Bangkok vs Pattaya

Pattaya leads Bangkok by 8 points on the CIRA Index, 68 to 60. Bangkok grades better on 4 measures, Pattaya on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Bangkok 60, Pattaya 68
• OECD: Bangkok 57, Pattaya 64
• UN Tourism: Bangkok 63, Pattaya 62
• UNDRR: Bangkok 61, Pattaya 59

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Bangkok 70, Pattaya 90
• Economy and jobs: Bangkok 56, Pattaya 75
• Climate and hazards: Bangkok 25, Pattaya 50
• Water and environment: Bangkok 50, Pattaya 25
• Community and housing: Bangkok 75, Pattaya 100
• Access and continuity: Bangkok 75, Pattaya 58

Where Bangkok is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 78.8 % average annual occupancy (National Statistical Office of Thailand / Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Statistical Yearbook Thailand 2025 (Table 17.1), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 394.2 kg per resident per year (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Environment Department via The Circulate Initiative Circularity Assessment Protocol, 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Bangkok Post, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (TAT Newsroom, 2026). Grade 4/4.

Where Pattaya is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 57.8 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya Office via Pattaya Mail, Jan–Nov 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 18.2 % of international arrivals or nights (TravelMole / Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Average length of stay: 9.9 nights per visitor (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (Thailand) / ThailandStats, 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 54,948 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Gross Regional and Provincial Product Chain Volume Measure 2022 Edition & World Bank WDI, 2022). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Economic diversity: 69.2 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (country figure) (Bank of Thailand / National Statistical Office, Labour Force Survey (Table EC_RL_009_S4), July 2026). Between 64 and 72: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 5 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Bangkok in full · Pattaya in full

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