Thailand's Pattaya aims to become family-friendly destination instead of sex tourism hub

Tourism operators in Pattaya have recently put forth a proposal to Thailand’s Tourism Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, expressing their hope to turn the city into an ideal destination for families with a variety of new tourism products, Bangkok Post reported.

Pattaya has a huge potential to become a city of various attractions and a hub for world-class events, Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, chairman of the Association of Chonburi Tourism Federation, said as cited by Pattaya News.

Only those who have not been to Pattaya for more than two decades still depreciate the city as the world’s sex capital with noisy nightlife entertainment, Supornsahasrungsi added.

He affirmed the city has upgraded more new tourism products targeting families who want to enjoy a true holiday.

Pattaya, around a two-hour drive from Bangkok, offers a series of tourist attractions such as beaches, golf courses, cultural sites, meeting facilities, and shopping malls.

Some other industry insiders proposed the government to consider turning Pattaya into Thailand’s first casino city while tightening safety, cleanliness and improving public infrastructure in some areas.

China, India and Vietnam were among the biggest tourism markets in 2023 for Pattaya. The locality aims to draw 27 million visitors by the end of this year.