Pattaya

[etotheipi]

The organizer may have picked the location for the same reason my girlfriend and I picked Pattaya the first time we went to Thailand:  we didn't know any better.  Pattaya is very close to Bangkok, and the bus is like $2.50 each way, making it very attractive for a short trip.

However, I have quite a bit of experience with Thailand (I even speak a little Thai), and I've never met a Thai person who thought positively of Pattaya.  Our experience reflected that.  I just want to make sure that whoever is setting this up is a aware that there's a lot of terrible reputation surrounding Pattaya, and there are so many phenomenal other places in the country that are perfectly suitable.

If you're looking for financial hubs, perhaps Thailand isn't the best.  Though, I don't think Bangkok is a bad choice.  It's a large, bustling city.  But there's also airports in Chiang Mai and Phuket, which are both fantastic locations, so I'd recommend any of those three.

[Jered Kenna (TradeHill)]

The organizer may have picked the location for the same reason my girlfriend and I picked Pattaya the first time we went to Thailand:  we didn't know any better.  Pattaya is very close to Bangkok, and the bus is like $2.50 each way, making it very attractive for a short trip.

However, I have quite a bit of experience with Thailand (I even speak a little Thai), and I've never met a Thai person who thought positively of Pattaya.  Our experience reflected that.  I just want to make sure that whoever is setting this up is a aware that there's a lot of terrible reputation surrounding Pattaya, and there are so many phenomenal other places in the country that are perfectly suitable.

If you're looking for financial hubs, perhaps Thailand isn't the best.  Though, I don't think Bangkok is a bad choice.  It's a large, bustling city.  But there's also airports in Chiang Mai and Phuket, which are both fantastic locations, so I'd recommend any of those three.

Having spent some time in Thailand myself I'd have to say Pattaya wouldn't be my first choice. I didn't enjoy it at all compared to the rest of the country. Just like anywhere else there's good and bad things about it. It unfortunately does have a bit of a bad rep as well. I'd vote for Chiang Mai and it would be easy to connect flying in. The south is absolutely beautiful as well. Something like Krabi would be amazing but it's a little more off the path and fairly small.

Pattaya has proximity and I would imagine that was the justification.

Jered

[Piper67]

Really, the Asian conference should be held in the Yap Islands!

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Really, the Asian conference should be held in the Yap Islands!

Because...wait for it...it's the home of the very first Bitcoin (prototype). Good call, Piper67.



                                   YapCoin

Bitcoin: An Idea Worth Spending

[Tasty Champa]

this is starting to look like BITCOIN CONFERENCE 2012! (the vacation from bitcoin)

[Phinnaeus Gage]

this is starting to look like BITCOIN CONFERENCE 2012! (the vacation from bitcoin)

All the major stone cutters will be there. We've moved the venue to a bigger hut to accommodate all the leaders of the major tribes from the surrounding islands. Music will be provided by the Lalalalapoluzzla Tribe featuring Bonoo on the quijula. Catering provided by the Slantciec Tribe featuring grubla under palm. All the major news organizations on this planet and four others will be reporting the daily talks. Two, make that 17, major announcements will be made at this gathering. I'm not at liberty to discuss them, but one idea involves plants.


Bitcoin: An Idea Worth Spending

[DrYe5]

http://thailandlandofsmiles.com/2011/03/02/pattaya-jet-ski-scam

Make sure to also read the comments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattaya

Read it ALL!

tl;dr

Get to the fucking point in the OP. Ladyboys and childsex. Good for bitcoin?

[repentance]

With so many Bitcoin events now planned for next year I think it's inevitable that some will turn out to be mostly about hanging out with other Bitcoiners in fun locations and others will be more agenda driven.  It will be interesting to see what kind of programmes the organisers are able to put together for each event as potential speakers, sponsors, merchants, etc will make their own choices about which events are likely to hold the most value for them.

