Things to do in Pattaya

At the heart of this ever-expanding adult playground is 4km-long Pattaya Beach, the noisiest zone of the resort with yachts and tour boats and fringed by a sand and a paved beachfront walkway. The densest cluster of hotels, restaurants, bars, fast-food joints, souvenir shops and tour operators is halfway down Pattaya Beach Road (also signed as Pattaya Saineung), in Central Pattaya (Pattaya Klang), between sois 6 and 13, but after dark the action moves to the neon zone south of Soi 13/2. Enjoying the vibrant nightlife is one of the best things to do in Pattaya.

Around the headland from South Pattaya, Jomtien Beach (sometimes spelt Chom Tian) is also fronted by enormous high-rises, many of them condominiums. Though the atmosphere here is not as frantic as in Pattaya, Jomtien also flounders under an excess of bar-beers and shops flogging souvenirs. The nicest stretch of sand is the shady Dongtan Beach, beyond the northern end of Jomtien Beach Road, which is also Pattaya’s main LGTBQ beach, though used by all. The bulge of land behind Dongtan Beach, separating Jomtien from South Pattaya, is Khao Phra Tamnak, variously translated as Buddha Hill or Pattaya Hill and is home to several posh hotels.

The small and expensive but rather beautiful aquarium at Underwater World is home to some fantastic marine life, with a trio of long fibreglass tunnels that transport you through shallow rock pools to the ocean floor. There are touch pools and masses of reef fish to find too. A visit here is one of the most fun things to do in Pattaya, particularly if you’re with little ones.

Pattaya’s reefs can be divided year-round, and underwater visibility is consistent. Most dive trips focus on the group of “outer islands” about 25 km from shore, which include Ko Rin, Ko Man Wichai and Ko Klung Badaan where you have a reasonable chance of seeing barracuda, moray eels and blue-spotted stingrays. There are also three rewarding wreck dives in the Samae San/Sattahip area. Be careful when choosing a dive operator as there are plenty of charlatans around.

What to do in Pattaya if you’re looking for a cultural festival? Every year in March, Pattaya hosts a three-day music festival, Pattaya International Music Festival. It hosts plenty of live bands from across Asia who perform from 6pm to midnight on the beachfront esplanade. Looking for Pattaya holiday packages? We’ve got you covered for sure!