PATTAYA
Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Phandcharoenworakul, traveled to Pattaya on July 17th, 2026, to chair a mobile policy meeting focused on elevating tourist safety and accelerating development plans for Chonburi province, including ambitions to transform Pattaya into a UNESCO “City of Film.”
The meeting, held at The Port Ballroom of the Grand Center Point Hotel Pattaya, brought together senior ministry officials, Chonburi Governor Naris Niramaiwong, representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), local government agencies, and private tourism operators. Discussions centered on gathering feedback to improve tourism standards, enhance service quality, and strengthen safety measures for both Thai and international visitors.
Minister Surasak stressed that all proposals from everyone involved would be incorporated into future policy decisions to stimulate broad-based tourism growth and position Chonburi as a high-quality, sustainable destination.
Following the meeting, the minister, accompanied by the Tourist Police Commander, oversaw the deployment of Tourist Police and related units. He also inspected the Central Command and Control Mobile Unit (CCOC Mobile Unit) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) operations along Pattaya’s Walking Street to demonstrate enhanced readiness for tourist protection.
Ministry spokesman Pasakorn Rangsiwatanasak said that the session focused on elevating Chonburi’s tourism, addressing operators’ concerns, and reinforcing safety, a critical foundation for a world-class destination like Pattaya.
He noted that Tourist Police have integrated modern technology, including AI-equipped Mobile Units capable of scanning for wanted individuals, immigration overstayers, and crowd density monitoring, while providing immediate incident response. Drones equipped with thermal imaging are being used for search-and-rescue operations over water, and body cameras with AI facial recognition and real-time translation capabilities are under development, primarily for deployment in Pattaya.
On regulatory enforcement, Pasakorn revealed that Chonburi is aggressively cracking down on nominee businesses through coordinated efforts involving provincial authorities, the Ministry of Commerce, and police as we reported here.
A key proposal discussed was advancing Pattaya’s bid to join UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network as a “City of Film,” positioning it as an international filmmaking hub. The initiative is being supported by Pattaya City, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), and relevant agencies.
The province is also preparing to host major events, including the global music festival Tomorrowland later this year and various annual festivals, to accommodate large influxes of visitors.
Regarding air connectivity, the government is actively negotiating with multiple airlines to launch direct flights into U-Tapao International Airport. Passenger numbers at the airport have fallen significantly from pre-COVID levels of over 1.5 million per year to approximately 300,000–400,000. Airlines showing interest include VietJet, AirAsia, and carriers from China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Middle East. Increased flights are expected to boost tourism across Chonburi, Rayong, and the Eastern Economic Corridor.
On visa policy for Indian tourists, Pasakorn clarified that the Cabinet approved a reduction of the visa exemption period from 60 days to 30 days. The adjustment is not a new privilege but is to maintain the important Indian market for Pattaya while strengthening security screening and strict law enforcement. This is instead of a potential reduction to fifteen days visa on arrival which could involve extensive paperwork and fees and was widely criticized by Indian tourism associations.
The ministry expects these combined efforts, enhanced safety, technological upgrades, regulatory enforcement, and infrastructure development, to restore confidence and drive sustainable growth in one of Thailand’s premier tourist regions.
