Where is Pattaya?

[stepaniak]

Ok, I know where it is, but, realistically how far from Bangkok Airport (BKK) is it??? What is the best way to get there (taxi, bus...)? Also what are some really nice places to stay while i am there. Local dive shops and places to go would be helpful too. i have looked online, but there seems to be alot of conflicting info on this area. i just want to get some insight from people that have been/are there. we have a trip in the next few weeks and have to make arangements on short notice. Thanks for any help!
mike

 

[Tom Winters]

You're going there to go diving? I always gaffed off recreational dives in the Sea of Siam as it was too much work and the water didn't look all that great. There was way too much other stuff to do in Pattya Beach, especially coming off extended naval operations in the South China Sea.
It's 2 hours SSE of Bangkok - maybe 100 miles from Don Muang Airport. There's express bus service. Take a look at:
http://www.bangkoksite.com/pattaya/

 

[Geezer]

I was there before I started diving, so can't help with that end of things. Like Tom said - easy bus ride, and lots of non-diving activities. Don't remember anybody out swimming on the beach - water didn't look that clear, but it was several years ago.

 

[Rick Murchison]

If I remember correctly, it's about five or six Singha's.
Rick

 

[stepaniak]

Thanks,
The purpose of the trip is not diving, actually we will not be there that long. If the diving was great, we would work that in, if not, we are looking for other things to do. Is pattaya beach nice? or are there better places to spend a week around bangkok?
thanks for the advice.
mike

 

[Rick Murchison]

Thanks,
The purpose of the trip is not diving, actually we will not be there that long. If the diving was great, we would work that in, if not, we are looking for other things to do. Is pattaya beach nice? or are there better places to spend a week around bangkok?
thanks for the advice.
mike

That depends entirely on what you want to do.
Bangkok is a wonderful city with more than enough interesting and exciting things to do to keep you busy for quite a while. If you're interested in Thai culture and history, stay there.
Pattaya is a resort town. Nice hotels, beach things, shops, very touristy.
Don't french kiss the sun bear.
Rick

 

[stepaniak]

i think we are just looking to relax and get away, so a beach would be ideal. We will be in bangkok for a while to take in the cultural side, just looking for the best place to relax after that.
i have not ruled out taking a short flight to get somewhere else in thailand.
mike

 

[RSdiver]

Pattaya per se, doesn't have much in the way of SCUBA diving, but Koh Samet and further East at Koh Chang have some. If you can travel, head down to Koh Tao and dive the Chumphon Pinnacle.

If you could head further away to the West, then I'd recommend Krabi / Koh Phi-Phi and find a boat to Hin Daeng/Hin Muang (Red Rock/Purple Rock) which are absolutely wonderful.

 

[ssra30]

Thailand is not all that big, from Bangkok you can fly to just about any place in the country with 1 hour flight. Flying up to Chiang Mai or down to Phuket takes just as long as a drive to Pattaya. If you are looking for a nice quiet beach, Pattaya is definitely not the place. If you are looking for nice clear water, Pattaya is definitely not the place. If you enjoy nightlife, bar hopping etc then it would be the place to go, I suppose. There are some interesting diving there and a couple of decent wrecks not too far from there. If you are looking for a real beach vacation, Hua Hin is nicer by far, beach and accomodation wise. It is about 3 hours drive from Bangkok.
One place that I like very much, the Evason can even arrange a small shuttle flight for you from Bangkok to Hua Hin if you don't want to spend a lot of time traveling:
http://www.sixsenses.com/evason-huahin/index.php However, no diving there.
Going east of Pattaya to Smet, Rayong etc, the area are also nicer, more quiet but the hotels are variable.

 

[whitehead]

Its generally accepted as a town for reeb and xes (spell em backwards) although its trying to clean up its act. Or to put it another way its not somewhere you would take the wife or girlfreind. Beaches are very very poor if you have "tropical paradise" in mind.

For diving - very poor but a good place to take instruction and learn.