Pattaya

Pattaya (พัทยา) is a seaside resort on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, about 150 km southeast of Bangkok. Pattaya is mostly famous for its go-go and beer bars, but local authorities have made some efforts to provide more family-friendly attractions and activities. Although the sex industry is still going strong and sex tourism remains the key money earner for Pattaya, the resort also attracts local families and holidaymakers from around the world.

Efforts by local authorities over the past few years have improved the quality of the beaches, but they are still lacklustre by Thailand’s standards, and over-development has long since destroyed some of the natural charms the area once had. However, the plethora of hotels and guest houses, and easy access from the capital and airport, make it a popular weekend getaway. Catering for over five million annual visitors, Pattaya is also able to offer an excellent range of eating options and a wide variety of things to do. Its population is a colourful mix of nationalities and ethnicities from near and far.
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Pattaya occupies most of the coastline of Bang Lamung District (one of the eleven districts that comprise Chonburi Province). This article only deals with Pattaya proper, which spans the areas to the east of Naklua Beach and Pattaya Beach, plus the Buddha Hill headland (which is immediately south of Pattaya Beach). Jomtien is covered in a separate article, and contains Jomtien Beach and the areas east of it, including Dongtan Beach. The beaches of Jomtien are much broader and generally in a better shape, and the atmosphere locally is more sedate and family-oriented than at Pattaya Beach.

The best time to go to Pattaya goes from December to April, that is, in the dry season, with a preference for the period December to mid-February, because from mid-February to April there is an increase in temperature. From December to February you can bring a sweatshirt for any cool evenings.
If you want to go in summer, in July and August, you will have to cope with a sultry heat, increased cloudiness, some showers, sometimes strong, and the risk of a tropical storm or cyclone. However, depending on year and period, the weather can be decent or good for weeks in these months as well.

Climate

The climate of Pattaya is tropical, hot all year round, with a dry season from December to April, and a rainy season from May to mid-November, due to the southwest monsoon. The annual precipitation amounts to about 1,100 millimetres (44 inches), so the rains are not that heavy, if not in the first phase (May) and the last (September-October): this is because the bulk of the rains is released on the Burmese west coast, which therefore protects this area of Thailand. However, some strong downpours can not be excluded also from June to August, although in this period, rainfall remains on average around 95/120 mm (3.7/4.7 in) per month.

In March and April, before the monsoon arrives, there can be a certain increase in rainfall, although the sunshine amount is still good.

The period before the monsoon, from mid-February to May, is also the hottest of the year: the maximum temperature can reach 34/35 °C (93/95 °F), and the minimum around 28 °C (82 °F). Luckily the breeze tempers the heat. On the contrary, in winter, from December to mid-February, sometimes it can get a bit cool, so that lows can drop below 20 °C (68 °F), and highs can remain around 24/25 °C (75/77 °F).

The amount of sunshine in Pattaya is good from December to April, the dry period, while it is not very good from May to September, in the monsoon period, when the sky can remain cloudy for several hours.

Pattaya can be reached by tropical cyclones, in particular from typhoons, which come from the east, normally from June to December (although they are more frequent from September to November), and generally affect more directly the interior of Thailand, but sometimes they can also enter the Gulf of Thailand.

How to get to Pattaya

Pattaya is located 147 km from Bangkok and can be reached in a comfortable 2-hour drive. There are two convenient ways to get there.

1. Via the Bangkok-Chon Buri-Pattaya Motorway (Highway 7) The motorway is linked with Bangkok’s Outer Ring Road., (Highway 9) and there is also another entrance at Si Nakharin and Rama IX Junction.
2. Via Bang Na-Trat Highway (Highway 34) From Bang Na, Bang Phli, cross the Bang Pakong River to Chon Buri and take Chon Buri’s bypass to meet Sukhumvit Rd, (Highway 3, passing Bang Saen Beach, Bang Phra to Pattaya.

Most visitors arrive by road from or via Bangkok, many having flown in to Suvarnabhumi (the “new” BKK). Much smaller numbers arrive direct by road from the north and east, by rail from Bangkok, and by air via U-Tapao from Koh Samui or Phuket in Southern Thailand or Siem Reap in Cambodia.

There are different ways to get to Pattaya, as additional by plane. In this case, those three airports are the closest ones: U-Tapao Airport, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. Once arrived on those airports, You get to Pattaya by car/bus.