Pattaya is a popular resort on the
North Gulf Coast of Eastern Thailand, 150 km south-east
of Bangkok. Most famous for its go-go and beer bars,
it's also one of Thailand's best locations for all
manner of sports and activities. Some of the beaches
are lacklustre (by Thailand's high standards) and
rampant over-development has long since destroyed
any natural charms it once had, but its plethora
of hotels and guesthouses and convenient location
with quick and easy access from the capital make
it a popular weekend getaway. Catering for over
5 million tourists yearly, Pattaya is also able
to offer an excellent range of eating choices and
a wide variety of things to do and see.
Pattaya's name was originally Thap Phraya, meaning
Army of the Phraya - commemorating the surrender
of Nai Klom's army to that of Phraya Tak (later
King Taksin the Great), without a fight. Thap Phraya
became Phatthaya (the name of the north-easterly
wind at the beginning of the rainy season), and
then Phatthaya (the true phonetic spelling).
Since 1978, Pattaya has been administered under
a special autonomous system with a status comparable
to that of a municipality by the mayor of Pattaya
City, who has overall responsibility for policies,
public services, and supervision of all City Hall
employees.
Pattaya is popular not only as a beach resort and
for its entertainment, nightlife and shopping, but
also for the broad selection of pastimes it caters
for, from golf and horseback riding to bungee jumping,
karting and shooting - not to mention a wide variety
of watersports such as scuba diving, jet-skiing, sailing,
water skiing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, and a whole
lot more. Pattaya is also very popular as a conference,
convention and seminar venue, and the grapevine hosts
rumours of future developments of varying degrees
of plausibility, such as a horse racing track, casinos,
and a tram system.
What to see & do
Animals & zoos
Underwater World Pattaya,
22/22 Moo 11 Sukhumvit Road (15 minutes from town
centre); tel. +66-38756879. Aquarium full of tropical
creatures. Open 09:00-18:00, last admission 17:30,
feeding times 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 14:00, 14:30,
15:00. Different prices for Thais (180 baht/adult,
120 baht/child) and foreigners (360 baht/adult,
180 baht/child).
Institute of Marine Science Aquarium
& Museum, Burapha University, 169 Long-Hard
Bangsaen Road, Bangsaen; tel. +66-38391671 /3
[15] is open 08:30-16:00 (feeding time 14:30),
except public holidays (open 08:30-17:00, feeding
times 10:30 + 14:30) and Mondays (closed); admission
20 baht/adult, 10 baht/child.
Oasis Seaworld, Paknam, Laemsing,
Chanthaburi - full day guided trips including
45 minutes swimming with dolphins - approx. 2000
baht/adult 1500 baht/child - available via travel
agencies.
There are two submarines (yellow ones, of course!)
with tour operators in Pattaya:
Hynix of the Sea [16] -
main ticket office at the Second Road end of Tipp
Plaza (near Soi 10); tel. +66-38711059 /60
Vimantaitalay [17] contact
any Pattaya travel agency; or tel. +66-38415234
Elephant shows & trekking
offered by several operators, most located on
Sukhumvit Road. These include Ban Chang Thai tel.
+66-3870628 /91, Utthayan Chang tel. +66-38716379,
Thin Chang Thai tel. +66-38756516 / +66-38756577,
Suan Chang tel. +66-38756517, Farm Chang Thai
tel. +66-38237825.
Elephant Village, 54/1 Moo
2, Tambol Nong Prue; tel+fax. +66-38249818, +66-38249853
[18] offers shows, elephant trekking and jungle
tours (including a four-day/three-night tour in
Phrae Province).
Monkey Training Centre, Soi
Chaiyaphruk (off Highway #3) tel. +66-38756367
/ +66-38756570. Features monkeys trained to harvest
coconuts and undertake other tasks. Also stages
cockfighting (a traditional Thai bloodsport) and
a snake show. Open daily, shows 09:00, 11:00,
12:00, 14:00, 17:00 - admission 250 baht.
International Snake Show,
Sukhumvit Road (39/4 Moo 5 - near the junction
with North Pattaya Road) tel. +66-38731586 / snake_show@hotmail.com
Khao Kheow Open Zoo (35 km north of Pattaya) tel.
