Times have changed. Thailand isn’t the place it used to be anymore. A lot of those changes – in my opinion – had to do with Covid, and were either directly, or indirectly the result of pandemic-related measures.
You know, in the same way that once people experienced working from home, they didn’t want to go back to the office long after the pandemic had ended, a percentage of Thai working girls did the same.
So, in the same way, things have changed in Thailand. Permanently? I’m not sure, but things have changed.
Now, here is the good news at the beginning: Thailand is still worth it. The ROI in terms of the money, and time you spend going to Thailand is still very, very good IMO.
And I totally get it, this statement coming from a guy who runs a Thailand-focused YouTube channel, and offers a paid Thailand Guide, of course I won’t say anything negative about Thailand, right?
Well, not so fast, my friend …
I’m a very minimalistic guy. I want low-effort, high ROI. And so, of course I am always thinking about Thailand alternatives, and am looking for something even better. I talk to friends. I watch other peoples’ videos covering Thailand alternatives. In Asia, in South America, around the globe.
But the reality of the matter is that even in discussions with friends – trying to almost desperately find a new location that could be good (just good; doesn’t even need to be great) – we always come to the same conclusion: Thailand is KING. Thailand is THE place!
Thailand has got it all. And if you want that all-in-one package, then really, I see no alternative, and despite some of the changes that have taken place, the “Thailand ROI (return on investment)“ so to speak, is still exceptional.
This is not just my experience, it’s insights from friends I talk to who have been to other major Thailand competitors in Asia; some have been to South America for several years … and guess where they are now? Thailand!
Where will they most-likely go next?
Again, Thailand is the answer.
In that sense, I think it’s probably best for the majority of guys to sort of “tweak” their Thailand experience instead of looking for a completely new location – just because one tiny aspect of Thailand is to their disliking.
Simply put, I’d recommend that if there’s something you don’t like about Thailand, to try to fix/avoid/mitigate that rather than starting from scratch …
Sometimes I am putting information out there, and I’m thinking, “Is that a bit too much? Is that nonsense?”
Then I come back months, or years later, and conclude that – at least in my opinion – I was absolutely spot-on.
One example would be meeting foreign girls in Thailand. Crazy idea, right? You go to Thailand to meet Thai women. If you want to meet other foreign women, you go to their respective country.
That’s what many will assert is the right thing to do.
But I always thought, if Thailand is the all-in-one package … literally so close to perfection among all the options for us single men, but you face a problem: … you want to, say meet Japanese, or Korean, or Russian women …
Does it make sense to go to those countries?
I thought NO. Why not meet those women in Thailand? WHILE they are on vacation as well. Compare that to visiting Japan, everything is more expensive, you live in a shoebox, most women are probably is busy, working every day.
I get the cultural aspect of visiting a different country, but I’d argue for most guys who say that want to meet women of different countries, they’d just be fine doing that in Thailand.
So, those are the tweaks, the thinking outside-of-the box. I say use Thailand framework, and do with it what you want. If you want to meet other Asian women, South America, European, Russian … you can still consider Thailand for executing that plan. Often times, it will be a better option that visiting those countries anyway …
Does that make sense? I hope so.
Okay, so back to the changes in Thailand that I’ve mentioned previously.
What are some of my observations in regards to changes in Thailand over the last few years? Of course, I am talking specifically about the fun stuff you are most likely interested in. Not some tax changes, or whatever.
Alright, so first, I think the pandemic has dethroned Pattaya as Thailand’s nightlife capital. I think that Phuket (Bangla Road) is probably more exciting than Pattaya these days.
DO NOT misinterpret what I just said. Pattaya is still great, it’s wild. It is still Sin City. I am just saying that prior to 2020, Pattaya was different. You’d be on Walking Street on Saturday night 9PM, and literally you would barely be able to move because Walking Street was packed to the brim.
Clearly not that busy these days, and in my opinion, Bangla Road in Phuket offers an equally as exciting experience. Sure, the flight from Bangkok to Phuket is annoying, but worth the hassle/minor additional costs.
First time visitor to Thailand? Pattaya will probably do. Easy 2h taxi ride for 1,500 Thai Baht … that’s still the low effort, low risk option I’d recommend.
Taking the bus is also an option. Much cheaper; I just prefer the taxi as I can go whenever … don’t need to stick to a fixed schedule depending on what I am doing, or say what I did the prior night. Ultimate flexibility by hiring a cab, and paying a premium.
During the pandemic, Phuket was hosting the Thailand Sandbox scheme. It was a way for people to enter Thailand while Pattaya was in shutdown mode, and I think ever since that time Phuket has done quite well …
Another Thailand nightlife change has been online work, specifically OF. During the pandemic a lot of girls were not able to go outside for work, so they were forced to do stuff online, and once that avenue created some income, there was little incentive to go back to work at the bars, or clubs.
Now, relax … it’s not like that at all. Trust me. The hot freelancers still do their freelancing gigs. Some have just gotten a bit more picky, and some have also upped their price. But that’s not the end of the word, and part of it is also due to inflation.
Not to mention that the vast majority of girls don’t make enough money online anyway …
What does them being more picky mean for YOU?
Maybe showering more than every few days, and not wearing an old t-shirt, using better pictures in your LINE messenger app, you Tinder, your ThaiFriendly is now required to get with those girls. I am talking about myself here, of course …
Jokes aside, with the online stuff basically you just need to up your game a tiny bit (i.e. style, shape, etc.), and you’re good. You’ll have just as much fun as before. 10% more effort from your side, and I’d say you’re back to baseline, my friend.
Another change has to do with online dating. Thai girls these days are extremely cautions if you don’t have a verified profile, many will also ask for an Instagram handle.
That clearly has to do with the prevalence of online scammers. So, again, verifying your profile, perhaps – and only if you want – setting up an Instagram, and boom baby, you are back on top of the game!
A bit of a personal anecdote about my online dating experience: I remember during my first Thailand visit, I didn’t even have any photos of myself at hand. So, I would message girls on ThaiFriendly while my profile had ZERO pictures. And it worked – even to meet up with them!
Absolutely crazy if you compare that to now. You wouldn’t even get a reply when messaging from an empty profile.
Those are really the only objective changes I’ve noticed. A lot of the other stuff is probably subjective I would argue.
For example … saying that Thai girls use to be more attractive. Maybe, maybe not. I can’t say what’s true for you, but for myself, I’ve realized that with experience, more time in Thailand, especially if you experience some sort of abundance, you become more picky.
It’s not that women have become less attractive, it’s just that your subjective standards have gone through the roof. If you are coming from a Western country, and arrive in Thailand for the first time, of course a high percentage of these slim, exotic Thai women look appealing to you.
That changes once you’ve been to Thailand a few times, and I think it is perfectly normal and OK. Just don’t mistake that for the women having changed. You’ve changed.
The same holds true when it comes to accommodation. I’ve stayed at absolute shit places during my first Thailand visits – and they seemed acceptable at the time. The places haven’t changed; I have just different standards these days.
So, those are the changes I’ve noticed when it comes to Thailand nightlife, your Thailand experience as of today.
You don’t want to be the guy that gets left behind, using ancient knowledge and strategies, which in the real world of Thailand’s nightlife means spending more money than necessary, making things harder than they need to be (no pun intended), potentially falling for scams, but most importantly using outdated strategies!
I hope this brief 2025 Thailand nightlife update was useful; if there’s any topics you’d like me to address in more detail in the future, let me know and I’ll address it in a future, in-depth article!