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. 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.

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. 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.

What to see & do in Pattaya (and vicinity)

Where & what to eat in Pattaya (and vicinity)

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. Mantra Restaurant & Bar is a concept fusion spot offering a combination of pan-Asian cuisine with Italian...

7 Great Restaurants in Pattaya
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. Being home to...
10 Best Local Restaurants in Pattaya
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. Some of Pattaya’s best local dishes contain prawns, crab, lobster or fish,...

Where to shop & what to buy in Pattaya (and vicinity)

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. 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. Royal Garden Plaza is a beachfront mall that draws a young, hip crowd. The...

10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Pattaya
The best places to go shopping in Pattaya include a varied array of malls, markets, stalls and even a bazaar. The impressive collection of malls caters to a range of budgets and needs. Most have some sort of gimmick or...
10 Best Shopping Malls in Pattaya
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. Even the local centres and department stores offer their own unique...

Where to go & what to do at night in Pattaya (and vicinity)

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. After exploring the scene here, you can head to...

6 Best Nightclubs in Pattaya
The best nightclubs in Pattaya are a big part of what makes the city such a famous party destination. Mostly found along the famous Walking Street, they have been pulling in the party animals looking for a lively night on...
7 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Pattaya
The best things to do after dinner in Pattaya illustrate why the city has its international reputation. This is a...
3 Best Rooftop Bars & Restaurants in Pattaya
Pattaya is unusually blessed with breathtaking sunsets. Having a west-facing coastline and generally good weather, the sun puts on a...

Useful information

Getting to Pattaya
Getting to Pattaya 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. Should you wish to arrive in style, you can even fly from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to U-Tapao Airport in Sattahip, south of Pattaya, though that's...
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