Jomtien Beach

As part of my daily routine I go to the beach just before midday. Jomtien Beach goes for miles along a somewhat mediocre beach with hundreds of beach concessions and thousands of chairs and loungers. Why this beach is so busy and attracts thousands of visitors each day is a bit of a mystery. Maybe because of the massive hotel and condo developments which front the beach or maybe because it is Pattaya, but regardless, it is popular.

Each concession is owned by someone, usually a lady. Consisting of nearly 200 places to sit, a counter area, umbrellas, coolers, mixers and assorted equipment. Each beach umbrella is anchored in the sand. You pay about $1 to sit in a chair for the day. Loungers are about $3.50. Usually a staff of about 5 wait on customers, providing drinks and food which is ordered from a nearby restaurant.

Invariably "regulars" occupy the same chairs each day with others who come and go each day. Vendors selling everything from sandwiches, fried food, DVDs, packaged fruit, eggs, hats, shirts, bedding, jewelry, medications, souvenirs, massages, manicures, pastries, toys and novelties ply the beach continuously. 

The beach on a rare day with some rain...

A lady enjoying a bottle of liquor and sharing her bottle with one of the lads working at the concession.

Hand feeding one of the pet squirrels...

An old St Bernard who sleeps beside one of the beach washrooms. In the background, someone is having a massage on the beach my a blue shirt masseur.

Beach figurine

Some of the packaged fruit offerings ...