Oh yea, I grew up in the Queens part of New York city. I saw things on a daily that kids should never be exposed to. You sort of get hardened to the ugly side of life and grow up thinking its normal. We didn't have cable TV, actually it wasn't invented back then, so much of the outside world wasn't available for us. We thought our life was normal. After I graduated from NYU, I finally moved out of the city to another state and that was when I began to adjust. I only visited home on holidays and never lived there again.
Pattaya is just a large whorehouse for farangs. The crime scene there is somewhat sensationalized by the media and the local law enforcement doesn't really know how to handle it. Its not something they have seen or have anywhere else in Thailand. All in all, Pattaya is still a nice place to visit "IN THE DAY TIME".

No I never grew up in a 'Violent City', but every city / town has bad elements, it is just that Pattaya, being a tourist town has more than most, not helped by the fact they many tourists are ignorant of the true facts and not careful, which makes for easy pickings.
You are right Thais are bringing it down by themselves without any help from us, it was not helped by the influx of Russians, who seem to have dissappeared off the radar, that showed Thais what could be done, so they do it.
Also the Thai lack of welfare puts many people into the firing line in order to make a living and the strong always prey on the weak.
Pattaya is bad ..YES, but we all need it to improve, and to make especially sure that UDON does not go down the same path.

i have been to pattiya 5 times over the years and all has gone downhill even some shop assistants get aggressive to you now if you dont buy and motorbike taxis try ripping you off,and if you try to question the price they call others over with threats.the bar girls all seem alot hader and more aggressive to,no i will not be going to pattiya again.,nothing pleasant there anymore,and farang is allways in the wrong,in the eyes of the pattiya police.

Thats where the cash is Fredy