🇹🇭 Thailand
Pattaya travel guide
Pattaya is Thailand's most controversial resort city — a massive beach destination 150km south of Bangkok offering water parks, golf courses, elephant sanctuaries, and family-friendly Jomtien Beach alongside its famous (and somewhat notorious) Walking Street entertainment district. The coral islands offshore offer excellent diving.
Language
Thai (English widely spoken in tourist areas)
Currency
Thai Baht (THB)
Timezone
Asia/Bangkok
Best time
November–April
Budget/day
฿1,000-3,500/day ($28-97)
When to visit
Jan
23 to 32°C
Feb
24 to 33°C
Mar
26 to 35°C
Apr
27 to 36°C
May
27 to 34°C
Jun
27 to 33°C
Jul
26 to 32°C
Aug
26 to 32°C
Sep
26 to 31°C
Oct
25 to 31°C
Nov
24 to 32°C
Dec
23 to 31°C
Safety
6Pattaya's main risks are standard tourist city concerns: taxi overcharging, gem scams, overly persistent touts, and standard drink spiking awareness at nightlife venues. Family beach areas and day activities are entirely safe.
Women travellers
Exercise standard caution, particularly on Walking Street at night. Daytime city is generally safe.
Culture & etiquette
- + Visit the Sanctuary of Truth — extraordinary all-wood Hindu-Buddhist temple being carved continuously since 1981
- + Take the Ko Lan ferry for swimming at Tawaen beach — the water is dramatically cleaner than Pattaya bay
- + Dress modestly when visiting any Buddhist temple — cover shoulders and knees
- - Don't disrespect the Thai royal family — lèse-majesté is a serious criminal offence
- - Don't photograph monks without permission
- - Don't participate in illegal activities — Thai law is strictly enforced
Food to try
Pattaya seafood at beach restaurants
The Gulf of Thailand coast means extraordinary fresh seafood — grilled whole tiger prawns, steamed blue crab with chilli-lime sauce, whole sea bass baked in salt crust, clams in basil stir-fry; Jomtien Beach road and the floating market have competitive seafood restaurants; Thailand's coastal cuisine at its most abundant and affordable
Pad kra pao (holy basil stir-fry)
Thailand's most-eaten daily dish — minced pork or chicken stir-fried with garlic, fresh bird's eye chillies and holy basil leaves, served on rice with a fried egg on top; every local restaurant does this for lunch; if ordering Thai food for the first time in Thailand, this is where to start
Khao man gai (poached chicken rice)
Hainanese-influenced Thai dish — poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken stock, served with clear soup, cucumber slices, and a thick dark ginger-garlic dipping sauce; Pattaya's large Chinese-Thai community means this is available at dawn from street cart vendors
Som tum (papaya salad)
The Northeast Thai papaya salad that has conquered all of Thailand — shredded unripe papaya bruised in a mortar with garlic, chillis, lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar; ordered to your heat level (farang is typically 'little spicy'); Pattaya's Isaan restaurants are prolific and cheap
Hidden gems
Details are indicative and may change. Verify visa, safety, and entry requirements before travel.