NYE - BKK or Pattaya?

Hi folks

I've been reading the board for some time and I've decided to take my first, long-awaited, trip to Thailand this year over New Year. After a long, boring and difficult week with my family, I've figured LOS will be the perfect antidote!

The flights seem very expensive, but I guess that's what you get for travelling over the holiday period.

My question is this... I'm coming alone and I want to do something exciting for NYE. I'm going to see both BKK and Pattaya whilst I'm visiting (only for a week so 3/4 nights in each place) and I'm booking everything in advance given it's the holidays.

For BKK, I'm staying at the Tartawan. I've read the reviews of this place and I'm aware the price is inflated, but it seems a very easy, good located option for my first visit. For Pattaya, I have yet to decide where to stay.

But which is best for NYE itself? I want to *feel* like it's NYE... want to be somewhere with a bit of a party atmosphere.

What do you recommend?

[Wazza]

Most of all it would depend who you are with dear go with the flow.

[Sen Yai]

The choice of Bangkok or Pattaya really depends on what you consider to be exciting, which may also depend on your age, or how young at heart you feel and behave.

If you have been reading this board for a while, you will realise that excitement for some is sitting in a dark corner of a go-go bar with a hand in the pants of a boy whoтАЩs ID card you have already studied in order to convince yourself you are doing no wrong, whilst constantly worrying about police raids or the possibility of undercover cops in next seat. For others it seems that attending a тАШcharity gala supperтАЩ with the resident retiree expat crowd and the long-stay snow-geese whilst being entertained by ageing farang drag-acts or nice young men from the Philippines is the height of sophistication.

For others still, New Years Eve simply must include dancing shirtless on stage at DJ Station rubbing pec to pec with party boys from Singapore, Taiwan and Tokyo before heading out to Ratchada Soi 8 to do more of the same until dawn.

In my experience, NYE itself is of little significance in Thailand, other than itтАЩs just another excuse for another party and there will be many visitors in town (and hence locals too) in whichever location you choose. The Thais have their own New Year (Songkran, in April) and therefore donтАЩt feel the need to тАШcelebrateтАЩ midnight on 31/12 in the same way that it is in the west.

YouтАЩll get plenty of opinions on where is the best place to be, based upon the personal choice of each poster here but only you can decide whereтАЩs best for you.

If either of the first two scenarios described above appeal, then Pattaya is the place for you. If you tend towards the dancing/clubbing scene - then stay in Bangkok.

Either way, try to find some time to visit other places in Thailand before you go home. A couple of days on Koh Samet in early January would serve as a perfect R&R antidote to wherever you choose to spend NYE and it is easily accessible from either BKK or PTY.

[fedssocr]

BKK does have larger "mainstream" countdown events. I know there is a big concert and countdown at Central World. Of course there is also the risk of NYE violence as there was a couple of years ago that ended up shutting down all the big gathering places in BKK.