No flooding here - unless you
count the flood of good deals to be had.
With all the “news” channels concentrating on a wet
Bangkok, and the styling of the PM’s wellington boots, the businesses in
Pattaya are getting somewhat annoyed at the inference that all of Thailand
has been inundated. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Pattaya has not been under water at any time, and is in
fact serviced by two dry airports (Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao). Getting wet is
not a problem on the Eastern Seaboard, but sunburn could be (so remember to
pack sunscreen).
With this being the start of the high season, the only
problem that the hospitality industry has in Pattaya right now is finding
enough rooms for the international guests as well as those from Bangkok who
wish to remain dry.
With some cancellations caused by “blanket” travel
warnings by some ill-informed overseas governments, some even better than
usual deals are now possible for the travelers who want to take advantage of
the situation.
Pattaya is the closest tropical resort to the nation’s
capital and is south of the international airport at Suvarnabhumi, so
holiday makers do not go through Bangkok at all. In fact, the time to travel
to Pattaya is only 90 minutes, which is less than the traveling time to many
Bangkok hotels, even in the dry season.
Pattaya hotel’s advice is to forget the wellingtons; just
pack your swimsuit, or buy one here, there are many bargains to be had as
well as the accommodation.
