How to find the best place for living in Pattaya? Everyone has their own needs and our article will help you choose the best place to live.
When visiting Pattaya, choosing the right area to stay is as important as choosing the right hotel. Those looking to experience Pattaya's nightlife and energy will want to stay in a different area than those looking for a quiet and relaxing holiday.

That's why this guide has been created - to help you choose the best area in Pattaya that suits your needs. We've also included a few recommended hotels in each area for you to take a look at.

The most ideal place to live is Central Pattaya. It is located in a great location with restaurants, nightlife and shopping within walking distance. If this is your first trip to Pattaya, then Central Pattaya is ideal.

Below we'll go through each area so you can have a good idea of ​​what to expect and be able to decide which part is right for you.

North Pattaya

The further north you go in Pattaya, the quieter it becomes. At the same time, the city area is home to some major international hotel brands and is a quieter area of ​​the city with less noise. On the downside, Soi 6 is not so far away, where a lot of Pattaya’s night bars are concentrated.

To the north of Soi 6 life is more relaxed. However, there are beer bars and massage parlors (such as Honey 2 or Sabai Dee).
This area is most suitable for those who want a quiet stay, but still close enough to transport links. There are a lot of motorbikers and songthaews, good accessibility to other areas of Pattaya.
Pros:

• Quiet place
• Soi 6

• a little away from the center of Pattaya
• bad place for nightlife

Near:
Shopping: Central Beach, Harbor Shopping Center, Big C Extra

Nightlife: Soi 6, beer bars.

Attractions: Tiffany Cabaret, Alcazar Cabaret.
Good hotels:
Siam @ Siam Design Hotel Pattaya
August Suites Pattaya
March Hotel

Central Pattaya

If you want to stay in a place that has everything you need or need within walking distance, Central Pattaya is the place for you. There is a sea of ​​restaurants, bars and shops nearby.


This area of ​​the city is the center of nightlife. The streets are lined with beer bars from Beach Road to 3rd Street. The busiest area of ​​Soi Buahao, Soi Diana and LK Metro.
If you want to get to soi 6 or Walking street, songthaews run here for 10 baht (in any direction).
This is a recommended area for regular visitors to Pattaya.
Pros:

• Close to everything
• Nightlife Center
• Large selection of restaurants
• Close to shopping centers and markets

• A lot of people
• Hotels are noisy as nightlife ends by 3am.
• High prices in cafes and restaurants

What's nearby:

Shopping: Central Festival, Royal Garden Shopping Centre, Avenue Shopping Centre, Harbor Shopping Centre, Big C.

Nightlife: Soi Buakhao, Soi Diana, Soi Made in Thailand, LK MRT... and many more to mention.

Hotels:
Adelphi Hotel
Sea Me Spring Tree
Areca Lodge
(All hotels allow girls to be brought into the room).

South Pattaya

The South Pattaya area starts at South Street and continues to Jomtien. . Not an ideal place to stay if you don't like Walking Street and plan to sleep.
South Pattaya is starting to become much calmer and more suitable towards Sukhumvit. There are also secluded spots closer to Pratumnak.

This area is best for those who want some quiet time, with occasional trips into the city. At the same time, accessibility to Walking Street and Bali Hai Pier is maintained.
Pros:

• Close to Walking Street (could also be a negative for some)
• There are quiet areas
• Good selection of hotels

• Nightlife is dying out towards Sukhumvit
• Need to get to the city center

Jomtien

Jomtien Beach is located south of Pattaya and has a more relaxing and quiet atmosphere. The place resembles a quiet resort region; there are many not only tourists, but also Thais.


The Jomtien area has some of the best beaches in Pattaya and several major attractions such as Nong Nooch Gardens. Jomtien extends far south of Pattaya and depending on the hotel you choose, it can take you 30-40 minutes to reach Pattaya.
There are many hotels and condominiums in the area where Russians live. There are cafes and night bars, but for nightlife it is better to go to Central Pattaya.

• Best beaches
• Quiet place

Today Pattaya is the most popular city Thailand among Russian tourists and expats. Some even call it Thai Gelendzhik. Sometimes, while sunbathing on the beach, you can forget that you are thousands of kilometers from home. And yet, despite the popularity of the resort, sometimes inexperienced tourists ask questions that can, to put it mildly, leave you stunned. Therefore, we decided to finally dot the i's and tell what kind of city this is.

