Pattaya is the largest city in Chonburi province, about 150 km south east of Bangkok, which makes it an easy beach break from the capital. My wife and I drive down two or three times a year and always stay the night. This page covers how to get there, where to stay, the things to do in Pattaya that are worth planning around and an honest answer on who will enjoy it.
Is Pattaya Worth Visiting
Yes, for two very different trips. It is a great place for family activities, with an island, a botanical garden and a dolphin show to fill the days. It is also where you go for the night of your life with your mates. There is a saying that anything goes in Pattaya as long as nobody calls the police.
Getting From Bangkok To Pattaya
We drive. Motorway 7 runs from Bangkok to the edge of town, the toll to the Pattaya gate is ฿105 for a car and the trip takes about two hours.
Without a car, take the bus. Roong Reuang Coach leaves Ekkamai, the Eastern Bus Terminal, between 5am and 10pm, with seats from ฿144. Buses from Mo Chit 2 start at ฿155. Both arrive at the North Pattaya Bus Terminal after two to three hours. Suvarnabhumi Airport is about 120 km away by road. A direct coach from there takes about two hours and costs from ฿135, so you can skip Bangkok altogether.
Where To Stay In Pattaya
The town strings out along the coast, so the area you pick shapes the trip. Naklua and Wong Amat at the north end have the quieter beaches. Central Pattaya puts you on Beach Road, while South Pattaya holds Walking Street. Pratumnak Hill separates the town from Jomtien, where the wider beaches suit families.
We stay at the Pullman Pattaya Hotel G on Wong Amat Beach. I am an Accor member, which makes it the easy choice. It is also close enough to the centre, with the Central Festival mall about 2 km away.
Things To Do In Pattaya
I have done most of what the town offers, from Walking Street to the dolphin show. These are the ones to plan around.
- Koh Larn is the island 7 km offshore. The public ferry from Bali Hai Pier costs ฿40 each way and takes 35 to 45 minutes.
- Nong Nooch is a 500 acre botanical garden at Na Jomtien that opened to the public in 1980, with a French garden, a valley of dinosaur models and Thai cultural and elephant shows.
- Pattaya Dolphinarium runs shows at 11am, 2pm and 5pm every day except Wednesday. Regular seats cost ฿700 for adults and ฿500 for children.
Two famous names need a warning. I would skip the Sanctuary of Truth, the carved wooden hall on the shore at Naklua. A day ticket costs ฿500, which to me is not worth it for how little there is to see.
The other is Walking Street, the red-light district in South Pattaya that closes to traffic each evening and fills with go-go bars, clubs and live music. Do not build it up too much. It is a place to get properly drunk with your mates, not a sight to tick off. The ping pong show is something to see once, as long as you know the performer will be an older lady and not the young women in the advertising.
Pattaya Beach And The Others
Pattaya Beach runs for about 2.7 km through the middle of town, from North Pattaya down to South Pattaya. Jomtien begins on the far side of Pratumnak Hill. Naklua has the northernmost beach, which is also the quiet one. At a seafood restaurant there we watched a family play on a small strip of sand below the terrace.
When To Go
December to February is hot and dry, which makes it the best time to visit Pattaya. March and April are hot and humid, with April the hottest month at an average high of 33 degrees. The rain arrives in May and stays until November, with October the wettest month.
Is Pattaya Safe
Two things catch first-time visitors out. The first is the heat. Pattaya has very little shade, so drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen, above all at temples and other outdoor sights. It is easy to faint in that heat. A friend of mine over from the UK did a full day of activities with no sunscreen and little water, collapsed and spent a couple of days in hospital before being discharged.
The second is the night out. If it is your first time in Thailand with your mates, be aware that the pretty girl you are chatting to on Walking Street may well be a ladyboy, as trans women are known here. Thefts from tourists on Beach Road late at night are reported regularly too, so leave the jewellery at the hotel and keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket.
Eating Out
Seafood by the water is the meal to have here. Our pick so far is Moom Aroi in Naklua, where lunch for two in an air-conditioned room facing the sea came to ฿850. We will add more places to eat as we review them.
Getting Around
Songthaews, the pickup trucks everyone calls baht buses, charge ฿10 for a trip within town, while Bolt covers motorbike taxis.
