By: Adam Judd

I ran a bar in Pattaya for over five years and have been coming for many, many years before that. I had been running newbie Wednesdays, a session at my bar, Sexy in the City on Soi 6, every Wednesday from 5 PM to 7 PM in Pattaya for almost as long and have met hundreds of people on their first visits to Pattaya. Some of those folks I never met again. Some of them have become friends for life. Some of them are now fellow bar managers or owners. Some of them ran into trouble and fell by the wayside. However, I have learned that the majority of first-time visitors to Pattaya fall into a few basic categories and today I will cover them.

By no means is this an exhaustive all inclusive list but is simply a summary of the types I have met the most often in my time in Pattaya. Did one of these categories describe YOU? Let me know in the comments.

The “I know everything” newbie-This guy, on his first trip to Pattaya, believes he knows everything there is to know. Perhaps he spent months on internet forums reading every trip report and blog there was to know. Maybe he went to Costa Rica thirty times. Perhaps he simply believes he knows it all, despite never leaving his country and spending one day looking at some youtube videos on the city. This type usually ends up falling in love or getting into some sort of trouble. They generally won’t listen to advise and keep swearing they are doing it right and know what is happening. They often come to Newbie Wednesday just to reject my advice and claim they knew it all. By the end of their trips, they usually are sponsoring a girl, on overstay, get in fights, or get conned by someone.

The “I will be a rockstar in Pattaya when I am not back home” newbie-This is the guy who is usually an introvert or has no social life at home but wants to make a new image when he comes to Pattaya. This guy can often be seen ringing bells, pulling horns or wanting to be seen and heard by everyone. However, it doesn’t come off as natural and this person often gets taken advantage of as well.

The non drinker/non party guy trying to find his way-This guy, as the type says, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, doesn’t like clubs or bars back home but likes girls and comes here for that reason. If they are extroverted or friendly they do all right. If they are not, they tend to doubt themselves and end up either alone most of their trip or sponsoring at the end, depending on the way they go. I spend a lot of time with this type as they are almost always great guys but struggle to try to fit in. My advice is to be yourself and don’t care what others think. Tends to make lists and overthink things.

The “Superstar”-A little different then the I will be a rockstar newbie, this guy is usually a player or the joker/life of the party back home. They also like to be the center of attention, ringing bells, horns and partying. They usually prefer to hang out with as many women as possible and a lot of guys tend to follow this guy around. They learn quickly normally, usually work a job where they earn well and have little debts back home and have a lot of fun. They don’t fall in love or end up a victim of scams as they are street smart back home.

The “Experienced John”-This is someone who has traveled all over the world, met women everywhere, and finally come to Thailand. They tend to do well. They do not drink either at all or much. They like to make trip reports and blogs and record their experiences. They generally tend to do well.

The “I want a real girlfriend or wife and cannot find one back home” guy-This type, surprise, falls in love all the time. They almost always fall for the wrong girl. Sometimes they learn the hard way and end up ok down the road. However, they come here because they cannot find a girl back home and hope that by coming here they can. They are not experienced johns and in some cases have never taken a girl like in Pattaya. This group struggles a lot and I spend a lot of time with them. They tend to deny reality.

The “Careful researcher” -This guy has spent a long time online and in forums. He has watched youtube videos for months. He does not think he knows everything and has made a lot of notes, mental or not. He will usually make a few mistakes but overall has spent the time and effort to understand the city and will clarify questions or issues with me in person. This type usually does well.

The “Drunk”-This guy is drunk back home and comes here and is drunk all the time too. They sometimes do ok, but the purpose of their trip is to get fucked up. In some cases, they work in a job where they cannot drink, like military work, oil rigs, mining, etc, so drinking is just as important as girls.

The “I know fucking nothing and just booked a ticket guy”-This guy, as stated, literally just decided to come to Pattaya after maybe a friend or a job buddy told him. They have done zero research. They don’t know what the fuck to expect. They ended up at newbie Wednesday because some random dude told them to meet me. Surprisingly, coming in blind, they usually do well. They make mistakes but don’t care that much as they didn’t worry about it, to begin with.

The “I just broke up/divorced/widowed/lonely” newbie-This is a dangerous type. As stated, they recently ended another relationship. They are fragile and looking to fill that void. They usually end up in a rebound relationship with a working girl and because of this end up emotionally distraught. They sometimes learn down the road but it may be a bumpy ride for them.

The “I want friends” newbie-This guy may work a job or be in a position where they don’t have many friends. They are usually a nice guy, fun and want to meet people. They care more about meeting other people they know on the internet, groups, forums, etc then girls or drinking. They love having wingmen and to them, a holiday is meeting new people and interacting with them. They come to bars to meet other guys to hang out with, not so much for girls or drinks.

“The Business Expert”-This is a guy who, on his first trip, similar to the I know everything newbie, believes he can open his own bar or gogo and make a lot of money. He will not listen to the advice others have and generally does it anyways. You can guess how well they usually do.

The “Blogger”-This type, an offshoot of a few others, prefers to make a video or written blogs and discuss their travels. They have a bit of a narcissistic side and want people to devour their material. They often also enjoy the tourist side of things.

The “Mixed Bag Culture Guy”-This guy will take girls, party a bit, but they also really want to see Thailand. They go to waterparks, shows, and islands. They enjoy Thai culture and tourism and want to do more than just party. They usually do well and have a lot of questions.

The “Business Trip/I didn’t know guy”-This happens sometimes. A guy comes on a business trip or with military knowing nothing and ends up seeing what is happening and going out a bit. They usually do ok as they have job or military obligations and book a second trip in the near future to check it out themselves.

The “I thought I was in Ibiza guy”-This guy should have booked a trip elsewhere. They come looking for drugs, thinking the girls are not working, and want to act and go about like it’s a regular party city. They usually don’t do well.

The “Actual tourist”-This person comes on an actual trip to Thailand to see the country, the culture, the shows, travel, backpack, whatever. They end up being interested in the nightlife when they see it is available and usually return in future trips for it.

The “I swear I don’t like ladyboys” Newbie-This newbie will loudly and often say they would never, ever, ever go with a ladyboy and asks a ton of questions on how to recognize them. They end up fucking one usually within a day. Sometimes they do ok.

That’s it for this blog. Hopefully, this gives you guys a general idea. Which type were you?