If we literally translate the name, it will turn out very intricately: “wind from the southwest, coming with monsoon rains.” As many vowels as there are in the name of a city, there are as many stress variants among the people. But the right one (as the locals say) is still Pattayaˊ. Every year the government invests a whole bunch of dollars in the development of the city and new projects so that tourists want to come back here again and again. And they come back, and some even stay.

Geography or where is Pattaya Island?

Know that when you say that Pattaya is an island, your old geography teacher will have a very hard time hiccupping at home. Because in fact the city is located in mainland Thailand, in the province of Chonburi, just 165 kilometers from Bangkok and 650 kilometers (as the crow flies) from Phuket.

But not far from the coast there are several islands, Koh Lan (Koh Lan), Koh Kood (Koh Kood), Koh Wai (Koh Wai), Koh Si Chang (Koh Si Chang), Koh Mak (Koh Mak), Koh Samet ( Ko Samet) and Koh Chang (Koh Chang).

Koh Chang Island, the largest of the list and the most beautiful. This is where most travelers flock to enjoy clear sea and snow-white beaches.

Weather and climate: when is the best time to go?

Travel agents like to tell their clients that Pattaya (unlike many other resorts in Thailand) can receive guests all year round, since the rainy season here is a very relative concept. Of course, there are also high and low seasons.

During the winter months the city buzzes with bees and is relatively cool and dry. At the end of May, there are significantly fewer tourists, and heavy but short-lived rains begin to fall. It's getting hot and humid.

Nature, landscape and sea

Pattaya is comfortably located in the Gulf of Thailand (or as they also say) Gulf of the South China Sea. The eastern coast, on which the city is located, curves picturesquely in an arc. There are several national parks and untouched forests, and uninhabited islands in the coastal waters.

Songthaews (mistakenly called tuk-tuks)

Songthaews form the basis of public transport. In a blue pickup truck with roofs and benches for passengers, you can get to almost anywhere in the city. The journey costs only 10 baht, provided that the tourist knows about it in advance, behaves confidently and does not ask to be taken to a specific place. So the driver may think that he is being taken as a taxi and charge a much higher price.

Taxi

A more expensive travel option is a taxi. It is noteworthy that almost all cars in the city are equipped with a meter, however, not all drivers use them. Usually the cost of the trip is negotiable (from 150 baht), so you always need to bargain.

Mototaxi

An excellent option in terms of price-quality ratio is transportation on motorbikes. This is the most quick way travel around Pattaya, and relatively cheap (40-80 baht within the city).

Beaches

Prices

The distance between the cities is only 147 kilometers, which can be covered in approximately two hours by choosing one of two roads: route No. 7 or route No. 34. This can be done by a rented car, by taxi, by bus, by minibus, or by transfer with a tour operator. On weekdays, you can also travel from Bangkok to Pattaya by train.

In addition to Suvarnabhumi, there is another airport in Bangkok that specializes in domestic flights, but has recently begun to accept international flights. This is Don Muang. The easiest way to get there is by taxi.

Cellular communications and Internet

If you need to call a local landline number, Pattaya's dialing code is 038.

Before calling a Thai number, you should dial 0 if you are calling from a local number, and +66 if from a Russian number. It is more convenient and cheaper to use a local SIM card (1-2-Call, TrueMove and DACT Happy).

There are no problems with Internet access in the city. Most hotels provide access via Wi-Fi (some for free, some for money). There are many Internet cafes in the city, some offer per-minute rates (1 baht/min), hourly rates range from 20 to 130 baht/hour. The connection and speed are relatively good, but major cities The Internet in Russia is clearly better and more stable.

Safety

While vacationing in Pattaya, you should remember that many illegal immigrants from Cambodia, Burma and other countries come to the city. And they don’t always stop at the violation labor legislation. Most of the crimes such as theft and fraud are committed by such comrades.

Be careful if you go out wearing expensive jewelry, it can be torn off right on the street and even in the songthaew.

Do not carry large sums of money with you; keep all valuables and documents in a safe at home. When walking down the street, hold your bag tightly. Try not to walk along the road - this way you become a tasty morsel for thieves on motorcycles. If there is no other option, then keep your bag in your hand at the curb.

Hotels in Pattaya, where to stay?

The map below contains accommodation options from all major booking services, so you can easily find a suitable hotel for yourself and immediately book it online.

A guide to Pattaya - the entertainment capital of Thailand.

