Thailand’s Tourism Crisis Is Out of Control

Tourists, expats and even retirees are leaving Thailand at an alarming rate and a lot of them aren’t returning.

They have either had enough of Thailand as a whole and gone back to their country, or they have gone to a neighbouring country like Vietnam or the Philippines.

If you’ve spent any time in Thailand over the years, you’ve probably noticed things aren’t quite the same anymore. 

The crowds are smaller, prices are higher, and the whole feeling of being there just isn’t the there anymore.

For a long time, Thailand was the go-to place for both tourists and expats, it was cheap, fun, easy, and welcoming. But lately, a lot of people are starting to rethink it. 

Flights are expensive, visas are getting tougher, and more tourists are just giving up on the place. 

Even some long-term expats who once swore they’d stay here until the end of time are packing up and leaving.

This video isn’t about hating on Thailand — it’s about being real. The country’s still amazing in so many ways: the food, the people, the culture, the weather. But there’s no denying that things have shifted since the lock down a few years back. 

Costs are climbing, policies are changing, and the easygoing “Land of Smiles” feeling has gotten a bit more complicated.

I’ve broken down my point of view, why I think people have given up on Thailand, from inflation and taxes to scams, safety concerns, and immigration headaches. 

We’ll look at why tourists are skipping Thailand, why expats are leaving, and what might need to change for things to turn around.

Lets start Soaring Costs and Weak Value for Money

Every time I come back to Thailand, I notice the prices going up and at a noticeable rate. It used to be one of those places where your money went a long way — cheap meals, decent hotels, and a good time without worrying too much about what you spend.

Now it feels like everything costs more each time. You don’t really notice it day to day, but by the end of the week when you compare it to previous trips, you can really see it.

But these days, the value just isn’t there like it used to be. A beer that cost 60 baht not long ago is now over a hundred in some bars. Street food portions feel smaller, and even budget hotels charge what mid-range ones used to.

It’s not just inflation either — the service and quality haven’t improved to match the prices, so a lot of people leave feeling ripped off.

You still get people saying Thailand’s cheap, but that’s mostly compared to the West. When you’re here for weeks or months or even live here, the difference adds up fast. The “value-for-money” tag that used to attract millions of backpackers and retirees is fading.

Many tourists I talk to mention they could get the same experience in places like Vietnam or the Philippines for less. Some even say Bali feels cheaper now, which would’ve sounded ridiculous a few years back. Pattaya, especially, has priced itself out of the fun, and crazy image it built its name on.

Tourists come expecting the Thailand of ten years ago. It’s still a beautiful country, but I’ve met guys who’ve been visiting for decades, and even they say they’re cutting their trips shorter or going elsewhere.

One of Thailand’s strongest selling points to tourists was how cheap it is, but that is slowly starting to slip away.

Competition from Cheaper or “Hotter” Alternatives

Thailand used to be the clear winner in Southeast Asia, especially for single males and guys looking for a fun holiday.

These days though, it doesn’t have the same appeal as it once did and people want to see what else is out there.

Now, it’s got serious competition. Vietnam is becoming massive for tourists, Cambodia is trying hard to attract more, and even Japan is pulling in big crowds thanks to its weak yen.

Guys who used to visit Pattaya, Bangkok or Phuket every year are now saying things like, “I’ll try Vietnam next time,” or “I just came back from the Philippines, and it was way cheaper.” You can’t really blame them; these places offer similar food, weather, and nightlife but at a lower cost and often with less hassle.

Vietnam, especially, is eating into Thailand’s market. Their beaches are cleaner, their transport system is improving fast, and the government is throwing money at tourism. I know plenty of people that are choosing Vietnam over Thailand this winter and next year.

Even long-time Thailand regulars are starting to mix it up, just to see what’s new. They’ll spend a few weeks in Vietnam or the Philippines seeing how they compare.

Cambodia’s getting in on it too, pushing its nightlife and casinos as alternatives to Pattaya.

