The "re-invention of Pattaya" - FT's perspective

A single page of reports from ThailandтАЩs seaside resort of Pattaya made grim reading in a recent edition of the local newspaper. A one-legged Finnish lawyer was stabbed to death when he caught his mistressтАЩs real boyfriend robbing his apartment. A scantily clad Thai woman, with an Englishman riding pillion, was knocked off a motorbike by a gang of youths who stole cash and a mobile phone. A German bar owner was stabbed by the owner of a neighbouring bar in a row over a clothes line.

Welcome to Pattaya, the sprawling, snarling, raucous sex capital of Thailand and тАУ oddly тАУ booming residential market, if estate agents and developers are to be believed. The entire article is at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c54641c6-959a ... 07658.html (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c54641c6-959a-11dd-aedd-000077b07658.html)

[Brad the Impala]

A single page of reports from ThailandтАЩs seaside resort of Pattaya made grim reading in a recent edition of the local newspaper. A one-legged Finnish lawyer was stabbed to death when he caught his mistressтАЩs real boyfriend robbing his apartment. A scantily clad Thai woman, with an Englishman riding pillion, was knocked off a motorbike by a gang of youths who stole cash and a mobile phone. A German bar owner was stabbed by the owner of a neighbouring bar in a row over a clothes line.


Great to hear that the quality of life is on the up! Only ONE murder on the page.

[Beachlover]

lol all this really makes Pattaya sound like some remote wild west frontier boom town!

[RonanTheBarbarian]

Quote from the article:

тАЬMention Pattaya and peopleтАЩs eyes roll; fixed perceptions are hard to shake,тАЭ acknowledges Nigel Cornick, chief executive of Raimon Land, which has pioneered the development of upscale properties at the resort. But тАЬwithin the next 20 years we could see no gap between Bangkok airport and Pattaya. It could become like Los Angeles тАУ one urban sprawl all the way down to the beachтАЭ. And he thinks the multi-faceted sex industry will shrivel as a result. тАЬLand values will rise until [the businesses] are no longer viable.тАЭ


I had to laugh at this - does he really think that upscale Western retirees are going to be attracted by an environment that becomes one big LA type sprawl from Bangkok to Jomtien? :idea:

"....Nigel Cornick, chief executive of Raimon Land, ...."

I had to laugh at this - does he really think that upscale Western retirees are going to be attracted by an environment that becomes one big LA type sprawl from Bangkok to Jomtien? :idea:

He is a lawyer, not a surveyor or qualified, registered or licenced estate agent. What else would he be likely to say?

Very Third World and slipping lower all the time.

[bottomdad2003]

Really, all of you should get a life. I live here and enjoy here. I have been coming to Thailand since 1968. Many of you need to get a life. I would rather live
here than in LA or San Francisco. I can live at a reasonable price and enjoy the Thai people. I have been living with my bf for more than 20 years and we are still together. Let's get real on this board. I am sick of all the whining, winging and other negativity on this board, but at least this board has a life.

I am sick of all the whining, winging and other negativity on this board, but at least this board has a life.Quite. I assume you mean by "winging" the jumping from balcony suicides for which Pattaya is so famous even its residents treat them as commonplace - http://www.bangkokcompanies.com/propert ... _condo.htm (http://www.bangkokcompanies.com/property/yensabai_condo.htm) - or perhaps you meant whingeing, a characteristic ascribed by the Australians to the English ("whingeing Poms" - http://www.australianbeers.com/culture/poms.htm - after whom Lunchtime O'Booze has, I believe, started this web site - http://www.whingeing-pom.com/

But in the spirit of barracking for Pattaya, despite comments such as "the most boring bloody place on earth apart from Brunei" by posters such as jimnbkk and catawampuscat, here's a Blog I've uncovered about the joys of condo living in Pattaya - http://pattayajomtiencondos.blogspot.com/

Strange that you are a new member but have lived in pattaya 20 years and also that you have been reading our forum and have never posted here.

Strange that you are a new member but have lived in pattaya 20 years and also that you have been reading our forum and have never posted here.Why? There is nothing to be gained by questioning the bona fides of new members. On the other hand, I'm perfectly prepared to ridicule their pretensions, as you can see at http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 16148.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/where-are-the-big-dicks-t16148.html)

[1PR4BKK]

I am heading to Pattaya soon and I am hoping that it is not becoming as bad as people saying. I was there earlier this year and from watching the news I could tell that there is crime and danger but I never encountered it. I have been coming there for the past few years at least twice a year and have never been subjected to the criminal element (knock on wood, cross my fingers). This time I will be staying several months and I hope that does not increase my risk of being attacked, mugged, burgled, jeered, molested (uhтАжmaybe thatтАЩs not a bad one), assisted suicide, knocked off my motorbike, etc.

Reading some of the posts on this board can make someone really weigh the risks of coming to Thailand. Between the political unrest, the increasing crime rate as well as other rifts, I am even wondering if visiting Pattaya is really a worthwhile vacation escape.

I have been coming there for the past few years at least twice a year ..... This time I will be staying several months and I hope that does not increase my risk of .....

Mathematics is clearly not your strongpoint. Obviously the longer you stay anywhere the greater the risk of anything, good or bad, happening.

[1PR4BKK]

I have been coming there for the past few years at least twice a year ..... This time I will be staying several months and I hope that does not increase my risk of .....

Mathematics is clearly not your strongpoint. Obviously the longer you stay anywhere the greater the risk of anything, good or bad, happening.

Thanks for the statistics lesson GF. Apparently, sarcasms and pettiness are other areas where I need lessons.

The statement I made was just my lighthearted attempt at humor to lift up an otherwise darkening topicтАжbut I see humor is not a strongpoint of mine as well. Thanks again for helping me realize my flaws.

None of this has anything to do with ... Once again a few have sabotaged the thread

[latintopxxx]

BIGGEST RISK (TO MY WALLET) ARE THE VERY CUTE, WILLING AND MOST DEFINITELY ABLE THAI BOYS/MEN.....AS FOR THE REST HAVING GROWN UP IN SAO PAULO AND JOHANNESBURG IT REALLY IS NO CHALLENGE...

[lonelywombat]

Strange that you are a new member but have lived in pattaya 20 years and also that you have been reading our forum and have never posted here.

Why is it strange there may be 1649 registered users but the number of visits is substantially higher. Right now there are double the number of guests reading as there are registered. Some days much higher.

Many people come to read or browse what is posted. Where does it say you have to post