Where do i start ?, at the begining i suppose......I live and work in Thailand, i have had a constant relationship with Thailand for a few years even though i'm only 30, until recently i had NEVER been to Soi Cowboy, Patpong, Nana Plaza, or Pattaya.Every foreigner here in Thailand is here for their own personal reasons , whatever they are i'm not here to judge, but i'm a firm believer in " You are judged by your action's ".My action's suggest that i'm not a sex tourist, i might actually like it here for other reasons.Some of you maybe aware that it was my birthday this week and to celebrate the fact i decided to go away for the weekend, I was going to go to koh Samet but i got talked into going to Pattaya...........Big Mistake.To be Honest the place didn't let me down one bit, it was exactly how i thought it was, horrible......From the moment i got off the songtaew to get into my hotel with my bags still in my hand, someone asked me if i wanted to buy some drugs (i wouldn't care but i don't even smoke). After politely declining the offer i made my way into the hotel to get showered and changed and have something to eat in the hotel restaurant.We sat down and i looked at the menu, i ordered som tam with sticky rice and a piece of fried chicken, i waited a full 45 minutes befor they told me they had no chicken..... ( o well, not to worry )After eating we went for a walk on the beach front and then i saw All the reason's why i have never been there sooner, More people trying to sell me drugs/timeshare/sex/suits, foreigner's staggering everywhere drunk,( one had actually wet himself ) and an assortment of general craziness .One of the Indian Tailors on the road actually wouldn't let go of my arm , i had to get very aggressive for him to understand i didn't want a suit......8-(You can say Why go ? or Why Stay ?, well i went just to see i suppose, and Why Stay?, I didn't, i should still be there now but i hated it that much i came home early. As far as i'm concerned i will NEVER go back there again , not for a million dollars. If there are any foreigners who are reading this and your only experience of Thailand is this i am truly sorry for you....

I live in a suburb of Bangkok called Minburi, , there are no Go-Go bars or sex tourists and i love it.I would not swap this for anything,my Thai language is coming along nicely and i'm trying to learn to read ( with great difficulty i might add )

This wonderful country has so much more to offer than Pattaya and the rest, i'm not trying to be "Holier than thou" it's just how i feel.....sorry.

Definately agree with you! *big grin*

every overcrowded tourist spots really painful for most local farangs living here.

you saw just the tip of the iceberg,pattaya has much worse to offer...

Never been to Pattaya everyone has a different need, one man's rubbish could be another man's gold!!!!

i have been there (been everywhere) but never i was offered drugs.

1 thing i do agree with you the tailorshop people are really ****.

Live and let live.

Peace.

Yep. Good point. Some DECENT tourists, with no idea of what they are letting themselves in for, will go to Pattaya for their holiday, and judge Thailand on that one place. However. There is another point which I think should always be remembered. It is a point which is the reason that people such as ourselves, foreigners living here, sometimes find it so hard to make Thai friends. The tourists, such as you describe in Nana, Patpong etc, also leave a lasting impression on THAI people, and we are all judged ono THEIR behaviour.

I too, DESPISE Pattaya.

Finally. One time, when I was living in Phuket, an Indian tailor grabbed my arm also, and didn't let go. He won't do it again.

Your words echo those of mine.

However i do believe Pattaya has more to offer than just Beach Road area.

One of the most amazing things i have sen was the temple of tranquility (i think) in Pattaya 100% made of wood.

The problem with beach area is there is no escape from the scene.

Each to thier own

I have been in pattaya twice for 30 days each time and nobody ever talked about drugs there or offered ,yes for the rest I agree with the most that you said here well enjoy as much as possible )

Pattaya is lame, but I dont think Samet is much better.

I just came from there this weekend and it's more expensive then it should be and the beach is not much better.Koh Chang is the better destination, just a couple hrs away.

agreed...complete dump....like bognor regis without the class.....what i don't understand is the tourist familys taking their kids in pushchairs and 7 or 8 yr old nippers down walking street and the like with all the scum and **** going on.......can't say i am keen to return.

BTW Penthouse hotel....highly recomended.

It's indeed a shame that travelagency's promote Pattaya as a world class beach destenation.

But look at the faces of the Foreign males while the woman have a face that spells WAR!!

It makes me laugh every time.

I love Thailand!!! No comment on this journal!!

In general I would agree with you about Pattaya...not my scene. I've been a few times and typically I'll stay in a nice hotel and keep inside the resort walls for most of the time. My worst experience was in Phuket when the second night the entire American navy came ashore for some R&R. Let me tell you I've never seen a larger bunch of drunks with absolutely no manners in my life. Not a good night to be a girl...or a guy for that matter.

Totally true about the smoke i was offered, i was just going in to the hotel, bag's still in hand.......

Mrcanada - I've been to Pattaya for 2 days on the tail end of my last vacation and there was a US Navy Aircraft carrier in at the time so know exactly what you are talking about.

I don't think I'll be in a rush to go back, especially not on my next trip when i'll be travelling alone.

Oh ya and we didnt get approached for drugs either.

I know exactly what Pattaya is like! I dont like going there either, but since some of my friends live there, there's a time we have to go down there and party with them. House party is good. I would not want to walk around the street before i would be assumed as a lot of girls working there. When i was a kid, i thought Pattaya is the only beach that is close to BKK. Thank god now my knowledge is larger than that. What a dirty *****!! errr beach i mean!