Pattaya 7/11 and Family Mart now adhering to alcohol sales laws

No more 24 hour beer and booze buying at 7/11 and Family Mart!

 

Looks like the days of Pattaya's reputation as the Wild West may be starting to fade:

Over the last few days wandering in and out of various 7/11 and Family Marts here in Pattaya i have noticed signs on the chillers now warning customers that alcohol will not be sold from 14:00 - 17:00 and after midnight. In family mart the sign read they will not sell after 01:00. These signs also stated that they would not sell until after 11:00 A.M.

If you think this is just another one of Pattaya's attempts to appease the local Boys in Brown you may be surprised! I just went to a local 7/11 to buy some stuff for a late afternoon party and as the girl was ringing up the order she suddenly stopped with a very scared look on her face. She then checked her watch to make sure it was after 11:00. 

I am not sure how long this will last, if it is for good, or just another low season crackdown. One thing i am sure of is that it is for real right now, and that this is the first time i have seen this at local convenience stores here in Pattaya. So unless you have a local mom and pop mini mart close by, you may want to stock up ahead.

In Pattaya be nice to the locals or else...especially on Walking Street

When will they ever learn? Whether tourists or Ex-pats as foreigners we are all just guests here. This is what happens when you try to be a 

"Big Somebody". 

 

 

Check out the article from Pattaya One

A report of an assault by a group of 8 individuals was reported at Pattaya Police Station just after 5am on Sunday by a Russian Resort Owner and his Thai Girlfriend.
Mr. Dmitry Kozlov aged 36 and his Thai Girlfriend reported the incident which resulted in Mr. Kozlov sustaining a suspected broken nose and facial abrasions. The pair had come to Pattaya for a 3 day holiday and run a resort on the Island of Phangan in the South of Thailand.
The pair were standing on Walking Street in front of the P72 Restaurant when they were asked by a motorcyclist to step-aside so he could park. Initially Mr. Kozlov refused to move which made the driver angry. He placed a call to friends who were asked to attend the scene urgently.
Before the rest of the group arrived Mr. Kozlov claimed he apologized to the driver and assumed the problem had been resolved.
A group of 8 people arrived consisting of four Ladyboy’s, three teenagers and one woman who, without consulting with the bike driver, set-upon Mr. Kozlov and his girlfriend who were able to escape and made their way straight to the Police Station.
Police will now analyze CCTV and attempt to catch the attackers who remain at-large for now.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91407/russian-resort-owner-beaten-up-pattayas-walking-street/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.EYlkd2iw.401Aqbkg.dpuf

A report of an assault by a group of 8 individuals was reported at Pattaya Police Station just after 5am on Sunday by a Russian Resort Owner and his Thai Girlfriend.
Mr. Dmitry Kozlov aged 36 and his Thai Girlfriend reported the incident which resulted in Mr. Kozlov sustaining a suspected broken nose and facial abrasions. The pair had come to Pattaya for a 3 day holiday and run a resort on the Island of Phangan in the South of Thailand.
The pair were standing on Walking Street in front of the P72 Restaurant when they were asked by a motorcyclist to step-aside so he could park. Initially Mr. Kozlov refused to move which made the driver angry. He placed a call to friends who were asked to attend the scene urgently.
Before the rest of the group arrived Mr. Kozlov claimed he apologized to the driver and assumed the problem had been resolved.
A group of 8 people arrived consisting of four Ladyboy’s, three teenagers and one woman who, without consulting with the bike driver, set-upon Mr. Kozlov and his girlfriend who were able to escape and made their way straight to the Police Station.
Police will now analyze CCTV and attempt to catch the attackers who remain at-large for now.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91407/russian-resort-owner-beaten-up-pattayas-walking-street/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.EYlkd2iw.401Aqbkg.dpuf

 A report of an assault by a group of 8 individuals was reported at Pattaya Police Station just after 5am on Sunday by a Russian Resort Owner and his Thai Girlfriend.

