Pattaya Sights and POI

People say there’s nothing to do and to see in Pattaya except for the infamous Walking Street filled with girlie bars, crazy kathoys and drunken tourists. Well, while it is true to some extent, there are still enough worth-visiting places around the city and in the vicinity to keep you busy for a couple of days.

A day on the beach

Beaches within the city boundaries are not very appealing, that is true. But a 40-minute ferry ride (THB20; every hour from 6am; the last ferry from the island leaves at 6pm) brings you to Koh Larn island, about 7 km off shore, where you can easily find transparent sea water and white sand on a couple of beaches. Songthaews (THB30-40 per passenger) meet ferries at the port and transport visitors to beaches (we recommend the beautiful Tien Beach which features an incredible emerald colour of the sea or the neighbouring Samae Beach from which you can take a short stroll to Tien Beach).

Motorbikes are offered for rent at the pier for THB250 and it is a good opportunity to travel around the island and see it from above from a couple of nice viewpoints. Remember though that island roads are treacherous.

Walking Street

Yes, it can feel seedy but Walking Street is still a place not to miss. Beer bars luring customers with cheap bear, loosely dressed girls inviting passers-by in Go-Go venues and flashing neon signs make your dizzy. There are several venues with quite good live music (we recommend checking Rolling Stones II), and seafood restaurants, though touristy, offer terraces facing the sea and do their job dishing out the catch of the day. Try King Seafood if you cannot choose. There are nightly muai tai mini-fights in one of the rambling bars which you cannot miss just passing by.

If you visit Walking Street during the day, you will probably not recognize it: it looks as any other soi branching off the Beach Road and it is open to traffic till 5 pm.

Viewpoints in Pattaya

The iconic view of Pattaya Bay unfolds from Pattaya Viewpoint Hill. There is no public transport heading there, so rely on motorbike taxis/songthaew taxis. There are several points not to be missed up there: the viewpoint itself which sits in front of you when you approach from Pratamnak; the second viewpoint, located past the statue of the Prince of Chumphon, to the left; and very peaceful Wat Phra Bat, to the right of the first viewpoint. Walk around the temple to feel tranquillity amid the crowd making selfies against the iconic view of Pattaya.

If you need more scenic views, head up the neighbouring Big Buddha Hill for a slightly different perspective of the Bay and an impressive gilded statue of Buddha which you approach via a long staircase with naga balustrade. It is absolutely free of charge to visit the viewpoints, the temples and the Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai).

Thai massage experience

Pattaya is full of massage shops and even those closer to Walking Street are not as bad as you can expect. Prices in an ordinary massage shop are more than affordable at THB200 per hour for foot, Thai or head massage. If you are anywhere close to the Walking Street, walk up to the Second Road along Soi 16 of Arab Quarter and look for a green massage shop in Marina Bay Hotel. Right opposite it, also in the Second Road, there is a pink coloured massage shop which is also usually very good as far as the quality is concerned.

If you are looking for a more relaxed (and pricier) experience, call to Oasis spa in Jomtien. They have different programs starting from THB600 per hour and up to THB6000. The setting is very Thai and atmospheric.

The Sanctuary of Truth

Probably the only monument in Pattaya which can claim the title of a real ‘attraction’ is the Sanctuary of Truth located on the small promontory in Nakluea (northern part of the city). This wooden temple is the brainchild of the famous Thai businessman Khun Lek who is also the person behind several other huge art projects including Mueang Boran open air museum close to Bangkok. The entrance fee is exaggerated, to our mind (THB500), but taking into consideration the structure is quite unique, you may not want to miss it.