When it comes to exploring different places in Thailand, Krabi and Pattaya are two popular destinations for lots of tourists. These two well-known holiday destinations welcome millions of visitors every year. But if you only have to choose one of these cities, which one is better – Krabi or Pattaya?
Basically, both Krabi and Pattaya are great places as they provide a wide range of amenities and attractions that make them easy for people to visit. If you want to explore nature and enjoy serenity in different areas, Krabi is a great choice. But if you prefer to live in a place with astonishing nightlife and fun-filled attractions, then Pattaya is the right place to be.
However, there are a lot of things you need to know about the differences between these two cities. So, in this post, we will compare Krabi and Pattaya in different aspects. With this, you will be able to decide on the better option between these two Thai cities.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Overview
As noted by Wikipedia.org, Pattaya is a resort city located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. This self-governing region is located about 100km away from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. The area has a population of more than 320,000 people.
Although it used to be a fishing village, Pattaya has grown to become a popular hub of tourism in the country. It boasts of having a tropical hot and dry season that runs from December to February, a hot and humid season from March to April as well a hot and rainy season that runs from May to November.
Krabi is found on the southern end of the Land of Smiles, around the shore of the Andaman Sea. The area is popular for having some astounding beaches such as Railay Beach and Ton Sai Beach. It should be noted that Krabi province is the home of more than 470,000 individuals.
Like most other places in Thailand, the climate of Krabi is similar to that of Pattaya. So, as long as the weather is concerned, you are likely going to have a similar experience in the two cities.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Popularity among tourists
If you intend to visit Pattaya or Krabi for tourism, you will likely want to choose a place that receives lots of tourists. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Thailand was one of the most visited countries in the world. Although these two cities are popular among tourists, Pattaya is the obvious winner here.
According to MasterCard’s Global Destination Cities Index for 2019, Pattaya was ranked the 15th most visited city in the world with more than 9.44 million visitors in 2019 before the pandemic started. When compared to Pattaya, Krabi received a significantly lower amount of visitors. As stated by Euromonitor’s stat on Worlddata.info, Krabi got only over 2.3 million visitors in the same year. Thus, it was the 5th most visited city in the country. Based on the same source, Pattaya got almost 10 million tourists in 2019 and ranked the 3rd most visited region in Thailand, only behind Bangkok and Phuket.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Cost of living
When planning to visit Pattaya or Krabi, you need to carefully think about how much you will have to spend during your stay. So, which of these two cities has the most affordable cost of living? After checking out the comparison of the costs of living of Krabi and Pattaya by Budgetyourtrip.com, Krabi has a lower cost of living than Pattaya.
According to the estimate, the average cost of living in Krabi is around $42 per day whereas the average cost of living in Pattaya is about $54 per day. It should be noted that accommodation, transportation, entertainment, food, etc. are all included in the costs of living mentioned above.
Notably, you will likely spend more on accommodation in Krabi than in Pattaya. But local transportation, food, entertainment, and other things are more expensive in Pattaya than in Krabi. Consequently, you will spend more money in Pattaya than in Krabi.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Beaches
Thailand is popular for its lovely beaches. So, if you are coming to the country, you will probably want to spend some time around the beaches. It is noteworthy that both Krabi and Pattaya have a wide range of beaches. But Krabi seems to be a better place to visit if you are interested in visiting the beaches. The beaches near Krabi are more serene and beautiful than those in Pattaya.
In general, there are tons of astonishing beaches around Krabi. They have clear blue waters, white sand, and lots more. These beaches are top-notch spots for people that want to relax or just have fun.
Would you like to check out the beaches in Krabi? These best ones include:
• Phra Nang Beach
• Klong Dao Beach
• Railay Beach
• Tonsai Beach
• Phak Nam Bay
• Koh Mai Phai
• Tub Kaek Beach
• Long Beach
• Nopparat Thara Beach
• Koh Poda Beach
You can visit Planetware.com to learn more about these amazing beaches near Krabi.
Pattaya also has beaches, but most of them have been flooded by vendors who are only interested in selling their products and services. Also, some of the beaches in and around Pattaya are dirty; hence, they are not suitable for most activities that you may want to take part in. Nevertheless, you may still be able to find a handful of nice beaches in the resort city of Pattaya.
According to Tripsavvy.com, some of the best beaches in Pattaya are:
• Jomtien Beach
• Pattaya Beach
• Don Tan Beach
• Naklua Beach
• Koh Larn
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Nightlife
Pattaya and Krabi are both lively cities with nightlife for partygoers. So, you can never go wrong with visiting any of these two cities. However, when these two cities are compared, Pattaya is the clear favorite as it has some of the most spectacular nightlife scenes in the whole country. In fact, Pattaya is believed to be the best city for nightlife in Thailand. When it comes to nightlife in Thailand, only Bangkok can be somewhat compared to Pattaya.
The city of Pattaya has loads of nightclubs, go-go bars, music venues, rooftop restaurants, and numerous other centers that you can visit. It is possible to spend the whole night in some areas of Pattaya without feeling bored. Notably, Walking Street is the best neighborhood to visit if you want to take part in the nightlife in the city. To learn more about the places to visit in Pattaya for nightlife, you can check out Traveltriangle.com.
While the nightlife in Krabi is not as great as that of Pattaya, you won’t be disappointed with what the city has to offer. You can still find a couple of nightclubs and bars in the city. Traveltriangle.com gives you a better idea of where to enjoy the best nightlife in Krabi.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Family-friendliness
Would you like to travel to Krabi or Pattaya with your spouse and/or kids? Both Pattaya and Krabi have various family-friendly attractions that you can visit with your loved ones. The two cities also have neighborhoods where you can stay with your family.
Nonetheless, you should understand that Pattaya is famous for sex tourism. In other words, sex workers are quite plenty in the city because it has some red districts. Therefore, when staying in Pattaya, there are a few places you don’t want to visit with your family, especially if you have kids.
So, when it comes to family-friendliness, Krabi is somewhat better than Pattaya.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Safety
According to Travelsafe-abroad.com and Journeyingtheglobe.com, Krabi and Pattaya are safe cities to visit or live in. As long as you observe basic safety measures, you have nothing to be afraid of in Pattaya or Krabi.
However, like other cities in Thailand, Pattaya and Krabi have some safety concerns you should be aware of. Pickpockets, petty scammers, drunken tourists, petty thieves, drug dealers, etc. are quite common in the cities. So, if you are in crowded areas or nightlife hubs, you should be careful as you are likely going to come across criminals in such places.
Krabi vs. Pattaya: Attractions
Since both Krabi and Pattaya are popular tourist destinations in Thailand, it is not surprising that they have plenty of places to visit and things to do. The two cities have modern and traditional attractions such as museums, temples, parks, beaches, and lots more. Therefore, if you are visiting any of these cities, you can rest assured that you will definitely find lots of things to do during your stay.
You can visit Hotels.com to learn about the best things to do in Pattaya or Theculturetrip.com to find out about the top things to do and see in Krabi.
Conclusion
Finally, both cities are great places to visit. If you are looking to visit a place with great nightlife and adult entertainment and is popular among tourists, Pattaya is better than Krabi. However, if you want to enjoy eye-catching beaches and explore astonishing scenery with your loved ones, Krabi is undoubtedly a better choice than Pattaya.
Therefore, consider your lifestyle as you pick one of these two cities. Otherwise, you can visit both cities when you are in Thailand.