It’s not that Thailand’s bad — it’s just that the region has caught up, and now there are more choices for tourists who used to come here every year.

For a long time, Thailand didn’t need to try too hard because people would always come. But those days are gone. When people realize they can get more for less just next door, Thailand’s “Land of Smiles” charm isn’t enough on its own anymore.

Scams and Overcharging Fatigue

Scams have always been part of Thailand, just like many other countries, but lately, people are less tolerant of them.

These days, it doesn’t take much to ruin someone’s trip. One bad run-in or feeling ripped off, and they’re straight online warning others not to come.

It used to be something tourists laughed off; getting overcharged by a taxi or paying too much at a market, we kind of grew to accept it because we knew it was going to happen.

Now, with prices already up and social media full of bad experiences, people are losing patience with the way they are treated. When a tourist feels cheated within their first few hours, it spoils the rest of their trip. Pattaya especially has built a bit of a reputation for “tourist pricing.”

Taxis refusing to use the meter, jet ski scams, and bill padding still happen too often. Even though there have been crackdowns, it only takes a few bad experiences to go viral and damage the country’s image.

Of course you still have the bargirl scams that have been around since the beginning are bars, but that’s not really their fault, I think we can all blame the farang if they fall for a bargirl scam.

People share their stories online, and before long, people who planned to go to Thailand start having second thoughts. That’s not good for business. Most Thais are honest and hardworking, but the small number of bad people keep ruining it for everyone else.

Strong Baht and Currency Problems

Currency plays a bigger role than most people realize. When the Thai baht gets strong, everything costs more for foreigners. It actually makes a big difference.
In 2025, the baht jumped over 20% against some major currencies. Europeans, Chinese, and even Australians are getting fewer baht for their money, so they naturally start cutting corners.

When your local beer suddenly costs as much as it would back home, it kills that “cheap paradise” feeling Thailand was famous for.

It’s a small thing, but that’s what people remember. They come expecting cheaper than back home, and sometimes, they end up paying more.

A strong baht also hurts businesses that rely on tourists, because they can’t just raise prices to match the exchange rate; that will just scare off customers.
I’ve seen small bars and guesthouses close because their regulars stopped coming as often. Retirees who used to live comfortably here are now dipping into savings just to keep up.

Currency might sound like a small thing, but when you mix it with rising local prices, you’ll start to feel it. Thailand doesn’t feel like a bargain anymore, and for many people, that’s enough reason to look elsewhere for their next trip.

Inflation in Tourist Hotspots

If you spend any time in Thailand’s big tourist places like Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket, you’ll notice prices have gone up a crazy amount.

It’s not just the fancy places either; even low-quality hotels are charging more than they should. For short-term visitors, it’s a bit annoying; for long-term expats, it’s starting to become a nightmare.

You used to be able to find a decent place without much effort, but now even the run-down places act like they’re five-star.

Phuket is probably the clearest example. Rents there have gone nuts. Apartments that used to go for 10,000 baht a month are now pushing 20,000 or more, and long-term residents are getting squeezed out.

It’s the same story in parts of Bangkok around Sukhumvit — landlords know foreigners are back, so they raise prices without thinking long-term. Even cafes and gyms have jumped on the trend, adjusting prices to match what tourists will tolerate rather than what locals can afford.

It’s like everyone’s trying to cash in while they can, without caring how it affects the people who actually live here.

You can still live cheap if you step outside the hotspots, but if you want to be near the action — the nightlife, the beaches, the craziness — then expect to pay for it.

Once prices rise in tourist towns, they rarely ever come back down. It’s not unbearable yet, but the days of “cheap Thailand” are fading fast in the places most people actually want to stay.

A lot of foreigners are actually choosing different places to go in Thailand, such as around Isan. Udon Thani is a place getting popular recently.

Safety Concerns and Crime Perception

When it comes to safety, Thailand still ranks fairly high for most tourists, but lately, there have been more headlines about serious crimes, road accidents, and scams targeting foreigners.