+66-38298270 [19]. A huge zoo with about 8000
animals of 300 species. Open daily - 08:00-18:00,
50 baht/adult, 10-15 baht/child; Night Safari
19:00-20:00, 100 baht/adult, 50 baht/child.
Sriracha Tiger Zoo, 341 Moo
3, Nongkham, Si Racha (30 minutes from town centre);
tel. +66-38296556 [20]. A zoo with various shows.
Gardens
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden,
163 Sukhumvit Road (15 minutes east of town centre);
tel. +66-38429321 [21]. Beautiful gardens with
waterfalls, elephant shows, "Cultural Extravaganza"
performances 4 times a day, restaurants etc. -
enough to fill an entire day.
Bottle Art Museum, 79/15 Moo
9, Sukhumvit Road, Nongpler; tel. +66-38422957,
+66-38415783 [22]. More than 300 miniatures
in bottles, open 08:00-20:00.
Open Eyes, 2nd floor of Pattaya
Bazaar, 266/52-53 North Pattaya Road; tel.
+66-38362077. "The Great Experience
Behind The Magical", a lot of technological
magic and illusion shows. Open 15:00-23:00;
show time 15:00-23:00; Spy Zone show time
15:00-22:00.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
museum (tel. +66-38710294 /8) is located
on the third floor of Royal Garden Plaza.
Access from both Second Road (you can't
miss this side - there's a large aeroplane
protruding from the upper floors) and from
Beach Road. Different prices for Thais (280
baht/adult, 230 baht/child) and foreigners
(380 baht/adult, 280 baht/child); at the
same location there's also a "Haunted
Experience" show, a 4D movie theatre
and "Infinity Maze" game. Various
combination tickets available, all dual-priced
- for Thais (480 baht/adult, 380 baht/child)
and foreigners (580 baht/adult, 480 baht/child)
to enter all four. Open daily 11:00-23:00.
Pattaya Beaches
Pattaya's main beaches are popular and
busy places. For the thrill-seekers, activities include
banana-boat rides, jet-skiing, water-skiing, parasailing,
windsurfing, and the like; and anyone who just wants
to enjoy a simple swim or a good splash around with
a frisbee or rented inner tube will always find themselves
with plenty of company. However, while in and beyond
the surf, a wary eye does need to be kept on the more
frenetic elements of the passing traffic.
For those more interested in inactivities there
are acres of sand jam-packed with recliners and
umbrellas (usually with an "in-house"
supply of drinks), serviced by an army of laid-back
but tenacious hawkers offering anything and everything
from food (especially seafood, fruit, ice cream)
to massage, manicure/pedicure, tattoos, lottery
tickets, newspapers, herbs, flowers, gems, perfumes,
sunglasses, CDs, watches, lighters, clothes, toys,
souvenirs, handycrafts (it's a bit like TV shopping
- as soon as you've declined one offer, it's time
to consider another) and so on. Eventually you buy
a very dark pair of sunglasses, and after that you
just pretend to be asleep.
Pattaya Bay
Pattaya Beach (Hat Pattaya) is 2.9 km long and bordered
by Beach Road. Due to its central location and extreme
proximity to several hundred hotels, and because
it's a relatively narrow strip of sand, it's crowded
at the best of times (and even more so at high tide).
Hefty fines for littering help keep the sand neat
and tidy, however the sea is not so clean around
here.
The northern end of Pattaya Bay (Ao Pattaya) is
occupied by Wong Amat Beach, which is accessed from
Naklua; and beyond the southern end, around the
Buddha Hill headland that separates Pattaya Bay
from Jomtien, are several more smaller beaches.
Jomtien
Beach
Jomtien ("Chom Thian", etc) Beach is a
10-15 minute (10 baht) songthaew ride south from
the centre of Pattaya. Some 6 km long, it is especially
popular with Thai families enjoying day outings.
Places to eat and sleep line the opposite side of
Jomtien Beach Road and the many sois that lead from
it.
Dongtan Beach, at the northern end of Jomtien Bay,
has a traffic-free promenade, and the area in front
of the Avalon Beach Resort is popular with gay visitors.