Pattaya is considered in Thailand the most active, fun and noisy resort in the country, a kind of entertainment capital. Here you will find a huge number of all kinds of bars, cafes, restaurants, discos and night clubs.
Pattaya is located in a closed bay, surrounded by mountains, thanks to which the climate is always mild, the sea is calm, and there are no storms or hurricanes. A few kilometers from the coastline there is a series of coral islands. Their beauty attracts scuba diving enthusiasts here. You can get there by boat.

General overview of Pattaya

Pattaya occupies an advantageous position in the resort aspect geographical position in the southeast of Thailand, 165 km from Bangkok. The city is considered the country's tourist center. Pattaya is famous for its strip of beautiful beaches. Please also note that all best beaches located outside the city. On city beaches, due to overcrowding and oversaturation with tourists, it is not very clean both on the beach itself on the shore and in the water. The entire coastline is lined with hotels of various service classes - you can stay in either a small bungalow or a fashionable luxury hotel.
Pattaya is a world-famous resort with a vibrant nightlife and a kaleidoscope of all kinds of entertainment offered to tourists. Fans active rest and water sports enthusiasts will also find plenty to enjoy here. However, for families with small children and people seeking peace and tranquility, a holiday in Pattaya is unlikely to be suitable; it is better to choose another Thai resort. And here a group of young people, eager for entertainment and fun, will feel best.

Pattaya beaches

Within the city, all beaches are conventionally divided into central (Pattaya), southern (Jomtien) and northern (Naklua) parts. The water and sand here are not as clean as outside the city limits, so vacationers often go by boat to the coral islands - it is unusually clear there. sea ​​water. The disadvantage is the periodic ebb and flow. Low tides occur in the first half of the day.

Things to do

Pattaya has gained worldwide fame as a center of nightlife entertainment - here every evening the lights of discotheques, karaoke, nightclubs, massage parlors, go-go bars, cabarets and other entertainment establishments are lit.
But the daytime entertainment program in Pattaya is no less exciting. An interesting attraction is the Mini Siam park, where miniature models of 100 cultural monuments of Thailand are collected. You can visit the elephant village, where you can ride them and watch a performance with these mighty animals.
An excursion to an aquarium, dolphinarium or crocodile farm will be educational and interesting. Colorful shows with the performance of national dances are held in the village of Nongnuch, located near the resort. Trips to the Wat Yannasangwararam temple complex, located 20 kilometers from the city limits, are organized.
For lovers of active recreation, there are also many exciting activities - go-kart racing in Pattaya Go-Kart, scuba diving (you can find a Russian-speaking instructor at the diving center), all kinds of water sports.
Restaurants at the resort are numerous and offer dishes of both national and European cuisine. The city has several large shopping and entertainment complexes where you can not only shop, but also relax. Well, with the onset of darkness, the real fun begins on the streets.

Sex tourism

Pattaya is known not only as the resort center of Thailand, but also as the capital of sexual services. Local residents treat this fact with a certain amount of humor - one of the most popular souvenirs is a T-shirt with the inscription “ Good guys go to heaven, bad guys go to Pattaya."
The range of sexual services is very wide - you can find a girl for a couple of hours or for long time. There are special rooms where girls are brought, but you can safely bring her to your hotel room. You can negotiate with the girl you like and go with her to one of the Thai islands.
When walking through the city at night and seeing an attractive-looking cafe, be careful - if there is a pink light above the establishment, this means that a huge number of prostitutes are concentrated there. A visitor who does not pay attention to the lights may be attacked by pretty girls before the waiter appears. And there are very exotic bars...
Officially, prostitution in Thailand is not welcomed, but it is not considered something shameful. The authorities are calm about the existence of “pink” quarters, because sex tourism attracts many visitors to the country, and, therefore, provides income to the treasury. In addition, many residents eke out a miserable existence, and prostitution is often the only source of income for the family.
When coming to Thailand for the purpose of sex tourism, you must take precautions - there are a lot of exotic sexually transmitted diseases here. Russian doctors often do not know their names, not to mention the methods of treating these diseases. In addition, many local residents are HIV-positive or have AIDS.

