Destination guide
Things to Do in Pattaya
Carved temples, a ฿30 island ferry and a sunset over the bay
The best things to do in Pattaya are the Sanctuary of Truth, a temple-sized building carved entirely from wood on the shore at Naklua, and a day on Koh Larn, the island 45 minutes away by the ฿30 public ferry, where the water is clear enough to swim. After those, catch sunset from the free viewpoint above the PATTAYA CITY letters and the Big Buddha next to it, spend a morning at Nong Nooch's gardens, eat at Thepprasit or Jomtien night market, and see a cabaret at Tiffany's.
Pattaya is two hours from Bangkok by a ฿144 bus, and two or three nights covers it. Below are fifteen things to do, ranked, with this year's prices and hours, the places worth skipping, getting around for ฿15 a ride, and where to stay to avoid the bar district.
Arriving in Pattaya
Where to stay in Pattaya
This route ends in Pattaya. Search Pattaya hotels with your dates, or narrow it to the area you're heading for. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
See Pattaya hotelsOpens Booking.com with your dates · also on Expedia · Trip.com
Key Facts
Most of the best things are cheap or free
The viewpoint, Wat Phra Yai, Khao Chi Chan, Wat Yansangwararam and the beaches are free, and the Koh Larn ferry is ฿30. The Sanctuary of Truth is ฿500.
Swim off Koh Larn, not Pattaya Beach
The city beach is for a stroll. The ferry from Bali Hai pier takes 45 minutes for ฿30, and speedboats do it in 15 to 20 for about ฿150–200.
Baht buses cost ฿15
Blue pickup trucks loop south on Beach Road and north on Second Road for ฿15, or ฿20 to Jomtien or Naklua. Grab and Bolt cover the rest.
Go early to the big sights
Nong Nooch and the Sanctuary of Truth open at 08:00, before the tour coaches. Koh Larn's beaches are half as busy before 10:00 and after 15:00.
November to February is the best time
December is the driest month, with about 12 mm of rain. October is the wettest, at 224 mm, but May to August stays fairly dry on this side of Thailand.
Skip the animal shows
Tiger Park, the elephant ride camps, the crocodile farm and the dolphin show all draw welfare complaints. See the list below before you book a tour.
The 15 Best Things to Do in Pattaya
Ranked for a first visit. Prices are this year's gate prices, and hours come from each place's listing.
1. The Sanctuary of Truth, Naklua, north Pattaya
Best overallA temple-sized building carved entirely from wood on the shore, started in 1981 and still unfinished, so you'll see carvers at work and wear a hard hat inside. The figures draw on Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese and Khmer traditions, and the guided tour is worth taking because the carvings don't explain themselves.
The day tour is ฿500 for adults and ฿250 for children 110–140 cm, with tickets sold 08:00 to 17:00. The night tour, ฿700, runs 18:20 to 20:30 with the building lit up. Cover shoulders and knees.
- Getting there
- A Grab or baht bus to Soi Naklua 12, then about 1 km down the soi.
- When to go
- 08:00, before the groups.
2. Koh Larn, 7.5 km offshore
Best for swimmingPattaya's island, with six beaches and the clear water the city doesn't have. Samae and Tien are the pick, Tawaen the busiest. Rent a scooter for about ฿200–300 or take a songthaew from the pier for ฿30–40.
- Getting there
- The ฿30 ferry from Bali Hai pier, about 45 minutes, around ten sailings a day from about 07:00. The last boats back leave around 18:00.
- When to go
- The first ferry, on a weekday.
3. Phra Tamnak Viewpoint and Wat Phra Yai, Pratumnak Hill
Best free sunsetThe lookout above the PATTAYA CITY letters gives the best view of the whole bay, and the letters light up from about 18:30. A short ride along the hill, Wat Phra Yai's 18 m golden Buddha, built in 1977, sits at the top of about 100 steps. Both are free.
