On our way down from Bangkok, to Ko Chang & the Cambodia border, we thought it a good idea to take a slight detour & see Pattaya. What a wasted detour.
Why we think this is a wasted detour when traveled from Bangkok en-route to Cambodia?:
Looking at the photos, it would seem that Pattaya could well be a smart choice to visit when in Thailand. Blue skies, tropical heat & the long beaches.
Pattaya. Thailand’s Sodom & Gomora
Beautiful buildings in a modern, party town? Sun, sand & surf. What could be more idyllic?
Pattaya. Sun, sea & sand
Our experience of Pattaya:
*Here we found a melting pot of all kinds of Western nationalities and characters gathered here. We found very little authentic Thai community culture here. Everything & everyone here seems to be catering for the wims of foreigners coming here for the deviant sex trade.
*It is filthy, smelly & overcrowded (Even in the off season).
*Pattaya lacks character & has a jaded, harsh aura as thick as fog hanging the city.
*We did not even find it worth coming to, to ogle the deviants that frequent the city. Strangely enough, a town like Patong has similar attributes and yet our experience there was way more interesting. We actually found experiencing Bangra Road’s walking street educational and interesting. The beach too was way more pleasant and was actually being enjoyed by young & old.
This bay is however merely an overcrowded mass of noisy motor boats, filthy water, crowds of foreigners in their tour buses, jam packed tour boats & just an all round frenzy of touristy groups taking selfies, while middle aged western men hang around in expat bars with their bar girls or cruise the streets in their sleeveless vests with their escort “girlfriends” (or Ladyboys). And that’s in the off season! We never even saw the tourists really swimming. Most were huddled up trying to get some shade by jamming all their beach chairs up under the trees, all while breathing in foul smelling garbage heaps & vehicle fumes.
In summary:
This city reminds me of the wiring & cable situation found in so many placed is Thailand & here in Pattaya too. A crazy, twisted mess.
Pattaya. A crazy, twisted mess.