In the last few years
Pattaya has, in an effort to broaden its appeal to family
vacationers, toned down some of the rowdy behavior that had
given it a dubious reputation. But you will still find a profusion
of clubs and cabarets which cater to every taste and persuasion,
and Pattaya's famously charming hostesses will still delight
all your senses. Pattaya is the ideal destination for those
seeking non-stop entertainment. It has boisterous go-go bars,
clamorous discos and tumultuous nightclubs. Visitors seeking
deserted and unpolluted beaches and a laid back atmosphere
should go elsewhere.
Hotels and guesthouses in every price range have more than
12,000 rooms available, and while Pattaya is not the cheapest
beach resort in the region, it is competitively priced when
compared to similar vacation destinations. It is unsurpassed
in the variety of services and activities available.
With it's many well equipped and reasonably
priced dive shops Pattaya is a favorite destination of scuba
enthusiasts from all over the world. While there are other,
superior, dive sites in Thailand, Pattaya is the most convenient
to Bangkok and is the jumping off point for trips to Ko
Laan, and the nearby islands of Ko Sak and Ko Krok. More
advanced divers seeking a more challenging experience may
want to head out to the more remote Ko Man Wichai or Ko
Rin, where visibility is better, or to the shipwrecks near
Sattahip.
Naklua beach, immediately north of Pattaya,
is quiet and unpolluted. It doesn't have as many restaurants
or expensive resort hotels as it's neighbor to the south,
nor the rowdy nightlife, but all these are available for
the 10 Baht cost of a 20 minute songthaew ride to Pattaya
beach. Similarly, Jomtien beach, around the headland to
the south of Pattaya, is quieter and less congested but
has good quality accommodations and restaurants.
Pattaya beach is world renowned for
the variety and unrestrained hedonism of it's nightlife,
though city leaders have in recent years made an effort
to confine the commercial sex industry to an area of south
Pattaya beach. The frenzied merrymaking diminishes as you
move up the beach road to central and north Pattaya, and
to neighboring Naklua beach.
