Pattaya by Night and Day
Riotous, rough-hewn, and renowned for its beaches and bars, Pattaya’s only two hours southeast of Bangkok by taxi.
Although Pattaya’s nightlife is famous, this is also Thailand’s busiest beach venue, with an estimated 12,000 rooms available, where nearly one million visitors converge each November to March.
If you’re a beach person, you’d do well to head to Jomtien Beach a bit south of town, or Nahklua Beach to the north, in order to enjoy some relative quiet.
If people watching (and meeting) is more your focus, then you might possibly find Pattaya’s nightlife more to your taste.
Even folks who wouldn’t ordinarily take in the nightlife in Bangkok’s adult venues travel to Pattaya, just to see what the hubbub is all about.
The dive season runs all year around, with visibility generally 6-10 meters, at depths of 18-30 meters.
Destination Resorts and Spas
Dusit Resort Pattaya, 240/2 Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya.
Reviews and Reservations
Royal Cliff Beach Resort, 353 Phra Tamnuk Road, Pattaya.
All spa services, four hotels onsite.
Reviews and Reservations
Siam Bayshore Resort, Pattaya Beach, Pattaya.
Reviews and Reservations
Scuba & Snorkeling
Although diving isn’t as remarkable here as in other parts of Thailand, there are several nearby islands that have interesting sea life, and there are several good wreck dives.
Ask your dive shop.
Aquanauts Dive Centre, 437/17 Moo 9, Soi Yodsak & Beach Road, Pattaya, tel: (038) 361-724.
British owned & operated, extensive website. PADI.
www.aquanautsdive.com
Mermaids Dive Center, 75/124 Moo 12, Nongprue, Jomtien Beach Road, Jomtien Beach.
Japanese instruction available. PADI.
www.mermaiddive.com
Neptune Dive Center, instruction in Nordic languages, English, German, Dutch. PADI.
www.neptunedive.com.
Two locations:
- in Jomtien Beach, 75/28, Soi 5, Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, tel: (038) 231-874
- in Pattaya, Soi Yamato, Pattaya, tel: (038) 710-131
Siam Divers, 380/M.10 Daa-Laa-Pan 1, Soi 17, Pattaya Nongplue, Banglamung, Chonburi, Thailand, 20260.
Tel: Office, 038-300422 (English/Thai); Mobile, 01-6538358 (English); Mobile, 06-1773075 (Thai).
Instruction available in English, Russian, Norwegian, Dutch, French, and German. PADI.
Specialize in small group, family, and individual dives.
Fully equipped boats with oxygen and first aid supplies, food and drink.
www.siam-divers.com
To get to Pattaya
You can go by taxi or bus, roughly 2 hours from Bangkok.
Bus fare is 121 baht for a nonstop aircon bus, which leaves hourly from the Ekkamai, Mochit, and Southern bus stations.
On arrival at Pattaya’s clean, well-ordered bus station, either taxi to your hotel, or pay 20 baht for a songthaeow, which will take you on the Beach Road-Second Road circuit.
Simply tell the driver the name of your hotel, and he’ll drop you there.
Pattaya bus station is located at GPS Coordinates: N12° 56.957', E100°54.197'
