Pattaya, located 150 km southeast of Bangkok, is a famous seaside resort known for its vibrant nightlife and entertainment. While it has a reputation for go-go bars, recent efforts by local authorities have aimed to offer more family-friendly attractions.
The beaches, though improving, may not meet everyone’s expectations due to overdevelopment. Despite this, Pattaya remains a popular weekend getaway, easily accessible from Bangkok. With over five million annual visitors, the city boasts a diverse population and a variety of dining options.
Originally called “Thap Phraya,” Pattaya evolved from a quiet village into a global tourism hotspot, especially during the Vietnam War. The opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport has made it even more accessible.
Apart from the renowned nightlife, Pattaya offers a range of activities from water sports and golf to amusement parks. Jomtien Beach, to the south, is a quieter alternative with a family-friendly atmosphere and water sports options.
Pattaya Beach, approximately 3 km long, is the city’s central hub. It features hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls along the road facing the beach. Walking Street, south of Beach Road, comes alive at night with bars and entertainment options.
In summary, Pattaya is not just a party destination; it’s evolving to cater to a broader audience, making it a versatile choice for various travelers.
MY EXPERIENCE. I went to Pattaya with a friend in his car from Bangkok. We planned a small photo session on the beaches of Pattaya or further on the islands, which can be reached by boats or ferry. We didn’t like the central beach of Pattaya very much. But we managed to take some photos while it was early morning and there were few people. Next we went to the city center and walked along the embankment there. This was the Chonburi area.
What immediately caught my eye, or rather my ears)) was the ubiquitous russian speech, and even somewhere a distant association arose with Crimea (Ukraine), where I had not been since 2007. We went to a restaurant on the seashore and ate there: of course, the famous Thai soup “Tom Yam”, a dish of rice and shrimp, and an egg on top)) to eat well before going to the islands!
Then we drove into a multi-storey building, where we left the car in the parking lot, and walked towards the port. There they began to lure us to sail to the islands on a boat. We quickly agreed. These cunning Thais answer all questions yes, yes, yes, and smile! They say we are already leaving! We’re leaving in 5 minutes, yes! They immediately take the money in advance and stick a paper sticker on our clothes, supposedly identifying their passengers. But in fact, until they gather the required number of people on their boat, 8-10 people, they don’t go. Therefore, it can be as much as 5 minutes if you are the last client on the boat, or an hour or an hour + half like for us, since we were the first. So we had to wait a long time.
Other options include a private boat, but it is significantly more expensive, or a ferry, which is the cheapest option, but runs according to a schedule only at certain times, and not to all islands.
In general, we waited and swam. It was pretty fast. In about 20-30 minutes we arrived and landed on one of the islands. I never knew the name of this place, but looking at how the photos and videos are captioned on my iPhone, this place is called Amphoe Bang Lamung, Na Kluea. If I understand correctly, Amphoe Bang Lamung is a group of those islands to which boats sail from Pattaya.
This was definitely not the best beach of my life! )) There were a lot of boats a little further away, algae in the water, but in some places it was very good! We swam there and decided to move on to another beach on this island. There was a transport between the beaches that takes tourists back and forth. We went on it. 20 minutes and we were in another place.
In principle, the location shows the same name. It was more comfortable there. Mini bars on the beach, sun loungers. Some Thai grandfather passed by and I couldn’t help but buy from him a white light sun jacket, traditional for Pattaya. I don’t remember how it called)) In which I have a photo here in post))
On our way back we just caught the last ferry, which departed from our island at 17:30. Then we returned back to Bangkok. And I stayed there for some time more 🙂
What else should be noted, if anyone doesn’t know, in Thailand, driving is on the left, and the roads are of excellent quality! By car we almost always drove 140-150 km/h, but it felt like it was somewhere around 100 km/h.
