Insider Travel Tips For Pattaya Beach In Thailand

Are you traveling to Pattaya beach in Thailand? Check out this updated 2022 guide with recommendations for hotels, restaurants and things to do in Pattaya. There are a few family-friendly suggestions too.

How To Get To Pattaya Beach

The distance from Bangkok to Pattaya is150 km and it takes just under 2 hours to get there by road. There are a few different transport options:

• Private car
• Rent a car & driver: 2,500 – 3,000 baht one-way
• Grab: 1,200 – 2,000 Baht one-way
• Public buses that leave every hour from Mochit, Ekkamai or Bang Na bus stops: 120 baht one-way

Pattaya Beach Hotels – Where To Stay

If you’re traveling as a couple, then these hotels and resorts in Pattaya are better suited for you because they are located off main Pattaya beach road and offer more privacy.

• InterContinental Pattaya Resort
• Cape Dara Resort
• Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa
• The Monttra Pattaya

If you’re traveling in a family or group, then these Pattaya hotels and resorts are great because they have facilities that are family-friendly such as kids clubs and spa.

• Amari Pattaya
• Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya
• Avani Pattaya Resort

More travel content here.

Pattaya Restaurants – Where To Eat

Here’s a list of tried and tested restaurants in Pattaya that offer delicious food for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. And the best part: kids can enjoy meals at all these restaurants too.

Pippin All Day Eatery Pattaya

Go for brunch around 11AM before the rush hits by noon and enjoy a leisurely meal with delicious Asian-Western fusion food. Here’s a list of vegetarian dishes you don’t want to miss: Sweet Potato Nori Fries, Pippin Cream Cheese Garlic Bread, Truffle Mushroom Soup, and Tempura Avocado.

The restaurant also managed to make yummy vegetarian options out of these non-vegetarian menu items: Green Curry Spaghetti and Mac & Cheese. Don’t skip out on dessert — it’s incredible.

Pippin is an instagrammer’s dream come true — every corner is photo-friendly, so be sure to keep a little extra time for posing.

Pippa Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

Right across the street from Pippin is Pippa Restaurant & Rooftop Bar and it’s a great spot for sunset cocktails and dinner. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, so the choice is yours.

The cuisine is Western and focuses a lot on steak and meat dishes; however, there are a range of salads and sides that are vegetarian, delicious and filling. Try them out: truffle soup, pumpkin soup, heirloom tomato salad, grilled asparagus, baked mac and cheese.

With a similar vibe to Pippin, Pippa also oozes decor fit for your Instagram feed.

Prime Burger

Enjoy delicious juicy burgers and a wide selection of fries with lots of dipping sauce options. It’s a great place for non-vegetarians, but if you don’t eat meat, not to worry, Prime Burger offers two vegan/vegetarian options: Aiya Napa and San Francisco.

Mays Pattaya Thai Restaurant

The Thai food at Mays Pattaya is mouth-watering to say the very least. The food is delicious with lots of options for all kinds of diets. Some vegetarian favorites include: Pineapple Fried Rice, Pomelo Salad, Tom Kha, and Stir Fried Morning Glory.

It’s a great dinner spot for small to medium groups. The restaurant isn’t large, so be sure to book a table in advance. And a special mention for the beautiful presentation and plating of all the dishes. Get your camera and tummies ready!

Related: Vegetarian Restaurants in Bangkok

Things To Do: Pattaya Beach and Pattaya City

Spend mornings or late evenings on Pattaya Beach

Pattaya beach is not as messy and crowded as it used to be; the main beach strip has been cleaned up and looks much neater. To avoid the sun and heat, head to the beach between 9-11AM or after 5.30PM and stay on for sunset (the view is incredible). Grab a few beach chairs (for approx. 50 baht per chair) under the shade of umbrellas and kids can play in the sand while adults enjoy cool drinks and delicious Thai food right by the ocean. A small reminder that Pattaya beach is still a commercial beach and hawkers will approach you from time to time — a simple kind “no” will help to avoid them.

Half-day private yacht trip

If you’re in a group of 8 or more, then book a yacht for 4 hours and enjoy the open waters. There are multiple companies (try Sailing Yacht Thailand) in the Ocean Marina Yacht Club offering yacht rentals for half or full day tours to nearby snorkeling sites. With kids aged 18 months and above, the morning half day tour is recommended.

You leave the marina at 9AM and return by 1PM. The tour includes a 1 hour boat ride out into the ocean near islands for snorkeling where the boat anchors for about 1.5 hours and then returns. Depending on your company and yacht, food and drinks can be provided (the vegetarian options aren’t great, so keep that in mind). Transport to and from the marina may or may not be included, so be sure to check on this. The staff on board are helpful and life vests for adults and older children aged 5+ are available. If you have younger children/toddlers with you, then bring your own life vest or puddle jumper just to be on the safe side.

Day trips to Koh Larn

Spend a day on Koh Larn island with clear blue waters and stunning views. All kinds of water sports and snorkeling is available. Take a ferry to Koh Larn from Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier. The journey is about 40-45 minutes long and the fare is 30 baht one-way. Ferries run from 7AM until 6PM and drop you off at Na Baan pier. You can take a baht bus from the nearby Wat to the popular beaches:

• Samae beach: popular beach with some restaurants
• Tawaen: the most popular beach on the island with lots of restaurants — the seafood is famous
• Tien: more idyllic, picturesque beach (the beach chairs are a bit more expensive)

Mini Siam Pattaya

A park featuring mini replicas of famous landmarks in Thailand such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Arun and River Kwai Bridge as well as landmarks from Europe such as the Eiffel Tower and Angkor Wat. Separated into two sections — Mini Siam and Mini Europe — Mini Siam Pattaya is a great place for the whole family. Kids will love the mini sculptures while adults can enjoy a leisurely walk.

It gets super hot, so opt for morning or late evening. Open from 9AM – 6PM.

FROST Magical Ice of Siam

Beat the heat with a day in the “snow” at Frost Magical Ice of Siam, which takes you to a whole new world in -10C temperature. Featuring Thai sculptures and characters from legends and stories made of white sand, Frost Magical Ice of Siam is a fun and unique learning experience for kids through multiple activities and zones. There are additional playrooms and slides too. Open from 9AM to 8PM. Entry prices: 600 baht/adult and 500/child aged 4+. Kids 3 and below enter for free. Coats and gloves are provided, but bring along extra jackets and scarves. Check on Klook for ticket deals.

Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark

Splash around in the world’s first Cartoon Network themed water park. The park is packed with thrilling slides, a water roller coaster, a 335m lazy river, a surf pool, and much more for older children, adults and adventure seekers.

There is also a toddler-friendly area called Cartoonival, which has a shallow pool with a water playground and slides.

Open from 10AM-6PM. Check online for deals on tickets beforehand to save up to 30%.

Art in Paradise

An art gallery featuring 2D paintings presenting the optical illusion of being 3D, Art in Paradise is a fun experience for the whole family as you appear to be riding in a gondola in Venice, going on safari in Africa, and hanging out with dinosaurs. A great spot to take lots of fun photos, so make you sure your camera is fully charged. Open 9.30AM-5.30PM. Check Klook for ticket deals.

Hang out in a mall

It might not seem like the most ideal thing to do when you’re on a beach holiday, but given the heat during the day, you will find respite for a few hours in Pattaya’s malls:

• Terminal 21 Pattaya:
• Central Pattaya
• Central Marina
• Royal Garden Plaza (features Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum & Madame Tussauds)
• Harbor Pattaya Megafun Mall (features Harborland and other indoor play areas and arcades)