Shopping in Pattaya

Pattaya has a large number of places where you can buy a wide variety of products. These include large shopping centers, markets, and small shops. The range of goods and prices vary widely. Main part retail outlets located in the city center. They buy mainly Thai silk, clothing, jewelry and gems, products self made, ceramics.
Thailand is famous for its markets, but in Pattaya there are fewer of them than in an ordinary Thai city. It is expected that you will bargain, in which case any market product can be bought at a very favorable price. You can read how best to do this in our recommendations.
It is better not to purchase jewelry and jewelery from other people. Travel companies often include a visit to the jewelry center in their excursion program - there is a very wide selection of products there.
When visiting Thai markets and shopping there, remember that counterfeit designer items and world-famous brands may be confiscated from you during customs inspection at the airport!

Cuisine and restaurants

The catering industry in Pattaya is very developed - there are many small cafes and expensive upscale restaurants. The food is prepared in a wide variety of ways - you can get acquainted with the peculiarities of national Thai cuisine or try familiar European cooking. Dishes from almost all world cuisines are presented. There are restaurants that serve rare exotic foods - ostriches, crocodiles, etc.

And this is a small guide to Pattaya - What to take with you to Pattaya, how to choose a hotel, public transport in Pattaya, Taiglish - as a separate language, expensive restaurants vs. street food, depraved tourism on Walking street, how to quickly get a knockout in Muai Thai and how much it will cost.

In contact with

One of the most famous resorts in Thailand, covered in legends about the “horrors” of Walking Street, with many expensive hotels, shopping and restaurants. A convenient place for a short vacation or long stay.

Once upon a time, I also thought that there was only sex and debauchery there, but my opinion changed when I looked deeper and figured out why this city is convenient and why it attracts many tourists with children.

Description of the resort and why go to Pattaya

Pattaya is considered the most inexpensive of the resorts in Thailand. It is conveniently located just an hour's drive from Bangkok and international airport Suvarnabhumi, where there are often favorable tickets from Russia. Pattaya is mainly a youth party scene, bars - discos - Walking Street and a dirty sea. Nevertheless, this is a popular resort where people go despite all its disadvantages, including families with children.

The fact is that in Pattaya it is convenient to live for a long time and spend the winter - there are many shops and shopping centers, entertainment for every taste, a large Russian-speaking community, proximity to the capital and the attractions of central Thailand. In addition, despite the dirty sea in the city itself, there are beautiful white sand beaches close to Pattaya. The closest ones are Military Beach, the beaches of Koh Larn, Samet, etc.

There are many large hotel complexes in Pattaya and the surrounding area, where tour operators sell tours at a good price. There is also a lot of housing in the city, mostly high-rise condominiums and small houses (but these are usually further from the sea).

Pattaya is a big city

Which beach to choose

In the city itself, the most pleasant beaches in the south are its neighbor. The area around Pratumnak is a popular place among Russians, there is even a “Russian” street where almost all the signs are in Russian. In the same area there is a small beach in a separate area where the hotel of the same name is located, where Russian tourists often come to relax.

The central beach is primarily a promenade and expensive hotels on the first line. Few people will want to swim in the sea there, since the beach and the sea itself are dirty, plus there are many boats and boats. But all the nightlife is in full swing here. And it is on the central beach (at the left end) that there is a pier with a ferry to the island of Koh Larn, where the beaches are much better than those in Pattaya. And since the swim is only half an hour, this suits many people.

In the north of Pattaya the best is.

One of the best beaches in Pattaya - Dongtan

How to choose a hotel or house

Pattaya has a huge number of hotels to suit every taste and budget. There are large hotel complexes with swimming pools and cafes, the territory of which, in principle, you don’t have to leave. For example, popular among Russian tourists. There are also multi-storey condominiums for long-term rental: View Talai, Lumpini, etc. There are many of them in Jomtien. There are also many houses, but closest to the sea they are located in the north, in the area of ​​Naklua and Wongamat Beach. There are affordable guesthouses in the center and Jomtien. In general, there is really a lot of housing and, in general, it is inexpensive, which is why Pattaya is so popular among winterers and tourists.

Those who come on vacation for entertainment, parties and shopping usually settle in the city center. There is a lot of housing there, from very inexpensive guest houses to luxury chain Holiday Inns and Hiltons.

Traditionally, people prefer to settle for a long time either in the north, in the Naklua region, or in Jomtien. In the center it is still very noisy and the air is bad and gassy. The center is suitable for a short holiday when you need access to entertainment and nightlife.

How to get to Pattaya

Remember: Pattaya does not have an airport. Even Utapao, which is called Pattaya Airport, is actually 40 kilometers away.

