PATTAYA TRAVEL GUIDE
What is Pattaya Thailand?
Pattaya is a beach-resort destination on the eastern seaboard of Thailand, approx two and one half hours from Bangkok famous for its naughty nightlife and sex scene, which dates back to the Vietnam War era — when the sparsely populated and picturesque fishing village became a popular “rest & recreation” retreat for American troops.
Since then, mainly thanks to tourism — Pattaya has reached the status of a thriving — cosmopolitan city, complete with world-class shopping malls and modern high-rise hotels and condominiums. The famous Pattaya nightlife scene and its associated Thai bar girls, beer bars, go-go clubs, discos, and nightclubs is still thriving, but Pattaya is no longer seen as a men-only destination. There’s also a rapidly growing family-friendly scene in Pattaya these days, with family-friendly attractions and activities attracting families from far places in Thailand abroad.
You could say modern-day Pattaya is a city with everything, a place that can be anything you want it to be.
Things To See & Do In Pattaya
There’s actually a very diverse choice of things to see and do for everyone in Pattaya, by day and by night.
Included in the Things To Do In Pattaya category, there are popular attractions and activities in Pattaya, including “must dos” like Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (see photo below), popular family-friendly places like Columbia Pictures Aquaverse (formerly Cartoon Network Amazone), Ramayana Water Park, and everyday sports and pastimes like golf, football, and lawn bowling.
Beaches in Pattaya
Beaches are one of the major attractions in Pattaya. They are a great place to spend the day chilling out, or to partake in water activities such as jet skiing (with caution), para-sailing, kayaking, and windsurfing. There are some pretty little beaches in Pattaya, and some spots like Naklua Beach are very popular with bathers. But the beaches around Pattaya are not typical “picture-postcard” beaches, and the water quality is not that great.
Fancy a few days “kicking back” on a picture-postcard beach within easy reach of Pattaya? Take a look at the islands near Pattaya. If you fancy a day trip to beaches more suitable for bathing and letting the kids have a splash around, take the ferry to Koh Lahn or drive the short distance to Sai Kaew Navy Beach in Sattahip.
Sample the Nightlife in Pattaya
The best place to experience the famous Pattaya nightlife is Walking Street. This is the place to get a feel of what it’s all about and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Walking Street has it all, the neon signs, beer bars, go-go clubs, discos and nightclubs. For couples, I recommend the live music bars, beer bars with Muay Thai boxing shows, and try one of the larger go-go clubs just for the experience.
Staying in Pattaya
The price of accommodation in Pattaya is relatively cheap, and the standards are quite high. The accommodation types are extensive, including hotels, resorts, beach resorts, guest houses, apartments, and private houses. It’s an extremely competitive market, which helps to keep the prices low. You can pay as little as 200 baht for a room or thousands of baht for a 5-star hotel or luxury villa.
Family Accommodation in Pattaya
Finding somewhere suitable for children is the number one concern for families taking a vacation in Pattaya. You have many choices to fit every budget.
Should I book a hotel room in advance in Pattaya?
You will get a better deal booking a few weeks in advance, no matter what time of year. During the busiest period of the year (November to February), booking well in advance is recommended if you want to get a room at your first-choice hotel.
When is the best time to visit Pattaya?
The dry season, November through to May, is the best time to visit Pattaya if you want good weather. The coolest — most pleasant period is November to March when temperatures average around 26–27 Celsius. The wet season, May to November, is the cheapest time to visit Pattaya, when hotel rates are usually reduced by 50 percent or more.
ZENTRAVLER TOP LIST OF THINGS TO DO IN PATTAYA & SORROUNDING AREAS:
- Walk along the beach chill out under umbrella taking in the sights and go to Pattaya Beer Garden Restaurant for amazing sunset sights dinner and cold beers…at entrance to Walking Street.
- Visit RIPLEYS BELEIVE IT OR NOT MUSEUM for amazing sights & sounds plus a few good scares.
- Visit SANCTUARY OF TRUTH hand made wooden Temple ongoing tribute to Buddhism…bring your camera.
4. Visit UNDERWATER WORLD PATTAYA witness marine fishes and see live sharks checking you out.
5. Just outside of Pattaya visit PATTAYA FLOATING MARKET to witness locals selling their wares from small handcrafted canoes with many souvenirs and a great place to get coffee & drinks.
6. Take a day trip to NONG NOOCH TROPICAL GARDENS where you can spend the day amongst dinosaurs and flower gardens. You could probably ride an elephant if thats your thing. By now you should build up quite a hunger while traversing the landscape & viewing all of the sights. As a reward you can sit down at the large outdoor restaurant serving delicious Thai food and satisfy your munchies.
7. Visit the huge golden Buddha (Named BIG BUDDHA PATTAYA ) on top of Pratamnak Hill and hangout with the Monks to get your blessings.
8. There are many water parks ideal for families. One of the favorites is RAMAYANA WATER PARK approx thirty minutes from Pattaya.
9. Pattaya is loaded with many excellent restaurants, local street foods and a Native Fish Market where you select fresh seafood. Bring it back to your table and the cooks will prepare to your satisfaction. Yum yum dont miss the black mussels for a starter dish.
10. In addition you can choose to go to KOH LARN IDYLLIC ISLAND, play golf in many top notch golf courses, try lawn bowling or go fly a kite?
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Pattaya was a small fishing village originally called Pad Tha Ya, which means “the wind that blows from the southwest to the northeast at the start of the rainy season”. Over time it became known as Pattaya.
THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: Your travel days… its later than you think?
ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Want a vacation spot all rolled in to one visit Pattaya, Thailand for the time of your life.
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