Pattaya is an essential destination for anyone traveling to Thailand. Located just a two-hour drive from Bangkok, the city has earned the nickname “Hawaii of the East.” During the Vietnam War, Pattaya served as a significant base for the U.S. Marine Corps, and the American naval base remains operational to this day.
The demand for adult entertainment fueled Pattaya’s tourism industry and continues to be a prominent attraction. In Thailand, a country known for its devout practice of Theravāda Buddhism, Pattaya stands out as an exception. It has become one of the world’s most famous red-light districts, often mentioned alongside Amsterdam.
Pattaya Accommodation Guide
Pattaya City Center (Beach Road):
- Features: The city center is the hub of Pattaya’s nightlife, bars, and red-light district, ideal for those wanting to experience the vibrant nightlife.
- Amenities: Close to department stores, malls, restaurants, massage parlors, and other conveniences.
- Accommodation: A variety of moderately priced options around Beach Road with many choices to suit different preferences.
Jomtien Beach:
- Features: Quieter compared to the city center, perfect for those seeking a relaxing vacation.
- Environment: Away from the hustle and bustle, with clean beaches and a serene atmosphere.
- Accommodation: Mostly resort-style hotels offering spacious rooms and well-equipped facilities for a comfortable stay.
South Jomtien:
- Features: Located at the southern end of Jomtien Beach, it offers even more tranquility, ideal for those wanting to escape the crowds.
- Transportation: Although farther from the city center, many hotels offer shuttle services or private car arrangements.
Walking Street:
- Features: The heart of Pattaya’s nightlife, perfect for those who love partying and nightlife.
- Activities: The area is packed with bars, clubs, and food stalls, making it a lively place to explore.
Central Festival Pattaya Beach Complex:
- Features: Close to the shopping center, ideal for visitors who enjoy shopping and convenience.
- Amenities: Several luxury hotels located above the mall offer 180-degree views of the beach.
Other Areas in Pattaya:
- Features: Pattaya also has other areas, such as resorts near Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark, suitable for families.
When choosing accommodation in Pattaya, it’s essential to consider your travel goals and budget. For a peaceful beach experience, Jomtien Beach is an excellent option, while those looking to enjoy Pattaya’s nightlife may prefer staying in the city center or along Walking Street. Personally, I would opt for Jomtien Beach, as its quiet and uncrowded environment offers the perfect setting for complete relaxation.
There are many small shops along the streets near guesthouses and hotels that rent motorbikes for 250–300 THB per day. It’s recommended to walk toward Pattaya Night Market, where prices tend to be cheaper. When renting, make sure to check the fuel level—some shops offer lower prices but with very little fuel, so it’s worth comparing a few places. We rented four motorbikes, and the shop gave us a discount of 150 THB per day.
After renting the bikes, we headed straight to Lan Pho Na Kluea Market. The seafood here is fresh and reasonably priced, making it the perfect spot for our first meal in Pattaya—you can’t visit without indulging in delicious seafood!
Live lobsters at the market can generally be bargained down by about 50%. I saw some tourists negotiating the price of lobsters initially set at 3,000 THB each and ultimately buying three for 4,000 THB. While lobster prices are often inflated and open to negotiation, other products are relatively harder to haggle. For example, salmon prices only dropped by about 10 THB after bargaining. Crabs, initially priced at 250 THB per kilogram, were sold for 200 THB after some negotiation.
Of course, it’s possible that my bargaining skills aren’t the best. However, even at the listed prices, everything remains quite affordable. Thailand’s low cost of living is undoubtedly one of the key factors that attract travelers from around the world to this destination.
Sanctuary of Truth + Walking Street
Since we’ve been to the beach and visited Pattaya many times, the sea doesn’t attract us as much anymore. Today, we planned to visit the Sanctuary of Truth in the morning, stop by a duty-free store in the afternoon, and explore the night market in the evening.
However, as soon as we reached Terminal 21, the police stopped us. It’s common in Pattaya for police to check whether foreigners riding motorbikes have the proper licenses. They accept international driving permits or translated licenses, but you must carry the original documents with you. I usually leave all my documents at the hotel, so I ended up getting a ticket and had to pay a 500-THB fine at the police station.
I’ve heard that some people are fined as much as 2,000 THB, so it seems that the fine amount might depend on the officer’s mood that day. Fortunately, the police only issue a fine—they don’t confiscate your motorbike. They also give you a receipt, which provides a 24-hour grace period during which you won’t have to pay again if you’re stopped. I feel like this is the police’s way of helping generate revenue for the government.