Pattaya is located close to Bangkok, where the country's main airport is located. Therefore, you need to look at air tickets not to Pattaya, but to Bangkok if you are flying from Russia. And it is from here that you will then have to get to the resort. It's not far, don't worry.

Flights from other Asian countries, or from Thailand itself, with companies such as AirAsia or NokAir, fly into a second airport in Bangkok -. You can also fly to, which are closer to Pattaya.

From Don Muang Airport, the easiest way is to immediately take a taxi or transfer, as described above. Otherwise, you will first need where you can leave by bus/minibus.

Another option for active travelers is to rent a car. Yes, the drive there is nothing, about an hour and a half. But! It’s better to rent a car at Bangkok airport from an international rental company than from someone in Pattaya itself. Well, this is if you are going to ride around the outskirts of Pattaya and you need transport. And most importantly, you will then return to Bangkok with this car and give it back at the airport before departure. Thus, you will save on a round-trip taxi, which is approximately 3-4 days of renting a car.

The cheapest way to rent a car is through, where prices are 2 times lower. I do this myself all the time, that’s why I recommend it, it’s a proven scheme. In this way, from Bangkok I traveled by car not only to Pattaya, but also to Koh Chang, Krabi, and Phuket. Here's about all the nuances of car rental in Thailand.

Sights to see

The biggest attraction of Pattaya is. A huge area where plants and flowers of many varieties and species are collected. A kind of Versailles park in the Asian style. In Nong Nooch, in addition to the park itself, you can watch very beautiful theatrical shows. In the evenings, the lights turn on there, which makes everything look a little different.

In the city itself, tourists usually climb a mountain near the city center; there is also a Buddha statue on the mountain. There are several museums in the center: 3D paintings, the Ripley Museum. A little away from the center - , elephant village, floating market, Three Kingdoms Park, . In the vicinity of Pattaya you need to visit the best zoo in the country -.

There are extravagant attractions, such as the chicken king's palace or. There are many youth sports activities in Pattaya - bungee jumping, karting, fishing, Thai boxing. Separately, it should be said about water parks near Pattaya. The two big ones are Kartun Networks and the recently opened Ramayana. Numerous parks and spice gardens, snake farms.

In the absence of rented transport, it is easier to visit many attractions with excursions, since the distances are long and you will go broke on a taxi. City tours usually include a park with models of various historical buildings of Mini Siam, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, observation deck, spice gardens or the Garden of Million Years Stones, Golden Buddha Mountain. Popular tours leaving the city: Khao Kheo petting zoo, Flight of the Gibbon trolls, Tiger Zoo.

Sea excursions to the islands are also very interesting and provide the opportunity to swim in the clear azure sea with white sand on the beach, which is in great short supply in Pattaya itself. For the same purpose - to swim in beautiful beach— tourists usually take a transfer to Military Beach. Popular long-distance excursions include the River Kwai, Erawan Falls, Bangkok, and tours to Samet Island. From Pattaya there are even tours to Cambodia (Siem Reap). So, if you want to keep yourself busy in Pattaya, there is something to do, you won’t be bored.

Where to eat, which cafes

There are a lot of cafes in Pattaya to suit every taste. This is where there is freedom for lovers of tasty and varied food. The choice is simply huge, from testing Thai street food at evening markets, open-air buffets, sea food restaurants on the waterfront, a variety of cuisines from the world, from Indian to Lebanese, international chain pizzerias and eateries, to chic restaurants in the city center and on its outskirts. .

Among the atmospheric cafes “to go out”, where you can sit romantically for two or a group, in the open air and with a view of the sunset, you can note Rimpa Lapin, Glass House, . All of them are located overlooking the sea, the first two are in the south of Pattaya, outside the city, and the last one is in the Pratumnak area.

Good seafood cafes are Mum Aroi in the north, in the Naklua area and Lungsawai seafood located at the very southern end of the Jomtien embankment. If you want to try Indian cuisine, then the cafe in the center with the intriguing name Zaika Indian Restaurant will be a good choice. For lovers of beer and socializing, the noisy Pattaya Beer Garden is ideal. The advantage of this place is that the tables open good view overlooking the city and the bay, but in the evenings it can be very crowded, because... this is the center. Preecha Seafood is very popular among locals and is considered one of the best seafood cafes with excellent local cuisine.