Even if these incidents are rare, the internet makes them look like they’re happening every day. A few viral videos or sensational news reports can do a lot of damage.

In Pattaya for example, the nightlife scene has always had its share of problems, but now it’s under a much brighter spotlight.

Everyone’s got a phone out these days, so nothing stays quiet for long. One clip on social media and the whole world’s talking about it.

Drunken fights, motorbike accidents, and petty theft get filmed and shared online constantly. Most people come here for a bit of fun and don’t get into trouble and go home without problems, but that side of the city’s image is hard to avoid nowadays.

When people think of Pattaya these days, they picture madness. That reputation keeps some people, especially families, from ever considering it.

It’s not all the media’s fault either. Thailand’s road safety record is genuinely one of the worst in Asia, and that affects everyone, locals and tourists.

Most people that go to Thailand have a great time and stay out of trouble, but the few horror stories are what stick in people’s minds.

Cost of living if you are staying here long-term

When you live here long-term, the cost of living can be a bit different than when you’re just on holiday.

Rent, visa fees, electric bills, and those weekend nights out that were “just for fun” can quietly start mounting up, and you start to realize not everything is as cheap as it used to be.

The jump in prices over the last couple of years has been wild too. What used to cost 50 baht is now closer to 80 or 100, and landlords have caught on that foreigners will still pay, so rents in tourist areas have gone through the roof.

Eating local still saves you money, but even street food isn’t what it used to be. Imported stuff? Forget it — cheese, wine, cereal — all way pricier than back home. The more “Western” you try to live, the faster your cash disappears. That’s something most expats figure out the hard way after the honeymoon phase wears off.

The electric bills for the condo can be brutal if you use air-con every night. The days of living like a king on $1,000 a month are long gone.

What really gets people is how fast their money starts disappearing without realizing it. It’s not that Thailand’s suddenly expensive, but it’s not the budget paradise it used to be either.

Visas

Visas are one of those things that now feel a lot more complex if you plan on sticking around.

It’s gone from being a quick errand to something you have to plan your whole month around.

In the past, many expats and nomads treated visas like occasional annoyances — a trip to the border or a paperwork day at immigration. Now, those options are shrinking.

The Thai government has tightened visa rules: more proof of income, official documents, minimum bank balances, and a lot more strict at immigration when you arrive.

You can feel the change at airports and borders — officers ask more questions now, and if you get one that has been having a bad day, they can easily take it out on you

Then there’s the crackdown on visa runs. For years, the “visa run” — crossing the border to get a new stamp — was practically expected. But those loopholes are being closed.

Immigration is enforcing stricter limits on how often you can re-enter, and overstays or repeated border jumps now come with real risks: being blacklisted, denied re-entry, or barred for a year. It makes remote work or long-term travel trickier, because you can’t rely on those safety nets anymore.

Even people doing everything right still end up stressed, worried they’ll miss rules that are forever changing

There are of course visas you can get to stay longer, such as the DTV visas, but even then, you need to meet a lot of requirements.

For people living here long-term, it means more planning, more cost, more stress. You’ve got to keep track of expiration dates, make sure your paperwork is spotless, and maybe pay extra for nicer visas just so you avoid headaches.

The irony is that Thailand markets itself as welcoming to foreigners, yet the visa plan feels less like they want to help you stay and more like they want to push you away. For short-term tourists, it’s not a huge problem — but for anyone trying to make Thailand their base, the visa steps can be annoying.

Shifts in Tourist Demographics and Over-Tourism Backlash

You can really see the shift in who’s coming to Thailand these days, and it’s changed the whole feel of some places.

Before COVID, the country had a nice mix: backpackers, middle-aged holidaymakers, families, retirees, all spread out across different regions.
Now, it’s more polarized. In places like Phuket and Bangkok, Russians and Indians now make up a huge share of the visitors, while the big Chinese tour groups still haven’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.

It’s changed the feeling in a lot of tourist hotspots.

