PATTAYA, THAILAND – Throughout March, Pattaya turned into an open-air stage with four weekends of free concerts and tight rules for visitors bringing drones.
Pattaya and Chonburi stage major free concert series
The city of Pattaya organized the music festival together with the Chonburi provincial administration. This year’s motto was “Pattaya Waves Got Rhythm”. Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Pinijkan officially presented the festival on 27 February at CentralWorld in Bangkok, introduced by a mini-concert from the pop group VIIS.
More than 190 emergency and support staff from various agencies were scheduled to be on duty during the event. The deployment covered traffic management, security personnel, emergency medical teams, firefighters and mobile response vehicles, while full road closures were not planned for this year.
Four venues over four weekends from beach to island
The festival moved through the city and surrounding area every Friday and Saturday in March. It began at Pattaya Beach on 6 and 7 March, continued on 13 and 14 March at Jomtien Beach in front of The Now hotel, shifted to Haad Saem Beach on Koh Larn on 20 and 21 March, and concluded at Lan Pho Park in the Na Klaeo district on 27 and 28 March.
Koh Larn, reachable only by ferry, hosted one of the festival weekends on Haad Saem Beach. The final concerts took place in Lan Pho Park, bringing the month-long series of shows to a close with free entry throughout all four weekends.
The opening at Pattaya Beach featured acts including VIIS, DA Endorphine, 4EVE and ATLAS. At Jomtien Beach, the line-up included Lomosonic, D Gerrard, Paradox and Fiixd, while Koh Larn presented Big Ass, Bowkylion and The Toys. The final shows in Lan Pho Park were performed by F.Hero, Nanon and Perth.
Strict drone ban at all festival locations
City authorities prohibited any kind of drone flights over the festival grounds. Without explicit approval from the city administration and compliance with the 2015 Ministry of Transport ordinance on unmanned aircraft, no drone was allowed to take off, and violations faced criminal consequences.
The drone ban applied at all four venues and on all eight festival days, from 6 to 28 March. On Koh Larn, authorities placed particular emphasis on safety measures around Samae Beach, and the boat transport to the island made it easier to monitor visitors arriving for the concerts.
Street vending only with permits and tight controls
At the same time, Pattaya banned cooking and the sale of goods on streets and public spaces around the festival sites without a city permit. The measure was based on Sections 4 and 44 of the 1992 Public Cleanliness Act, last amended in 2017, with violations subject to a fine of up to 2,000 baht under Section 54 of the same law.
Permitted vendors were subject to strict checks, including mandatory hygiene standards, transparent pricing and environmentally friendly packaging. However, the ban on unlicensed stalls directly affected the informal economy that, for many Thais, helped make such events feel vibrant and alive.
Questions over festival spirit under tighter rules
Many regular visitors hoped for the return of international artists, recalling earlier years when global acts shared the stage with Thai stars. Whether Pattaya, with licensed vendors, restricted airspace and 190 staff on duty, could preserve the festival atmosphere that attracted hundreds of thousands each year was expected to become clear from 6 March at Pattaya Beach.