“Welcome to Pattaya—The Extreme City” reads a sign over the road to Pattaya. A blend of the dazzle of Vegas, the sizzle of Amsterdam, and the frazzle of Rio de Janeiro still wouldn’t come to close to approaching the overwhelming ethos of hedonism that draws thousands of foreigners to Pattaya every year. Go-go bars filled with Thai women and single—or single enough—foreign men pervade the city. Pattaya has, over the years, garnered a poor reputation for this rampant sex trade, and tourist development-induced pollution. In recent years, however, efforts to clean up the city have made some headway. Diving and snorkeling trips, jet skis, and speedboats make welcome diversions for willing tourists, and Pattaya’s many shopping complexes and markets are great places to get inexpensive Western food and clothing. The city’s long beaches, slew of activities, and nightlife scene are definitely a draw, but never quite mask the presence of Thailand’s overwhelming sex industry.
Pattaya’s main strip, Pattaya Beach Road (Beach Road), runs north-south, parallel to the coast. Toward the southern end of the city, Beach Road turns into Walking Street, an area closed to vehicle traffic after 9pm and the center of the city’s nightlife. Pattaya 2nd Road (2nd Road) runs parallel to Beach Rd. North Pattaya (Pattayanua) Road, Central Pattaya (Pattayaklang) Road, and South Pattaya (Pattayatai) Road all intersect these two streets and form the heart of Pattaya. Small numbered sois, increasing in number to the south, also run between Beach Rd. and 2nd Rd. In northern Pattaya is the quiet neighborhood of Naklua, while to the south is Jomtien Beach, a burgeoning center of expats, condos, restaurants, and beaches ideal for water sports. Jomtien also exhibits a slightly more family-oriented spirit, as well as nicer beaches than central Pattaya.
Hotels in north Pattaya tend to be a bit quieter and more family-friendly, but also more expensive. Prices drop a bit in central and south Pattaya, and better deals can often be found on Pattaya 2nd or Pattaya 3rd Rd., farther away from the beach. Many travelers feel uncomfortable staying in budget accommodations in Pattaya, as they mainly cater to single males. Soi Buakhaow, between Central Rd. and South Pattaya Rd., does host a number of inexpensive but respectable hotels that are backpacker friendly; it’s a good place for getting the feel of central Pattaya without seeing go-go bars on every corner. Unless otherwise noted, all hotels in Pattaya have A/C, hot water, and flushing toilets.
Pattaya serves as a clashing point for many cultures, and its food is one area where this is glaringly obvious. Western chains and European pub grub line every street, and Thai cuisine is noticeably sparse, apart from the street vendors that cross the city. The upside of such a selection is the ability to sample all of the chains that aren’t so affordable back home but offer far lower prices here. If Western-style food isn’t what you’re looking for, stick to the carts and nameless restaurants peppering the streets. Try Pattayaland for lots of cart selection and South Pattaya Rd. for a better diversity of local cuisine. All day Tuesday and Friday, a large covered market (open 9am-6pm) is fashioned at the corner of Buakhao and South Pattaya Rd. Although it’s mostly full of clothing, music, and jewelry, the strawberry virgin daiquiris are a delightfully cool treat.
Motor-racing, bungee jumping, bowling, windsurfing, parasailing, tower-jumping, watersliding, or shooting ranges—with so many options, boredom isn’t a problem in Pattaya. For something more unique to Thailand, try the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm, at 22 Moo 1, Tamban Nong Pla Lai. The park has a collection of rock gardens, rare plants and animals, and thousands of crocodiles. Several performances are put on (daily 11am, noon, 2:30pm), including crocodile, monkey, magic, and fire-swallowing shows. For a few extra baht, you can ride an elephant or have your picture taken with tame lions, tigers, and bears. (☎038 249 3479. Open daily 8:30am-6:30pm. 300฿, children 150฿.)
The principal event at the Pattaya Elephant Village is the elephant show (daily 8:30, 10am, noon, 3pm; 500฿). The Village also offers two half-day elephant treks through the brush. Prices vary depending on where your hotel is, as they pick you up and drop you off at the end of the trek. (☎038 249 818; www.elephant-village-pattaya.com. Off Siam Country Club Rd., a 20min., 100฿ motorcycle ride from central Pattaya.) If you’re starting to tire of Thai landmarks, check out Mini Siam, at Km 143 on Sukhumvit Hwy., for recreations of famous landmarks from around the world. Alongside the Kwai River Bridge and the Emerald Buddha are icons like the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Leaning Tower of Pisa. Mini Siam is especially popular at night when the miniatures are illuminated. (☎038 727 333. Open daily 7am-10pm. 100฿.)
