Why visit Pattaya
Pattaya's reputation is only half the story. Two hours from Bangkok, it gives families an easy beach base with Koh Larn a short boat ride away, the carved teak of the Sanctuary of Truth, and seafood at the Naklua fishing pier that we prefer to any resort restaurant.
Over the past ten years, this Gulf-coast city has remade itself with family travellers in mind, steadily raising both beach quality and resort standards. Alongside the nightlife it has long been known for, Pattaya now offers a packed short-stay calendar - cabaret shows, theme parks, day trips to a coral island and cultural gardens among them.
Distance is what makes Pattaya fit so easily into a Thailand trip - about forty-five minutes from U-Tapao airport and roughly an hour and three-quarters by road from Suvarnabhumi. That puts a two- or three-night stopover within reach even on a short trip built around Bangkok, and makes pairing beach with city straightforward.
Food is one of the city's stronger points now: cuisines on offer run from French, Italian, Swiss, German, Hungarian and Scandinavian through to English, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese, backed up by restaurants that specialise in fresh seafood - enough range to suit almost any preference.
What fills the days here
Coral Island (Koh Larn)
A half-day speedboat ride out to an island, giving you beach time and water sports away from the mainland crowds.
Sanctuary of Truth
A coastal temple built entirely of wood, worth a stop for the photographs alone.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
Formal gardens paired with a cultural performance, a favourite with families and older visitors.
Tiffany's Cabaret Show
Pattaya's best-known evening show, easy to slot into any stay.
Walking Street
The city's nightlife strip, for anyone who wants Pattaya after dark.
Pattaya Floating Market
Shopping and snacks across a network of covered boat stalls.
Families and younger travellers also have Big Buddha Hill (Wat Phra Khao Yai), the Art in Paradise museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and the Cartoon Network Water Park to choose from.
The practical bits
| Details | |
|---|---|
| When to come | November to February is best; hot March to May; monsoon May to October |
| Getting in | U-Tapao Airport about 45 minutes away; around two hours by road from Suvarnabhumi |
| Ferry | Pattaya to Hua Hin, about two hours across the Gulf |
| Money | Thai Baht |
Our trips that pass through Pattaya
5D/4N Pattaya Getaway
An itinerary built around the beach, for travellers who prefer to settle into a single base.
6D/5N Bangkok & Pattaya
City sightseeing followed by beach time and nightlife.
For a trip with more than one beach stop, Pattaya extends easily into a longer route with Phuket or Hua Hin - let us know if that's the kind of trip you're after.