Strong Baht Hinders Pattaya Tourism

[Undaunted]

Thai baht must weaken, or Pattaya faces its worst low season in over a decade

By Pattaya Mail

May 30, 2025

As Pattaya’s tourism sector braces for the traditionally slow rainy season, many long-term visitors and local business owners are warning: if the Thai baht stays this strong, the upcoming months could be catastrophic for the city’s economy.

On the morning of May 29, the Thai baht opened at 32.81 per U.S. dollar, weakening from the previous close of 32.60. The movement, described by analysts as “sideways up,” comes amid strengthening momentum for the U.S. dollar, supported by hawkish tones from the Federal Reserve and rebounding U.S. bond yields.

While the slight depreciation offers temporary relief, it’s not enough, say Pattaya stakeholders. A stronger dollar typically supports inbound tourism by making Thai travel and spending cheaper for foreign visitors. But if the baht remains firm—failing to drop beyond the 33.00 resistance level—Thailand risks pricing itself out of competitiveness, especially against regional rivals like Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

“The warning signs are everywhere,” said a resort operator near Jomtien Beach. “Room bookings for July and August are way down. People are hesitant to spend. The baht needs to weaken more, or we’ll see the worst low season Pattaya has had in over a decade.”

Analysts currently expect the baht to trade between 32.65–32.95 over the next 24 hours, but much depends on a variety of external factors: U.S. economic data releases, commentary from Fed officials, Japan’s inflation and retail figures, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Oil prices and gold trends are also in play—gold’s recent drop toward the $3,250/oz support zone has further pushed the baht to test resistance levels.

Even with modest depreciation, the dollar’s strength and foreign investor behavior—including seasonal dividend payouts and short-dollar unwinding—will determine if the baht moves significantly in the months ahead.

“Tourism needs more than just PR campaigns and beach cleanups right now,” said one local bar owner on Walking Street. “We need currency policy to help, not hurt. Otherwise, we’ll be repainting a sinking ship.”

If Thai policymakers don’t act—or if the global markets don’t shift—the result may be a perfect storm: low tourist numbers, struggling businesses, and a confidence crisis that no amount of promotional fireworks can distract from.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/thai-b ... ade-502946

[Dodger]

It's not just the strong baht that's effecting tourism - it's the fact that tourists don't have as much money to spend in general thanks to the crippled global economy.

Also, with all the low-life's we had flocking to Thailand over the high season...it would be better to see a decline in tourists during low season as long as the tourists that were coming here were money-spending tourists and not those cheap Indians and other low-life's.

Of course the decline in Chinese tourists really skews the TaT numbers too - but nobody's complaining. I know I'm not.

[Gaybutton]

with all the low-lifes we had flocking to Thailand over the high season...it would be better to see a decline in tourists during low season

The only surge in numbers I've seen lately is the number of low-life, trouble making, and even criminal "tourists" plaguing Thailand.

The part I dislike most is their behavior stigmatizes all of us farang. Thailand really needs to upgrade how they decide who gets in and who doesn't - and the penalties for that kind of behavior ought to be swift and sure - starting with immediate deportation for minor, yet inexcusable incidents, to severe penalties for criminals.

One way or another, there is no denying that the number, and often severity, of these incidents have significantly increased and should be dealt with zero tolerance.

Don't the authorities see that as much, if not more, it's that kind of behavior harming the sacred "image" of Pattaya, Phuket, and wherever else these incidents keep occurring?

[Jun]

Anything written in the Pattaya Mail requires a fact check.
GBP: Currently, it is around 44 baht to the pound. If I remember correctly, it has dipped down to 39 in the last decade.
EUR: Middle of 10 year range
USD: Middle of 10 year range

The Pattaya Mail has got it wrong again.

Evidence of low tourism numbers is also weak. They spoke to one tourism operator, allegedly. I guarantee you can find someone who claims business is weak at any time.

As mentioned the last time they wrote this, total Thai tourist numbers have recovered to near record levels after the insane covid policies. The 2024 levels were only exceeded in 2018 & 2019.

Of course, if they want quality tourists, why does the local government spend so much trying to make the city less pleasant?

[Gaybutton]

Evidence of low tourism numbers is also weak.

I don't frequent the tourist areas, so I can't report observations. The evidence I can report is there are hardly any Chinese tour buses compared to pre-Covid times.

[Jun]

Numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand are definitely down compared with 2019, according to Wikipedia (see link & expand the table). Numbers from many other countries are up, partly compensating for that.

I have no idea what percentage go to Pattaya.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand

[Gaybutton]

I have no idea what percentage go to Pattaya.

From what I have been reading in the news, most have been going to Phuket.

[Jun]

Phuket is pulling the most revenue, although I believe this result excludes Bangkok. See link.
I've spent a grand total of 4 nights in Phuket so far. In the year when the yellow shirts closed Suvarnabhumi.

https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/c ... iid/372294

[Gaybutton]

Phuket is pulling the most revenue

Considering that Pattaya didn't even make their list, that tells me quite a bit - and in my opinion the main reason has nothing to do with poor infrastructure, crime, global economy. or anything else other than this ridiculous ongoing effort to change Pattaya's paradigm and make it a "family oriented" holiday destination. That's been going on for years and has been an utter failure the whole time. The authorities refuse to believe that it just isn't working and a "family oriented" destination is not what people are looking for in Pattaya. Never was and never will be.

To me a good question is WHY? Why do these people even want Pattaya to become a "family oriented" destination? What purpose is served - pleasing the prudes? Plenty of "family oriented" destinations in Thailand. Why can't they let Pattaya be Pattaya?

I truly believe if Pattaya resurrects itself and becomes what it was 15 or 20 years ago, there would be no tourism problem at all. Even if the current strong baht got even stronger, I think Pattaya would be bursting at the seams with "tourists". But Pattaya keeps shooting itself in the foot with absurd regulations. One of my favorites is now condos and guesthouses have to rent out their rooms for a minimum of 30 days. If anyone knows how that has helped anything other than a powerful hotel lobby, I'd like to know what. Many businesses had to close up shop because of it.

I think it's a "You can't go home again" type of problem. In order for Pattaya to become as it was, a lot of these rules and regulations would have to be dropped and people would have to be willing to invest in the bar scene once again - without all these unnecessary rules. Anyone remember the old Crazy Pub and Eros and what were like? Unfortunately I don't foresee anything like it ever coming back.

[Jun]

Considering that Pattaya didn't even make their list

It's done by province & Chonburi is second on the list.

As for regulations, I think there's a good argument for keeping some blocks a residential and not for short term lets. Would you want to buy an apartment and have a constant stream of Indian tourists next door?

As for attracting tourists, how about putting in decent flat and wide pedestrian paths, with trees to provide shade if near the beach?
Keep the vendors off the paths in the centre of town.
Put in a proper bus or tram network. If buses, have bus lanes with cameras to catch any vehicles that shouldn't be in the bus lane.
Try to discourage all the polluting diesel vehicles from driving in the city.

Instead, they dig up a long stretch of path in Jomtien and still haven't fully reinstated it 6 months later. This is so shoddy that the concrete base on the last section is cracking up before the paving slabs go down. Workmanship in Cambodia is ahead of this.