The three kilometers long Pattaya Beach runs along the city centre. The beach is full of life with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls all along the road facing the beach. The street south of Beach Road, Walking Street, comes alive with rock music as the night sets in. People throng the street to experience the night life, which is unique in all respects. There are hundreds of beer bars, go-go bars, discotheques around the area. Muay Thai, the Thai Boxing, an open arena in some of the beer bars are exciting to the hilt.
Another beach in Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, more popular among family vacationers, is on the southern part of the city, and separated from the main Pattaya Bay by Buddha hill. Jomtien is more calm and serene compared to the crowded Pattaya Beach and a paradise for water sports enthusiasts. Jomtien is also popular for its amusement park and tower, to keep children entertained. The one km long, Wong Phrachan Beach, situated on the Northern part of the Pattaya Beach is a favourite among swimmers.
There are acres of sand jam-packed with recliners and umbrellas (usually with an "in-house" supply of drinks), serviced by an army of laid-back but tenacious hawkers offering anything and everything from food (especially seafood, fruit, ice cream) to massage, manicure/pedicure, tattoos, lottery tickets, newspapers, herbs, flowers, gems, perfumes, sunglasses, CDs, watches, lighters, clothes, toys, souvenirs, handycrafts (it's a bit like TV shopping - as soon as you've declined one offer, it's time to consider another) and so on. Eventually you buy a very dark pair of sunglasses, and after that you just pretend to be asleep.
Pattaya Beach is almost 3 km long and bordered by Beach Road. Due to its central location and proximity to several hundred hotels, and because it's a relatively narrow strip of sand, it's crowded at the best of times (and even more so at high tide). Hefty fines for littering help keep the sand neat and tidy, however the sea is not so clean around here.
The northern end of Pattaya Bay is occupied by Wong Amat Beach, which is accessed from Naklua; and beyond the southern end, around the Buddha Hill headland that separates Pattaya Bay from Jomtien, are several more smaller beaches.
Naklua Bay is immediately north of Pattaya Bay, with Rachvate Cape separating the two. Naklua Beach, to the far north, is the main strip, with the smaller Crescent Moon Beach and then Palm Beach further south. Beyond them is Wong Amat Beach which occupies the northern end of Pattaya Bay, but is accessed from Naklua. All are generally cleaner and more suitable for quiet relaxation than Pattaya Beach.
Wong Phra Chan Beach (หาดวงพระจันทร์). This small tranquil one kilometre beach is on the northern side of Pattaya Bay. The serene atmosphere here is attractive to those longing for a complete rest and privacy.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pattaya
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Pattaya - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Pattaya hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Pattaya Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