 

Mr. Dmitry Kozlov aged 36 and his Thai Girlfriend reported the incident which resulted in Mr. Kozlov sustaining a suspected broken nose and facial abrasions. The pair had come to Pattaya for a 3 day holiday and run a resort on the Island of Phangan in the South of Thailand.

The pair were standing on Walking Street in front of the P72 Restaurant when they were asked by a motorcyclist to step-aside so he could park. Initially Mr. Kozlov refused to move which made the driver angry. He placed a call to friends who were asked to attend the scene urgently.

Before the rest of the group arrived Mr. Kozlov claimed he apologized to the driver and assumed the problem had been resolved.

A group of 8 people arrived consisting of four Ladyboy’s, three teenagers and one woman who, without consulting with the bike driver, set-upon Mr. Kozlov and his girlfriend who were able to escape and made their way straight to the Police Station.

Police will now analyze CCTV and attempt to catch the attackers who remain at-large for now.

While i will admit having to call 8 of his friends - including 3 ladyboys and another woman it totally cowardly...just be nice and all can be avoided. Remember we are guests here

A report of an assault by a group of 8 individuals was reported at Pattaya Police Station just after 5am on Sunday by a Russian Resort Owner and his Thai Girlfriend.
Mr. Dmitry Kozlov aged 36 and his Thai Girlfriend reported the incident which resulted in Mr. Kozlov sustaining a suspected broken nose and facial abrasions. The pair had come to Pattaya for a 3 day holiday and run a resort on the Island of Phangan in the South of Thailand.
The pair were standing on Walking Street in front of the P72 Restaurant when they were asked by a motorcyclist to step-aside so he could park. Initially Mr. Kozlov refused to move which made the driver angry. He placed a call to friends who were asked to attend the scene urgently.
Before the rest of the group arrived Mr. Kozlov claimed he apologized to the driver and assumed the problem had been resolved.
A group of 8 people arrived consisting of four Ladyboy’s, three teenagers and one woman who, without consulting with the bike driver, set-upon Mr. Kozlov and his girlfriend who were able to escape and made their way straight to the Police Station.
Police will now analyze CCTV and attempt to catch the attackers who remain at-large for now.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91407/russian-resort-owner-beaten-up-pattayas-walking-street/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.EYlkd2iw.401Aqbkg.dpuf

Police raid three more Pattaya Pharmacies in search of unlicensed sex drugs

Pattaya Police continue to crack down on pharmacies selling sex enhancing drugs with out the proper license. Check out this article from Pattaya One.

 

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.

The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.

The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.

A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.

We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.

 

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

 

 

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

In the early hours of Saturday officers from Police Region 2 raided three pharmacies located in Pattaya which were accused of selling sex enhancement medication without the correct licenses.
The officers split into three teams and raided three Pharmacies simultaneously which were all situated on Pattaya Second Road.
The three targeted shops were the K & Pharmacy, Thailand Pharmacy and In-Town Pharmacy. At all three locations shop assistants were arrested as the owners of all three businesses were not present.
A collection of sex enhancement medications including Viagra, Cialis and Kamagra Jelly were seized as evidence and the assistants and unlicensed drugs were taken to Pattaya Police Station where legal proceedings were initiated against all three shops.
We would like to warn you that use of such medication should be made under advice from a Doctor, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- See more at: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/91288/police-raid-pattaya-pharmacies-search-unlicensed-sex-drugs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaOneNews+%28Pattaya+One+News%29#sthash.T5hZ082s.dpuf

Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry

The boat carrying about 100 tourists was damaged by heavy waves and started taking on water. All on board were safely rescued. Photo: Bob from Bob's Sailing Booze Cruise

 PHUKET: More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket this afternoon after being damaged by big waves.

No injuries were reported.

The ferry, Puean Foong II, was near Chicken Island (Koh Kai), about 15 nautical

miles from Phuket, when it took on water, said Phuket Marine Police Inspector Chatchai Sakdee.

“When we received the report at 4:10 this afternoon, we sent a Marine Police vessel to rescue everyone,” Col Chatchai said.

