The Pattaya Bay Area is one of Asia's largest beach resorts and the most visited destination in Thailand after Bangkok.

Hotels in Pattaya

Pattaya is Thailands first tourist resort area, located on the North Gulf Coast of Eastern Thailand about 150 km (90 mi) south-east of Bangkok. Once a fishing town, Pattaya started to develop into a seaside holiday destination in the late 1960s. Today Pattaya has several hundred hotels and guest houses to accommodate the more than four million tourists yearly.

There are two main beaches in the Pattaya Bay area: Pattaya Beach and Jomtien Beach. Pattaya Beach is about three kilometers long and runs parallel to the city center. The beach is full of life with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls all along the road facing the beach There are hundreds of beer bars, go-go bars, and discotheques around this area. Jomtien Beach in the southern part of the bay area is divided from Pattaya beach by the Pratumnak Hill. Jomtien Beach is more popular among family vacationers, and is mainly a residential area with luxury developments, beachside hotels, bungalow complexes, condominiums and restaurants. Jomtien Beach is a paradise for watersports activities such as jet skis, parasailing and small sail boat hire.

There are several offshore islands in the bay. Some of the islands are accessible by speedboat in less than 15 minutes and by ferry in about 45 minutes. Many of the islands have beautiful beaches and offers various underwater activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, seabed walking and even submarine dives. Most of the islands also have restaurants for lunch and drinks.

Golf is a specialty of the region, with more than 20 courses within an hour's drive or less of Pattaya, many designed by some of golf's most famous names. All offer good facilities and value for money. It is advisable to wear long trousers rather than shorts at some of the more upmarket clubs.

Other activities include go-kart racing and visiting different theme parks and zoos such as Elephant Village, where demonstrations of training methods and ancient ceremonial re-enactments are performed daily. The Sri Racha Tiger Zoo features tigers, alligators and other animals on their daily shows. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, about 15 kilometers south of Pattaya is a 500 acre (2 sq. km.) site of botanical garden and an orchid nursery.