PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya’s glow hasn’t dimmed — its beach bars still pulse with music and its sois buzz with life — but for many travelers, how far the baht goes has become a daily concern.
While wealthier tourists and long-stayers lounge comfortably, shrugging off the exchange rate as just part of the ride, budget-conscious visitors are feeling the pinch. For them, the Thai baht’s recent strength against foreign currencies isn’t just economics — it shapes every decision, from beers to bar fines.
Take the longtime travelers who’ve been coming here since the 1980s. They’ll tell you that back then, baht buses cost five baht and hotel rooms were dirt cheap. Now the same rides are ten baht and rooms have doubled — but when adjusted for inflation, they argue Pattaya is still a bargain. Even the nightlife economy, they insist, hasn’t changed much in real terms; bar fines may look higher, but so has everything else.
Yet the sentiment shifts among newer or European visitors. The baht-to-euro rate hovers around a five-year average, and while technically stable, everyday costs feel noticeably higher — especially for those relying on fixed pensions. British tourists complain that the pound is overvalued, but not enough to shield them from Pattaya’s creeping price hikes.
It’s created a quiet divide. Those with deeper pockets continue to indulge, while others are turning frugal, scanning menus and counting cash in their pockets every day. On Soi Buakhao, where large beers still go for 70 baht, the more seasoned voices share their secrets: Avoid overpriced zones like Pratamnak or Walking Street, skip Treetown, rent a moped for 2,000 to 2,500 baht a month, or just walk.
They laugh about tourists who fixate on the cost of a Thai massage or a bar beer — only to blow 5,000 baht in a single night with ladyboys. To them, the real waste isn’t the rising prices, but poor choices.
Some who left for cheaper pastures even boomerang back. They tried Vietnam, only to realize that “cheaper” didn’t mean better — at least not in the ways that count.
In Pattaya, the game hasn’t changed. But the players? They’re learning to adapt — or they’re quietly booking a flight home.
