Pattaya is a vibrant Thailand city 100kms southeast of Bangkok. It is on the coast of Thailand and has no shortage of activities for tourists and visitors to enjoy.
There is an abundance of activities for any traveler to enjoy in Pattaya and on average people spend 3 to 10 days in the city. You can easily pack the excitement into 3 days but for more relaxed vacations it is recommended that you designate more time in Pattaya.
Pattaya became a popular holiday destination in the 1980’s and has since remained a tourist favourite. It has exceptional markets to visit, stunning beaches to lay on and endless watersports to enjoy.
What To Do In Pattaya?
When visiting Pattaya, you should definitely not miss out of visiting the Sanctuary of Truth. It is entirely constructed out of teak wood and resembles both a palace and a temple without identifying with any one religion.
It was built by a business man who wanted to create a monument of appreciation for philosophy, faith, art and culture. The structure is intricately detailed and is a true testament to Thai workmanship.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Cultural Village is another beautiful site to visit. It is a landscaped park that features cultural shows, restaurants and accommodation and can easily take up a day trip.
It has influences from 17th century French garden, the European Renaissance and the Stonehenge and walking through the gardens feels like a world tour. It is recommended that you rent a bicycle to explore the gardens.
If you’re someone who loves an abundance of activity and excitement, you should definitely visit the Walking Street at the end of Pattaya’s Beach Road. The road is closed to vehicles after 6pm and it has nightclubs, restaurants, pubs and go-go bars.
During the day, Walking Street is mostly closed so this is a destination for the party-goers to visit during the night.
The beaches in Pattaya are world class and a must visit on a hot, sunny day. You can choose between scuba diving, flyboarding, sailing, surfing, snorkeling and virtually any other water activity you can think of.
If adrenaline isn’t your thing, then you can lie on the warm beaches and catch a tan after swimming in the warm waters.
For a calmer water activity you could do an under sea walk where a guide takes you to the ocean bed with oxygen gear and the fish will swim around you. It is a beautiful experience.
Visiting Pattaya’s View Point is another experience you don’t want to miss. This spot in the city gives you a birds eye view of Pattaya Bay and a large portion of the city. It is an Instagram worthy photo spot.
The Alcazar Cabaret is an infamous show that features 70 minutes of entertainment. It is filled with music, dancing, and comedic acts such an celebrity impersonations. While you are visiting Pattaya, it is definitely not something you should miss.
Pattaya’s food is popular for a reason. Some of their popular delicacies are their Khao Gaeng – which is a dish that features stir-fried curried rice and vegetables with meat on top and an egg.
Kai Jeow is another popular street food that is a fluffy omelette with rice and chillies or fish sauce. Moo Ping is delicacy to keep on the lookout for. It is simply grilled pork with sticky rice.
Food is easily available and cheap across Pataya. There is an availability of both street food and higher class restaurants for you to enjoy, depending on what you are in the mood for.
How Long Should You Stay In Pattaya For?
Choosing how long to stay in Pattaya depends entirely on how much time you like to spend visiting cultural sites and experiencing a beach holiday.
If you’re not one to visit the historical sites then 2-5 days in Pattaya is more than enough time to spend time on the beach and burn off energy doing watersports.
You can spend your day on the beach and your evening on Walking Street where you can dance all night long and enjoy divine cocktails, authentic Thai food and experience the Pattaya nightlife first hand.
However, if you’d like to spend a bit more time exploring the features of Thailand such as the Sanctuary of Truth, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Cultural Village or the floating market then I do recommend planning a bit more time to spend in Pattaya.
You can easily lose days exploring the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden being entertained by cultural dancers and indulging on popular street food.
There are a number of beaches to choose from when deciding where to spend your time by the water. Pattaya Beach is the most popular and busy beach – for good reason. Here you can snorkel, jet ski, scuba dive, or hire a private sailing boat.
You can also relax on the sand and swim leisurely in the waves throughout the day.
Two kilometers away from Pattaya Beach is Jomtien, that hosts a quieter atmosphere to Pattaya Beach. It still has bars and restaurants nearby to enjoy a relaxing lunch or sunset dinner by.
Jomtien Beach is a popular windsurfing and kiteboarding location and is perfect when you have parties all night on Walking Street.
Smaller beaches to visit are Naklua Beach, Wong Amat Beach, Koh Larn – which is perfect for a romantic getaway – and Dongtan Beach.
Pattaya has exceptional food to be experience at any one of the restaurants or street food available. It is incredibly easy to find delicious food, and the street food is more than safe to eat.
To experience Pattaya, you can fit the activity into three action-packed days if you’d like to experience everything Pattaya has to offer. If you do choose to stay in Pattaya longer you can experience the culture more in-depth.
A longer holiday allows you to indulge in Pattaya’s culture and experience the depths of her food, beaches and exceptional sites.
In Conclusion
Pattaya is a tourist destination for a reason – it has an abundance of exciting activities and beautiful sites for tourists to experience. The city is home to some of the worlds most beautiful beaches.
Pattaya Beach is lively and one of the most popular beaches in the city. Here you can snorkel, scuba dive, sail, or swim in the waves. At the end of the beach is the Walking Street that at night only allows people to walk and no car may drive along it.
The Walking Street is home to the Pattaya nightlife and features the most popular bars, restaurants, and clubs.
Two kms away from Pattaya Beach is Jomtien Beach and you can also visitany number of the smaller beaches within Pattaya.
While in Pattaya you should take a trip to visit the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens and Cultural Village to experience the vast botanical gardens firsthand. Here you’ll find the array of cultural dancers, and authentic street food.
The gardens are inspired by the history of the world and feature European Renaissance influences, Stonehedge influences and French influences.
The Sanctuary of Truth is another must-see destination with its beautifully carved pillars and the in-depth detail the construction features. It is a place that celebrates philosophy, art and the religions of the world.
Ultimately Pattaya is an incredible vibrant city that you would not want to miss. It is recommended that you visit between 2 to 7 days in order to fully experience what the city has to offer.