Pattaya: From Fishing Village to Vibrant City of Beaches, Culture, and Adventure
Pattaya has grown from a tranquil fishing village to a remarkable city in the last three decades and offers many other advantages besides the famous nightlife. In addition to the beautiful beaches of Naklua Bay in the north to Jomtien Beach in the south, the city offers a very good tourist infrastructure with many shopping opportunities and a wide range of local and international restaurants. There are a few excursion destinations and smaller islands in the area, so that even a longer stay will not be boring. Due to the proximity to the new airport in Bangkok, the journey is short and the city can therefore be combined with practically every destination in the country in addition to the islands of Koh Samet and Koh Chang in the south.
Pattaya, Thailand
Buddha Mount Pattaya
Pattaya viewpoint
Sightseeing Pattaya
Pattaya, Thailand
Temple in Pattaya
Pattaya, just 160 kilometers south of Bangkok, was once a minute fishing village where fishermen lived in small wooden huts. During the Vietnam War, the Americans chose Pattaya as a recreational destination for their soldiers. Due to its great popularity, the small, tranquil village has given way to a city that lacks nothing. Officially, just over 100,000 native people are registered in Pattaya, the real number is estimated by authorities to be over 300,000. The city itself is divided into the areas of South, Central, North Pattaya and Jomtien. The city is particularly popular with long-term vacationers as it has a wide variety of shopping malls, accommodations, and activities.
The beaches in Pattaya
Pattaya has several stretches of beach, with the one in front of the city being the most popular. The beaches north and south of Pattaya City are apparently quieter.
Wong Amat Beach
Located in the very north of Pattaya, the beach section offers significantly more tranquility than the main beaches. The beach and water quality are also a bit better. Next to the beach there are a few restaurants that mostly serve Thai dishes.
North and South Pattaya
The bay of Pattaya offers rather quiet beach life in the north. A tranquil promenade invites you to stroll during the day or in the evening and there are a variety of sun loungers and parasols which can be rented by the day. The south of the bay is dominated by restaurants, shopping malls and the nightlife establishments along Walking Street.
Jomtien
Jomtien Beach, which is further south separated from Pattaya Beach by a small headland, offers a completely different flair. It is more tranquil here and while there are some larger hotels and a wide beach promenade in the north of the beach, the south of the 6 km long beach is still not very well developed. There are some sea food restaurants that are popular and well-known even with the Thais. Jomtien Beach is also visited and appreciated by Thai weekend tourists and is particularly recommended for long-term guests. North and South Pattaya can be easily and cheaply reached by shared taxi.
Activities & attractions in Pattaya
Pattaya has a wide variety of activities and sights for everyone. This includes lots of zoos and animal shows, theme parks, museums, shows and regular events. For sports enthusiasts, in addition to the very cheap and very good golf courses, there is also motor sports such as go-karting and ATV, boxing, bungee jumping, diving, sport shooting and a large selection of water sports.
Islands
Koh Laan is only about 8 kilometers or a good 30 minutes by ferry from Pattaya. The small island about 5.6 square kilometers is surrounded by other small islands such as Koh Saak and Koh Khrok. Most popular for day trips, there is enough to do on the islands to fill a day's vacation. The beaches are mostly quieter and the beach and the water quality are in very good condition. There are some bungalows on Koh Laan that allow an overnight stay, which is not possible on the other much smaller islands. There is also a small temple complex on a hilltop that can be reached via many steps. The beautiful view then excuses enough for the strenuous climb.
Khao Phra Tam Nak
Between South Pattaya and Jomtien there is a mountain with a good vantage point from which the entire city and the beaches can be overlooked. Also known as Buddha Mountain, many locals come here to pray in the Khao Phra Bat Temple that is built under the summit. The mountain is one of the highest points in Pattaya and contains a large Buddha statue. At the foot of the mountain is a park that was founded in honor of the reigning king.
Wat Yangwangsararam
Wat Yangwangsararam is located 12 kilometers south of Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road. The complex consists of various stylistically different temples that were donated by foreign governments in honor of the Thai King Bumipol and built in the style of the donor country. The highlights of the facility are the Chinese temple and the image of Buddha set into a rock wall, which is a few kilometers away.
Dive
An insider tip to learn to dive is certainly Pattaya. The underwater world cannot be compared to that in Koh Tao or Similian Islands, but the prices are unbeatable. The equipment and diving schools are just as good as anywhere else. The terrain is more than sufficient for practicing and the underwater world is not uninteresting even for beginners. If you got your diving license here and want to see more, you can still travel to Koh Tao or the Similian Islands to admire the full color of the underwater world of Thailand.
Mini Siam
Mini Siam Park is located on Sukhumvit Road in North Pattaya. Many Thai and international buildings have been recreated here on a small scale. During a walk through the park of the complex you can marvel at the miniatures of Wat Pra Kaew and Wat Arun as well as the London Bridge and Egyptian temples and offer a nice change from the hectic hustle and bustle of North Pattaya.
Tiger Zoo
About 30 kilometers outside of Pattaya in the direction of Bangkok is the Siracha Tiger Zoo. The facility offers many large and unfortunately also some small enclosures with tigers as well as several daily shows with the animals. A total of 200 Bengal tigers, 100,000 crocodiles, dogs and pigs are said to live on over 100 hectares of land. Sometimes the tiger cubs are suckled by the pigs and vice versa. If you are interested, you can visit the zoo on your own or join a group at one of the travel agencies.
Possible to get there & transportation in Pattaya
Pattaya is about 150 kilometers south of Bangkok and can be reached in a good hour from Suvarnabhumi International Airport via federal highway 7. There are daily buses from Ekkamai and Mo Chit in Bangkok to Pattaya. These are quite cheap and take around 1.5 hours to get to Pattaya. It is also possible to travel by train, which takes 5 hours. Another good alternative is to take a regular taxi to Pattaya directly from Bangkok Airport. The journey takes about 1 hour and the cost is around 900 THB.
In Pattaya itself there are numerous motorcycle taxis and songthaews (a type of shared taxi) that drive visitors to the different parts of the city. Motorcycles are also available for rent for those who would like to be independent. The prices are quite affordable at 300-500 THB per day.
Climate & travel time for Pattaya
Pattaya is worth a trip all year round. However, the months from September to October sometimes bring significantly more rain.
The best time to visit Pattaya is during the dry season from November to March. The dry season is also recommended for exploring the underwater world or taking diving courses. The months of March and May are the warmest, sometimes well over 30 ° C. The average water temperature is a very pleasant 28 ° C.
