Patong has gone downhill 😞

I’ve been to Patong 3 times, once every year, and in my last visit I think it will be my last.

I was supposed to stay for 4 nights but ended up leaving after 3 back to Bangkok.

1) Overrun with tourists, the wrong kind: I get it, it’s supposed to be a tourist attraction but the kind of crowd it’s attracting isn’t what it used to be. A lot of gangs and mafia type, who have zero respect for the culture and the people. I see them spitting on the road, smoking Js in the crowds, driving mopeds loudly and trying to do wheelies, jaywalking endlessly, taking photos of bargirls in bangla road. Honestly I don’t care where you come from, but have some respect for the culture?

2) Its so expensive! I stayed at a 5 star hotel where I normally pay much less elsewhere, and the accommodation was no where near the standard of 5 star hotels. The food is expensive, bars on bangla road aren’t cheap either. Everyone is trying to extort you for extra money.

3) Airport taxis and taxi mafia are a joke. You’ll see the same prices set on grab. I was forced to pay the high VIP taxi on grab at the airport as there were no normal cabs available apparently.

The only positives I can say about Patong is that it’s become more developed, has an acceptable beach, and has plenty of nightlife options.