‘Why Goa, why not Thailand?’: Founder says country wins on cost, culture, and no taxi mafia

A social media storm has erupted after Yash Jhade, the founder of gaming startups, wrote in a social media post that Goa has lost its charm as a tourist destination in recent years. 

In a post on X, he compared Goa with Thailand, claiming India’s most iconic beach destination has “lost its charm.”

The viral tweet read, “Why would I go to Goa when I can enjoy Thailand at the same prices — better air, better scenes, better transport, better food (not really but manageable), better scenery, much more happening places. Flights are insanely cheap, I bet you can easily afford flights than paying the cab drivers of Goa.”

The post was written in response to another viral rant by a traveller who shared a harsh review of their recent visit to Goa, once called the “party capital of India.” Their post began bluntly, “Spent a day in Goa, this place has turned into a shithole.”

The traveller listed several complaints, from poor transport options to high prices and deteriorating facilities. “You can’t get a taxi in 2025, the government has banned Uber and Ola, so you have to use the shittiest app known to humanity — Goa Miles. The UI looks like it was made by children playing on an iPad. Minimum 30 mins to get a cab anywhere. Over this, they don’t let the cars from this inside some areas?????” the post read.

According to the post, everything in Goa now feels “overpriced” — from bars and restaurants to hotels and rentals — while the quality has dropped. 

“Everything is vaguely overpriced — restaurants, bars, anything and everything. 2x price for 5x shitty service. You need to deal with the fucking mafia to rent a scooter/car. Beaches look like dumping pits (north Goa). Hotels/stays are overpriced and subpar. Parties are lame, most are empty with the cringest DJs on earth. The local government has managed to destroy the party capital of India successfully.”

The rant resonated with many travellers, drawing hundreds of comments echoing similar frustrations.

One user agreed: “True, so much overhyped, taxi union is running a mafia there, openly says will beat the Ola/Uber driver if seen nearby their area, every damn point of yours is experienced by me!”

Another, who identified as a local, acknowledged the problem: “Being a Goan I approve all of this to be true. I won’t visit Goa ever again and it isn’t safe for travellers — scams, threats and what not. Peak of the season and you can’t just deal with most of them if you don’t speak the language.”

Some users shared tips to avoid the worst experiences. “It’s always better to drive down to Goa. We stick to upper north like Morjim and Ashwem where the beaches are clean and very less Indian crowd. Always book a beach resort or bnb so that you have access to the beach and shacks nearby. We stay in the same place for the entire vacation. Maybe casino one night. Never faced any issue till now.”

 One user summed it up simply: “Felt exactly the same 2 years ago. Decided to never visit again.”