PATTAYA, Thailand – The Thai baht’s continued strength is reigniting an old debate in Pattaya — not about tourist numbers, but about who stays, how long, and why.
With the baht trading around 31.40–31.42 to the US dollar, according to Kasikorn Research Center, Thailand remains a noticeably more expensive destination for many Western visitors than it was just a few years ago. For some long-time Pattaya regulars, that shift is proving decisive.
Pattaya Mail readers have been unusually blunt in recent days. While some dismiss the issue outright — pointing to “swarms of tourists from the sub-continent” and busy nightlife zones — others say the city they once knew is becoming harder to recognize, and harder to justify financially.
“Higher prices, strong baht, visa problems — I’m not surprised,” wrote one reader. Another was less diplomatic, rejecting the idea that departing visitors are “nostalgic,” calling them simply “skint.”
Yet beneath the sharp language is a consistent theme: expectations versus value.
Several readers say they have stopped buying lady drinks altogether, arguing that prices have risen while interaction has declined. “Everyone has it in their hands,” one commenter noted. “You choose whether you participate or not.” Others say that opting out often means being ignored — and choosing different bars, or different cities, altogether.
One particularly striking comment came from a visitor who says he has been coming to Pattaya for more than 25 years, several times a year. This time, he cut his stay short by a month.
“I sadly say goodbye to Pattaya today,” he wrote. “I’ll go to another part of Thailand. Western areas are shrinking rapidly.”
At the same time, some readers argue Pattaya is not declining at all — just changing. New markets are filling the gap, bars are still busy, and prices are set by what people are willing to pay. “There will always be somebody to pay the prices,” one reader observed. “Just maybe not you.”
For those watching their spending more carefully, the solution is simple. As one comment neatly summed it up: when costs rise and the experience feels forced, the wallet is much happier drinking alone — or in Vietnam, where weaker currencies and cheaper prices are increasingly tempting former Pattaya loyalists.
