Pattaya in 2022

The last 2 years have been trying for most of us. For me they actually were not so bad until July of 2021 when my mother passed away. Shortly after my son was born in Bangkok and his mother unfortunately decided she couldn't handle having more than one child (she had one from a previous relationship). Still mourning the loss of my mother and trying to get back into the groove of things my son and I left Bangkok and I attempted to find my groove again. Having travelled the world through the pandemic I will admit I was not only shell shocked and concerned about what may come next but also exhausted. Pattaya seemed like the least likely place to get some rest but also seemed like a great spot to jump back into where the action was. I was wrong on both accounts.

At the time of writing this my son Junior and I have been living in Jomtien Beach for a little under 5 months. It has been very quiet as the area starts to get back to the normal way of things after the pandemic. The beach is normally empty, there are few tourists in the shops and at this point in time it is a great place to visit. Having been all over Thailand I am very surprised to be making that statement. Out of all the places I have been here, Pattaya is probably my least favorite area. But with no tourists it actually isn't so bad.

The thing that makes Thailand so much fun and relaxing is if you can find an area that is void of tourism. The more tourists you have, the higher the prices, the more the Thais are geared to price gauging and the less Thai culture is present. Quite frankly when I arrived here in August of 2021 it was the nicest experience I have ever had in Thailand and that really is due to the decrease in visitors. As tourism has slowly increased the streets become busier and the environment is much less enjoyable at times. During Song Kron this year we didn't bother going out because traffic was backed up down the beach and getting a bottle of water at 7-11 took almost 25 minutes. Pushing a stroller down the sidewalk was quite frustrating as there were people constantly in the way, expecting me to move the stroller for them to pass. Not exactly a fun family environment. But on a normal day that just has not been the case.

Most days Junior and I enjoy a walk here or there. We have visited night markets, fresh markets, the local Makro and other areas for shopping. I wouldn't say they are empty or dead but to say these areas were busy would be an overstatement.

The local Thai Barbecue restaurant that is about 200 meters from our condo was a little busy the evening we went but was nothing like it would have been two years ago. You can see from the video that there was lots of food to choose from and many empty seats.

Enjoying a sunset at Jomtien Beach has been something we have taken up several times per week. To the point where I don't even bother attempting to take photos or video of it anymore. It just gets too repetitive. The beach is normally pretty empty, Thai holidays excluded and there are carts stretched along the road offering up snacks and Thai dishes of all varieties. All in all there is not much stress involved in taking in a sunset and trying to avoid crowds.

The big question everyone seems to ask me is do I feel safe here with COVID and just the general lack of foreigners. I find that a bit humorous though. If there were more tourists I would be more concerned about both. If there are few or no new arrivals in the area then it is less likely there will be any new transmissions. Even if there are new arrivals the Thai Government is going above and beyond in screening and testing to ensure they are not bringing in more of the now dreaded illness that has crippled tourism. The same goes for safety, I have never worried about my safety with Thai people aside from the occasional taxi driver who is preoccupied with his phone while cruising the highway in rush hour. Thai people in general don't pay much attention to other people and don't mean any harm to tourists, that is for certain. So in answer to the question about safety, yes I find Thailand to be perfectly safe to travel to and around, as I always have.

If you are planning a family vacation, now is a good time to visit places like Pattaya. Do it before the droves of visitors from places like China, India and Europe start filling up the beaches. Enjoy the discounted rates on attractions before they are so full you need to book in advance. Not that I want you to come, I rather enjoy the peace and quiet of the area. For a family getaway or a relaxing holiday you will find that because tourism is not back to full swing, Thailand is a lot more enjoyable and less stressful than it once was. Although if you plan to attend bars and clubs I am quite positive you can find all the same problems you found the last time you visited or have read about in other posts, watched in videos and heard in stories from friends. Some things will never change.