In Pattaya, it often starts with a beer and ends with a rethink: Is Thailand still the value destination it once was? PATTAYA, Thailand – In Pattaya, where beach life meets booming nightlife, many price-sensitive foreign tourists are quickly learning that the cost of fun can add up fast—often starting with something as simple as a cold bottle of beer. Take this all-too-common example: Pay 190 baht for a San Miguel beer that’s brewed and bottled in Bangkok, but many Bangkok bars and clubs try to say is an imported beer. Just one example of the greed. It’s a detail that stings for travelers who know the difference—and know the regional pricing. Sure, Pattaya still has its budget-friendly haunts, happy hour deals, and cold Leo at a roadside bar. But those on a tighter budget are growing more vocal about the creeping costs. They’re not just comparing prices across Thailand anymore—they’re comparing them across the region. In Vietnam or Cambodia, for example, that same bottle of beer might cost half as much—served in bars that, while modest, often feel more authentic and relaxed. In contrast, Pattaya’s bars can be noticeably less classy despite charging more, especially in high-footfall tourist zones where the assumption seems to be: “You’ll pay anyway.” For long-term visitors and savvy repeat tourists, this pricing disconnect is shifting behavior. They’re skipping overpriced drink spots, seeking out better value in less obvious corners of the city, or even choosing other destinations entirely where their money stretches further and the experience feels less transactional. What starts with a beer often ends in broader conversations—about value, fairness, and the direction Pattaya is heading. For a city that thrives on tourism, it’s a message worth listening to.