PATTAYA INFORMATION GUIDE

Pattaya is 147 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, and faces the Thai Gulf. Pattaya is Asia's premier beach resort, and caters with equal appeal to families, couples and single visitors. Pattaya's relaxing tropical ambient is synonymous with every ingredient for memorable holidays. Accommodation ranges from luxuriously appointed beachside hotels with superb convention facilities to simple guesthouses. Sporting opportunities abound both on land and water, and include some of the finest golfing, gamefishing and scuba-diving anywhere in Asia. Theme and amusement parks, offbeat museums and lush botanical gardens offer numerous forms of leisure activities and cultural entertainment for all family members. And, after dark, Pattaya offers all the allure and magic of a truly vibrant nightlife with a spectacular variety of restaurants, nightclubs, bars, discotheques, cocktail lounges and cabarets. Pattaya can be brash, bold, beautiful and bucolic, and offers everything an authentic international beach resort can.
Local culture:

Within twenty years, Pattaya has been transformed from a sleepy fishing community into an international resort often referred to as the 'Thai Riviera'. Pattaya is literally a place where East meets West , both in colour and character, and is probably the most cosmopolitan place in Thailand after Bangkok
The Place for All Tastes

For sun lovers and water-sports fans, Pattaya's sunny climate provides ideal conditions for swimming and all other imaginable water activities, including fishing, boat sailing, speed-boating, water-scooter riding, water skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and windsurfing. For those who do not want to get drenched, Pattaya also has gyms and health clubs for exercise and many kinds of land sports and games to choose from, such as shooting, car racing, horse riding, archery, golf, bowling, tennis, go-kart, paintball, etc. For shoppers, fashionable boutiques and shops of ready-made garments, silk, paintings, handicrafts, gemstones, jewelry and trinkets are centred in the main street of Central and South Pattaya and also in the luxurious hotels. And the prices are fair.For gourmets, Pattaya's cookeries offer at reasonable prices a wide range of superlative fresh seafood and various styles of cuisine -- Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Scandinavian, Mexican, American, Indian, Russian, etc. And for night owls, Pattaya's lively nightlife caters for every taste. The most brightly colourful spot is South Pattaya where all kinds of nightly entertainment are offered. In short, Pattaya is the place for all. No wonder it has remained popular among those who come to spend their holidays from far and near alike.
Major Beaches and Islands

Pattaya Beach

Some 4 kilometres long, this beach faces Pattaya Bay, the major venue from where boats visit Pattaya's offshore islands. The beach curves from north to south and is largely paralleled by a treelined promenade and beach road which is lined, in the northern and central parts, by hotels and restaurants. The northern section of the beach is largely tranquil, while the central and southern parts become increasingly lively, thanks to a position of shops, department stores, boutiques, beauty salons, supermarkets, bars, discotheques, restaurants and nightclubs. The central area of the beach is a major shopping area, while the southern end is one of Pattaya's major nightlife areas. Starting from Dusit Resort Hotel in the area called North Pattaya to the small hill in the South, Pattaya beach and its parallel beach road is about 3 kilometres long. Apart from swimming and sunbathing, the beach also offers excellent facilities for watersports enthusiasts of all kinds

The northern part is a more quiet area of resorts while the southern part is a place of hustle and bustle, where both sides of the street are lined up with department stores, restaurants, discotheques, bars and nightclubs and shops of all kinds.

Jomtien BeachThis

6-kilometre long, largely straight beach, some 4 kilometres south of Pattaya, is the most notable of several beaches south of the resort. The beach is popular with windsurfers and watersports enthusiasts, largely because the area enjoys brisk and fresh breezes sweeping island from the Thai Gulf, and because the seas are less congested with boats than is Pattaya Bay. Jomtien is also a major residential area with beachside hotels, bungalow complexes, condominiums and restaurants. The former paddy fields have turned into a thriving beach. Only 3 km. down Pattaya Beach, Jomtien is highly recommended to those who seek a quieter resort, where the golden sand, bright sun and blue clear sea are always pleased to welcome all vacationers.
It is a good place for relaxation with modern comforts and accommodation. Its long straight coastline of 6 kilometres with a fringe of coconut and palm trees offers vacationers a pleasant atmosphere for relaxing and viewing the sun setting in the sea. Its calm sea is also suitable for swimming and playing all kinds of water sports for the whole year. Jomtien Beach is especially the best spot for windsurfing and instruction is widely available for beginners.

Ko Lan (Lan Island)

Some 15 minutes by speedboat from Pattaya Bay, Ko Lan is the largest of Pattaya's offshore islands and is a popular venue for watersports such as windsurfing, water skiing, snorkelling and scuba-diving. Viewing coral reefs through glass-bottomed boats and parasailing are other popular activities. Island beaches are lined with souvenir stalls selling colourful beachwear and decorative handicrafts, foodstalls and restaurants. Visitors seeking greater tranquility can travel to Ko Pai (Bamboo Island), some 35 minutes by speedboat from Pattaya Bay. Quiet, pristine beaches and clear waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling characterize this uninhabited island.