Pattaya and Jomtien beaches drew visitors from near and far over the Buddhist holiday weekend, with hotels and beaches busier than they’ve been in months.
Sisters Pattaramon and Sudarat Phukarun came from Saraburi for the weekend, drawn by inexpensive and plentiful hotels, good facilities and a variety of restaurants. While many Thais are said to prefer Bangsaen to Pattaya and Jomtien, the sisters, ages 20 and 26, said they preferred Pattaya’s vibe and nightlife.
Pattaramon said she was dismayed, however, that she still saw foreigners picking up trash off the beach, saying Thais need to care more about the environment and not only help collect rubbish, but stop littering in the first place.
Chokchai, a restaurant owner, said the government’s fiscal stimulus programs were having an impact, saying many of his guests were using the “Let’s Go Halves” co-payment scheme to pay, or cash from their Rao Chana account, a fund of 3,500 baht a month given to casual workers to offset the impact of the recession.
The faces he’s seeing are all customers, Chokchai said, with many saying they’re staying at hotels costing as little as 400 baht a night.
Many Pattaya and Jomtien hotels and guesthouses reported being fully booked this weekend.
