Pattaya (and Vicinity)

Pattaya is a vibrant coastal city that shot to fame in the early 1980s and has remained one of Thailand’s most popular holiday destinations ever since. From sunrise to sunset, its beaches are constantly brimming with watersports lovers and sun-worshippers enjoying the surrounding waters. After dark, the action shifts to the streets, where you can experience an electrified nightlife scene that lasts until dawn and is significantly more budget-friendly than Phuket’s or Bangkok’s. It’s considered one of Thailand’s better scuba diving destinations, having consistently calm waters throughout the year and the most interesting shipwrecks to discover. While the city has a reputation as an adults-only party place, Pattaya is a great destination for just about everyone, from couples and families to solo and business travellers. The city is 147 km from Bangkok, making it one of the closest beach resorts to Thailand’s capital city and a popular weekend getaway for the capital’s residents.

Things to do in Pattaya open the door to a thriving resort city full of beaches, water sports, nightlife, ancient shrines, tropical gardens, shopping experiences and museums. At Underwater World Pattaya, you can get close to a wide variety of tropical sea life, and even go diving with sharks. The Art in Paradise Pattaya museum is a unique art museum that’s full of interactive 3D exhibits. The best things to do in Pattaya include attractions that range from ancient Thai traditions to modern adventures. The best islands near Pattaya offer an idyllic escape from the busy coastal city. Most are uninhabited and ringed with beautiful sandy beaches and clear water. Food and dining in Pattaya offers a literal world of options, from New York pizza to 5-star fine dining establishments and everything in between, representative of its vast ex-pat population. The Royal Cliff Beach Hotel offers 5-star dining with a terrace that overlooks a swimming pool and the Gulf of Thailand far below.

These great restaurants in Pattaya are chosen from a broad selection. They offer menus featuring anything from simple Thai street food for a couple of baht to the finest choice steaks priced at a couple of thousand baht. The best local restaurants in Pattaya include bustling markets, beachside eateries and casual roadside diners. The seaside city is a prime destination for high-quality and fresh seafood in Thailand. Central Pattaya is among the tallest structures in the city centre and offers over 300 shops from Calvin Klein to H&M, Power Buy and more. The best places to go shopping in Pattaya include a varied array of malls, markets, stalls and even a bazaar. Shopping in Pattaya offers many different kinds of experiences, from shopping centres, stalls, markets and bazaars to independent boutique shops where you can find everything from haute couture to handmade crafts. The impressive collection of malls caters to a range of budgets and needs.

Shopping in Pattaya is a public pastime for locals and visitors alike, with every experience from floating markets on the water to vast multi-floor shopping centres throughout the city. Nightlife in Pattaya is what this city is famed for, and though it has a reputation for somewhat mischievous activities, it also offers elegant lounges, refined restaurants and casual brewpubs. Walking Street is the centre of Pattaya’s nightlife scene. This small stretch of Beach Road becomes pedestrian-only after 6 pm and is lined with go-go bars, brewpubs, disco nightclubs and restaurants. The best nightclubs in Pattaya are a big part of what makes the city such a famous party destination. The best things to do after dinner in Pattaya illustrate why the city has its international reputation. Pattaya is unusually blessed with breathtaking sunsets. Getting to Pattaya – pattaya.thaibounty.com – from Bangkok is easy as the cities are well connected via Highway 7 (Motorway) and Highway 3 (Bangna-Chonburi route). Several long-distance buses depart from Bangkok’s Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai) every 30 minutes.