Pattaya — Pattaya is experiencing a surge in tourism, with hotels exceeding 90% room occupancy driven by an influx of visitors from China, Russia, and India, alongside a rise in domestic tourism.

According to Mr. Sanphet Supabawornsathien, president of the Eastern Thai Hotel Association, this positive trend is fueled by several factors. Russian tourists, seeking respite from the cold and the ongoing war with Ukraine, have chosen Pattaya as their destination, leading to increased flight frequency since late January.

 

This resurgence is further bolstered by the return of Chinese tourists, who began visiting Pattaya earlier this year. Indian tourists are also contributing to the tourism boom. Notably, while domestic Thai tourists were relatively scarce in January, their numbers have significantly risen during recent long weekends, indicating a growing domestic travel interest in Pattaya.

 

By Aim Tanakorn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-03-02

 

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28 minutes ago, webfact said:

with hotels exceeding 90% room occupancy

What time frame?

I think the numbers reflect only a short period of time.....

Must have been all the 'chack wows' on the beach!

Judging by the long tailbacks on Pattaya Tai yesterday, Pattaya is full to overflowing.

Pattaya is getting too crowded for my taste. The traffic pretty bad as well. Not just because of holidays, but it seems to be ongoing. Hua Hin may be a better option for some long timers.

 

One noodle shop had a 30 minute wait. That's never happened to me before in Thailand.

Something to be proud abouts that you have all the Russians since you are one of the few country's in the world to welcome them , all about the money as usual Thailand.  

 

WOT??? I thought COVID was the last nail in the coffin. 

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

Judging by the long tailbacks on Pattaya Tai yesterday, Pattaya is full to overflowing.

Pattaya Klang the same but where is all the traffic going to heading down to Beach Road, these can’t be tourists but day trippers.

I tried to get a Baht Bus on Pattaya Tai yesterday, there wasn’t any, they used to park up at the top of Pattaya Tai but yesterday there wasn’t any, a long walk to Friendship and not one passed me in either direction ?

Do the Russians have their own AseanNow?  What about the Chinese?  The Indians?

 

It'd be interesting to get on these and see wtf goes on in their heads ...

 

Edit:  Found this:  https://forum.awd.ru/viewforum.php?f=116

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Pattaya Klang the same but where is all the traffic going to heading down to Beach Road, these can’t be tourists but day trippers.

I tried to get a Baht Bus on Pattaya Tai yesterday, there wasn’t any, they used to park up at the top of Pattaya Tai but yesterday there wasn’t any, a long walk to Friendship and not one passed me in either direction ?

That's another odd thing. It looks like there's not many people in the bars or restaurants or even along the sidewalk, yet the street is jammed with vehicles rushing from one place to another.

 

Where are all the people going??

 

The noodle shop I mentioned with the 30 minute wait was not that crowded, it was backed up orders from grab and such.

 

The other night I was eating across the street from a bar who had zero customers the entire time around, yet the street was packed with cars.

 

Maybe people partying in soapies, hotel rooms or the chinese buffets, or hanging out in places I don't normally go??

Same on Na Kluea Road, all the years I've been coming here and lived here for some time now have I ever known the traffic so bad, this is every day, as already mentioned, where are these people going, where have they been? Just a never ending flow of traffic.

22 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Pattaya is getting too crowded for my taste. The traffic pretty bad as well. Not just because of holidays, but it seems to be ongoing. Hua Hin may be a better option for some long timers.

 

One noodle shop had a 30 minute wait. That's never happened to me before in Thailand.

Very much agree. I wonder if the highway construction is diverting Bangkok traffic here too, it is hard going to drive to Hua Hin from  there I hear. I see lunchtime  queues at some places on Klang frequently at weekends. Too many long holidays on top are an aggravation if one lives here. 

17 hours ago, Victor Laszlo said:

where are these people going, where have they been? Just a never ending flow of traffic.

For the most part it seems to me they drive from Bangkok to visit the

airconditioned shopping malls,with a brief look at the beach at sundown then drive back to Bangkok again.

On 3/2/2024 at 4:27 AM, webfact said:

China, Russia, and India

 

How lovely. Please keep them penned in there.

 

Moderate amount of any one group = fine.