Some businesses have adapted to cater almost entirely to one nationality — menus, signs, everything — which can make the areas feel less Thai and more like mini versions of somewhere else. They should really change the name of Walking Street in Pattaya to something more obviously like Little New Delhi or something.

Locals don’t seem too bothered, but you can tell some miss how it used to be before it got so focused on certain groups.

The government talks a lot about “quality tourists,” but the balance is hard to find when so much of the economy depends on volume.

It’s a fine line between attracting better visitors and pushing away the ones who actually keep things moving.

For long-term expats, it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, tourism keeps the country lively. On the other, it’s exhausting to see every quiet beach or hidden café slowly turn into another Instagram hotspot.

Mixed Messages About Tourists

It’s honestly a bit confusing being a tourist or expat in Thailand these days because the messages about foreigners are all over the place.

On one hand, the government constantly says tourism is essential — they run big marketing campaigns, open visa waivers, and brag about how much money foreign visitors bring in.

But then, a week later, you’ll see someone in power talking about how they want “quality tourists” only — code for people who spend more and complain less. It’s like they want the numbers but not the noise that comes with them.

When you live here long enough, you start to notice the double standards.

The “quality tourist” thing especially rubs some people the wrong way. It sounds like Thailand’s moving away from being the friendly, come-as-you-are place it used to be, toward something more exclusive.

It gives off this message that only certain types of tourists are wanted now.

Sure, it’s fair to want responsible tourists, but the way it’s phrased often makes backpackers and budget tourists feel unwelcome — even though they were the ones who helped put Thailand on the map in the first place.

In the end, it gives off this bad feeling — the smiles are still there, but it feels like Thailand’s not quite sure what kind of visitor it really wants anymore.
As someone who loves the country, it’s strange watching that shift happen.

You still feel lucky to be here, but starting to feel a bit less welcoming.

Expensive Airfares and Limited Flights

Now let’s talk about the money you need to spend before actually arriving in Thailand.

Getting to Thailand isn’t as easy or affordable as it used to be. When someone in Europe or the US looks at a ticket to Bangkok and sees it’s cheaper to fly to Vietnam or Japan, they start to think maybe they should choose a different place.

You can see it walking around Pattaya on weekdays: less tourists, empty bars, girls on their phone out of boredom. Even the Russians, who were flooding in last year, have slowed down because of airfare costs.

The tourism numbers might look okay on paper, but I wouldn’t trust what Thai media says about tourism; when you actually walk the streets, you can see yourself it’s quieter.

It’s not something Thailand can easily fix, but it just adds another layer to the problem.

When the cost just to arrive already costs a stupid amount, then they’ll spend less once they land. That’s bad for local businesses, bars, and hotels.

Policy Whiplash and Red Tape

One thing that’s been driving people crazy lately is how unpredictable the rules in Thailand have become, and I think everyone can agree with that.

It feels like every few months there’s a new policy or some change.

One moment, cannabis shops are everywhere and everyone’s relaxed about it. Then randomly the government decides it’s going back to medical use only, and no one knows what’s allowed anymore. It might not sound like a big deal, but when people are planning holidays or moving here long-term, that kind of uncertainty puts them off.

Even simple things like entry rules and visas keep changing. You’ll see one announcement saying tourists can stay longer, then another saying they might introduce new taxes or online forms.

Some people don’t mind the paperwork, but for others, it’s just a headache, and for what?

I’ve had friends fly in and get stuck at the airport because of some new online ETA system that wasn’t working properly. It’s frustrating when you’ve just spent thousands of dollars getting here and the first thing you face is a nightmare at immigration.

For digital nomads, retirees, and long-stay tourists, all these changes make Thailand feel less stable. People want to relax, not constantly worry about whether their visa is still valid or if some new rule will affect them.

Other countries like Malaysia and the Philippines are making it easier to stay long-term, and Thailand’s constant policy changing is making people look elsewhere. Tourists don’t like surprises, and lately, Thailand has been full of them — the wrong kind.