Pattaya is on fire! The brightest, liveliest and most shocking resort in Thailand. Sea, beaches, hotels, shopping. Photo and video. Nightclubs, shows and entertainment in Pattaya.

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Pattaya is alive. This is the most dynamic, vibrant and vibrant resort in Thailand. Pattaya can make you fall in love with yourself for life, you can not understand it and obsessively talk over and over again about the disadvantages of the trip, but you can treat it correctly and in return get exactly what you want: a quiet holiday in a secluded hotel, the crazy nightlife of Walking Street , amazing Thai temples, decent sea, exciting excursions, delicious and unusual food. The main thing is to clearly and intelligently formulate your desires, and Pattaya will help them come true.

In addition, the resort is very affordable in terms of prices, which makes it more accessible than Phuket or Koh Samui, and is conveniently located just a couple of hours drive from Bangkok with its airports and numerous low-cost airlines. This allows you to take off at any moment and fly to the other end of Thailand (or even to new country) for an amount equivalent to a good dinner with drinks in a not very pretentious restaurant.

Search for flights to Pattaya

Districts of Pattaya

Tourist Pattaya lies between the sea and the Sukhumvit Road and is conveniently “cut” through streets into several large areas, so there shouldn’t be any special problems with orientation. In addition, on every corner there are free advertising brochures with more or less intelligible maps.

All above North Pattaya Rd is conditional North Pattaya. There is not much entertainment here, but there are enough local shops, inexpensive cafes and budget accommodation in the area with the wonderful name of Naklya to Russian ears, as well as more expensive ones in the Wongamat microdistrict, interesting for the small private beaches of coastal hotels. An important point on the map is the wooden Temple of Truth.

A piece of the resort pie between North and South Pattaya Rd - Central Pattaya. Noisy, fun, drunk, crowded - these are both pros and cons, to each their own. Beach and Second Rd run parallel to the sea - streets with a bunch of shops, bars, cafes, massage parlors, there will always be inexpensive accommodation, a variety of drinks, food, company and entertainment. The beach is not pleasant, the water is dirty, there is not enough space. Central Pattaya is suitable for desperate party-goers and those thirsting for a special nightlife Walking street, which, in fact, is the main attraction of the area.

The area below South Pattaya Rd is South Pattaya. In it, tourists are interested in coastal Pratamnak and Jomtien. These are fairly quiet areas with a slope family holiday and associated entertainment and infrastructure. The beaches and water are cleaner, there is much less debauchery, the price tag in hotels is higher, but this is a reasonable price to pay for the advantages listed above.

Another option is to live off the Sukhumvit highway. Here you can rent very decent housing for little money, eat inexpensively and tasty during the day in establishments that are not aimed at “Russian-tourists”, and at night you can sleep peacefully, without tossing and turning because of the noise of a neighboring disco or neighbors who have been out for a walk. The downside is the distance, you will have to rent a bike or car (and give up alcohol) or include a permanent “taxi” item in your budget.

Islands

What to try

It so happened that Pattaya is no longer quite a Thai city, streams of tourists from different countries, an endless series of those who are trying to make money from them - and also from different countries, mix linguistic and cultural boundaries into a strange vinaigrette. This is especially noticeable in the local cuisine. In cafes and restaurants, national delicacies are reshaped to suit the requirements of capricious “packagers” or boring white pensioners, spicy becomes bland, sour becomes sweet, oriental becomes European, and cheap becomes expensive. This is especially true for establishments with Russian letters on the menu.

But this multinational cocktail also has its advantages. For example, Indian cuisine is presented very well in Pattaya - good opportunity discover wonderful flatbreads and gravy sauces. You see several groups of Indians at the tables of an Indian cafe - feel free to stop and start studying the mysterious menu.

If you want to try Thai food, then again focus on the natives, refuse the restaurant and buy “pla pao” fish rolled in salt, stuffed with aromatic herbs and baked on coals right in front of you right on the street, try it lightly fried and pressed through a special press “crop-crop” squid, and for dessert, order “roti” or “kanom-buang” pancakes stuffed with mango, coconut, banana and other delicacies from a mobile merchant-cook on a moped.

And of course, Pattaya would not be itself without trays of fried cockroaches, crickets, caterpillars, larvae and the like, once crawling reptiles. They cannot be called a purely local dish; more often than not, they are an attraction for tourists. But why not?