Masses of any one group (including my own) = yuck!

2 hours ago, johng said:

For the most part it seems to me they drive from Bangkok to visit the

airconditioned shopping malls,with a brief look at the beach at sundown then drive back to Bangkok again.

That airplane terminal mall is always pretty crowded with people. I think that's where many of them end up.

 

I don't see many people actually buying things in the shops in there though, which always seem to be devoid of customers with just staff in there waiting. It's more like people are just floating around the hallways looking at the country themes on the various levels. Similar to Las Vegas where everyone walks up and down the strip looking at things, but few people actually gamble in the casino's.

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

I don't see many people actually buying things in the shops in there though, which always seem to be devoid of customers with just staff in there waiting.

 

Lemme help you out.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

It's more like people are just floating around the hallways looking at the country themes on the various levels

 

Our ANF Economists specializing in Thai Shopping Malls have never been able to see anyone buy anything in a Thai shopping mall. Conclusive verification is achieved by their shopping bag count made as they waddle to and from the food courts. NO shopping bag has ever been seen.

 

The problem is that Thais, Chinese, Indians, and Russians by definition have no money and are therefore invisible. A few Hi So Thais have money, but they only buy expensive good abroad. Fact.

 

Now the remaining great Golden Egg Layers staying over in Soi Buakhao flophouses DO of course have lots of money, merely needing visa agents for convenience, but they insist they absolutely won't buy that overpriced cr*ap. As one of our most distinguished Economists intoned portentously in 2009 when those fools opened Central Festival:

 

Central World is going to fail, just like The Avenues. Anyone stupid enough to build a place that charges Bangkok prices in a small tourist resort town deserves to go bankrupt.

 

So that leaves NO possible buyers in the malls.

 

Hence the purpose of any Thai mall must only be to launder money. Fallback: the shops are simply for marketing presence. All of them.   

 

 

3 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Lemme help you out.

 

 

 

 

Our ANF Economists specializing in Thai Shopping Malls have never been able to see anyone buy anything in a Thai shopping mall. Conclusive verification is achieved by their shopping bag count made as they waddle to and from the food courts. NO shopping bag has ever been seen.

 

The problem is that Thais, Chinese, Indians, and Russians by definition have no money and are therefore invisible. A few Hi So Thais have money, but they only buy expensive good abroad. Fact.

 

Now the remaining great Golden Egg Layers staying over in Soi Buakhao flophouses DO of course have lots of money, only needing visa agents for convenience, but they'll only buy cheap meals in the food courts. Otherwise they insist they absolutely won't buy that overpriced cr*ap. As one of our most distinguished Economists intoned portentously in 2009 when those fools opened Central Festival:

 

Central World is going to fail, just like The Avenues. Anyone stupid enough to build a place that charges Bangkok prices in a small tourist resort town deserves to go bankrupt.

 

So that leaves NO possible buyers in the malls.

 

Hence the purpose of any Thai mall must only be to launder money. Fallback: the shops are simply for marketing presence. All of them.   

 

 

I have never seen a shop that crowded there 🤷🏻‍♂️

I'm not a Pattaya local and try and avoid going anywhere near the place, however I needed to be there last week. 

 

My previous visit was about 5 years ago.  My the place has spread. Beach road is no longer the only main area. 

 

Accommodation seemed busy everywhere.  I was only planning on staying the one night but due to a freakn slow bus from Korat and visa delays needed a second night. 

 

A lot of the place I saw were fully booked and using Agoda was really my only option.  Even then it took a few attempts to find a free spot. 

 

Gotta return in 3 weeks so will definitely book well in advance if I decide to stay. 

 

Maybe hire a car and just do a quick trip from Korat. Won't use the direct bus again.... they state about 6 hrs but it was closer to 7.5hrs.

On 3/1/2024 at 7:06 PM, engamann said:

Something to be proud abouts that you have all the Russians since you are one of the few country's in the world to welcome them , all about the money as usual Thailand.  

 

Sri Lanka has had enough of them.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna140640

6 hours ago, BayArea said:

Sri Lanka has had enough of them.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna140640

Want happen in Thailand money always number 1 here moral means nothing and is just a show but good for Sri Lanka.