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| Thai Star Poo Praiya Says LA Is “Not What It Was”: Rising Costs, Quiet Nights and Safety Fears Redefine City Life. (Credits: LINE Today TH) |
The gloss of Los Angeles is fading, at least from where Poo Praiya Suandokmai (Lundberg Nataya) is standing. The Thai actress has offered a blunt, first-hand account of life in the city, describing a place where costs are spiralling, the entertainment scene is thinning out, and even stepping out the door now requires a bit more caution than before.
Speaking candidly on a recent programme, Poo Praiya painted a picture that cuts through the usual Hollywood shine. According to her, Los Angeles is no longer the dream postcode it once was.
Instead, it is a city grappling with rising living expenses, shifting industry priorities and a noticeable drop in everyday buzz. In her words, people are not just complaining — they are leaving.
The economic strain appears to be at the centre of it all. Poo Praiya noted that the cost of living has reached a point where even those working daily jobs are struggling to stay afloat. She recalled conversations with ride-hailing drivers who said a full day’s work barely covers rent and vehicle payments.
Not exactly the LA hustle people signed up for. As a result, more residents are packing up, while film and television productions are quietly relocating to cheaper alternatives.
That shift, she suggested, is changing the city’s rhythm. Fewer productions mean fewer jobs, and fewer jobs mean less movement. The once-packed restaurants and nightlife spots are now noticeably quieter.
Where queues used to snake around corners, empty tables are becoming the new normal. Some venues have already shut their doors, unable to keep up with the drop in customers who now think twice before spending on a night out.
Safety, too, has become part of the daily calculation. Poo Praiya admitted she has changed her habits, avoiding flashy jewellery and keeping a low profile online. Not out of preference, but necessity.
She shared a near-miss incident involving herself, along with a more serious case affecting a friend whose home was targeted after details were exposed through an online sale. The takeaway is clear: visibility now comes with risks.
She also pointed to broader pressures shaping the current mood. Economic slowdown, recent disasters and the rising cost of entertainment all play a role in making the city feel, as she put it, “not the same”.
Even simple plans like dinner out can quickly escalate into a costly affair, turning what used to be casual into something that requires a second thought — or a cancelled plan.
Interestingly, not all areas are feeling the shift equally. Thai Town, she noted, still holds onto its familiar energy, while areas like West Hollywood and central Hollywood have seen more visible changes, especially at night.
The crowds have thinned, and the vibe has cooled. It is less “city that never sleeps” and more “city that checks the bill first”.
Online, reactions to Poo Praiya’s remarks have been mixed but engaged. Some netizens agreed, sharing similar experiences of rising costs and quieter streets, while others argued that the city is simply evolving rather than declining.
A few pointed out that global economic pressures are not unique to Los Angeles, suggesting the issue is bigger than one city. Still, her comments have clearly struck a nerve, sparking conversations about whether LA’s identity is quietly shifting.
Whether this is a temporary phase or a longer-term reset remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the image of Los Angeles as effortless glamour is being questioned more openly than ever.
And if even insiders like Poo Praiya are raising eyebrows, it might be time to ask — is LA still the dream, or just an expensive habit people are slowly breaking?