Pattaya is Thailand's oldest international beach resort. It was "discovered" as it were, by American servicemen during the Vietnam war. The nearby U-Tapao air base was used by the US during the war, so Pattaya was a handy "R & R" location.
With such beginnings, it's hardly surprising that Pattaya quickly gained an image as one of Thailand's seedier beach resorts. However, in recent years the local authorities have made considerable efforts to clean up Pattaya's image, even though that has generally meant adding more family-oriented attractions rather than just getting rid of the seedy bits.
Pattaya's location, just two hours from Bangkok makes it a popular weekend destination for people wanting to escape the big city. This in turn guarantees that there are plenty of hotels in just about every price category.
There aren't many cultural or historic sights in Pattaya. The main attraction is the beach, so don't expect to see much of the "real" Thailand here. See the Pattaya at a glance page for all there is to know in a nutshell
Pattaya Area Map
When considering Pattaya for your beach destination, your first decision is about which area to stay in. There are two rather distinctly different sides to this destination. Pattaya itself is the more developed area, and where you'll find the seriously seedy bits. But, Pattaya is also where you'll find the big shops and other services.
Just south of Pattaya, on the other side of a small hill, is the Jomtien Beach area. Jomtien is, generally, the more "family friendly" area, with very little of the seediness that typifies Pattaya. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, in all prices, as well as some very good restaurants, and it takes only 15 minutes or so to get into Pattaya if you really feel the need.
In a hurry? Don't want to wade through a lot of pages of information? Then just read this one. We've summarized all you really need to know about Pattaya in a nutshell. Of course, there are still links to all the details, if you want to know more.
Is it For You? Pattaya is of course, a beach destination, so if that's not what you're looking for, you might as well move on.
Pattaya has a fairly large number of attractions to keep you occupied when you've had enough of the beach. This is probably due to the popularity of the city among Thais, who like to escape Bangkok on the weekends. That means many of these are perhaps more oriented to Thais than foreigners, but they can be interesting nonetheless, or in some cases, because of that.
The Sanctuary of Truth About 20 years ago, one of Thailand's most eccentric businessmen began a monumental building project on a rocky point just north of Pattaya.
Evening entertainments in Pattaya tend to be adult oriented; even those that aren't neccessarily about sex. There several good movie theaters around town, as well as a branch of "Ripley's Believe It or Not" museum in the Royal Garden shopping center, which can definitely keep the children entertained.
Among Pattaya's other more notable entertainment options are:
Cabaret For Thai boys-who-will-be-girls, Pattaya is their Broadway, the place where they can get their name up in lights while performing in front of their adoring fans.
Here are links to the most basic things you need to know when planning a trip to Pattaya, like how to get there and where to stay!
Getting There The main drawback to Pattaya for the independent traveler is getting there. Pattaya lies about 190 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Bangkok. Via the new motorway it's less than a two hour drive. Buses are the relatively quick and easy option.
About 45 minutes' drive south of Pattaya is Haad Nang Ram Beach. The beach is open to the public although it's located on Royal Thai Navy land. Unlike Pattaya, or even Jomtien, there's very little development here. There is a parking lot with some food stalls, but not much else. There are a couple of small islands offshore that you can swim to, and lots of coral along the floor in parts, so this is a very good area for snorkeling.
Beyond the hill, south of Pattaya, is Jomtien beach, another, much longer, stretch of beach. The beach is slightly deeper than Pattaya, and the section just south of the hill is very popular with Thais. There are many sections here where you can rent a beach chair and order food and drinks from staff serving that section. Numerous vendors also pass by offering fruit, ice cream and many other things, including massages.
Probably because it attracts so many weekend holiday-makers from Bangkok, Pattaya has quite a few shopping centers. These offer a range of goods, from clothing to books, as well as a large number of restaurants to choose from. The grand dame of the malls is the Royal Garden Plaza, next to the Marriott Hotel in roughly the center of town. The mall has no department store, but it does have many shops, a rather posh food court, movie theaters and a branch of Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.
Collected here are links to practical information for travelers planning to visit Pattaya.
Beaches Pattaya's main attraction is its long curving beach. Maps & Guides There are no specific guides to Pattaya that can be recommended. Pattaya gets good attention from all the major guidebooks recommended for Thailand. Weather Like the rest of Thailand, Pattaya is subject to the annual monsoon rains, which are heaviest from May through October. The coolest and driest time of year is December and January.
10 May 2008
Rabbit Resort is something of an anomaly in Pattaya. In a town where almost all the hotels are high-rise could-be-anywhere structures, Rabbit Resort is one of the very few places that makes a real attempt at Thai style, and the only one on the beach. The resort consists of just 45 rooms, housed in two-story Thai-styled pavilions holding no more than two rooms each. The rooms come in several different plans, and most can comfortably sleep three without extra beds.
While not the best destination for families, for all other types of travelers Pattaya probably has something to offer. Here are links to the topics covered by ThailandForVisitors.
Activities / Sports You'll find all the major water sports on offer from many outlets along both Pattaya and Jomtien beaches. There's scuba diving, wind surfing, jet and water skiing readily available. Beaches Pattaya's main attraction is its long curving beach. Expatriate Life Pattaya has become rather popular as a retirement destination for many westerners.
View of the sanctuary from the upper viewpoint. Monumental projects in Thailand are almost always community-based, usually undertaken by temples. Rarely are they undertaken by a single individual, other than the king. One of the few exceptions to this rule was the eccentric billionaire generally known as "Khun Lek." First, he conceived the Ancient City as a place for Bangkok residents to see the rich architectural heritage of Thailand. He also build a huge art museum in the shape of the mythical three-headed elephant Erawan.
