PATTAYA, Thailand – For years, the “lady drink” system in Pattaya’s nightlife scene has been treated as a quirky local custom—an accepted part of the bar economy and a predictable extra cost for foreign visitors. But in 2025, long-term visitors say the prices are no longer quirky. They’re painful.
Many foreigners, including those who have lived here for decades, now argue that lady drink prices have climbed far beyond reason. What used to be a lighthearted social ritual is turning into a running joke about economic extraction. And the punchline, they say, isn’t funny anymore.
Some complain that their Coca-Cola has tripled in price, with no Happy Hour relief. Others argue that prices “go up every month,” creating a sense that the system is less about hospitality and more about squeezing patrons who already face rising costs across the city.
Still, not everyone agrees things are worse. Some long-timers insist that certain bars are cheaper today than twenty years ago, pointing to promotional beer deals like 39 baht bottles before 7 p.m. Those deals are real—but visitors say they don’t apply where lady drinks are involved. In venues where the economy depends heavily on commissioned drinks, the upward pressure on pricing can feel relentless.
This creates a growing divide: while some travelers accept lady drink pricing as part of the Pattaya experience, others increasingly describe it as the number-one source of “tourist pain” in local nightlife—an irritation that pushes some visitors to different neighborhoods, different cities, or even different countries.
Underlying the frustration is a larger economic narrative. The baht is stronger, living costs are climbing, and nightlife inflation tends to outpace wage growth locally. Foreign visitors who used to feel welcomed now often feel like they’re being taxed for simply spending time in a bar.
For many long-term visitors, the issue isn’t the existence of lady drinks. It’s the sense that Pattaya nightlife has entered an era where price hikes feel automatic, unrestrained, and increasingly out of touch with what patrons are willing to pay. Until the balance tips back toward value and trust, the pain of lady drink prices may continue to push visitors to rethink how—and where—they spend their evenings.
