PATTAYA, Thailand – Long queues at gas stations, anxiety over fuel availability, soaring costs, and the chaotic nature of Songkran are keeping many foreign visitors away from this year’s celebrations in Pattaya. Even though fuel prices have not yet increased, reports of “oil panic” and limited supplies are stirring unease among tourists and long-term residents.
At a gas station near the Central Pattaya Junction on Sukhumvit Road, attendants said they normally serve 60–70 customers a day—but since government warnings about fuel supplies, they are seeing 60–70 customers per hour. Staff explained that the real problem is not a shortage of fuel but the inability to get it to the pumps fast enough to meet the sudden surge in demand.
Visitors also cite rising prices for essentials, such as seafood and leisure activities, as well as weak confidence in the government’s handling of public resources. Some accommodations have been raising room fees without clear reason, adding to frustrations for long-term visitors who rely on predictable rates. Many are choosing to skip the crowded streets, random water splashes, and occasional violent incidents or injuries that sometimes occur during the rowdy celebrations, waiting instead for conditions to stabilize.
“It’s not worth the stress this year,” said one long-term visitor. “Between the queues, anxiety about supplies, ballooning costs, and the chaos in the streets, we’re staying away until things settle down.”
Even with the risks and soaring costs, many foreigners can’t resist the spectacle, flying in to join the colorful festivities. Pattaya, as always, fills up with familiar faces chasing out-of-this-world fun during this week-long madness.
