There are numerous malls, supermarkets, bazaar-style markets, and thousands of other shops. Sadly, you'll be seeing a lot of the same stuff over and over again — there's no endless variety in Pattaya. Also, Pattaya is not a good place to go shopping for hi-tech products, such as cameras and computers—expect to see prices around 50% higher than the best prices advertised in the West. Also beware of buying fake branded and designer goods, since these could be confiscated by customs officers at the airport.
Foreign currency can easily be exchanged for Thai baht at the many exchange booths which can be found in all areas popular with tourists — there are even mobile exchanges/ATMs in specially adapted minivans that are set up as and when and where the need arises. Note that the majority of exchange booths will buy foreign currency but will not sell it — if you need to obtain US dollars, for example if you're going to Cambodia, use one of the larger branches of a major bank, such as the Bangkok Bank branch on Second Road (almost opposite Soi 6).
ATMs are widely available around the city, however, the vast majority of them now charge a steep 150 baht fee for using foreign cards, on top of what your home bank normally charges. The only exception is Aeon bank, their ATMs are located at the ground floor of Carrefour near KFC, Central Pattaya Road (around 400 meters up from the Second Road crossing), near Homework Furniture Mall entrance (just behind Big C on South Pattaya/Sukhumvit Road intersection, accessible by 10 baht songthaews parked near Second road intersection), and in Tesco Lotus at South Pattaya. Also at Tesco Lotus on North Pattaya Road on the ground floor.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pattaya
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Pattaya - updated Apr 2024
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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.