Pattaya’s public transport, known as songthaews or baht buses, operates along a loop by the beach, with a fare of 10 THB per person per ride. Simply wave to stop the bus. Since the route may vary slightly, it’s a good idea to tell the driver your destination before boarding. If it’s on their route, the driver will let you on; if not, just flag down another one. When you reach your destination, press the bell located above the seats to signal the driver. The bus will stop, and you can pay the fare as you get off.
Tickets for the Sanctuary of Truth are 500 THB per person on-site. Many attractions in Thailand offer online booking, and with a reservation, you can easily exchange your ticket at the Online Booking counter.
The Sanctuary of Truth provides multiple guided tours daily in different languages. At the entrance, visitors are grouped according to their language preference. If you prefer to explore on your own, you can simply inform the staff, and they’ll let you enter without joining a tour. There’s no additional fee for the guided tours.
Note that shorts are not allowed inside. However, you can rent a wrap for free at the entrance by paying a refundable deposit.
Although the Sanctuary of Truth has “temple” in its name, it is not a religious temple. Construction began in 1981, funded by a private investor. The entire structure is made of wood and serves as a museum aimed at preserving and showcasing Thai wooden carving craftsmanship. Located by the beach in Pattaya, the building is subject to constant erosion from sea winds, leading to ongoing maintenance and renovations, earning it the nickname “the building that never stops working.”
Due to the continuous construction, there are work areas at heights such as the spires, and visitors are required to wear hard hats while inside the complex. The guides humorously remind everyone: “You can take it off for photos, but be sure to put it back on right after!” The gentle manner in which Thai people speak, regardless of gender, adds to the welcoming atmosphere of the site.
At the entrance, maintenance staff demonstrate the wood carving techniques and the mortise-and-tenon joinery used in the construction, though I personally felt the craftsmanship was a bit rough. The Sanctuary of Truth is locally known as the Museum of the True Sanctuary, which is divided into seven truths. The guide provides an in-depth analysis layer by layer, explaining that the intricate carvings hold philosophical meanings.
Almost every inch of the place features exquisite and complex carvings. You can find statues representing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Khmer styles all on the same roof ridge, blending traditional Asian art with the opulent style of the Bangkok dynasty. Various Buddha statues and relief patterns come to life, showcasing a vibrant display of artistry.
The fourth truth of the seven truths at the Sanctuary of Truth is “Great Personalities.” Surrounding this area are five exquisite Chinese fairy sculptures, while inside, there are carvings of notable Chinese figures such as Guanyin, Laozi, and Confucius.
In addition to admiring the intricate sculptures, the Sanctuary of Truth offers various entertainment activities, including horseback riding, elephant rides, pony carriages, and boating. The cost for an elephant ride is 400 THB.
At the exit, we discovered a place renting traditional costumes for 400 THB per set. It felt quite awkward; after a two-hour tour, seeing such beautiful Thai attire, I just didn’t have the energy to go through the experience again! I couldn’t help but wonder why the attraction didn’t place this rental service at the entrance instead.
Later, my friends and I discussed this and speculated that having the costume rental at the entrance might lead to longer rental times for visitors, which would make it less favorable for the outfits to be rented out again quickly. Additionally, if tourists lingered longer in the area, it could increase foot traffic density and negatively impact the overall experience for everyone.
On Walking Street, some bars have a great atmosphere, with good live music and reasonably priced drinks. Pattaya offers a real shooting experience, but on Walking Street, they use BB guns instead.
Pattaya Four Regions Floating Market
The Pattaya Floating Market, also known as the Four Regions Floating Market, is located about 5 kilometers east along Sukhumvit Road from the center of Pattaya. It gets its name from its unique blend of features from the floating markets of Thailand’s eastern, western, northeastern, and southern regions.
The market is crisscrossed by waterways, with wooden buildings that have a distinctive style. Visitors can enjoy a variety of local snacks from different parts of Thailand, purchase regional specialties and handicrafts, and even take a small wooden boat to glide across the lake. You can navigate between bridges and pavilions or head to the center of the lake for a thrilling ride on a cable car, feeling the rush of wind as your feet skim the water’s surface.
Along the water’s edge, there are numerous wooden stalls filled with a wide array of goods. On the way back, you can stroll and explore the various clothing, crafts, and Thai snacks available. There are also bars and live cooking stations for Thai cuisine, with local singers performing on-site.
At the entrance, tickets are available in two options: a standard admission ticket for 200 THB and a ticket that includes a paddleboat ride for 800 THB. However, if you purchase the ticket with the paddleboat online a day in advance, it only costs 150 THB.
Morning Fishing Market + Night Squid Fishing
According to online guides, there is a morning market at Jomtien Beach, located near the beachfront galleries and hotels. It operates from 6:00 to 7:30 AM, when fishing boats return to shore with their catch. The seafood sold here is incredibly fresh, as it reflects what was caught that morning.
