Pattaya
Discover Pattaya
Pattaya (พัทยา) is a seaside resort on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, about 150 km southeast of Bangkok. Pattaya is mostly famous for its go-go and beer bars, but local authorities have made some efforts to provide more family-friendly attractions and activities. Although the sex industry is still going strong, Pattaya also attracts domestic and international tourists. If you are going to be offended by the sight of old western men holding hands with young Thai women, then Pattaya is not the place for you. Efforts by local authorities over the past few years have improved the quality of the beaches, but they are still lacklustre by Thailand's standards, and overdevelopment has long since destroyed some of the natural charms the area once had. However, the plethora of hotels and guest houses, and easy access from the capital and airport, make it a popular weekend getaway. Catering for over five million annual visitors, Pattaya is also able to offer an excellent range of eating options and a wide variety of things to do. Its population is a colourful mix of nationalities and ethnicities from near and far. On weekends and holidays, Pattaya Beach is crowded with domestic visitors, many of them day-trippers, from Bangkok and surroundings, since it's a 2-hour drive from the nation's capital. On these occasions, the daytime might not be so comfortable for some foreign tourists, but at night, everything goes as usual.
What to Experience in Pattaya
Famous Beaches
Taste of Pattaya...
There are many restaurants, food carts, food courts, food markets, motorcycle-sidecar hotdog and meatball vendors, fruit sellers both mobile and stationary, even a roaming coffee peddling tuk-tuk. OK, so the germ theory of disease doesn't yet seem to be widely accepted but don't let that stop you from ordering the sushi. Many (although not all) non-Thai-cuisine restaurants also have at least a limited menu of Thai favourites as well. Chonburi Province has a lot of fresh seafood and dried fruits. As there are a lot of people from the Isaan region living and working in Pattaya, there is an abundance of northeastern favourites such as spicy papaya salad (som tam) and spicy-sour chopped pork salad (larb). Pattaya is internationally known for its nightlife—you might want to think twice before heading into the insanity that's called Pattaya. Obviously famous as a sex tourist destination, you don't necessarily have to partake in order to experience Pattaya's nightlife. More and more visitors come over just to see what the fuss is about. There are ample opportunities to dance, drink, and observe humanity even if paid sex is not of interest. Steer clear of the staid hotel bars and head into the warrens of central Pattaya, where nightclubs, transvestite cabarets, coffee shops, karaoke bars, open-air bars and restaurants with live music and entertainment compete for attention.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Pattaya into what it is today.
Pattaya's name was originally "Thap Phraya", meaning Army of the Phraya - commemorating the surrender of Nai Klom's army to that of Phraya Tak (later King Taksin the Great), without a fight. Thap Phraya became Phatthaya (the name of the north-easterly wind at the beginning of the rainy season), and then Phatthaya (the true phonetic spelling). American GIs fighting in Vietnam made Pattaya the most popular R & R destination and eventually a world-famous tourist magnet. From its beginning in 1959 with a small private bungalow where American officers on leave took turns to come and rest, this sleepy village by the sea has grown and changed dramatically into one of the world's tourism hot spots. The opening of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport (to the east of Bangkok, alongside the expressway to Pattaya) has made visiting easier than ever. Pattaya is popular not only as a beach resort and for its entertainment, night life and shopping, but also for the broad selection of pastimes it caters for, from golf and horseback riding to bungee jumping, karting and shooting - not to mention a wide variety of watersports such as scuba diving, jet-skiing, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, and a whole lot more. The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) Information Office is just outside the centre, exactly 1 km south of the junction of Second Rd and South Pattaya Rd....
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Pattaya.
