Indian Tourists Negatively Affect Pattaya

[Undaunted]

As Indian tour groups rise and Chinese visitors decline, European tourists ask—has Pattaya forgotten us?

By Pattaya Mail

June 2, 2025

Pattaya is undergoing a transformation that many long-term foreign residents say is making the city unrecognizable. At the heart of the concern is the city’s increasing focus on Indian tourism—particularly low-cost group packages—which expats claim is shifting the local culture, aesthetics, and even the hospitality industry itself.

“I’ve been here for over 15 years, and I barely recognize the place anymore,” wrote one user on a social media platform. “It used to be international. Now it feels like a budget version of Mumbai.”

Expats say Walking Street is just the most visible sign of a larger shift: Indian restaurants and pubs dominate many parts of town; hotels and bars are now catering to Indian group tours rather than independent travelers or couples; and loud, choreographed Bollywood music often replaces Western hits at popular nightlife venues.

The resentment isn’t only cultural—it’s economic. “The quality of tourists has gone down,” another commenter posted. “They spend less, demand more, and contribute to overcrowding.” Some business owners echo that sentiment, claiming the focus on low-budget volume tourism from India has driven prices down and put pressure on the kind of small, Western-style businesses that once thrived in the city.

Amid this shift, European tourists—once the bread and butter of Pattaya’s international appeal—are increasingly feeling neglected. Many report a noticeable decline in tailored offerings: fewer European restaurants, less English-language service, and a sense that Western long-stayers and repeat visitors are no longer a priority.

“It used to be that you’d see French bakeries, German beer gardens, and Scandinavian cafes on every corner,” says a European retiree who has wintered in Pattaya for over a decade. “Now they’re either shut or hanging on by a thread. The new businesses don’t care if you’re from Berlin or Birmingham—they care about whether you’re coming in a tour bus with 30 others.”

This sidelining comes at a delicate time. The once-booming Chinese tourism market has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and despite government efforts to revive it, high costs, geopolitical tensions, and visa hurdles continue to dampen Chinese arrivals. Meanwhile, Indian tourism—now accounting for the largest share of incoming foreign visitors—is being aggressively courted with group deals, domestic-style eateries, and promotional events.

Yet the numbers don’t always tell the full story. While Indian tourist volume is high, per-capita spending often lags behind that of European travelers. “European tourists, especially retirees or long-term visitors, spend consistently and support a wide range of local businesses—from restaurants to dental clinics,” says one local business operator. “But those businesses are now struggling because group tours don’t touch them.”

Some longtime residents point out that every era of Pattaya has had its own dominant tourist group—from Americans in the 1980s and Europeans in the 1990s to Russians in the early 2000s and Chinese more recently. “Tourism evolves. Maybe this is just the new cycle,” one user commented. Another added bluntly, “The Chinese are gone, the Indians are here to stay, Europeans seem caught in the middle.”

Still, online comment sections are filled with laments and sarcasm:
“Why not just rename it Little India and get it over with?”
“So long as the money keeps flowing, the culture doesn’t matter.”
“Indian tourists deserve to be here like anyone else. But it feels like the city is trying too hard to please them exclusively.”

Some expats suggest city officials should strike a better balance. “Nobody’s asking to ban Indian tourists,” one commenter clarified. “We’re asking for inclusive planning—don’t lose what made Pattaya great for everyone.”

To that end, tourism operators are beginning to take note. There are growing calls from local business associations to diversify marketing strategies and bring back higher-spending Western tourists. Some hotels are quietly launching European-focused packages again, and a few local bars have returned to offering live rock bands and pub quizzes aimed at the Western crowd. But for now, these feel more like isolated gestures than a real policy pivot.

Whether this is a temporary phase or the start of a permanent realignment, one thing is clear: the soul of Pattaya is being debated more fiercely than ever, and not everyone feels heard in the process.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/as-ind ... -us-503291

[Gaybutton]

don’t lose what made Pattaya great for everyone.”

Pattaya lost that years ago and it had nothing to do with which ethnic group dominated the tourist industry. I truly believe the authorities are in denial about what the main attraction to Pattaya was. Like it or not, it was the sex industry and letting the entertainment venues operate at whatever hours they chose and the way they wished to present the entertainment.

