Pattaya City, Thailand

Pattaya City
- by the day, by the night

My sister from UK and I were in Thailand simultaneously, so a trip to some place nearby was a must.

We chose Pattaya given the lack of time (I was in Bangkok only for a week; thanks to Alok for forcing me to stay longer in India instead).  Just 2 hours away from Bangkok made Pattaya worth going for a day. 

Once we parked the car at the pier, we took the next boat to island.  This boat has capacity for 100 persons easily, I think.  From there, you have options to take the songthaew (passenger pick up taxi) or motorbike taxi to one of the islands nearby.  It was 10 of us, so we took songthaew.  Besides, the amount of food Indians carry to a beach requires a bigger vehicle  =)

You can see a map of different beaches there and choose your destination depending on how long it will take you to get there, how much time you will be able to spend at the beach, and when will the last boat take all the passengers back.


Koh Larn is the most popular island to visit, but we chose a closer one due to lack of time.  We were supposed to leave Bangkok by 8 in the morning but we left after 10 ... Indians, you know  ;-)

view on the way, from the boat ride

"somewhere along the journey, don't forget to look around and enjoy the view"

on the boat..

Take a yoga mat, or a picnic blanket, or something along with you if you want to sit under the sun.  We were born with a tan, so we preferred the shade.  It is easy to rent beach chairs there, each chair costing about 50 Baht.  Negotiate all you like. 

If you are a non-vegetarian, like seafood, and love beer - eating at the beaches in Thailand will be a paradise for you.  Cheap food, cheap alcohol.  You will not have to take food from home like we (vegetarians) have to.

If you have time during the day, you can check out Ripley's Believe It or Not in Pattaya - it is more enjoyable for kids.

haha. don't ask.

If you are going to stay overnight in Pattaya, or if you have enough time in the evening in Pattaya even for a day - you should go see the Alcazar or Tiffany show.  These transgender shows are fantastic - the costumes, the quick set up changes on the stage, the drama - everything is going to amaze you.  Booking tickets beforehand with an agent will get you cheaper price than at the counter.  After the show, the performers stand outside for you to click pictures with them (from your own camera) and hand over 20-50 Baht to the one you clicked photo with.

Pattaya Night Life

After the show and your dinner, about 10-11PM would be a good time to take a walk at the Walking Street - the most notorious little place in Pattaya.  Leave your kids behind at the hotel if you do not want to corrupt their head.  There are tons of bars, pubs, clubs, and "those" shows that could give you nightmares.

We had dinner at Ruen Thai Restaurant in Pattaya.  Not that it was preferred, but we were super hungry and chose whatever came our way.  The food was average, but the ambiance was nice.  Thai music and Thai dance kept people entertained - especially for the foreigners who took interest in Thai culture.  The restaurant is popular and was quite crowded, so I guess the non-vegetarian food probably is good there.

Thai dance, Thai culture, Thai costumes

Ruen Thai Restaurant, Pattaya

Evening we took the boat back to Pattaya.  Watching the sunset, all the way from the beach to the middle of the gulf until the shore...was beautiful.  My sister & I sat on the edge in front of the boat and soaked in all the mesmerizing beauty, the cool wind...and a lot of splashing salty water.

 

We ate dhokla, hot sambar and idli for a late breakfast on the way and for the late lunch we had hot chhole with pulao, and paratha rolls with sabji filling.  We always complain about carrying so much food, but getting to eat super delicious, hot, homemade meals away from home on the beach - we would not choose anything else.  We put songs on our phone and danced on the beach.  We ran to catch our last boat.  We clicked over 600 photos within one day on this trip.  And we gathered enough memories to last me another 2 years in US, alone, away from my family.

Your turn: Have you been to Pattaya?  Do you have any experiences to share?  Have you heard any interesting stories about the place?  Do you have some suggestions on things to do in pattaya for other readers?  Write away!

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