In June 2016, the Regional Environmental Office said, "The sea water along the busy central Pattaya beaches is of poor quality and could endanger human and marine life". For those who choose to ignore the warning, speedboat-towed parachute rides are available along the main beaches, and in Pattaya Bay from several large floating platforms with speedboats ferrying customers out from the shore. Training in scuba diving and trips for a wide range of ability levels and interests, certified by a number of different organisations, including both NAUI and PADI, are available through numerous dive shops. There are numerous malls, supermarkets, bazaar-style markets, and thousands of other shops. Sadly, you'll be seeing a lot of the same stuff over and over again — there's no endless variety in Pattaya. Also, Pattaya is not a good place to go shopping for hi-tech products, such as cameras and computers—expect to see prices around 50% higher than the best prices advertised in the West.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsPattaya is 150 km from Bangkok and can be reached in a comfortable 2 hr drive. There are two convenient ways to get there: 12.675857100.9955031 U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP , often known somewhat inaccurately as "Pattaya Airport"), Western Rayong (just off the main Sattahip-Chanthaburi (Sukhumvit) Highway, 30 km south of Pattaya), ☏ +66 38 245295. Primarily a military facility, it's the closest airport fielding commercial passenger flights, but only to a handful of destinations. There are no commercial passenger flights connecting U-Tapao directly with Bangkok. Bangkok Airways flies to/from Ko Samui (USM) and Phuket (HKT). Flights from Pattaya to Ko Samui are usually slightly less expensive than BKK to Ko Samui ones. Air Asia offer direct flights to Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Udon Thani in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Thai Lion Air also flies from Chiang Mai and That VietJet Air flies from Ho Chi Minh City....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Apart from a handful of privately operated examples, Pattaya has no tuk-tuks and most ad hoc local transport is undertaken by a flotilla of over 700 dark blue coloured songthaews - pickup trucks used as buses (hence the local term "Bahtbus"). The Bahtbus fare is the same for trips within Pattaya for locals and foreigners, and is usually 10 baht. Having the correct change is by no means essential, but does keep the potential hassle factor to a minimum. Some drivers will short-change you on a 20 baht note if you don't act like you know what you're doing, but most will return the correct amount. Avoid asking destination (or talking to the driver at all) when riding a songthaew, as many drivers will charge you a lot of money (100-200 baht, as it's considered a private journey). If you know the direction of where you're going, it's recommended you just wave at the truck to stop, get on the back, and ride the songthaew without talking to the driver.
Where to Stay
Pattaya has an extensive selection of inexpensive mid-range accommodation, and a good variety of more upmarket options. Standard room (double bed, air-con, cable TV, refrigerator, hot shower) rates are invariably per room, not per person. Soi Buakhao has many relatively cheap guest houses and is popular with long-stay visitors, with other budget places along Soi LK Metro and Soi Honey Inn. Very few of these can be booked online, or appear on hotel booking sites. The cheaper places are often above bars or massage shops, and may therefore be noisy at night. There's generally no need to book in advance. Like all resort areas in Thailand, hotel pricing is seasonal. High season dates vary from hotel to hotel, but typically prices go up considerably during the Christmas-New Year's period (which coincides neatly with the season of best weather), and are lower between February and October/November.
Money & Budget
There are numerous malls, supermarkets, bazaar-style markets, and thousands of other shops. Sadly, you'll be seeing a lot of the same stuff over and over again — there's no endless variety in Pattaya. Also, Pattaya is not a good place to go shopping for hi-tech products, such as cameras and computers—expect to see prices around 50% higher than the best prices advertised in the West. Also beware of buying fake branded and designer goods, since these could be confiscated by customs officers at the airport. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged for Thai baht at the many exchange booths which can be found in all areas popular with tourists — there are even mobile exchanges/ATMs in specially adapted minivans that are set up as and when and where the need arises.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
For most people, the most hazardous aspect of visiting Pattaya is the traffic. The top three accident black spots are: Most accidents in Pattaya involve motorbikes, and are especially common late at night and in the early hours of the morning, when drunk driving is a significant problem. Be careful on the roads, even if you're just crossing one on foot (and be equally careful both on and off pedestrian crossings, as Thai drivers generally ignore them, and many foreigners seem to approach them with the hope of scoring double points); be careful on the pavements too - obstacles apparently purpose-engineered to trip up as many people as possible are commonplace, and motorcyclists use footpaths as short cuts with impunity. When riding in the back of an otherwise empty songthaew, it's probably safest to sit directly behind the cab.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Pattaya
welcome to Pattaya, heaven on earth
Street shops
a very tall building with a sky in the background
Pattaya City
A view of a city and a body of water
I have an interesting time here
boats on the water
Pattaya Beach Road view from Phra Tamnak Mountain Viewpoint at night
Coral Island Pattaya Thailand
Pattaya Viewpoint
welcome to Pattaya, heaven on earth
Street shops
a very tall building with a sky in the background