Prepare for a Pattaya trip

You need to get busy at home to prepare for a Pattaya trip:

Get a passport
Secure plenty of credit and accumulate cash
Hoard your vacation time
Be free from distracting obligations
Be vital and healthy enough to do what you'd like to do
Obtain the proper things to pack for your trip
Stoke your desires
Get past your fears of the flight, overseas, and judgement
Commit to going using whatever motivates you

As I described in my About Me page, I waited to go to Pattaya for 14 years after I was first aware of it and wanted to go. 14 fn YEARS!

That was 14 years of my life that I could have spent time in Pattaya enjoying myself instead of spinning my wheels in the US.

I tried hard at home. Online dating. Working on myself. Going out to likely places.

What little success I had from time to time was just enough to keep me trying again.

But just as often, another problem surfaced and more issues required my time, energy and a boatload of money to resolve.

I was trying to become a better man - wealthy, fit, looking good, confident.

Instead of accumulating wealth, I was mired in debt.

Instead of getting fit and lean, I would get injured overdoing it in the gym and ease my pain with food.

I think most men suffer as I did. Inertia. Problems. Issues. Lack. Distractions. Obligations. No money and no time.

I was sick of not getting anywhere and not enjoying my life the way I wanted.

In the end, I screwed up my courage, used what vacation time I had and what credit I could secure to go to Pattaya. I wasn't sure Pattaya would solve my problems. But it did, and in a massive way. I had, by far, the best time of my life. And I went back 4 more times in a fairly short time period, each time being better than the last.

Motivation to Prepare for a Pattaya Trip

I use death as a motivator. I'm not afraid of dying. I was afraid of dying before I had a chance to truly live

In the years leading up to my first Pattaya trip in November 2022, I was keeping track of my old friends who had died young. Late 40's, mid-50's and early 60's.

Their opportunity for an adventure in Pattaya, or anywhere, was lost.

What if it was my turn to meet my maker before I did what I really wanted to do? What if only have one year left to live? What would I do? Where would I go?

I used my fear of dying young to motivate myself to go now. Not later, when I was more fit and had my finances better together. Not later when the time seemed more right. Not later, when a good friend may be available to go with. Not later when I retired.

That was my motivation. DO IT NOW!!!! Front load adventures in my life now. I was 58 on my first trip. How do I know I would make it to 59? Where is the guarantee?

Courage to Prepare for a Pattaya Trip

You will need to be courageous as your fears may be overwhelming.

Fears of:

Being overseas
The massive flight time
Judgement from others for going to a place that caters to men

Fear of Being Overseas

Some will have a fear of traveling overseas. Especially if you have not traveled around your home country.

You should be assured that Thailand is one of the most welcoming countries in the world. Safe, accommodating and intent on making it possible for tourists to have the best time of their life.

We provide the Thais money to help them improve their lives. They provide us all the necessary accommodation's to improve ours.

Thailand is far safer than the US or Europe and far and away safer than any Central America or South American location.

Some parts of the USA have extreme natural scenery that I love with a world class tourism industry built up around those areas to support it. But, some of parts of the USA are more like a war zone, than a first world country.

Certainly what is available in Pattaya is not available at all in the US.

The Thais want us to travel to Thailand and spend money. Tourism is a huge part of their economy. And tourist's love Thailand. It has what we want. Beautiful weather and natural scenery. Beaches, mountains, jungles and fascinating vegetation. Amazing food. Ancient culture to explore as well as modern advancements to enjoy.

Thai people are friendly, helpful and sweet. And Thai women are some of the most beautiful on the planet.

Much of what you do in Thailand does not cost that much money.

Keep your wits about you (i.e. do not get too drunk), don't do the wrong things (drugs are a major no-no in Thailand), avoid trouble, be willing to spend some money, practice situational awareness and you should be ok.

Who Should Not Go to Pattaya

Married men or men in committed relationships
Prudish men
Druggies
Unhealthy men
Men with limited mobility
Men who rely on buddies to keep them out of trouble
Belligerent drunks

If you are a belligerent drunk, change your ways, or don't go to Pattaya. Happy, smiling, flirting, laughing, and a non-confrontational manner are the behaviors you want to have in the party atmosphere of Pattaya.

Fear of the Flight Time

Going to Pattaya for the first time is not like a short flight to a beach or party city in your home country.

You can fly to to Nashville, New Orleans, Las Vegas or Miami for a weekend, party hard Friday and Saturday night, see some sights, and not miss any time at work. You may be exhausted on Monday and get sick later in the week, but you can power through that.

Not Pattaya.

