Photographers in Pattaya usually charge by the hour: from ฿1,000 for a beginner, around ฿4,000 for a pro, and up to ฿10,000 at the premium level. People shoots are priced exactly that way: the hourly rate times the number of hours, plus any extras.
Packages are built from the same hours. A wedding, for instance, is 6–10 hours of shooting plus an album, and it starts at roughly ฿30,000 in total. The same hour is priced differently because each photographer brings a different level of lighting, editing, and experience.
What an hour of a photographer's work costs
| Level | People shoots | Reportage & club |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ฿1,000–2,000 | ฿1,000–1,500 |
| Standard | ฿2,000–3,500 | ฿1,500–2,500 |
| Pro | ฿3,500–5,000 | ฿2,500–4,000 |
| Premium | ฿5,000–10,000 | ฿4,000–7,500 |
These are ballpark market figures for 2026, not a price list or an offer: the real price depends on the particular photographer and the brief. We gathered the figures from public Pattaya listings and checked them with a working local photographer. International aggregator prices were recalculated (a markup of about ×2.5) and taken only as an upper bound.
Photographer levels
Photographers barely differ in the number of frames they shoot per hour; everyone takes about 100–200. The level shows up further down the line: in how many frames reach the client, how strictly they were culled, and how they were edited.
Budget
Beginners and students. They shoot outdoors in daylight and hand over almost everything they shot, one to two hundred frames an hour, with no culling and no editing. So it's ready in a day or two: there's essentially nothing to edit.
Standard
They frame a shot with confidence and work in the evening and indoors alike. They cull what they shoot and hand over 40–70 frames an hour with basic color correction. Delivery takes anywhere from a week to a month, because jobs are edited in the order they come in.
Pro
They set up their own lighting, work in any conditions, and have a recognizable style. They cull harder and hand over 30–40 frames an hour, but each one is developed from RAW by hand. Usually ready in 3–7 days.
Premium
The shooting itself here is the same as a pro's, but the hourly rate now also has to cover a studio, an advertising budget, and a registered company. The extra pays for infrastructure and the convenience of dealing with a company, while the photos themselves are none the better for it. The ceiling on the rate is roughly a pro's rate times two and a half.
What's included in the price of a shoot
The hourly rate pays for the photographer's work, but not everything that goes with a shoot is automatically included. The rate usually covers the following:
Included
- The photographer's travel to the location and back.
- A short consultation on location, outfits, and posing.
- Frame selection and basic editing, from the standard level up.
- A few deeply retouched frames, by arrangement.
Worth knowing in advance
- Transfer is a separate line item: a foreign photographer isn't allowed to drive you, so a Thai driver is at the wheel.
- An entry ticket to a private location pays for access to the grounds, but doesn't always grant the right to shoot professionally; that's often arranged separately.
What add-ons cost
- Deep retouch: from ฿300 per photo
- Transfer: ฿500–1,000
- Photo book, album: from ฿1,700
- Bouquet: from ฿2,000
- Proposal staging: from ฿3,000
- Makeup & hair: from ฿3,500
- Drone shots: from ฿3,500
- Beach arch, artificial flowers: from ฿10,000
- Beach arch, fresh flowers: from ฿20,000
Common questions about price
How much does a photographer in Pattaya cost per hour?
From ฿1,000 for a beginner to ฿4,000–5,000 for a pro. Studios with an office and an advertising budget charge ten thousand and up. The extra pays for everything built around the shoot, not for the photos themselves.
How much does a family or individual shoot cost?
From ฿1,000 for a beginner to ฿10,000 an hour at the premium level. Most often a shoot like this is booked for a single hour.
How much does a wedding photographer cost?
From ฿30,000 for the day, because a wedding day is 6–10 hours of a pro's work plus an album.
How much does shooting an event cost?
From ฿1,000 for a beginner to ฿4,000 an hour for a pro. Reportage shooting is priced by the hour and usually comes out cheaper than a posed shoot. A large event runs several hours, and sometimes a second photographer is brought in for it.
How much does a couple shoot or Love Story cost?
The same as an ordinary people shoot, at the hourly rate from the table above (from ฿1,000). The split by genre here is nominal: the price is set by the photographer's level and the length, while the words "Love Story" themselves have no effect on it.
How much does a proposal shoot (engagement) cost?
At the people-shoot rate, from ฿1,000 an hour, plus options to fit the scenario: a mini-arch, a bouquet, a cake (see the add-ons list).
How much does an island shoot cost, and is the ferry included?
At least ฿1,000 more than the same shoot in Pattaya, because the round trip adds 2–3 hours of logistics, and on longer shoots that extra cost is even more noticeable. The ferry costs ฿40 each way, and it's usually not included in the bill.
Where can I find an affordable photographer?
The cheapest of all are students and beginners: from ฿1,000 an hour, shooting in bulk with no editing. They're most often found on sightseeing tours, where they work alongside a tour operator.
What should I expect from a 30-minute mini shoot?
One location, daylight, no editing, frames arriving almost right away. This format is handled by beginning photographers: professionals usually don't offer shoots shorter than an hour.
Is a deposit needed, and will it be refunded?
It depends on the format. A large shoot (a wedding or a full day) is secured with a 30–50% deposit that holds the date. On a short city shoot of 1–3 hours a deposit is often not taken at all, and if it is, it's handed over at an in-person meeting rather than blindly upfront. By default the deposit stays with the photographer when the client cancels; if it's the photographer who doesn't show, it's refundable by law. Don't pay the full amount upfront without meeting first: it's normal to put part down now and pay the rest afterward. It's best to agree on cancellation terms in writing and in advance.
How many photos are delivered, and how many of them are retouched?
Everyone shoots about 100–200 frames an hour, but what gets delivered varies: beginners hand over almost all of it without culling, a pro 30–40 selected and edited frames. Deep retouch counts as a separate service and is charged on top of that.
Why does an expensive photographer deliver fewer frames?
Because culling isn't post-processing but an integral part of the creative work itself. Any creative work rests on two things: something that generates variety and a filter that selects from it. The photographer shoots more than will be needed (one to two hundred frames an hour) and then culls, which is exactly why a strong photographer doesn't hand over everything as-is. The stronger the photographer, the more ruthlessly they cull: a pro hands over 30–40 frames against a beginner's hundred, but only the ones that passed their own filter — with the most flattering poses, angles, and moments.
How many days until the finished photos are sent?
From one or two days to a month, depending on the level: beginners deliver in a day or two, a pro in 3–7 days, standard from a week to a month. Rush delivery costs extra.
How long does a shoot take?
Budget at least an hour and a half on top of the agreed shooting time itself: about an hour goes to logistics (the transfer and moving between locations) and another half hour or so to gear and outfit changes.
Is it customary to tip a photographer?
Tips aren't customary or expected here — not in Thailand, not anywhere else. That said, genuine gratitude does motivate: a photographer who feels appreciated is more inclined to deliver at the upper end of the range and to finish the photos with more care.