PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has acknowledged a decline in tourist numbers this year following online criticism over photographs showing unusually quiet scenes on Walking Street, one of the city’s best-known nightlife destinations.
Speaking on November 13, Poramet said Pattaya’s tourism sector had been affected by global economic pressures, including tensions in the Middle East, rising energy costs and higher airfares. Thailand’s domestic economic conditions have also made visitors more cautious about spending.
Figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports show that Chonburi welcomed approximately 27.6 million visitors in 2025, with a hotel occupancy rate of 78.72%.
During the first nine months of 2026, the province recorded around 20.1 million visitors, down from 20.5 million during the same period last year, a decrease of approximately 2.08%. Hotel occupancy also slipped from 61.58% to 61.05%. In response, Pattaya is preparing a series of major events during the high season to attract visitors and support local businesses. The program includes:
- Coffee on the Beach, November 13–15
- Diwali Festival along Pattaya Beach, November 13–15
- Pattaya International Fireworks Festival, November 27–28
- One Flag One Nation, December 5, featuring a planned mass parachute display with the Thai national flag and an attempt to set a Guinness World Records record
- Pattaya Countdown, marking the end of 2026 and welcoming the New Year
Poramet said the city would continue organizing tourism events despite economic pressures, while also improving safety measures to restore visitor confidence and distribute tourism revenue to local businesses. He noted that the widely shared photographs of Walking Street represented only one particular moment. However, the visitor and hotel occupancy figures also point to a slowdown that Pattaya must address. Whether the high-season events will bring more visitors back to Pattaya remains to be seen.
