PATTAYA, Thailand – Another night, another crash. This time, a group of local teens ended up in the hospital after attempting a high-speed wheelie along Sukhumvit Road — a sight anyone who lives here has grown numb to. Loud exhausts, no helmets, triple-riding, and reckless stunts have become part of the city’s nightly soundtrack. What’s more alarming isn’t the behavior — it’s the fact that no one in uniform seems to care.
While the authorities proudly announce crackdowns on foreign bikers — “helmet checks,” “registration spot checks,” and “license inspections” — the locals racing past in flip-flops and school shorts get a free pass. It’s a double standard that long-term visitors have grown tired of watching.
“It’s not about safety; it’s about revenue,” says one European resident who’s lived in Pattaya for over a decade. “They pull over foreigners because they know we’ll pay the fine and move on. Meanwhile, the local teens doing stunts right behind the checkpoint get a friendly wave.”
The imbalance has become so glaring that even some Thais quietly admit the system is broken. Enforcement focuses on visibility, not impact. Rather than addressing real dangers — speeding, drink-driving, and the epidemic of unlicensed riders — officials seem content targeting foreigners for minor infractions while ignoring the street chaos that causes the most harm.
Pattaya’s roads have turned into one of the city’s biggest safety crises. The city reports hundreds of road injuries each month, yet the conversation rarely moves beyond empty campaigns and helmet-day photo ops. The chaos keeps playing out, often with young Thais as victims — but the policy focus remains elsewhere.
If Pattaya truly wants to be a world-class city, it needs to start acting like one. That means fair, consistent law enforcement — not selective policing that punishes foreigners while turning a blind eye to locals who treat public roads like racetracks. Safety should never depend on the color of your passport.
Until then, the city’s nightly roar of modified exhausts and reckless wheelies will remain the sound of both danger and denial.
