PATTAYA, Thailand – Bar stools are still filled, bottles are still opening, and music still spills onto the beach roads. But ask almost any bartender in Pattaya and they’ll quietly admit the same thing: people still drink—just fewer cocktails and a lot more questions about prices.
With the Thai baht climbing again and tourist currencies losing ground, what used to be a carefree night out now begins with visitors checking exchange rates on their phones before ordering the first round. For many returning long-term visitors, the sticker shock is real.
“Last year I didn’t even look at the price list,” said one European tourist while nursing a beer on Soi Buakhao. “Now I check before every drink. The baht is just too strong for us.”
Bars across Pattaya report the same shift: fewer premium cocktails, more local beers, and more “How much?” before “One more, please.”
Some venues say customers now split buckets, skip imported spirits, or switch to happy-hour specials. Others notice that visitors still enjoy themselves, but the spontaneous spending that fueled Pattaya’s nightlife for decades has cooled.
Local business owners argue that the strong baht is hurting not just nightlife but the wider tourism ecosystem—street food vendors, small hotels, and family-run shops all feel the slowdown. “People are still here, but their money doesn’t go as far,” said a Walking Street bar manager. “They spend more carefully, and you can see it.”
Despite the tightening wallets, Pattaya remains lively. Tourists continue to fill the beach, the malls, and the entertainment areas. But the mood is different. Nights out now come with a mental calculator.
As one Australian long-stay visitor put it: “Pattaya didn’t change. My exchange rate did. And that decides how long I stay—and what I order.”