The flight time from the Midwest USA is extremely long taking me a day and a half to get there. I have described my experience here - Time to Get to Pattaya.

You may worry about the tedium and discomfort. I did.

But you will be cared for well, especially if you go by an overseas airline. I take EVA Air, a Korean airline. They provide two fabulous meals, timely snacks, coffee, tea, water, soda and juice, in-flight movies and music.

You may be worried about getting a blood clot and dying due to being immobile for hours. I just get up every few hours to pee and stretch.

Fear of Judgement from Others

People who have no clue will be eager to fill your mind with doubt.

You are under no obligation to tell anyone your plans for Pattaya or even that you are going.

If you feel like you have to tell others something, here are some options:

You are going to various places in Thailand.
Thailand is one of the safest and most visited countries on earth.
Thailand has low costs for the usual things that cost an arm and a leg in the US and Europe (lodging, drinks, meals and admissions).
Thailand is a tropical paradise with year round summer weather, incredible natural scenery, ancient culture to explore, fabulous food, friendly people, modern infrastructure and a vibrant, welcoming tourist industry.

Stoke Your Desires to Get Past Inertia

Your whole life you have been taught, preached at, forced, and coerced to suppress your desires.

Only some are allowed satisfaction. Rock stars, celebrities and sports stars. Top 1% men.

Only these "deserving" men live lives of extreme abundance.

But not you.

You, a normal man, is non-deserving. You are supposed to follow a well-worn path. One lady at a time. Girlfriend. Wife. Enter that path and hope it all works out for you. Typically you will work like a dog to give your wife a better life. Perhaps, you luck out and marry an angel.

Some men (like me) marry the opposite of an angel and live in that self-inflicted misery.

More likely, you will just live out a mediocre life where your needs, desires and wants do not matter and you just mark time until the grave.

But if you can journey to Pattaya you are automatically included in the "deserving men" category and can fully satisfy your desires and even some fantasies.

Ladies at Home

If you are planning to try to meet and date some Thai ladies on your trip, it would be wise to avoid getting involved with a lady at home when you are planning a trip.

What Else to Prepare for A Pattaya Trip

All the above is the most critical. Depending on your circumstances you will need to work through your issues, build your courage and motivate yourself to pull the trigger and go.

Here are the simpler necessary "other things" you will need to do to prepare for a Pattaya trip.

Prepare for a Pattaya Trip by obtaining your passport as soon as possible

You don't have to wait to get over your fears to start to prepare for a Pattaya trip.

You need to handle the basic necessities to prepare for a Pattaya trip, or any trip of any kind. This takes time, effort, money and discipline.

Passport

Top priority. You cannot enjoy anywhere outside of your home country without a passport.

It is a a little bit of a PITA with all the steps, plus it costs money and takes a few months.

Money

Money, in the form of credit for all the necessary preparations you will need to do at home - flight, lodging, travel insurance, getting to the airport and back home.

And cash for Thailand. Thailand is a cash country. You bring your country's cash and exchange it for Thai Baht (ThB) when you get there. Once I put my credit cards in my hotel safe, I do not take them out until I leave to go home.

You will carry a large sum of your countries paper money cash on the plane and then exchange it little by little over the course of your trip for ThB.

You can get ThB from ATM's and banks in Thailand right from your home country checking account. But the fees are steep.

While the costs in Thailand are modest compared to the US, I still spend a lot of money fulfilling my desires.

Currency Exchange Booth. These are scattered all over in the tourist areas.

Vacation Time

You need enough time for a trip of this magnitude. A long weekend is not enough.

I recommend 2 full weeks for your first Pattaya trip with the steep learning curve and the potential for illness and exhaustion to slow you down.

Freedom from Distractions

I work very hard in the weeks leading up to a trip so I don't have to worry about work while I'm gone.

I don't even think about bringing my work computer. I just unplug from work totally when I'm there.

But you may have other distractions. Clubs or organizations you're in. Family obligations, especially young children if you're divorced.

Focus on your needs, wants and desires in Pattaya. For some of you, this will be extremely difficult as you have been prioritizing others your whole life.

Vitality & Health

You don't have to be super fit in Pattaya, but you need to be fit and vital enough to walk around extensively, jump on and off the baht bus, hustle across the street to avoid traffic, drink your fill, enjoy the nightlife and stagger home late at night.

What to Pack & Bring

If you know what to bring and what not to bring, you can minimize the luggage you drag around and enjoy your trip more.

You don't need a lot as it is always summer weather and you can easily and inexpensively get your clothes washed.

My Pattaya Packing List