PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya’s reputation as a world-class tourist hub took another knock this week after two drunk foreign tourists were caught urinating directly into the sea near Beach Road. One even lashed out at a bystander who tried to intervene. Police fined the pair, but the incident has ignited wider anger—not only at the offenders but also at the city’s long-standing tolerance of such behavior.
Locals insist the case is far from unique. “The other day I sat on the beach and saw plenty of people doing the same thing—Thais and foreigners alike—yet no one reported it,” one resident said. Another added: “So give people toilets. You can’t expect tourists to behave when there aren’t enough facilities.”
Others called for tougher measures. “Tourists who think the beachfront is their hotel room should be dealt with strictly. If this continues, good tourists will stop coming,” a Pattaya resident warned. Some argued that particular groups repeat the offense daily, making the beach dirty and deterring families.
But the problem clearly isn’t limited to foreigners. “I saw two Thai guys do the same thing in broad daylight yesterday and no one blinked,” one local admitted. Another wrote: “Go near hotel corners and you’ll see locals doing it all the time. Why only shame foreigners?”
This double standard fuels resentment. A Westerner claimed locals showed him on his first day in Thailand that urinating outside was “normal.” Others backed him up: “Thais do this everywhere. I’ve been night fishing and had someone urinate right next to me. Happens every day.”
For long-time residents, the issue has already spoiled the beach’s appeal. “I’ve lived here more than ten years and never once thought about swimming in Pattaya. Too much urine, too little enforcement,” one said. Another sarcastically called the city: “A dream tourist destination.”
Still, some praised officials for finally acting. “Well done. Fine them all,” one comment read. Others went further: “They should be jailed to calm down. Otherwise they’ll just keep doing it.”
Most agree the core problem is structural: too few toilets, weak enforcement, and a culture of looking the other way. As one resident summed up: “It happens every day, every night. If you really want to fix it, just patrol the beach. You’ll make a fortune in fines.”
Until then, the blame game—whether targeting Indians, Chinese, Westerners, or Thais themselves—will distract from the deeper truth: Pattaya’s beachfront is being treated as a public restroom. And for a city selling itself as a premier tourist destination, that reality is nothing short of disgraceful.
