Pattaya

Introduction

lipe pattaya beach

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Pattaya is located off the Gulf of Thailand and is around 147 kilometres from Bangkok, the capitol of Thailand. Though not as popular as Phuket, this small fishing village has grown into an excellent beach resort offering all the options available at a typical beach resort. Pattaya has a range of water sports activites available besides having a number of amusement parks, botanical gardens and a number of museums. Pattaya comes alive at night with its wide variety of nightclubs, bars, pubs and a number of sex shops, which are buzzing with activity. Many people have praised Pattaya as man's paradise making it a bit intense in some areas and quite seedy. The seeder side of Pattaya can be a bit overwhelming for many travellers, especially solo female travellers.

History

Suburbs

Sights

Sanctuary Of Truth

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Although mainly known as a party destination for older single men Pattaya does have much to see and explore. Some of the more important ones include:

• Pattaya Beach and Jomtein Beach are in the city center and the road adjacent to it is the center of night-life activities. Jomtein beach is to the south of the city and is comparatively cleaner and peaceful. Jomtein beach area has a number of luxury reasorts and also has a huge Entertainment park featuring a water park, roller coaster and numerous other joy rides.
• Ko Lan or Coral Island is a small island situated around 8 kms from Pattaya. Speedboats and normal ferry leaving quite frequently from the Pattaya beach can provide access to this island. Corals can be viewed by taking a ride on the glass-bottomed boat. Range of water sports options is available at the Coral island.
• Nong Nooch Botanical Garden is a beautiful and well maintained botanical garden located around 15 kms from Pattaya. Live cultural shows in a traditional Thai setting are the highlight of this garden.
• Underwater world is an aquarium which has a collection of marine species including sharks and sting rays. The tunnel is more than 100 metres long divided into a number of zones.
• Cabaret Shows are a popular activity here. The two main transvestite cabaret shows namely Alcazar and Tiffany shows. Both are good in their own respect but the Tiffany show is more spectacular of the two.

Some of the other attractions of Pattaya include the Pattaya Crocodile Park, Ripley’s Believe it or not Museum, Walking Street, Elephant Village and the Thai Alangkran

Activities

Events and Festivals

Songkran Parade

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Pattaya festival is usually held around the middle of April to boost tourism in this region. The Miss Pattaya beauty contest and many sports competition are held during this time. The beach glitters due to the spectacular fireworks display and the various cultural performances/exhibitions are also held during this period.

Weather

Pattaya has a tropical climate with air temperatures not varying much during different times of the year. The average daytime temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius. This region received most of the rainfall from June to October.
The best time to visit Pattaya is from mid November to February when it is not very hot and it is relatively dry.

Getting There

By Plane

Pattaya is around 120 Kms from the Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) near Bangkok and 147 Kms from Bangkok city. It can be directly reached from the airport or from Bangkok city. Buses, shared taxis and private taxis are easily available for traveling to Pattaya.

U-Tapao International Airport (UTP) is a 45-minute drive from Pattaya but only has scheduled flights to Bangkok and Koh Samui.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

Private Taxis are available for traveling in and around the Pattaya region. Public transport is usually available in an extended auto rickshaw type vehicle, which is also known as “Tuk Tuk” in local language. These ply on sharing basis but normally the rates are much higher for foreign tourists.

By Car

By Public Transport

By Boat

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Plenty of accommodation is available in this region ranging from a few dollars to relatively expensive ones. Some of the resorts have their own private beaches and rates are quite reasonable when compared to the European standards.

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Thailand Post is the Thai postal service that deals with all local and international mail in Thailand. The business is operated from local post offices. Post offices are easy to recognise with their red white and blue motifs and the words 'Thailand Post' in English and Thai above the entrance. They are open from Monday to Saturday, usually 8:30am to 4:30pm (main ones until around 8:00pm), though keeping shorter hours on Saturdays (usually until 1:00pm). They are generally closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Each post office offers a comprehensive service which includes an Express Mail Service (EMS) and parcel post. They also have a price calculator for letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. They also have a track and trace system and money transfer services.