Pattaya upgrades the sign — sparking debate over identity, traffic congestion, and who really owns the night. (Photo – Before and after the old sign was dismantled, as the city prepares to install the new LED display.) PATTAYA, Thailand — The City of Pattaya has begun dismantling the old sign and installing a new LED-lit gateway at the entrance to its iconic Walking Street, temporarily closing access for the long-planned upgrade. While city officials tout it as a move toward modernization, not everyone is impressed. As the fresh sign flickered to life in dazzling colors, the first reaction was exactly what authorities hoped for — crowds of tourists snapping photos beneath the bright new archway. But the second reaction was far less flattering: heavy traffic congestion and a flood of sarcastic commentary from foreign residents and visitors. “They should’ve added a lay-by just for selfies. Traffic’s already a mess without turning the entrance into a photo booth,” said a retiree who lives in Jomtien. “It’s cute, but what’s the point if everything inside still looks like 2005?” added a tourist from Australia. “New sign, same old scams.” Others took a more biting tone — especially expats living outside Pattaya who say the street no longer represents what it once did. “Honestly, they should rename it Indian Street,” said a longtime British expat. “Go walk it any night — the crowd, the music, the menus. It’s not Walking Street anymore, it’s Delhi by the Sea.” The comment refers to the noticeable shift in Pattaya’s tourist demographic over recent years, with a significant influx of Indian tourists reshaping nightlife dynamics — from the music played in bars to the kind of restaurants that dominate the beachfront. While many welcome the diversity, others see it as part of what they call “the identity drift” of Pattaya’s entertainment zones. “It used to be East European, then Russian, then Chinese. Now it’s Indian. Next year? Who knows. Maybe Martians,” joked a bar owner in Naklua. “But they keep changing the sign like it’s going to fix something.” Critics argue that the LED upgrade is more cosmetic than meaningful, a shiny distraction from deeper issues on Walking Street: inconsistent regulation, uneven business quality, safety concerns, and an aging infrastructure. “This is like putting LED lights on a broken tuk-tuk and pretending it’s a Tesla,” one user commented on social media. Meanwhile, Thai residents expressed concern that the road closure — and now the increased foot traffic for photo ops — would worsen traffic problems, especially on weekend evenings. “We’re happy to welcome tourists, but stopping right at the entrance to take 10 selfies in a row blocks everything. It’s chaos already,” a local baht bus driver said. Despite the criticism, Pattaya City Hall sees the makeover as part of a long-term branding effort to repackage the beach city as a cleaner, more modern international destination. “The sign is symbolic — a new chapter for Pattaya,” a city spokesperson said. “We are investing in infrastructure and atmosphere to keep the city competitive.” But whether a new sign can really change perceptions remains to be seen. For many longtime visitors, the glowing arch may be a photo opportunity — but not a solution. As one long-term visitor put it while watching the traffic back up: “You can dress up the door however you want. If what’s behind it hasn’t changed, people will notice.”