Pattaya: A First-Timer's Guide
Pattaya is Thailand's closest big beach resort to Bangkok, about 150 kilometres southeast of the capital on the Gulf of Thailand. For decades it was famous mainly for nightlife, and Walking Street still delivers that in full colour. But a first visit today is much wider than the neon: family resorts in Jomtien, the huge carved wooden Sanctuary of Truth in Naklua, island day trips to Koh Larn, big modern malls, fish markets, and a long curve of beach that is easy to reach and easy to enjoy. Pattaya is not Thailand's prettiest beach town, but it may be its most convenient — and for many travellers, convenience wins. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 4.0 What Pattaya Is Really Like Pattaya is a real city that happens to sit on a beach. Around 120,000 people live here, plus a large expat community and a steady flow of Thai weekenders from Bangkok. That mix gives it excellent infrastructure: good hospitals, big supermarkets, cinemas, and restaurants of every cuisine and budget. Th...