However, by the time the Marine Police boat arrived, the passengers and crew had been picked up by another tour boat, the Pichamon, which was traveling from Phuket to Phi Phi. The crew saw the ferry in trouble and stopped to help.

“Pieces of the floor came flying off,” one of the rescued passengers, wet and still wearing his lifejacket on board the Pichamon, reported.

“Water was gushing in, and we realized, ‘get some life jackets’,” he said.

The Pichamon continued on to Phi Phi with the rescued passengers and was expected to arrive at 7:30pm this evening.

Phuket Gazette, Kritsada Mueanhawong

Beach chair vendors admit to nearly doubling prices for rentals

Sun worshippers are complaining that increasing numbers of beach chair vendors are charging 20 baht more than the city-mandated rental rate of 30 baht.

 Both Thai and foreign tourists have complained about vendors, many near Central Festival Pattaya Beach, using the busy Songkran period to jack up rates for beach chairs and umbrellas.

 

One vendor openly admitted to charging more than legally allowed, saying many did the same during busy times to make more money off tourists. The vendor reasoned the price hike was justified because tourists were bringing their own food, not buying it from the vendors.

Complaints have yet to reach the ears of Pattaya’s mayor or regulators. The brazen vendors said they’ll continue to charge what they want until forced not to.

 

Article courtesy of this weeks Pattaya Mail

90 Day check in at Chonburi Pattaya Immigration

Thailand has a 90 day check in rule for all foreigners residing in the kingdom. Is Chonburi Pattaya immigration really ready to handle the growing foreigner population?

The new immigration office has now been open in Jomtien Beach for a few years now, having moved from its old location Pattaya Beach Rd soi 8.

This new building and location was set up to be a bigger and more efficient office. In reality it is about a 100 square meter building with very limited parking and limited capacity to properly handle the various departments needed to handle the many different immigration issues concerning foreigners.  I'm not quite sure how such a small building will be able to cope in the future with a few looming challenges...

1. The growing number of tourists coming for longer periods of time and therefore needing visa extensions.
2. The growing number of retirees moving here and now needing to check in every 90 days
3. With the growing industry here in Pattaya Jomtien areas there are far more foreign workers also needing to re issue visas and do their required check ins.  

 I showed up today for my check in at 1:00PM, i had a few errands to run in the morning so i could not be there when the doors opened. The place was so over crowded it took a few minutes just to be able to enter. It was another 10 minutes of waiting in line just to get the proper form to fill out and another few minutes just to be able to hand it back in. Once i was assigned a number, i saw there were about 12 people ahead of me in the queue. I thought for sure i would be there all afternoon, i was totally surprised to see that i was done and out the door in 15 minutes!

The 90 day check in is free. All you need is a copy of your passport, visa, and tm arrival card. No photos, bank statements, etc. All the immigration officer does is look at the form, hit it with a half dozen stamps, tear off the bottom and staple it in your passport. 

With the ability to check in for a flight on line, download and file your taxes on line i find it hard to believe there can not be a similar process for foreigners to check in. I was number 397 today. Just for that department. Now i am not sure if i was the 397th person to do a 90 day check in here in the Pattaya Jomtien office but by the looks of things there was sure to have been more than 100. What if the local immigration offices could reduce the number of people they needed to serve and increase the space available for other more complicated matters, would that be a possible solution to an obviously growing problem?

Thailands tourist destinations suffering from poor infrastrcture

Thailand's infrastructure continues to suffer from poor planning and under estimated growth.  

You see it everytime a new road is cut. They are typically 6-8 meters wide and this is supposed to support 2-way traffic with parking. Small roads with land on either side being purchased for major condo and housing developments with no thought on how to support the wave of coming traffic. 

According to an article in The Nation newspaper today this can be largely blamed on private sector investment not being matched by government spending...

1. " The key issues are the same as in Phuket and all of Asia's resort destinations at present. Private-sector investment fuelled by booming economies is not being matched by government spending on infrastructure," said Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, a Phuket-based hotel and residential consulting firm. "Also, Thailand's resort destinations are no longer simple idyllic destinations but are becoming urbanised, with issues now of population growth, traffic, waste disposal and crime. Local government does not have the support for this growth."

