PATTAYA, Thailand – At the close of the year, a familiar sound on Thailand’s FM dial is fading into history. Fabulous Pattaya 103, widely known as “Radio 103,” will cease FM broadcasting, marking the end of an era for English-language radio in Pattaya. The change is not the result of declining audiences or relevance, but of a fundamental restructuring of Thailand’s FM licensing system.
According to station founder and owner Tommy Dee, the past few months have brought sweeping regulatory changes. Thai broadcasting authorities overhauled the FM licensing framework, a process that, in practice, resembled a lottery or auction more than a traditional regulatory review. As a result, roughly one third of FM frequencies were eliminated altogether, including Radio 103’s long-standing frequency, which had been in use for decades.
The station was subsequently offered the opportunity to bid on only two alternative frequencies. However, there was no evaluation of program quality, community contribution, or broadcasting experience. Instead, the deciding factor was purely financial. One of the available frequencies reportedly attracted bids exceeding 800,000 baht for a license valid for just five years, after which the bidding process would begin again. From a business perspective, the model was unsustainable, leading to the difficult decision to step away from FM broadcasting.
The outcome was particularly painful given the station’s role during the Covid-19 pandemic. For nearly three years, Radio 103 operated at a financial loss while borrowing funds and simultaneously helping to raise millions of baht for community soup kitchens. During that period, the station’s studio functioned as much as a logistics hub for food aid as a broadcasting center. Despite this contribution, such efforts carried no weight in the new licensing process.
At one point, the plan was to quietly switch off the transmitter and disappear. That resolve shifted after an outpouring of support from listeners, who emphasized the station’s unique role as Pattaya’s only English-language broadcaster with live presenters and locally focused news.
Encouraged by that response, Radio 103 chose a new path. Rather than shutting down entirely, the station committed to a full digital transition. On December 31, its FM transmitters will be switched off permanently. In their place, the station will broadcast exclusively via digital platforms, offering clear, uninterrupted sound without the static associated with traditional FM radio.
Listeners can now tune in through the station’s website, streaming services, and a dedicated mobile application, accessible on phones, tablets, computers, and even in vehicles equipped with Bluetooth or internet radio. While longtime FM listeners may need time to adjust, Radio 103’s voice remains very much alive — no longer confined to the airwaves, but carried forward into the digital age.
Listen to Fabulous FM 103 online: https://alwayspattaya.com/radiochannel/fabulous-103-fm/