Back then the bars were open at the times they chose for themselves. Adults on a holiday are not looking for city officials to decide for them what time to stop drinking and what time to go to bed. What went on in the bars was not a problem since the interior of the bars was not visible from the outside. Other than enforcing no under-age workers or customers and no drugs, it was quite anything goes. Many bars even had "short time" rooms. There was no shortage of Thai boys working in the go-go bars, especially when many could make more money in a couple of nights than they could in a month working at a 7-Eleven.

That is what people going to Pattaya were looking for - and still are. But they're not going to find it anymore because the city has given in to those who think sex is a terrible thing, along with this utter nonsense about trying to make Pattaya a "family oriented" holiday destination.

Do the authorities truly believe what Pattaya has to offer now is what holiday makers are looking for? People making expensive long haul flights for their annual 2 to 3 week holiday fun are not looking to land in a city that might as well be Pittsburgh.

The officials would do well to forget about this "family oriented" foolishness and take a look at what made Pattaya so successful in the bygone days when the city was thriving. Trying to make Pattaya the way it was during those times is the goal I believe they should be striving for rather than continuing to cling to a goal that is only resulting in Pattaya's downward spiral.

One thing is for sure - I don't see any articles talking about how Pattaya has improved . . .

Here is another take on it:
______________________________________________________________________________________________

From wild nights to weary sighs—why long-term visitors are quietly saying goodbye to Pattaya’s Walking Street

By Pattaya Mail

June 2, 2025

For decades, Pattaya’s Walking Street has reigned as Southeast Asia’s unapologetic playground: neon lights, pounding music, and a carnival of chaos where anything felt possible — or at least purchasable. It was the kind of place that made tourists feel they’d stumbled into a fever dream, and long-term visitors felt like they’d hacked life itself. But now, that dream is wearing thin.

Once the heart of Pattaya’s after-dark pulse, Walking Street is increasingly being bypassed by long-time expats and seasoned travelers. Some are quietly bowing out, others not so quietly venting their frustrations online. The consensus? Walking Street has lost its charm — or rather, it has been drowned under the weight of its own excess.

Pattaya’s Walking Street, once the undisputed capital of after-dark escapism, is now starting to resemble something else entirely — a chaotic, neon-lit version of Little India. From the moment you step onto the street, your ears are hit with a relentless barrage of high-volume Bollywood beats, blasting from one end to the other. What was once a mix of clubs, rock bars, and beach-town sleaze has given way to a thumping soundtrack of Indian pop and bass lines, often so loud that conversations are nearly impossible. For some, it’s a vibrant shift; for others, especially longtime foreign residents, it’s a sign that the old Pattaya they once loved — unpredictable yet oddly balanced — is slipping away under a tidal wave of flashing LED lights and unrelenting noise.

One disillusioned expat summed it up bluntly: “Expats say Pattaya needs a complete overhaul — from footpath bolts to hanging wires, not just a new sign.” A new LED archway might light up the entrance, but it does little to fix the cracked pavements, the unruly traffic, and the tangled power lines that seem to belong in a dystopian video game.

“I really enjoyed Pattaya,” one visitor posted online, “but the hanging wires seemed really dangerous…” He’s not alone in that observation. The entangled electric web isn’t just an eyesore — it’s a safety hazard. And it’s emblematic of a broader problem: a city that’s good at collecting tourist money but not great at investing it back into basic infrastructure.

“Thailand only takes money, not repairs anything,” one commenter bluntly put it. A bit harsh, perhaps, but the sentiment echoes far and wide among the frustrated.

And when it comes to traffic enforcement, few are impressed. “Noisy and smoky bikes and vehicles, bikes riding in the wrong direction, running red lights… it’s a free-for-all.” Enforcement, many argue, is inconsistent at best and performative at worst.

Speaking of performance, some expats find dry humor in Pattaya’s approach to street security. “It’s like watching Pattaya’s version of the Men in Black,” one observer quipped, pointing to the often-stationary tourist police and security personnel in their white golf carts. “Same faces for years — must be a pretty comfortable gig.” Even the foreign volunteers draw light-hearted jabs. “You see them suited up in uniforms and police-style gear… it’s a curious sight,” said another long-timer. “Not sure if it adds to the atmosphere or just feels like part of the show.”