- Getting there
- Walk up from Bali Hai pier, or Grab. Parking fills at sunset.
- When to go
- An hour before sunset.
4. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Sattahip, about 20 km south
Best half dayLess a botanical garden than a landscaped theme park, 500 acres of themed zones from a French garden and orchid houses to cactus collections, Stonehenge replicas and a valley of life-size dinosaurs. The gate price is about ฿600 for foreign adults and ฿400 for children. Take the sightseeing bus and good shoes. The elephant show divides visitors, and I'd skip it.
- When to go
- 08:00 to 10:00, before the heat. Allow three to four hours.
5. Jomtien Beach and its night market, Jomtien, 3 km south
Best beach in townA 6 km tree-lined beach, calmer and more family-friendly than Pattaya Beach, with cheap deckchairs and water sports. In the evening, Jomtien Night Market across the road runs 17:00 to 23:00 every night, with Thai, Indian and Mexican stalls and ฿30 smoothies.
- Getting there
- Baht bus from Pattaya, ฿20.
- When to go
- Late afternoon into the night market.
6. Khao Chi Chan, Wat Yansangwararam and Viharn Sien, Countryside south of Pattaya
Best half-day loopThree sights a few minutes apart. Khao Chi Chan is a huge Buddha outlined in gold on a quarried cliff, made in 1996 and free to see. Wat Yansangwararam is a sprawling, quiet temple park, free, 08:00 to 17:00, with a tram for about ฿300. Viharn Sien is a three-floor museum of Chinese art, ฿50 in cash.
- Getting there
- 15–20 km south, so hire a car or Grab for the loop.
- When to go
- Morning, before the open grounds get hot.
7. Tiffany's Show, Pattaya 2nd Road, North Pattaya
Best evening showThe original Pattaya ladyboy cabaret, founded in 1974, now staging a 75-minute production with big LED screens. Three shows a night at 18:00, 19:30 and 21:00. Mezzanine seats are ฿1,200 and VIP ฿2,200–2,800 at the box office, and booking sites often sell them for less. The early show suits families.
8. Thepprasit Night Market, Thepprasit Road
Best night marketPattaya's biggest night market, covered and cleaner than most, with hundreds of stalls. Come for the food zone, where most dishes cost ฿40–150. It's open every evening, but Friday to Sunday is the full market.
- When to go
- A Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening.
9. Walking Street, South Pattaya, by Bali Hai pier
Adults, after darkHalf a kilometer of neon, bars, clubs, live music and seafood restaurants, closed to traffic from 19:00 to 03:00 and free to walk. It's adult entertainment, not a place for children. Come at 19:00 or 20:00 for the seafood, after 20:30 for the full show, and walk past the touts.
10. Ramayana Water Park, Na Chom Thian, south of Pattaya
Best for kidsOne of the largest water parks in Southeast Asia, clean and well run, with a full day of slides. The gate price is about ฿999, less if you book on its own website. It runs on a top-up wristband, outside food isn't allowed, and it's closed on Wednesdays.
- When to go
- 11:00 to 18:00, any day but Wednesday.
11. Bang Saray, 20 km south
Best seafood dinnerA fishing village with a calm 3 km beach and the Pattaya skyline in the distance. Thai visitors drive down for the seafood restaurants along the road, and there's an evening market every day.
- Getting there
- About 30 minutes by car.
- When to go
- Sunset and dinner.
12. Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Si Racha, about an hour north
Best family day outA huge open zoo of forested hills with more than 8,000 animals, including Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who became an internet star in 2024. Rent a golf cart, ฿500 for two hours, or take the ฿35 tram, and catch the penguin parade at 10:00 or 14:00.
13. Art in Paradise, Pattaya 2nd Road
Best rainy afternoonA 3D illusion museum that only works with someone to take your photo, so it's best for families and groups. About ฿400 for adults at the gate and close to half that booked online. Open 09:00 to 21:00, quieter in the evening.
