Pattaya vs Phuket

Pattaya leads Phuket by 23 points on the CIRA Index, 68 to 45. Pattaya grades better on 5 measures, Phuket on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Pattaya 68, Phuket 45
• OECD: Pattaya 64, Phuket 54
• UN Tourism: Pattaya 62, Phuket 46
• UNDRR: Pattaya 59, Phuket 63

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Pattaya 90, Phuket 70
• Economy and jobs: Pattaya 75, Phuket 75
• Climate and hazards: Pattaya 50, Phuket 40
• Water and environment: Pattaya 25, Phuket 0
• Community and housing: Pattaya 100, Phuket 25
• Access and continuity: Pattaya 58, Phuket 71

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.
• 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.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 0.3 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Global Property Guide, Thailand Rent Price Index / Quarterly (2023=100), 2025 Q2–2026 Q2). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Eastern Economic Corridor Office / State Railway of Thailand / Marine Department, 2025). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Phuket is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 76.3 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Thailand, Provincial Tourism Statistics, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (The ASEAN Magazine, 'Thailand's Progress 20 Years After the Indian Ocean Tsunami' & ICPADM, 2024). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (PMC / Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 'How Thailand's tourism industry coped with COVID-19 pandemics: a lesson from the pilot Phuket Tourism Sandbox project', 2022–2024). Grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Bangkok Post, 'Phuket considers tripling hotel tax rate', 2026). Grade 2/4.

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

Pattaya in full · Phuket in full

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