[etotheipi]

With so many Bitcoin events now planned for next year I think it's inevitable that some will turn out to be mostly about hanging out with other Bitcoiners in fun locations and others will be more agenda driven.  It will be interesting to see what kind of programmes the organisers are able to put together for each event as potential speakers, sponsors, merchants, etc will make their own choices about which events are likely to hold the most value for them.

I agree, but that doesn't mean we can't have both.  There's so many other rewarding places the conference can be held in Thailand.  Pattaya is going to blazing hot, full of lady-boys, gay Russians and child-sex  tourism.  If you're going to pick a country, why not listen to people who've spent a lot of time there for recommendations?

Chiang Mai is cheaper, safer, easier to get to, cool at night, people are friendlier and the less-social folks will have more to do than fighting off lady-boys hitting on them in the streets everywhere they go.  It's really win-win for everyone (unless you're into the child sex thing).

[Phinnaeus Gage]

http://thailandlandofsmiles.com/2011/03/02/pattaya-jet-ski-scam

Make sure to also read the comments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattaya

Read it ALL!

tl;dr

Get to the fucking point in the OP. Ladyboys and childsex. Good for bitcoin?

So much for being subtle. Dirty beaches, major crime, and young boys being fucked in the ass. Did I leave anything out?



I forgot to add pole dancers. This is the non-Photoshop image. I'm sure the Photoshop version is coming soon.

I also forgot to add a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gb_oWXpkhs


Bitcoin: An Idea Worth Spending

[rampone]

I heard of the conference in Thailand, thought good.


Now I hear that it is in Pattaya? Bruce, there is no other way than changing the location!!! !!! !!!


That would be bad PR, a city/beach noone likes... for real... not a good decision... Love thailand, but avoided Pattaya...

[BkkCoins]

I've lived in Thailand more than 8 years. If you want to be surrounded by sex workers and scams then by all means go to Pattaya. A far better choice would be Phuket. It has some of the same but far less, and more discrete. Chiang Mai is good too and more quaint, slower paced.

If you really need to visit Pattaya then at least have the conference in Bangkok and just take the two hour trip down to Pattaya for your kicks. The words "scuz hole" come to mind when I think of Pattaya - not really the image to enhance the Bitcoin image.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I want to lock this thread. And I will lock this thread. On the day Bruce takes Pattaya off the table. On the day he changes it to Bangkok, or any other city, in Thailand.

Love your show, Bruce. Love all you're doing, and done, for Bitcoin. But Pattaya is a mistake. Please reconsider.

Thank you kingly, Bruce.

Sincerely, Bruno


Bitcoin: An Idea Worth Spending

[repentance]

With so many Bitcoin events now planned for next year I think it's inevitable that some will turn out to be mostly about hanging out with other Bitcoiners in fun locations and others will be more agenda driven.  It will be interesting to see what kind of programmes the organisers are able to put together for each event as potential speakers, sponsors, merchants, etc will make their own choices about which events are likely to hold the most value for them.

I agree, but that doesn't mean we can't have both.  There's so many other rewarding places the conference can be held in Thailand.  Pattaya is going to blazing hot, full of lady-boys, gay Russians and child-sex  tourism.  If you're going to pick a country, why not listen to people who've spent a lot of time there for recommendations?

Chiang Mai is cheaper, safer, easier to get to, cool at night, people are friendlier and the less-social folks will have more to do than fighting off lady-boys hitting on them in the streets everywhere they go.  It's really win-win for everyone (unless you're into the child sex thing).

Despite it's beauty, I'm not convinced that Thailand in general is good choice - but I agree that Pattaya is an appalling one. 

[julz]

Despite it's beauty, I'm not convinced that Thailand in general is good choice - but I agree that Pattaya is an appalling one. 

The only good I can see in it is it'll demonstrate what a dumb idea it is using the Thai Baht symbol ฿ for Bitcoin.

I also don't understand the point of multiple conferences in one year.  It dilutes any power that a singular global bitcoin conference might have had.

If the announcement had been instead, something like "2012 Bitcoin Conference to be in Hong Kong"   (or some other major financial hub.. London,Singapore,Tokyo etc)
this would have been more impressive.

