Sin City - Pattaya

Pattaya city is a large and popular coastal city made infamous by its nightlife and wild women.

A large population of foreigners make the place their home and it gets a perpetual rush of tourists throughout the year.

Pattaya is only around the coast from Bangkok and near to the new airport - Suvarnaburi. It is always busy and is a popular tourist destination.

Pattaya became popular as american GI's and Airforce servicemen travelled to the beach village back in the 1970s. Ever since then the village grew first to a small town, and by the 1990s it was a thriving and heaving city. Notorious for its naughty nightlife and anything-goes mentality Pattaya is an expat haven and tourist ghetto. Pattaya is called many things by expat and tourist alike - 'Sin city', 'Disneyland for adults' and mearly 'Patters' for short.

The city is well developed with restaurants, malls, entertainment venues and . The internet is fast and there are plenty of big bikes to play with. Recreational pursuits favour the single man here. Aside from the usual bars and girls there's a shooting club, horse-riding, a motorbike track, golf. The list is considerable.

One of Pattaya's major attractions for foreigners is 'Walking Street', an entertainment area crammed with adult delights and debauchery. It's off-limits to vehicles during night-time which keeps the violence factor down a bit.

To the south of Pattaya is Jomtien. Similarly orientated in nightlife but more low-key than 'Walking Streets' hedonistic vibe. Staying here tends to be more expensive than Pattaya itself. Not the speedbumps in the picture above. They are rough on the bike so take it slow...

Pattaya Facts

Founded: Late 1700s A.D

Population: 86,000 (Approx)

Size (Metropolitan): 15 Sq. Miles

Typical Visa Run Destination: Arantha Prathet and then Poi Pet.

Access to Pattaya is (if you bike it or use a car) via Sukumvit Highway 3. Ferry and airport are other options (see below).

Seasons and Weather.

Centrally located Pattaya is, like many of its neighbors, one which is hot and humid tempered by the coastal breeze.
However the coastal geography means it does not benefit greatly from the prevelent westerly winds that blow in from the Gulf of Thailand. The city see's slightly more rain during the wet season but flooding is rarely a problem.
The wettest part of the year is normally September and the coldest is usually December and January.

Cool Season - October to February. Avg Temp - 28 C

Hot Season - March to May. Avg Temp - 34 C

Wet Season - June to September. Avg Temp - 32 C.

Pattaya Map, Provincial

Being about 160 km from Bangkok means about 2 to 3 hours drive time into the centre. An airport operates flights out of the city. Regular buses depart from the eastern bus terminal to Pattaya

Pattaya Ferry

Getting away from Pattaya to elsewhere is easy. There are ferry services to the small islands of Koh Chang and other places.

Just recently a ferry service to Hua Hin just got a lot easier.

From November 2010 onwards a passenger ferry service with a capacity of 75 is now running between Hua Hin and Pattaya.
It sets off at 0830 hrs from Pattaya and runs roughly three times a week. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays are the days it normally operates.
Be warned that high-winds and adverse weather can change their schedule.
The actual crossing to Hua Hin takes roughly 3 hours 15 minutes