Sourcing
We source venues from a mix of local knowledge, on-foot exploration, community recommendations, and English/Thai search. Every entry traces back to at least one of:
- Direct visit by us or a trusted local
- Verified primary source (the venue's own website or social, dated within 12 months)
- Community recommendation from a long-term Pattaya resident
We do not scrape Google Maps, TripAdvisor, or other directories without verification.
Verification
Each venue is checked for:
- Is it open? — phone or in-person confirmation
- Stated hours match reality — cross-checked with current customers when possible
- Price tier accurate — entry-level pricing confirmed via published rate or direct quote
- Category appropriate — venue actually does the sport it claims
- Quality of facility — equipment, cleanliness, instructor presence
Ranking
Within a category, venues rank by composite score: facility depth, instructor caliber, customer feedback signal, longevity, breadth of programs offered, and operational reliability (how often doors are open as advertised). No paid weighting.
Updates
A verified date appears on every venue page. Re-verification is rolling rather than rigid: priority queue first (popular venues, recent reports, venues that have moved or changed format), background queue second. When we hear of a closure or major change we re-check and update as fast as we reasonably can — typically within days, never longer than a couple of weeks. If we can't reach a venue across 30 days of attempts, it's marked stale and ranking-suppressed. Public reports of errors or closures can be sent to [email protected].
Removals
Venues are removed when:
- Permanent closure confirmed
- Operations relocated outside Pattaya / Eastern Seaboard
- Owner explicitly requests removal in writing