“Stop Waiting for the Next Tourist Wave” – Long-term visitors urge Pattaya to rethink its reliance on high-spending, short-term markets. (Photo by Jetsada Homklin) PATTAYA, Thailand – As Pattaya faces yet another blow to its already fragile tourism recovery — this time from escalating conflict in the Middle East — long-term foreign residents are urging the city to stop putting all its hopes in high-spending tourists from any one region and instead focus on adapting, diversifying, and evolving. “Pattaya faces another blow as the Middle East conflict further dampens high-spending tourism hopes,” one tourism analyst posted last week. The comment came as regional instability prompted cancellations from Gulf-area visitors who typically travel in groups and spend heavily during the off-season. But for many long-term visitors, the city’s response shouldn’t be more waiting — it should be rethinking. “It’s Time to Move Past the Same Old Model” “Pattaya can’t just sit around hoping another big-spending group will magically show up,” said an expat who’s lived in Chonburi for over a decade. “Every year it’s the same thing — wait for Russians, wait for Chinese, wait for Indians. What about building something more sustainable?” Others echoed this frustration. Some pointed to how recent pandemic exposed the weaknesses of overreliance on tourism altogether — especially when it comes from just a handful of countries. “More crying about tourists…” one long-stay visitor posted on social media. “Choose a better way to earn a salary besides ripping off foreigners.” This sentiment reflects growing unease among both residents and foreign retirees who feel the Thai economy needs reform — not just recovery. But it’s not just tourists or expats feeling the pressure. Many Thais working in the tourism sector are also frustrated. With flight costs still high and competition from regional neighbors like Vietnam and Japan heating up, businesses in Pattaya — from bars and beach vendors to hotel operators — are facing a tough season. Yet critics say raising prices and clinging to pre-pandemic business models won’t fix the underlying problems. “Thailand tried to make up two years of lost income by doubling prices,” one longtime visitor said. “What used to be a value destination turned into a tourist trap.” “If the economy continues to rely only on tourists, you can’t blame locals for being desperate. But you also can’t blame visitors for walking away,” added another. Many long-stay visitors argue that the future of Pattaya tourism should be built on balance — offering value and quality of life, not just quick profits and packed hotel rooms. Some suggest improving visa policies for retirees and digital nomads, investing in infrastructure that benefits both locals and tourists, and promoting longer stays rather than short-term high-spending trips. “It’s time to think beyond boom-bust cycles. That means better urban planning, cleaner beaches, and policies that welcome people who stay and contribute — not just flash cash for three nights and vanish.” Pattaya has always been a city that reinvents itself — from fishing village to party town, from Russian winter escape to Chinese tour-bus haven. But the question now is what version of Pattaya comes next. With tourist arrivals still below expectations and new headwinds from global conflicts and rising costs, the call from Pattaya’s long-timers is clear: stop waiting — start adapting. Because as one grizzled expat put it: “You can’t build a future by waiting for someone else’s wallet to show up.”