Anyway.. nothing to stop some other group of Bitcoiners forming a more focused Conference arrangement to compete with the way OnlyOneTV does things.
That too is 'dilution'.. but hopefully at some point some annual conference can become known as *the* conference. 
Despite what many in the community would like - this doesn't appear to be OnlyOneTV's vision - and if they want to ignore the community's ideas, that's up to them really.

Bruce and co. still do a good job of providing some focus and light on Bitcoin issues - so if people don't like the specifics.. they'll just have to come up with an alternative.

[someotherguy]

The simple fact that Bruce

1.  Can't see just how bad this idea really is.
2.  Has not responded to the clear problem it presents from a PR perspective
3.  Has not responded to the problem in a timely fashion.
3.  Has not canceled it outright.

Make it all the more clear to me, he needs to take a break, and step back from Bitcoin for a few weeks.  Really he must be either incompetent, or or just plan exhausted (giving him the benefit of the doubt).


I think the simple Poll here says it all-

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=39582.0

[kostia]

I live in Thailand for about 4 years now, I would not choose Pattaya as a place to live (I stay on a remote island most of  the time), but when I need to be in Bangkok for some reason - I always stay in Pattaya and travel to Bangkok from there. Bangkok is big, crowded, traffic jams, no air to breathe. Pattaya is a city for foreigners build on a sea side - I would not go swim in that water but anyway the air is fresh from the sea breeze, it's full with hotels and guesthouses for any budget, a lot of good and inexpensive restaurants ran by expats - you can eat pizza made by Italian chief, have some in house brewed beer in a German place and so on, including authentic Russian pelmeni. Usually I'm coming there with my girlfriend but nightlife is fun anyway, unique atmosphere of a never ending party.

Sure there are annoyances, mainly in Walking Street at night, but who cares? If you do not want ladyboys attention, children asking for money in imaginative ways, 'ping pong show' invitation popups before your face, loud noises and so on - just do not go to walking street from about 20:00 to 3:00.

Yes form dusk to dawn Pattaya is filled with prostitutes in lady bars of a different kinds. It's fine with me, some of those places are nice for an evening beer while watching woman live or sports channel on tv.

Yes there are a lot of ladyboys. Yes it's possible to get robbed or scammed, and sure tourist traps are set. Yet I consider Pattaya safe place for those who use common sense.

Alternative locations in SEA? In Thailand, Phuket on the south and Chang Mai on the north both have their own different charms, but it's one more flight from Thailand's main airport, while Pattaya is 2 hours by taxi or bus. In other countries - Hong Kong, a major financial center and still somewhat offshore zone (if anybody is interested - it should be another topic), it's a very interesting and alive city. But it will be i guess about 5 times more expensive than Pattaya for everybody, as living and office space is very expensive there. Singapore is boring, too much rules (like it's illegal to import and chew bubblegum, just as an example), warning sings like 'do not seat here as you may fall' and a likes are everywhere, it's a nanny state at the extreme - not a proper place for bitcoin event IMO. Macau could be a good choice - asian Las Vegas with nice old Portugese architecture, 2 hours by ferry from Hong Kong.

[defxor]

The simple fact that Bruce

... seems to know a lot more about the world than most ignorant people posting their own personal view of places they seem to know very little about?

Yes, indeed.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pattaya+conferences

[defxor]

I won't be going to any of them

I'm quite sure no one was surprised to see that, or felt that it mattered.

(PS: I love Amsterdam as a tourist. I've also been to Amsterdam for conferences. You know what? Those two things have nothing whatsoever to do with eachother)

[The_Duke]

(PS: I love Amsterdam as a tourist. I've also been to Amsterdam for conferences. You know what? Those two things have nothing whatsoever to do with eachother)

Until you start hosting nerd-meetings (I refuse to call that 50-or-so meet'ngreet with beers a conference) in amsterdam, because you want to buy some weed there, claiming that it is all for the benefit of a greater good. Then you are abusing that greater good for your own personal gain.