Living with a disability in Pattaya

First I would like to say that I am not disabled myself, so I would ask my disabled friends to correct me where I am wrong, and also to give their feedback on their experiences in Pattaya, so that this can be a resource for folks around the world.

One of the plans for our website, at www.pattayaexpatsclub.com, is to give free advertising to those businesses in Pattaya that have made a special effort to welcome the disabled, and in this way, perhaps help raise the level of awareness about this issue. So let me recommend a hotel that I believe goes out of its way to welcome folks with disabilities – the Silver Sand Villa on Jomtien Beach. I have no connection with this friendly hotel, but I have stayed there many times for up to 3 months at a time, and I know you would be happy there. Prices range from 500 to 1,200 baht daily (depending upon length of stay and choice of rooms) and I would be happy to send you more details if you have an interest.

Also, the Guest Service Manager at the Thai Garden Hotel, Elfi Seitz, has assured me that their hotel welcomes disabled guests, and their facilities have been designed to allow easy access for wheelchairs, and the guest rooms and bathrooms are disabled friendly.

Also, there is at least one diving school that caters to the disabled.
Phone or e-mail David Chandler, at Elite Divers. Telephone 038 367 306/09 992 6589:
Or e-mail Dave at chandler@loxinfo.co.th and check out his web site a www.divingthailand.com

My observation, after living for several years in Thailand, is that there is not the emphasis here on the Government insisting that businesses cater for the disabled, in the same way for instance as the Federal and State laws in the USA and elsewhere. So it is not uncommon for restaurants, night clubs, beauty salons, hotels, internet cafes and many other businesses, to be inaccessible to wheelchairs. And there appears to be no organization, with the weight of the law behind it, where you can complain or get the problem fixed.

Over recent months, I have read some newspaper articles indicating that the Tourist Authority in Thailand is at least thinking about making this resort more disabled friendly, but as far as I know, there are no laws yet on the books to compel business owners to provide disabled facilities.

Having said that, if I were disabled in any way, there is no place I would rather be than in Pattaya. And perhaps those of you out there, with various forms of disabilities, would like to e-mail to me your opinion on this, as your personal experiences would carry more weight than my observations.

So why do I think that Pattaya is the place to be, even though there are no laws to ensure that disabled people are able to enjoy their lives to the full?

First, it is the friendliness of the Thai people towards visitors, young and old, that attracts many of us to Thailand in the first place. Several of my disabled friends have beautiful, caring girl friends and boy friends, and their partners make sure that they enjoy the good life in Pattaya. Much fuller and more independent lives than they could possibly live in the USA or the United Kingdom for instance.

And then there is the cost of any care a disabled person may need. For approximately US$1,000 a month (less than most US Social Security retirement incomes), you can live a very comfortable life in Pattaya, and this is true whether you are disabled or not.

It is not unusual to see foreigners with a variety of disabilities, accompanied by their partners and enjoying all of the attractions of the resort – the beaches, swimming, night clubs, restaurants and all manner of sports. I have a friend who has Multiple Sclerosis, which has been getting worse over the years. However, he is able to live a very full and enjoyable life in Pattaya.

I realize that this article, at the moment, is short on specific businesses that cater to the disabled, but through the feedback from our Club, and folks like yourself, we hope to build a good database for anyone with disabilities visiting or residing in Pattaya.

Please email Pete at info@pattayaexpatsclub.com with up to date information on the businesses in Pattaya that provide good access for the disabled. Together we can perhaps raise the level of awareness for the disabled in Pattaya