But beneath the jokes lies a harder truth — real improvement may never happen because no one wants to foot the bill. “Sure, clean it up like the West,” one expat remarked, “but don’t forget, Western-style comes with Western prices.”

That’s the trade-off. Many moved to Pattaya for affordable freedom, not polished perfection. Strip away the chaos, and you risk losing what made it appealing in the first place.

As one longtime resident summed it up: “I rarely go to Walking Street anymore. It’s like a Parisian avoiding the Eiffel Tower.” Until change goes deeper than LED arches and surface fixes, more expats will quietly drift away — because even in paradise, the price has to feel worth it.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/from-w ... eet-503288

[Dodger]

TAT can't have its cake and eat it too.

Regardless of what TAT attempts to lure wealthy tourists to Thailand - the internet makes reality just too clear to anyone contemplating a vacation over here. Just a few clicks on U Tube shows the infamous Walking Street now filled with scrubby-looking Indians and a mix of other hobo-looking mid-eastern misfits. Not exactly what the elite class are looking for.

This downward trend in Pattaya didn't start last week - it started last decade. which is one of the reasons I decided to reside around the bay from Pattaya during retirement. Hopefully they can turn things around before they lose all the western tourists, but that won't be easy.

On the bright-side, Pattaya isn't the only place that offers the joys of being submersed in friendly Thai culture...plenty of sun/sea/sand, and of course BOYS. There is an entire Kingdom out there and plenty of other great options for tourists and expats.

[Jun]

Just as I started reading this, the people at the next table in the coffee shop were just whinging about the Indians.

The increase in Indian and Middle-Eastern tourists in South Pattaya is one reason to consider staying in Jomtien.
Ideally, the entire gay scene would move much further away, but in the real world, it's not going to happen.

[Gaybutton]

There is an entire Kingdom out there and plenty of other great options for tourists and expats.

Including plenty of options other than Pattaya for those looking for a "family oriented" holiday spot. Again, I believe a great many problems would be solved simply by letting Pattaya be Pattaya.

Ideally, the entire gay scene would move much further away, but in the real world, it's not going to happen.

I think it is possible, at least to some degree. Thailand has been highly supportive of the LGBTQ community - with even the Prime Minister participating in the Bangkok Pride parade.. Maybe one of these days that support will extend to the gay beer bars and go-go bars. Not only would that kind of support be very welcome, but who knows - it might even eliminate the need for the bars paying tea money.

[Dodger]

...... I believe a great many problems would be solved simply by letting Pattaya be Pattaya.

The real irony is that they seem to actually believe that they can change peoples minds about why they should want to come to Pattaya for their holidays - versus - realize that Pattaya became one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world for one reason and one reason only...and that was it's sultry and exotic nightly entertainment venues and availability (and affordability) of youthful melt-in-your-mouth Thai prostitutes. Period!

They could have focused on creating the image of a family-friendly vacation destination in the other popular cities in Thailand - while leaving Pattaya to remain shining on its earned reputation as the "Extreme City" allowing the $money$$ continue to pouring in as it always did.

My guess, for what's its worth, is that Pattaya will probably continue down the road of "slumhood"...with more and more low-life's blending in with the tapestry as time moves forward. Gay bars have always survived in rough neighborhoods anyway and will probably continue to survive, if not even flourish depending on economic conditions.

One thing's for sure...nothing ever stays the same.

[Jun]

Maybe one of these days that support will extend to the gay beer bars and go-go bars. Not only would that kind of support be very welcome, but who knows - it might even eliminate the need for the bars paying tea money.

I wouldn't hold your breath. Based on experience during COVID,, the police were prepared to shut the gay bars whilst allowing bars almost next door to their HQ to remain open.
To stop bribes, they need to do something radical, such as executing those collecting tea money. I can't see politicians signing up to that.

As for Thailand, there are plenty of nicer towns and cities. But I come to Pattaya for the gay scene and it seems that was the attraction for most other board members.

[Gaybutton]

To stop bribes, they need to do something radical, such as executing those collecting tea money.

That would be just a wee bit over the top. My idea - if they are collecting tea money, let it be used for just that - make them really buy tea with it . . .