Cafes and restaurants in Pattaya

The resort has many cafes and restaurants: from Asian cuisine to quality French cuisine. There are restaurants with exotic dishes: rare seafood, ostrich, crocodile.

Catering establishments in Pattaya can be roughly divided into nondescript eateries for locals, inexpensive street cafes for everyone, and everything else designed for tourists, rich and not so rich. The first ones may be frightened by excessive simplicity, not the most ideal cleanliness and the menu is only in Thai. Their advantages are real Thai food, amazing prices and the hospitality of the owners. A truly hearty lunch without alcohol in such a place will cost 100-120 THB.

For a soft drink in an inexpensive street cafe for tourists and middle-class Thais they ask for 30-80 THB, not the most fancy dish with rice or noodles will cost 40-80 THB, the famous tom yam can cost 80-200 THB per plate, but Unfortunately, the relationship between the quality of soup and its price is not always visible. The average bill in the food court for a set of first, second and salad is 150-200 THB. Often this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with local cuisine without pointing a finger at the sky: the composition of the dish, its price and appearance introduce clear and convenient pictures above the distribution lines.

Tourist establishments offer cuisine from different countries, many specialize in European and Thai dishes; the price for a serving of rice with chicken or pork can start from 120-160 THB and up to astronomical amounts in really cool and rated restaurants.

The best photos of Pattaya

Entertainment and attractions in Pattaya

Many consider the main entertainment of Pattaya to be Walking street, bars and the thriving sex industry of all colors, directions and styles around them, but fortunately, the resort is not at all limited to this “hot” set and offers a whole scattering of events and excursions for every taste.

The majestic and vibrant Thai temples will help you stop and think. Perhaps the most popular (and how could it be otherwise, if it is visible from everywhere?) is the local Big Buddha or Big Buddha Hill. Here you can get acquainted with a whole complex of religious monuments and architectural compositions, receive the blessing of the monks and clear your karma, buy souvenirs and contribute to the maintenance of the temple by donating a small amount. And at the top of the hill it is a little cooler and fresher - also a reason to take an excursion. Another famous cult object is the wooden Temple of Truth, standing on Cape Rachvate in the Naklua region. There is a garden and a cafe all around, you can ride elephants or quad bikes, admire the sea from the cape, in a word - spend the whole day leisurely and measuredly.

The complete opposite of temples, but still an acquaintance with local culture, will be a visit to the Tiffany show. Only those who have seen it with their own eyes have the right to snort condemningly or shake their heads in disbelief. They say that even the toughest Chelyabinsk and Tagil workers came out of the famous transvestite cabaret performance with happy faces and whistling their favorite tunes. It's hard to imagine a better advertisement. Oh, and Tiffany is one of the top ten best shows in the world according to Travel.com magazine.

Mini Siam Park will help you see the whole world in 3 hours, which has collected miniature copies of famous sights from America, Asia, Asia and Europe on its territory: Egyptian pyramids, Eiffel Tower, St. Basil's Cathedral. If all this has already been examined in the original, then it is worth paying attention to the beautiful copies of the most famous Thai temples and pagodas. Miniature lovers should also enjoy the collection of the Bottle Museum. In just a few rooms there are about 300 bottles with replicas of landmarks painstakingly assembled inside them. It is also very convenient that the museum is located next to Mini Siam Park.

Pattaya for children

Perhaps, Pattaya will not get rid of the “resort for adults” stamp for a long time, but serious work is being done in this direction, and a holiday with a child here is no longer perceived as something extravagant and unacceptable.

In May 2016, Thailand's largest water park, RamaYana, opened 30 km south of Pattaya. More than 50 water complexes and attractions await guests of all ages, many of which, according to park representatives, have no analogues in South-East Asia. You can order a transfer to the water park directly on the entertainment establishment’s website. Considering the size of the park, it is better to go straight to the opening.

With older kids, you can go to the Dream World amusement park, which is located on the northern outskirts of Bangkok. It takes about 2 hours to get here from Pattaya; tours to Dream World are offered by many of the resort's excursion agencies. There is no analogue in Pattaya itself yet.

Other entertainment for children is getting to know the living world of Thailand. One of the most important zoos in the country, Khao Kheow, is located north of Pattaya. It will take at least a day to explore the famous open zoo, where you can walk next to the animals and feed them. But it is better to be prepared for the request to visit the menagerie again. South of Pattaya, guests will find the Nong Nooch Tropical Park.