Naklua Beach
Naklua Bay is immediately north of Pattaya Bay,
with Rachvate Cape separating the two. Naklua Beach,
to the far north, is the main strip, with the smaller
Crescent Moon Beach and then Palm Beach further
south. Beyond them is Wong Amat Beach which occupies
the northern end of Pattaya Bay, but is accessed
from Naklua. All are generally cleaner and more
suitable for quiet relaxation than Pattaya Beach.
Pattaya Islands
Ko Laan (or Lan or Larn, or Coral Island)
is 7.5 km west of Pattaya. It covers an area of
5.6 sq.km and has six popular beaches with a decidedly
"touristic day-trip" flavour, offering
banana boat rides, jet-skiing, parasailing, and
the like. Also available from and around Ko Laan
are various underwater activities such as scuba
diving, snorkeling, seabed walking and submarine
rides; there are also numerous restaurants, some
accommodation, and a shooting range. Regular ferries
from Bali Hai Pier costs 20 baht and take 30-45
minutes - departure times: from Pattaya 07:00, 10:00,
12:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00, 18:30; from Ko Laan
06:30, 07:30, 09:30, 12:00, 14:00, 17:00, 18:00.
Alternatively speedboats can be chartered just about
anywhere along the main beaches, typically for 1500-2500
baht; or you can book a day trip via an agency -
expect to pay 500-600 baht for minibus collection
from your hotel around 09:00, ferry from Bali Hai
Pier direct to one of the main beaches (taking about
half an hour), lunch, soft drinks, return ferry
around 16:00, and minibus back to your hotel.
Ko Saak (or Sak), less than 1 km north of
Ko Laan, is a small horseshoe-shaped island with
two interconnected beaches. The northern beach is
popular for swimming and snorkeling, and the southern
beach is a good place to see coral.
Ko Khrok (or Krok), 2 km east of Ko Laan,
is an isolated rocky islet with a single 100 metre
stretch of sandy beach to the east, where visitors
can see coral reefs.
Ko Phai (Bamboo Island) and other islands
in the Ko Phai group - Ko Klung Badan (or Krung
Badan), Ko Luam (or Leom), Ko Man Wichai and Ko
Rin (or Lin) - are preferred destinations for scuba
divers, and are also popular for general relaxation,
fishing, swimming and snorkeling day trips. This
area is controlled by the Royal Thai Navy, and overnight
stays are not permitted. For a return speedboat
charter from one of the mainland beaches or Bali
Hai Pier (approx. 23 km / 2 hours), expect to pay
2500-4000 baht; possibly less from Ko Laan.
Entertainment Cinemas in Thailand tend to be severely air
conditioned - bring a long sleeve shirt, or jacket,
or both! Otherwise, the two large mall cinemas in
Pattaya are mostly up to Western standards. Some (but
by no means all) Thai-language films are subtitled
in English (check the billing at the theatre) and
some films will have both subtitled and non-subtitled
showings.
Cinema patrons must stand during the King's anthem;
singing along is generally frowned upon.
SF Multiplex - Central Festival
(Big-C) - tel. +66-38361500. Has six theatres
with ticket prices around 90 baht, slightly more
at weekends. The unripe mango for sale here are
generally quite tasty.
SF Multiplex - Royal Garden Plaza
- tel. +66-38428057. Has two theatres, with prices
10-20 baht lower than the Central Festival location.
Video games are a popular pastime
in Thailand, hence PlayStation and computer game
shops are everywhere in Pattaya. The usual rate
is 20 baht/hour, making for pretty cheap entertainment,
but expect things to get very crowded and loud
in the hours after school lets out. There's a
big shop on Soi Chaiyaphum (right off Soi Buakhao
across from Soi Diana Inn) that's open 24/7 and
has more comfortable chairs.
Arcades can be found lurking behind the
cinema at Central Festival (Big-C) and in the Tesco-Lotus
complex on North Pattaya Road (but neither is worth
getting excited about) and touch-screen amusement
machines are scattered throughout the shopping malls.
About Pattaya Thailand