14. Pattaya Floating Market, Sukhumvit Road
Go knowing it's built for visitorsA purpose-built canal market from 2008 in four regional zones, with Thai dance shows and coconut pancakes. Entry is about ฿200 and a rowing boat ฿150–200 for 30 to 40 minutes. It rates 3.9 on Google because the shops repeat, so treat it as a show rather than a market.
- When to go
- Late afternoon, 09:00 to 19:00.
15. Terminal 21, North Pattaya
Best escape from the heatAn airport-themed mall where each floor is a world city, with the cheap Pier 21 food court on a top-up card. Open 11:00 to 22:00, and to 23:00 Friday to Sunday.
Prices and Hours at a Glance
| Attraction | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary of Truth | ฿500 day, ฿700 night | Tickets 08:00–17:00; night tour 18:20–20:30 |
| Koh Larn ferry | ฿30 each way | About 07:00–18:30 from Bali Hai |
| Phra Tamnak Viewpoint, Wat Phra Yai | Free | Daylight; letters lit from about 18:30 |
| Nong Nooch | About ฿600 adults, ฿400 children | From 08:00 |
| Khao Chi Chan, Wat Yansangwararam | Free | 06:00–18:00 and 08:00–17:00 |
| Viharn Sien | ฿50, cash | From 08:00 |
| Tiffany's Show | From ฿1,200 | 18:00, 19:30, 21:00 |
| Ramayana Water Park | About ฿999, less online | 11:00–18:00, closed Wednesday |
| Art in Paradise | About ฿400, less online | 09:00–21:00 |
| Pattaya Floating Market | About ฿200; boats ฿150–200 | 09:00–19:00 |
| Jomtien Night Market | Free; dishes from ฿30 | 17:00–23:00 nightly |
| Walking Street | Free | 19:00–03:00 |
Gate prices change, and many attractions are cheaper booked online the day before. A budget day in Pattaya, with a room, food and getting around, is about ฿1,100.
What to Skip
Pattaya has a lot of animal attractions, and several of them aren't worth your money. Tiger Park sells hands-on time with tigers in small enclosures. Pattaya Elephant Village is a rides-and-shows camp rather than a sanctuary. The Million Years Stone Park's gardens are lovely, but its crocodile farm draws serious welfare complaints, and the Dolphinarium is a performance show. I wouldn't book any of them, or a tour that includes them.
Two traps catch people on the beaches. Photograph a jet ski before you ride it, because damage claims on return are a known scam, and agree any boat or water-sports price before you set off. And don't buy island tours from Walking Street touts. The public ferry to Koh Larn is ฿30.
Getting There and Around
Pattaya is about two hours from Bangkok. Roong Reuang buses leave Ekkamai, next to the BTS station, 16 times a day for ฿144, and buses run straight from Suvarnabhumi airport for ฿135 to North Pattaya and ฿158 to Jomtien.
In town, the blue baht buses loop the center, south along Beach Road and north along Second Road, for ฿15 a ride, or ฿20 to Jomtien or Naklua. Flag one down and press the buzzer to get off. Grab and Bolt cover everything else, including the sights 15 to 20 km south, where a car for a half-day loop makes sense.
Arriving in Pattaya
Top-Ranked Hotels in Pattaya
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Pattaya. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya4.7 (15,354 reviews)
A family-focused beachfront resort in Pattaya featuring a water park, six restaurants, and sea-view rooms.
Check rates
#3Hilton Pattaya4.6 (16,711 reviews)
A polished beachfront hotel perched above Central Festival mall, offering sea-view rooms, an infinity pool, and five dining venues.
Check rates
#4Grande Centre Point Space Pattaya4.8 (9,347 reviews)
A space-themed resort in Pattaya offering sleek rooms, a water park, spa, and sweeping bay views.
