What to do in Pattaya for the weekend?

2 November 20182377 views0

Only two hours from Bangkok, by the sea and with a multitude of activities available, Pattaya is the ideal solution for expats or holidaymakers stationed in Bangkok in search of an excursion for the weekend. Pack your stuff, we take you to the heart of the most dynamic seaside resort in the country for a weekend!

How to get to Pattaya?

Given the fabulous road traffic of the capital, we advise you to wait until Saturday morning to hit the road and then avoid horrific traffic jams to exit Bangkok on a Friday evening. After a good night’s sleep, you will only have to choose between numerous means of transport of which here is a non-exhaustive list:

Take a bus at Ekkamai bus station, right next to the BTS station. They leave every hour and cost only 108 THB (approximately 3.40 USD). It will drop you off at the Pattaya bus station in the north of the city, then count between 50 and 100 THB to get to the city-centre.
Take a bus from Suvarnabhumi International Airport at a price of 120 THB (approximately 3.60 USD). It also offers a departure every hour and will drop you off at Jomtien, on Thappraya Road, near the Foodmart supermarket (ideal solution for those wishing to travel to Jomtien in South Pattaya).
Book taxi directly from your apartment/hotel that will drop you off anywhere in Pattaya. This should cost between 1,000 and 1,500 THB (between 30 and 45 USD) depending on your negotiating skills and your starting point.
Also be aware that a high-speed train line is currently under construction. It will connect Bangkok to Pattaya in just 30 minutes!

What to do in Pattaya – Day 1:

By leaving Bangkok in the morning around 8:00 am, you should reach Pattaya around 10:00 am. This gives you time to visit the beautiful Sanctuary of Truth which is an architectural marvel made entirely of wood. The setting is idyllic with its forest and the sea that surrounds it. You can have a short overview below:

After this visit that should last between one and two hours, a multitude of choices is available for lunch, whether you are looking for a small typical Thai restaurant, a Western restaurant or large chains of restorations you will only need to open our eyes and follow yours. For those who cannot decide, here is a small selection of our favourite addresses:

Glasshouse
View Mare
Bacco Beach
Chocolate Factory
Sky Gallery
Cabbages and condoms
Varin kitchen, you will not find a website for this Thai gastronomy hidden gem located on Thappraya 9, but trust us, this restaurant is one of the best in Pattaya! But, it’s a secret …
Terminal 21

View Mare bar and restaurant

After a good meal, head to Bali Hai, just off the Walking Street where you can find the pier to reach the beautiful island of Koh Larn. Two choices will be available to you:

A speedboat that will take you to the island in 15 minutes for 300/400 THB (9/12 USD).
A ferry that will take you to the island in 45 minutes for 30 THB (0.90 USD).

The Bali Hai Pier

Once there, you can enjoy a beautiful and peaceful environment, away from the bustle of downtown Pattaya, with great walks to do, beautiful beaches to discover and many activities to enjoy this beautiful place. For example, you can go banana boating, rent a jet ski, go diving, etc.

Beautiful view in Koh Larn

Once you are done with this beautiful island, you can head back to Pattaya and for dinner, why not have a look at the list mentioned earlier? To it, you can add the Café des Amis for people looking for a gourmet restaurant (be careful, prices may surprise you) and the restaurant of the Hilton Hotel for those who wish to dine with a superb sea-view.

When you’re done with your dinner, head to Pratumnak Hill for a great view of the Pattaya and its bay!

The amazing view from the Pratumnak viewpoint

When this is done, we advise you to take a look at the famous Walking Street, the most famous nightlife venue in Thailand. You will meet tourists and regulars in an atmosphere where you can find a full range of bars and nightclubs of all kinds. But do not stay too late, there are plenty of things to see tomorrow …

The (un)famous Walking Street!

What to do in Pattaya – Day 2:

After a good night’s sleep, you’ll probably want to relax at the beach. After all, it is surrounding the city! For this, several choices:

Pattaya beach
Jomtien beach
Bang Saray Beach
And our favourite, Saikaew beach about 30 minutes south of Pattaya where you will find white sand and turquoise water!

Sai Kaew beach

You can spend the morning there and then taste some succulent seafood and freshly caught fish. When you’re done, why not head to the beautiful Nong Nooch Botanical Park, where you can admire beautiful gardens and floral decorations? It is an atypical place, unique of its kind!

Nong Nooch garden

The visit should take a few hours and in the late afternoon you can hit the road back to Bangkok by the same means we have presented to you at the beginning of the article or of course, you can extend your stay in Pattaya!