PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand’s tourism machine is back in full swing, with more than 22 million visitors already recorded this year. Yet in Pattaya, the country’s most famous seaside playground, bar owners and street vendors grumble about thin wallets and thinner crowds of Westerners.
For decades, Pattaya’s economy thrived on the deep pockets of Europeans, Australians, and North Americans who came for long stays, entertainment, and nightlife. But those visitors are increasingly absent. The mix of travelers has shifted dramatically toward short-haul arrivals from China, India, South Korea, and Russia — markets that bring high volume but, locals complain, low spending.
One bar owner near Walking Street summed it up bluntly: “We see six straws in one beer. They walk around, take pictures, but don’t spend. Meanwhile, costs keep going up.”
The Thai government’s policy choices have played no small role. Free visa waivers for certain groups were designed to boost headline arrival numbers, but many of these tourists arrive with limited funds. At the same time, Westerners — traditionally the higher-spending segment — face tougher visa rules, rising fees, and inflation-driven price hikes once inside the country.
A retired British visitor who has been coming for 20 years told us: “It’s not the women or the beaches anymore that decide whether I stay — it’s the exchange rate. The baht is too strong, and prices here aren’t cheap like before.”
Meanwhile, efforts to “clean up” Pattaya’s nightlife scene, officially to improve the city’s family-friendly image, have ironically squeezed the very businesses that keep the local economy alive. Bribes, rents, and alcohol taxes rise, while the government cracks down on the bar culture — discouraging Westerners who once saw Pattaya as a carefree escape.
The result: a booming tourism tally for Thailand as a whole, but a local economy in Pattaya that feels starved of real spending. The paradox is clear. The city may be packed with tour buses and selfie sticks, yet business owners whisper about decline and an uncertain future.
Pattaya’s problem is not a lack of visitors — it’s a lack of balance. A city that once thrived on the wallets of Westerners now struggles to adapt to a new tourism reality where sheer numbers don’t translate into prosperity. Unless policy shifts and the city rethinks who it wants to attract, Pattaya risks becoming the busiest “struggling” resort town in Asia.
