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About Pattaya:
Pattaya is located approximately 150 Kilometers south east of Bangkok and is located in the northern Gulf of Thailand.
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It was originally a sleepy fishing village until the Vietnam war when masses of GI's used it for rest and relaxation which is when the go-go bars first took hold. It then grew into the one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia with over one million tourists visiting each year! |
It is now famous for its wide and long beaches and for its non-stop nightlife, which is when the town really becomes alive. |
Pattaya is known for its five star resorts but has a range of accommodations to suit every type of traveler from backpackers to families.
South and Central Pattaya hotels are the closet to the action, whilst Jomtien, Wongamat, North Pattaya or Naklua are more suited for those wanting a quieter place to stay.
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There is all round entertainment for all the family including scuba diving, golf courses, horseback riding, go karting, mini golf, Thai boxing, bungee jumping, shooting, sailing, windsurfing, kite boarding, snorkel tours, water skiing, parasailing, game fishing, ten pin bowling, waxworks and massage spa's.
There are also day visits to the floating market, waterpark, tiger zoo, stone and crocodile farm, underwater world, island tours, tropical botanical gardens and the famous flight of the gibbon tree top adventure.
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Pattaya is known for its long wide beaches with fun and exciting commercial water sports such as speedboat bananas and parasailing.
There is also an abundance of coral and tropical marine life for snorkelers and scuba divers plus a couple of wreck dives for those wishing for more adventure!
There are over a dozen small islands off Pattaya's shore including Ko Laan which make for popular snorkeling and dive excursions.
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Pattaya is world famous for its amazing nightlife, especially Walking Street which can be quite shocking for some and very entertaining for others! This main area around South Pattaya is known by locals as either 'the village' or 'the strip'.
There are others quieter areas with beach front restaurants and live entertainment that may suit the more mature generation or those looking for a more family or romantic setting.
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Pattaya has something for everyone, with live music and nightclubs for the younger generation, entertainment and glamour shows, Irish bars and beach front seafood restaurants plus high quality international and Thai restaurants. |
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Hat Pattaya
Hat Pattaya Beach is a wide sandy bay with views of tropical islands in the distance and is the most popular beach.
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Hat Jomtein
Jomtein is a very popular beach which is 6Km long and is suited to those looking for a more quieter beach experience even though water sports are active in the area.
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Hat Naklua
This smaller beach on the north side of Pattaya is popular for families wanting a more relaxing time away from the hustle and bustle of central Pattaya.
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Hat Cliff
This is a small cove just south of Pattaya beach surrounded by cliffs and cliff side hotels.
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Always between 28 and 38 degrees! Nov - May is High Season and weather normally excellent. June - October is warm, sunshine, sometimes wind and occasional showers.
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There are three types of taxi's in Pattaya - Songtheaw pickup truck taxi's that you can stop on the street, metered taxi's and motorbike taxi's that are running around the towns picking up customers. Please note, that fares should be fixed BUT if the taxi is not full they will try charge you more! Negotiate before you get in the taxi! |
The Pattaya Beach Bus consists of three lines: Green, Red and Yellow linking the main streets of Pattaya, Naklua and Jomtien. Buses and bus stops are colour coded and numbered making them easy to identify.
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Motorcycle, Jeep, ATV & Jet-ski hire |
Our advice is do not rent vehicles unless you have an international driving license. Also check that insurance is provided as Pattaya driving standards can be hazardous and the traffic in the city is often congested.
Also be careful handing over your passport as the provider may try to extract as much money as they can from you - you may be held to ransom! We cannot emphasise this enough! If you want to see the Pattaya then either use taxi's or pay a cash deposit rather than handing over your passport.
ATV's are in fact illegal on Thai roads as they are only licensed as farming vehicles so be aware that you will have no rights should a collision or accident occur.
Thailand is well known for jet ski 'scams' where providers can accuse you of damaging the vehicle and fines can be massive so be aware!
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Pattaya has rows and rows of shops, supermarkets and indoor shopping malls catering for every need. Central Pattaya and South Pattaya are best suited to shopping with everything for everyone from high quality jewelers and fashion stores to low brow backpacker stores.
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There is an abundance of ATM's and banks all over Pattaya. There are also facilities for international money transfer via Western Union. |
Police, Post office & Medical Emergencies |
There is a Tourist Police Station in Pattaya. There are a number of large international hospitals in Pattaya. The main Post Office is in South Pattaya on Soi 13/2 (ask for Soi Post Office) but there are many sub-braches spread around the town. There is a Tourist Association of Thailand (TAT) official office in Pattaya. |
Police emergency: 191
Tourist Police: 038 425937
Tourist Police - Emergency: 1155
Fire Department: 199 or 038 425943
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital: 038 427777
Pattaya International Hospital: 038 428374
Immigration: 038 410240
Pattaya Post Office: 038 429341
TAT Pattaya Office: 038 428750
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If it's a family or entertainment destination with a non-stop nightlife you are looking for then Pattaya is the place to be!
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And finally .... if you visit Pattaya in the Northern Gulf, then why not head next to the Southern Gulf islands of Koh Tao to do some scuba diving, then Koh Phangan for one of the Moon Parties and onto Koh Samui for relaxation on the beach!
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