     2. "This has especially held true for Koh Samui  "Its tourism numbers are restrained by the lack of capacity, and it cannot attract broader charter flights and low-cost carriers. This is not entirely a bad thing, as the hotel market has stabilised and positioned the island at the top end of the market, but longer-term it will impair the growth cycle. The airport, roadways, water and electricity are key priorities for the government," he said.

Pattaya's Theppraya road was a classic example of this. 10-12 years ago it was a small deserted 2 land road with littole mom pop shops lining it selling gasoline, plants, and a few mini marts. With a rapid expansion the citys of Pattaya and Jomtien were forced to put together a project to widen the road to support the new massive development. It took over 6 years to complete and has turned out fairly nice. 

Fortunately city officials carried this construction out from Hanuman Cove in Jomtien Beach all the way out to soi Chaiyapreuk. Figuring out where to put the u-turns could prove to be another difficult challenge with already most of the traffic on this new road heading the wrong way down the street.

Another issue is the number of tour buses on the roads now. It seems like there are at least 10 times more buses around town than just a few short years ago. These tour buses wind their way down narrow sois to try and bypass the traffic problems the bigger roads can no longer support. This clogs up sois locals use, mostly on small motorbikes, to negotiate the congestion on larger roads. Check out this video below and take a ride down Jomtien Beach Road!

Big trouble in Thailand

Has anyone ever heard of this series? I have been under the weather the last 2 days suffering from whatever cold or flu that is going around. having no attention span to get any work done i was playing around on you tube when i found this. 

Apparently there has been a series shot called "Big trouble in Thailand". It involves tourists and ex-pats alike getting involved in criminal activities and some of the dumbest ventures! Some ofthe things the tourist police here in Pattaya have to deal with...LOL. it is somewhat similar to series like "Banged Up Abroad". From what i have checked out so far there is at least one season and there was 8 episodes shot. I will be looking to see if there is a season 2 soon.

You have to wonder how some of these people even had enough brain power to get to the airport, make a plane transfer if necessary and get to a local hotel...yes some of them are that dumb! What i have found even funnier is that i could almost swear i have seen some of these people before wandering the streets, drinking in a bar, stumbling down a small soi or even the idiot at the immigration at the airport that did not have their paperwork together and were holding things up causing all kinds of trouble.

I am going to try and finish the season today but you can check out the first episode here.

Thailands floating markets are no longer free in Pattaya

Pattaya no longer the cheap tourist destination it used to be. This is due to a few reasons...

• Thai baht strengthening against most currencies.
• Related inflation and increases in general.
• Uninformed tourists that do not realise they are getting scammed and happily paying what they feel are small fees.

Thailand is well known for its two and even three tier pricing but the low fees being imposed on tourists in Pattaya's floating market located just south of Jomtien beach takes the cake. This is approaching typical internet MLM ( multi level marketing ) scams. It apprears that tourists that pay to be part of a tour to be taken to the market will now be charged entrance fees on arrival.

This took place on December first where previously the market was free to all visitors. The fee structure will now currently beas follows...

1. Typically free for Thai nationals.
2. A nice break for those of that live here...we can enter free with a Thai drivers license or work permit.
3. Foreigners that are brought be a Thai can also enter free as Thais are entitled to bring two guests.
4. Foreigners that show up on holiday unaccompanied by a Thai citizen will be charged 200 Baht.

All i can say is congradulations to Pattaya Floating Market and Thailand in general for showing tourists just how appreciated they are. At least this time they have showed some restraint towards ex-pats.

Thailands major airports and tourist destinations ready for record high season!

Thailands 6 major airports are gearing up for high season and numbers are expected to well exceed double digit increases in tourists coming through. Somewhere between 13.5% and up to as much as 60% according to an article in todays Bangkok Post.

Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkoks main international airport could see figures rise to as much as 142,000 passengers per day up over 19% from the average 119,000. Tourists flying into bangkok easily access not only Bangkok but other popular tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, Ayutthaya as well as serving as a gateway to many of Thailands wonderful tourist spots. DonMueang, Bangkok's hub for Air Asia and other low budget carriers, should see as much as 50 more flights per day.

Phuket's international airport will also be seeing nice increases in arrivals up almost 24% with the number of flights increasing from 163 per day to 178.

Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, and Hat Yai are all looking forward to projected increases ranging from 14% to 27%. A good portion of this increased traffic will be coming from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports via Thai Airways as well as the fore-mentioned low budget carriers in addition to international arrivals.

Retraction on Pattaya tourists getting more Thai baht for their money

I would like to apologise for the last blog post i presented. The Thai Baht is not at 31.40b and rising but roughly, at the time of posting this blog post, is currently about 30.50b to the USD holding fairly steady.

I am currently on an assignment offshore and with the limited internet connection i have been a bit out of touch. I was excited when i came across the post in the "Pattaya Daily News" with those rates i quoted. Therefore, in the last post and felt i would share what benefits could be reaped by tourists coming to Thailands many wonderful tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Chaing Mai, etc.

Having lived in Thailands Pattaya Jomtien area for the last 10 years i still feel these tourist destinations are a great value despite the strong Baht and a great for ex-pats to work, live, and retire.

If you are looking to rent for short term holiday, long term stay, or buy property in the general Pattaya, Jomtien area please check out our tabs on the top of this blog or visit www.pattayarealestatemarket.com. For any other information or specific inquiries e mail info@pattayarealestatemarket.com. Thank you very much and again apologies for the mis-quote.

Pattaya tourists may get a little more for their money as Thailand’s baht weakens

It was not long ago the Thai baht dipped briefly below the 30.00b mark against the U.S. dollar. The baht seemed to be correcting itself when it roughly flirted with the 32.00b level. As of last month the baht was once again threatening the psychological level of  30.00b ,but seemes to have taken a bounce favorable to tourists coming to spend their holidays here in Thailand.  This, just in time for the coming high season and hopefully this trend will continue. Today the baht climbed to 31.40b for one U.S. dollar.

Gold also fell to levels flirting with the 23,000 Baht per baht. This means good news for tourists with their currency giving them more spending power especially in high season dependent areas like Chaing Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches.

 Just as well local hotels, guest houses, and serviced apartments may see customers adding nights to their stay as their holiday becomes more affordable. Likewise tour operators, souvenir shops and local businesses may see more trade as their products become cheaper and more doable for tourists.

Pattaya and Jomtien have seen an incredible amount of building over the last year since last year’s high season and developers, as well as local tradesman, are optimistic their rooms will fill up. Here’s to a great high season!

Pattaya to become a safer place for tourists and ex-pats

Looks like the boys in brown and the local government are finally recognising the growing crime rate in Pattaya and deciding to take action. This will include safety nets, more tourist police in more areas as well as cctv cameras through out the city. Check out this article from Thai Visa

Pattaya sets up safety zones to reduce crime rates

PATTAYA, 27 September 2012 (NNT) - In the wake of increased crime rates in Pattaya district of Chonburi province, local police are pushing ahead with their plan to set up a safety zone project in the beach area and the Walking Street.
The Chonburi Governor and the Pattaya Mayor will together preside over the project opening ceremony at the Walking Street tomorrow, during which the safety zone project will be officially unveiled.

According to Superintendent of Pattaya police station Pol Col Thammanoon Mankong, the scheme is to provide tourists from around the globe who visit Pattaya each year with a greater sense of safety. He elaborated that a police patrol unit will be assigned to the safety zone on a 24-hour basis.

In a bid to reduce crime, the district police will set up police checkpoints, widen participation from tourist police units and other related agencies, enlist further cooperation of local communities and business operators, as well as monitor footage captured by CCTV cameras installed throughout Pattaya.

Pol Col Thammanoon said that by giving priority to tourist safety, the number of tourist arrivals will eventually be boosted, generating more tourism revenue for local businesses and for Thailand as a whole.