Pattaya, from the sand up.
Speedboats to Koh Larn, the teak spires of the Sanctuary of Truth, jet skis off Jomtien and the neon of Walking Street: what each one is really like, what it costs, and where to book it.
Seven that anchor a Pattaya trip.
First visit or fifth, these carry the week: the speedboat over to Koh Larn, a ringside seat at Max Muay Thai, a morning with the elephants out in the hills, and the cabaret everyone still talks about back home.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Ticket for Foreigners
Spend a day in Nong Nooch near Pattaya with themed gardens, daily Thai culture shows, and cycad conservation. Foreigners-only ticket.
From $12 per person
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The islands make the trip.
Speedboats leave Bali Hai pier all morning for Koh Larn and the smaller Sak and Nual beaches: white sand, snorkelling over the reef, a plate of seafood, back on the mainland by late afternoon. This is the day most people go home remembering.
What kind of Pattaya day?
Everyone gets a beach day and a night out. The rest is yours to shape. Pick the kind of day that sounds like your trip, and every option behind it is already reviewed and priced.
Beaches & islands
The beach day
6 hours · from $40 · 711 reviews
Speedboat to Koh Larn before the crowds thicken, an umbrella on Tawaen or the quieter Nual beach, snorkelling and a seafood lunch, then back in time to rinse off before dinner. The easiest good day Pattaya offers.
See the island days →
Landmarks & culture
The culture day
1 day · from $15 · 977 reviews
The all-teak Sanctuary of Truth on the Naklua headland, the Big Buddha up on Pratumnak Hill, a slow wander through Mini Siam or one of the 3D art museums. Shaded, unhurried, and genuinely Thai between the beach bars.
See the culture days →
Thrills & water sports
The high-energy day
1 hour · from $28 · 67 reviews
Parasailing off the beach, a jet ski across the bay, an ATV through the back country or a skydive over the coast. For the traveller whose holiday runs on adrenaline and comes home with the video to prove it.
See the water sports →
Pattaya after sundown.
A dinner cruise out of Bali Hai with the skyline lighting up behind you, the cabaret at Tiffany or Alcazar, a rooftop bar high over the bay, then Walking Street when you are ready for the noise. Book the parts that suit your crowd.
The Gulf is the main attraction.
Half of Pattaya happens offshore. A catamaran to three islands in a day, a parasail high over the beach, a jet ski with the coast racing past. Pick your speed and your boat.
Elephants, orchids, open space.
Twenty minutes from the beach the country opens up: an ethical elephant sanctuary in the hills, the sculpted gardens at Nong Nooch, a wildlife park the kids will not stop talking about.
A temple built entirely of teak.
The Sanctuary of Truth has been rising by hand on the Naklua headland for decades, every surface carved. Add the Big Buddha up on Pratumnak Hill and a quiet temple morning, and the beach town shows an older, calmer side.
Pick your corner of Pattaya.
The town runs the length of the beach and then some. Koh Larn for the sand. Walking Street for the night. The Naklua headland for the Sanctuary. Jomtien for the water sports.
Know what you’re after?
Twelve ways into the same coast. Pick the one that sounds like your kind of day and every option behind it is already reviewed and priced.
A boat ride or a short drive away.
The best of Pattaya is not all on the sand. The islands sit a speedboat away across the bay, and the elephants, gardens and floating market are a short drive inland.
Three days on the Gulf.
You cannot see all of Pattaya in one trip, but you can get the best three days. This is the order we would hand a friend landing tomorrow.
Day 1
The island day
Speedboat from Bali Hai pier over to Koh Larn, a morning on Tawaen Beach, snorkelling and a seafood lunch. Ease into it while the jet lag still has you up early.
Plan day one →
Day 2
Landmarks, then lights
The Sanctuary of Truth at opening, the Big Buddha on Pratumnak, lunch in town, then a cabaret and a dinner cruise once the skyline lights up over the bay.
Plan day two →
Day 3
Elephants or engines
Out to the elephant sanctuary and the gardens at Nong Nooch, or trade it for jet skis and an ATV trail. Save the beach sunset for last.
Plan day three →
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