The beach in central Pattaya tends to disappoint visitors. While it is not as polluted as it was a few years back, there is very little swimming at Pattaya Beach. For a more idyllic beach experience, head north to the resorts in Naklua. For water sports, Jomtien is best. The sea isn’t clear here, but this doesn’t detract from its popularity. Jet skis (800-900฿ per 30min.), boats (1000-1500฿ per 30min.), and sailboats (800฿ per hr.) are all available for rent, though bargaining may be worth your while. Parasailing trips (600฿) are also very popular. Jomtien is the only beach in Pattaya where you can rip it up windsurfing. (600฿ per hr.; 1hr. lesson 100฿ extra).
Scuba diving and snorkeling are both popular activities too. Many dive shops in the area offer PADI certification courses in scuba diving and daily dive trips to one of Pattaya’s islands or to one of the two fantastic shipwreck sites offshore (Ko Larn and the HMS Khran). Visibility is best during the high season (about 15m). There are a number of reputable dive centers around Pattaya. Mermaid’s Dive Center, on Soi White House in Jomtien, claims to be the only dive school in Pattaya with female instructors. (☎038 232 219. Open-water snorkeling trip 1000฿, basic certification course 4000฿, advanced open-water course 12,000฿.)
Alternatively, stay on dry land and people-watch while lying on one of the thousands of beach chairs (20-30฿ per day) lining the beach. Touts and salespeople offering everything from food to massages to tattoos (both temporary and real) make for an exciting and interactive beach day.
Nearly identical massage parlors line the streets of Pattaya. The standard offerings are foot massage (200฿ per hr.), Thai massage (200฿), and oil massage (250฿). Be sure to get a massage in clear view of the shop windows to avoid being uncomfortably propositioned. For an extraordinary experience, try a relaxing massage from a blind masseur at a massage school such as The Thai Blind Massage Institute, 413/89 Thappraya Rd., in Jomtien. (☎038 303 418. 1hr. Thai massage 30฿, with A/C 150฿; 1 hr. foot massage 180/200฿; 1hr. oil massage 250฿. Open daily 10am-10pm.)
Pattaya’s nightlife is dominated by beer bars (open-air pickup joints) and go-go bars. The beer bars are all virtually indistinguishable from one another, although many name a country as their patron, attracting male tourists from that region. Beer bars dominate Sois 7 and 8, and both beer bars and go-go bars can be found in great numbers along Walking St. and the sois that run off it.
Fortunately, not all of Pattaya’s nightlife is focused (overtly) on commercial sex, and classier bars dot the city. Gay nightlife is centered slightly north of Walking St. on Pattayaland 2 (also known as Soi 13/4). One immensely popular form of entertainment in Pattaya is drag-queen cabaret. The most famous of these is at Alcazar, 78/14 Moo 9, Pattaya 2nd Rd., which puts on choreographed shows. (☎038 410 224. Shows nightly 6:30, 8, 9:30pm; Sa also 11pm. Tickets 500-600฿.) A less pricey and less professional cabaret is put on at Malibu Bar, on Soi Post Office, at the corner of Pattaya 2nd Rd. (Nightly 8pm-1am. Free.)
There are 2 different ways to get to Ko Larn. At the northern end of Walking St. is a small pier where expensive ferries leave for Tawaen Beach (1hr.; 9:30, 11am, 1pm; return 3, 4, or 5pm. 150฿ round trip). Cheaper ferries (45min.; 7, 8, 10am, noon, 2, 3:30, 5, 6:30pm; return 6:30, 7:30, 9:30am, noon, 5, 6pm; 20฿) leave from the Balihai Pier at the southern end of Walking St. for Naban Port on Ko Larn. At Naban Port, motorcycle taxis (20฿) shuttle you to Tawaen Beach and to more distant beaches (50฿).
Ko Larn, the largest island in the waters around Pattaya, boasts prettier shores and clearer water than the mainland. Its biggest draw is Tawaen Beach, a wide expanse of white sand leading to turquoise water. Although beautiful, this is not the ideal place to go for rest and relaxation; it’s cluttered with restaurants and beach chairs (30฿). Package tours from Thailand and China fill it up quickly in the high season. A small area is roped off for swimmers, but most of the water is taken up by jet skis (600฿ per 30min.), banana boats (250฿ per 30min.), and speed boats (800฿ per 30min.). There are several other pretty beaches on Ko Larn, including Thieu Beach and Sanae Beach, but the coral there makes it difficult to swim. Tiny Coral Island, just off Ko Larn’s coast, has great snorkeling.
There are no guesthouses on the island geared towards budget travelers; however, in the high season, tents can be rented to camp on the beach. (☎015 901 218. 300฿, 350฿ for tent and use of toilet and showers.) There are a number of other bungalows for rent around the island, which are advertised at the restaurants and cafes surrounding Naban Port. There is currently no ATM on Ko Larn, but ask around for updates.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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