Note that the above image is not Pattaya Beach, it’s just an image of a very crowded beach most likely in China. It serves to illustrate the idea of how would Pattaya cope with so many tourists.
Pattaya is a city that is welcoming an increasing number of tourists year-on-year for the last decade or so with some reports suggesting that it is usually an increase of between 7% and 10% per annum which is quite phenomenal. Although many stats contradict themselves, according to the Bangkok Post, it appears that 8 million people visited the city in the first half of 2017. This goes to show how popular the city has become and these increases would be welcomed by almost any resort in the world but are they really sustainable and can the city cope moving forward?
One of the first problems that you will encounter is the fact that land is in finite supply. In reality, there is only so much land available and the city is having to spread out to accommodate this. Some may welcome this but others may feel that they are too far out of town and put them off. However, Bang Saray used to be a place that was widely regarded as being a long way from Pattaya but is now regarded as a premium location. Of course, this will be down to personal preference but it is feasible that this could have a negative impact.
Increasing numbers of visitors means higher demand on well located hotel rooms…
A subject that we have frequently touched upon is the infrastructure in the city. It simply wasn’t designed to cope with such large numbers of people. As a result, we witness frequent flash flooding and roads that quickly become congested to due to excessive volumes of traffic. Whilst this is something that can be addressed, it is not something that can be done quickly and will take time. In the meantime, it may result in visitors choosing alternative destinations that are better designed to accommodate large numbers or not as popular.
As is the way with anything in the world, increasing demand will inevitably lead to increased prices – this is market forces and is natural. However, increased prices may make the city unaffordable that could result in people being forced to look for alternatives. Pattaya is no longer cheaper and this is something that we covered in an article last month. If the city becomes beyond many peoples means, the effect will be very obvious for all to see.
Great opportunity a restaurant with full professional kitchen in South Pattaya on a high-traffic avenue!
It should be remembered that human nature plays a massive part in people’s thinking too. If Pattaya simply becomes too overcrowded it is likely to put people off. Many people chose the city because it was quieter than Bangkok, for instance, and not everyone is prepared to welcome vast swathes of visitors with open arms. Is this something that you can control? Sadly not but it is another point that needs to be considered when you are evaluating whether Pattaya can cope with the increasing numbers.
All this is perhaps painting a damning picture of Pattaya which would be unfair. The city has many things to offer everyone and this is why its popularity has increased beyond most people’s wildest dreams. City Hall and TAT are doing everything possible to ensure that the city can cope and this should be recognised. Inevitably, some people will move on but this just opens the door for new people to come. We have said that Pattaya always evolves and this is just another example of this point.
