Charged more, served less — Thailand’s dual pricing and sanitized streets are driving tourists away. PATTAYA, Thailand – As Thailand continues to promote itself as a global tourism hub, the bitter truth behind the smiles is becoming harder to ignore—there’s no national standard for pricing, and both tourists and locals are paying the price. In places like Pattaya, where tourism is the lifeblood of the local economy, frustrations are mounting. Visitors often find themselves paying two to three times more than locals for entry into parks, national attractions, temples, and even cultural events. While tiered pricing is not unique to Thailand, the lack of transparency and consistency makes it feel more like exploitation than policy. This is compounded by recent crackdowns on street vendors—those same street food stalls that once defined Thailand’s global culinary appeal. In Pattaya, authorities have increasingly pushed vendors out of popular tourist zones under the guise of urban order, replacing them with sanitized shopping zones and pricey franchise outlets. What’s left is a city that feels less like the authentic Thailand travelers came to see and more like a tourist trap built on contradictions. As one frustrated commenter put it: “Wait so you take away the street food vendors, charge tourists a different price than locals to get into parks, events, temples. And you get upset that tourists don’t come to your country.” This sentiment resonates widely across travel forums and social media. Tourists, especially long-term visitors and returning guests, are increasingly disillusioned. Many remember a Thailand that was welcoming, affordable, and proud of its cultural authenticity. Now, they feel nickel-and-dimed at every corner, from dual pricing schemes to inflated taxi fares and arbitrary “foreigner fees.” Locals aren’t spared from this bitterness either. While they benefit from local rates, they also face rising living costs and shrinking public access as spaces are commercialized for tourism. The perception grows that Thailand’s tourist economy serves a privileged few while burdening many. If Thailand wants to remain competitive and appealing in a post-pandemic tourism landscape, it must confront these hard truths. That means implementing transparent pricing standards, protecting street-level culture, and ensuring that the hospitality it promotes abroad is reflected in how it treats its guests at home. Otherwise, the question won’t just be why tourists aren’t coming back—it’ll be why they ever left their hearts in Thailand in the first place.