We arrived at 6:30 AM, and there were already many stalls set up. Fishing boats were gradually coming ashore, and the stalls displayed a variety of seafood, including blue crabs, squid, shellfish, and small fish, with some vendors offering stonefish, rays, and sharks.
All the seafood is freshly caught that day, ensuring top-notch quality. Prices are slightly higher than those at Lan Pho Seafood Market; for example, blue crabs of the same size cost 350 THB/kg here, compared to about 200 THB/kg at Lan Pho. Squid is priced at 400 THB/kg, while at the local market, it’s about 160 THB/kg.
However, the grouper at this fish market is cheaper than in Vietnam, as we bought ours for 400 THB/kg, with the same price regardless of size.
The night squid fishing tour was booked online for $10 per person. We made our way to Bali Hai Pier No. 2 to gather for the tour. At the scheduled time, a speedboat took us to a floating platform near the shore. This tour runs from 5 PM to 10 PM, allowing for flexibility—if you decide you no longer want to fish, just let the staff know, and they will arrange a boat to take you back to shore.
We fished from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM without any luck, and with the weather threatening to pour, we thought it best to leave rather than wait. It seems that fishing requires both skill and luck. We’ve participated in fishing activities in Vietnam and Cambodia, but this was our first time coming back empty-handed.
Pattaya Shows + Bar Street
As a travel blogger, it’s essential to not only enjoy the trip but also provide useful travel information for fellow travelers. Today, we decided to explore Pattaya’s tour options, shows, and bar street without any other activities.
Pattaya, as a well-established tourist destination, offers a wide variety of day tours. In addition to local tours, there are numerous online purchasing options, often at cheaper prices. However, many online day tours do not include hotel pick-up and drop-off, which may not be convenient for those staying in more remote areas. I recommend that travelers in such situations consider joining local tours, ensuring to clarify the pick-up zones or arrange paid transportation through the travel agency for a hassle-free experience.
Pattaya has several famous shows, including Tiffany’s Show, 6996 Show, and 89 Show, along with the cabaret show on Walking Street. Here’s a brief overview of the first three:
- Tiffany’s Show
- Location: Directly across from Terminal 21 Shopping Mall.
- Address: หมู่ที่ 6 456, 777, 777/1 Pattaya Sai Song Rd, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150.
- Ticket Price: Online tickets are priced at $50, with varying prices depending on seating. The show runs three times each evening at 18:00, 19:30, and 21:00.
- 89 Show
- Location: Approximately 900 meters from Terminal 21, situated on the same street as the 6996 Show, just 50 meters apart.
- Address: 159, 272 ถนน Naklua 29/1, Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District.
- Ticket Price: Online tickets are available for $35, with performances occurring from 18:00 to 21:00 in a continuous loop.
- 6996 Show
- Location: Also near Terminal 21, along the same street as the 89 Show.
- Reputation: Known as the “King of Shows” in Pattaya.
- Ticket Availability: Online tickets are generally hard to find, but local travel agencies often sell them. Tickets purchased at the door cost 1,500 THB.
These shows offer a variety of performances, making them popular attractions for visitors in Pattaya.
A few days ago, I visited Walking Street, and today I’m heading to Soi 6 and Boyztown. Soi 6 is located by the beach, right next to the Plane Night Market. It’s one of the oldest and most popular areas for European and American tourists in Pattaya, known as the best-value beer street.
Here, the girls tend to wear more revealing outfits, which might catch the attention of male visitors. However, they are not pushy; if you’re not interested, a simple shake of the head as you walk by is usually enough to pass without further engagement.
Boyztown is located just a bit further from Walking Street. To get there, exit Walking Street, turn right, and take the first left. Today happens to be a Buddhist holiday in Thailand, so many shops are closed, making the area feel quite subdued. It was bustling just a few days ago when I passed through.
For first-time visitors to Pattaya, I recommend joining a day tour to Koh Larn (Coral Island). The tour typically includes pick-up and drop-off, along with all water activities such as sea walking, parasailing, banana boating, jet skiing, and snorkeling, priced at around 3,000 THB.
If you bring your own snorkeling gear, you can opt for a 4-in-1 package, which is priced online at 2,500 THB. For those joining a local tour, this price can serve as a bargaining standard.
Of course, the entertainment options in Pattaya extend far beyond just those activities. You can enjoy go-karting, parasailing, various water sports, underwater adventures, numerous massage parlors, and even live-fire shooting ranges, among other attractions. There’s plenty to explore and experience firsthand!