Check rates
With Kids
Pattaya works better for families than its reputation suggests, as long as you stay away from Walking Street and the bar sois. Ramayana is the big water-park day, Art in Paradise and Terminal 21 fill a rainy afternoon, Khao Kheow is a full day of animals, and Nong Nooch's dinosaur valley wins over younger children. For the beach, Jomtien is calmer than Pattaya Beach, and Koh Larn's Tien Beach is a short walk from the road and quieter than the rest. Tiffany's 18:00 show is the family one.
How Long to Stay and Where
Two or three nights is right. One day for Koh Larn, one for the Sanctuary of Truth, the viewpoint and the night markets, and a third for Nong Nooch or the temples to the south.
Where you stay decides what Pattaya feels like. Central Pattaya and South Pattaya put you among the bars. Jomtien, Pratumnak and Na Jomtien to the south, and Wong Amat and Naklua to the north, are calmer and better for families and couples, and the baht buses link them all.
Plan the rest of Pattaya
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Things to Do in Pattaya.
Its nightlife, above all Walking Street, but also the Sanctuary of Truth, the Koh Larn island trips, cabaret shows like Tiffany's, and being the closest beach city to Bangkok, two hours away.
Sunset at the Phra Tamnak viewpoint, the Big Buddha at Wat Phra Yai, Khao Chi Chan's cliff Buddha, Wat Yansangwararam's temple park, the beaches at Jomtien and Wong Amat, and walking the night markets.
Two or three. One for Koh Larn, one for the Sanctuary of Truth, the viewpoint and the night markets, and an optional third for Nong Nooch or the temples south of town.
November to February, when it's driest. December averages about 12 mm of rain and October 224 mm. May to August stays fairly dry on the eastern Gulf, so Pattaya works when the Andaman coast is wet.
Yes, if you stay in Jomtien, Pratumnak, Wong Amat or Naklua and avoid Walking Street. Ramayana Water Park, Nong Nooch, Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Art in Paradise and Koh Larn's quieter beaches all work well with children.
฿500 for adults on the day tour and ฿700 on the night tour, ฿250 or ฿350 for children 110–140 cm, and free under 110 cm. Day tickets are sold from 08:00 to 17:00.
Only if you treat it as a show. It's a purpose-built market from 2008, entry is about ฿200, and the shops repeat, which is why it rates 3.9 on Google. The dance shows and the canal boat are the best of it.
Sunset at the viewpoint, dinner at Thepprasit or Jomtien night market, a cabaret at Tiffany's (18:00, 19:30 or 21:00), the Sanctuary of Truth's night tour, or Walking Street from 19:00 to 03:00 if you want the bars.
The public ferry from Bali Hai pier, at the end of Walking Street, costs ฿30 and takes about 45 minutes. Shared speedboats take 15 to 20 minutes for about ฿150–200. The last ferries back leave around 18:00.
Where to stay in Pattaya
Compare prices across major booking sites, and filter for free-cancellation rooms if you want to reserve now and decide later.
- Compare prices across sites
- Filter for free cancellation
- Secure checkout on the partner site
Compare rates on Booking.com
Largest selection
Compare rates on Expedia
One Key member prices
Compare rates on Trip.com
Strong across Asia
We may earn a commission from bookings made through these links — at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
You Might Also Like
Bangkok City Guide
A city of three zones and a river — understand the layout and everything else falls into place.
Chiang Mai City Guide
A walled square, a mountain, and the best-value good living in Thailand — once you know the calendar.
Things to Do in Bangkok
Ten experiences worth the trip — ranked, priced, and timed so you catch each at its best hour.
Things to Do in Chiang Mai
Twenty-five things worth the trip north, ranked, priced, and timed around the mountain, the markets and the smoke-free months.
Best Time to Visit Thailand
November to February for most trips, and the right coast for the rest of the year
Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
More about MacReady to build your itinerary?
Use our free itinerary builder to save places, organize days, and share your trip.
Open Itinerary Builder