PATTAYA, Thailand – In a recent letter to the editor of Pattaya Mail, long-time resident Alan French expressed alarm over the government’s latest push to tighten alcohol and entertainment laws, warning that such measures could spell disaster for Pattaya’s tourism-driven economy.
French recalls the once-floated proposal to create designated “entertainment zones” where cities like Pattaya would be treated differently, with more relaxed rules on alcohol and nightlife. That idea, however, appears to have been quietly abandoned.
“If the government goes ahead with these new laws it will spell the death of Pattaya,” he wrote. “Residents and visitors could just about live with the current ridiculous ban on the sale of alcohol in the afternoons and after midnight, but if they ban the actual consumption of alcohol after midnight and also in the afternoons, you will see many bars and clubs closing, the exodus of expats, and a dramatic loss of tourism.”
For French, the proposals strike at the heart of daily life. “I do not go out at night until around 11pm but also like to visit the occasional gent’s club in the afternoon,” he added. “Any restriction on my activities will be a big no-no. What are they thinking?”
His letter highlights a wider unease among Pattaya’s nightlife operators, workers, and long-term foreign residents, many of whom argue that the city’s global reputation has always depended on being treated differently from the rest of Thailand. Without flexibility, critics warn, Pattaya risks losing its unique identity as a tourism hub.