New Tax Burdens on Expats

The new tax rules have become a big talking point among expats in Thailand.

For years, one of the biggest perks of living here was being able to keep your overseas income tax-free — pensions, savings, freelance earnings, whatever.

But starting in 2024–2025, the government announced that anyone staying in Thailand more than 180 days could be taxed on money they bring into the country. Nobody minds paying their fair share, but most of us didn’t sign up to have our retirement funds or remote income fall under new Thai tax rules.

The confusion didn’t help either. Even now, the details are not fully clear; one person says one thing, another says something else — what counts as “imported income”? What if you transfer savings you earned years ago? Will they double tax your pension if your home country already takes a cut? Everyone’s getting different answers depending on who they talk to.

It’s that uncertainty that’s really making people nervous. When you’ve built your whole life here — rent, family, social life, wife — and all of a sudden you don’t know what the government might decide to tax next year.

A lot of long-term residents are already planning their exit. People on chat groups and Facebook groups talk about moving to Malaysia, Vietnam, or even back home just to avoid the constant change in rules. It’s not just about the money; it’s hard to build something in Thailand if everything keeps changing with more hoops to jump through.

Expats feel like the government’s turning against them, using them as an easy revenue source without offering anything in return.

The sad part is, it’s driving away exactly the kind of foreigners Thailand should want to keep — retirees with steady pensions, digital nomads spending locally.
Most of us aren’t rich; we just wanted a relaxed life in a place we loved.

But between the rising costs and this new tax mess, a lot of expats are looking at their options and realizing Thailand’s not the easygoing haven it used to be.

Persistent Dual Pricing

Dual pricing in Thailand is one of those things that rubs a lot of foreigners the wrong way, but some foreigners don’t care.

You’ll be at a national park or a museum, and the sign clearly says “Thai: 40 baht / Foreigner: 200 baht.”

At first, it’s almost funny, but then you realize it’s everywhere. Temples, attractions, even some hospitals and public transport now have different rates. It’s not about the money itself; it’s about the feeling that you’re being charged extra just for not being local.

Can you imagine the uproar if certain other countries did this for certain people?

Locals will tell you it’s fair because foreigners usually earn more, but that argument doesn’t really hold up when you’re an expat paying rent, taxes, and living on a fixed income. It’s especially rough for retirees or long-stay residents who have been here for years and still have to pay the “tourist price.”

You could be married to a Thai, own a business, and speak the language — doesn’t matter, the rule’s the same. It makes some expats feel like no matter how much they contribute, they’ll always be treated as outsiders.

What’s worse is that the gap has widened lately. Some places used to charge maybe double, but now it’s five or ten times the local rate.

The Bangkok train system recently introduced a local-only discount, and foreigners were excluded entirely, even if they live and work here.

Stuff like that just adds to the frustration. It sends the message that foreigners are good for spending money, but not really part of the community.

Over time, you just learn to live with it. But it does change how people feel about staying here long-term.

No one likes feeling like a walking ATM every time they go out. It’s a small thing on paper, but it quietly pushes people toward countries where the rules feel a bit more equal.

The Overall Picture

All these things connect — rising costs, stricter rules, bad press, and lost trust. None of them alone would destroy tourism, but together, they’ve been pushing away at Thailand’s biggest strength: being easy, affordable, and fun.

Pattaya shows it better than anywhere else. The crowds are just not there anymore, bars close earlier, and locals talk about the “old days” more than the future. You can still have an amazing time here, but it’s not the same feeling as it used to be.

Tourism isn’t dead; it’s just tired. People still come, but they spend less, stay shorter, and look around more before booking.

If Thailand wants to bounce back, it has to make things simple again — fewer rules, better value, and a genuine welcome. That’s what built its reputation in the first place. Without that, the “Land of Smiles” risks turning into just another stop people visit once and move on from.

If you ask me, I strongly believe that next year, Vietnam will be the main place people are going, and not Thailand.