy, cheap alternative available in Bangkok. If that kind of thing would bore you out of your mind, then the malls & parks of Bangkok might better suit. I don't find the water off Jomtien to be all that bad, but if I want to swim I do use the condo pool. I've watched one too many farang walk out waist deep at Jomtien and, after a little apparel adjustment, display that sphincter-releasing smirk on their faces. One old guy didn't even bother going that far and would just stand peeing at the water's edge while women & children were screening sand for clams nearby. Apparently saving the Baht 5 toilet fee is important to some people.

It's been years since I've been in a bar of any kind. Doing the bars and bar-boys night after night would bore me out of my mind, but if you were into all of that I think Bangkok would offer more variety. For sure when it comes to concerts, art exhibits, cultural events, shopping etc. Bangkok is light-years ahead of Pattaya. I do enjoy visiting Bangkok for a few days at a time for those opportunities and just because I enjoy the big-city bustle, but in short-doses.

I also dislike air conditionning. Rarely use it in Pattaya, but because of the heat & pollution in Bangkok, I think you would have to depend on it continuously there. There was a smoky haze over Pattaya a few days ago, but usually the sea breeze makes the air here seem cleaner.

I don't think you can say one is better than the other. It depends on what appeals to you and what aggravates you the most. I think it's fairly easy to spend time in both and even enjoy the different environment in Chiang Mai from time-to-time. There are even some reclusive types who enjoy village life or remote backwaters like Hua Hin. :geek:
As Thais would say, "Up to you."

[Wesley]

I like Bangkok simply for more variety and I think a bit friendlier place to visit. If I just want raw sex with little spice in the rest of my life. Then Pattaya is the place to go. If you want more things to do both day and night then Bangkok is the place to be. If you plan to sleep all day and stay up all night thenPattya certainly fits the bill with X-zite and other Nightclub Venues that attract a large Thia population and also as many offs after work then I like Pattaya. I am more of an all nighter and I personally like Pattaya for convenience and a really good night life. Pattaya like Bangkok is but a two hour trip if you want a change of Venue. I did Venture into the water but not with plans to get wet I just wanted a jet ski to play with but some young guy came by and turned me and my Bf over with camera in hand. So I dared not bother the water again. I had heard the horror stories of raw sewage and really didn't want to get anything wet but my feet.

I plan to move to Pattaya, when and if live to retire. A two hour car ride is less than getting across city here so I am happy to take the ride into Bangkok, take a room at the Pinnacle and have a good night or weekend there, then back to Pattaya for the week.

DELETED

Chiang Mai has some of the worse air quality in the world. The rate of deaths from lung diseases is very high. You might as well chain smoke if you live there. It is worse than Bangkok that way. Good place to retire if you don't have enough money because you will surely die early so no worries.

[x in pattaya]

Good place to retire if you don't have enough money because you will surely die early so no worries.

Every cloud has its silver lining.

As with the type of young men one likes, it is the same with which location one prefers. Bkk has some of the worst traffice but with the skytrain and subway, it can be ok--also the non rush hour weekends are not too bad to get around the city. Also, if you enjoy music, concerts, etc, bkk has, on occasion, international stars and musical performances of all kinds.

Right now, bkk just has the greater variety of bars and lads--go to the sleaze of a nature boy or to the host bars on suk. and out saphan kwai area or the more in your face go-go bars of soi twilight.

As to the water off Jomtien, I would not worry about the old farang taking a pee in the ocean, but all the sewage from all the condos and hotels pouring in the the gulf and ocean--I've had other friends who live in pattaya tell me that the most certainly the hotels and condos do NOT exit their waste out into the water, but when asked, then, where do they think the tons and tons of it produced daily go, they have no answer. Certainly, by just looking at the water, one could not tell the degree of pollution, and most of contamination is microbacterial that you would never see, but would certainly enter your body via your nostrils, mouth, cuts/sores, etc and cause skin rashes, etc, Good luck to those that want to swim there, and to those who say they have swam there with no ill effects, well you don't get HIV from every single instance of unprotected sex either--good luck to you and happy waves to you.

[x in pattaya]

Maybe 10 to 15 years ago the water off of Pattaya and Jomtien was truly polluted. I guess in comparison it seems good now.

I would be (and am) more worried about all the plah, plah meuk, and kung we eat that lived in all that...but then with all the things you hear about chicken, pig and beef , whether in Asia or the UK, not to mention the mercury in fish swimming in relatively safe waters, I suppose you could drive yourself nuts worrying about it. After surviving Pakistan and Thai street food, I figure I must have one hell of an immune system. What doesn't kill you ...

10-15 years ago, the water off jomtien was then actually qutie good--there were no condos or view talays, etc, etc--it was where those who wanted to swim came as all the hotels dumping crap into the bay inside pattaya made those waters unswimable--yes, there is much in the world that they tell you is bad for you and cause you harm and sometimes it is all too much to worry about, but then to knowingly take a dive into and swim around in a dirty toilet--no thanks

[Wesley]

I tend to not worry about anything since my first meal in a locals house included raw liver salad. I decided if I would survive that nothing else would hurt. However, a good steak occasionally at a good resturaunt is a nice change from the local food here.

[Marsilius]

I have to disagree about how the water off Jomtien used to be years ago.

When I first sat on Dongtan beach in 1993, the water was a really lurid chemical-looking green - and full of used condoms and other filth floating in it. A friend who paddled in it developed a horrible skin rash.

At least now it's just dirty grey.

[x in pattaya]

However, a good steak occasionally at a good resturaunt is a nice change from the local food here.

For a long time I never ate beef. In the place where I was staying the only beef ever on sale would walk into the compound, get axed, skinned and then chopped into pieces most of which then contained liberal amounts of bone fragments, grass & dirt as well as a coating of persistent flies. Since the meat was not hung, the only tender bits were the offal which, when cut open still steaming, were wriggling with parasites. Oddly I lost my taste for beef.

When you stop eating beef for some time you understand why Thais, who generally don't eat much beef or dairy, find many farangs to be smelly. There is a rancid component to the body odor given off by people who eat a lot of beef and a sour cheesy smell from big dairy consumers.

On the other hand, some Thais can really put away the garlic. I remember the first Thai boy I took off about 100 years ago. He had breath that could easily peel paint. It's amazing how accomodating your senses can be though. Emanating from the right person, even the smell of yesterday's garlic can be a turn on.

[Wesley]

Honestly, when living in the village,I totally agree, flies bone money changed on top of the meat you just bought will turn you off to steak. Then came after many years, I moved my office to the capital and there was and are some really decent steak. I like you for years would eat no meat not just beef and especially in the summer. Now there is a Hyatt Regency nearby with some wonderful steak and the food is really good. However who knows what goes on in the kitchen. Probably much the same as I see in the village. I didn't loose all this weight on purpose. I changed my diet to include a lot of vegetables and salads although even they crawl occasionally with a cut worm. Ten years will do that and 9 months home on leave didn't do a lot to fix the weight problem. By then I had set a pattern of eating. My stomach shrank and small amounts were more than enough to keep you happy. So God, I know how you feel X. it can indeed change theway you view and eat food after seeing how its done. But they say the same about hot dog factories in America.