Pattaya is one of the more famous and popular tourist destinations in Thailand. As someone that has been there a grand total of two whole days in the many years that I lived here, I can say that I don't really understand why anyone would want to go there.
The beach isn't special, the infrastructure kind of sucks, there's crazy traffic, everyone is drunk or off their heads on drugs, there are scams all over the place, almost everywhere just seems dirty, and there are always horrible things happening to people there. The only thing I can see that would appeal to some people is the level of prostitution that exists there and is accessible to foreigners - while I do not participate in the "world's oldest profession," I don't have a problem with it existing and think it should be legal.
But for me, Pattaya is just a horrible place to visit: Too much headache, not enough reward.
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it's a cherry-picked photo after a festival but still, that beach is not good
It seems like every couple of days, which is about how often I bother to check the news about it, there is another horrible story about something that went down in Pattaya and sadly, hearing about a suspicious death or murder there is not all that uncommon. This most recent one is pretty scary though.
A tourist was discovered in a mid-range hotel room deceased, with his hands cuffed behind his back and a black plastic bag over his head. He was discovered after a maid tried to knock on the door many times and then let herself in to clean the room.
The Police said that there was no sign of a struggle inside the room and that it didn't appear as though the room or the man was robbed, but you don't have to live in Thailand for very long before you start not believing anything that the police here say. They have been at the center of coverups so many times that you tend to start to believe that when they make a statement at all to the public, that whatever they are saying...the opposite is actually the truth.
The police haven't made any official decision but they said that "initial findings suggest suicide in a bizarre manner." They also made a big point of saying that there was odd sexual materials in the room including self-bondage gear. I don't care to know more about what that actually means but this is not the first time they have used this excuse either.
I recall a time when man was discovered on Koh Tao, an island that to local people is colloquially referred to as "murder island" where a man was discovered hanging from a rope at his remote bungalow with his hands tied behind his back and the police stated that this was a suicide as well. When some people that were close to the foreigner stepped forward to offer other information about hos this person was on the bad side of local mafia members, they did so only after fleeing the country and by speaking to the press because they felt that they too would bet "suicided" if they were to approach local police about this.
Rather than investigate further, this story quietly disappeared from the news cycle and it was never discussed anymore. There are many other rather suspicious deaths under similar circumstances at the same place.
There is a lot of talk, but no actual busts of any large scale to indicate that it is true - that Pattaya is the home of a lot of illegal activities including being a headquarters of sorts for drug rings and that the police are closely tied to this industry and therefore protect the people involved. This is all speculation and hearsay though, because none of these things ever end up getting solved. Instead, we get a huge spotlight focused on the "heroic efforts" of the police when they bust a rather small-scale meth dealer and all the police pose for photos to congratulate themselves.
I love Thailand, I love living here. I think the people for the most part are wonderful and that it is a safe country as a whole. However, just like almost any other country in the world there are certain parts of it that are dangerous and just downright ugly, and I am sure your country has a place or two that is like this as well. Pattaya is that place here in Thailand and I think that if someone is looking for a "sex-holiday" and are willing to play by "the rules" that they can definitely accomplish their goals there and this is the only reason to bother going there. Other than that though, I really think that Pattaya should be avoided and is not a good representation of what the country can be and is like. I know I have no intention of ever going back there.
I don't think that most people would ever consider going to this place anyway, but if you are headed to Thailand please keep in mind that Pattaya is not a good place. This new story is just one more reason for me to stay away from there permanently.