Pattaya and Koh Samet
The City of Pattaya is hugely popular with Bangkokians who regularly head that way at the weekends. Only two hours drive by taxi from Bangkok (depending on the Bangkok rush hour) Pattaya is also easily reached by bus, which departs from the bus station right beside the Eakamai station on the Bangkok Sky Train (BTS).
Pattaya has two main beach areas, Pattaya Beach and Jomtien beach. Jomtien is probably quieter than Pattaya beach and is also further away from Pattaya town centre and the nightlife which the city is famous for. Pattaya Beach includes a stretch of sand which is known as the "gay beach' and frequented by expats foreign tourists and Thai and Laos boys looking for that special someone.
We are reliably informed by friends of 'LatASIA' that the gay beach has parasols that are 'colour-coded' so as to indicate what type of liaison you are seeking, i.e. long term love, quick liaison or company for cash. I do not know how the colour code works but clearly, to avoid any confusion, gay visitors will need to find out before taking their seat on this stretch of beach!
No matter which part of the beach you go to you will find that there are lots of attractive girls and boys there selling a variety of goods and services from coconut milk to oil massage. It is not uncommon to see an older guy lying on the beach whilst being rubbed down by a young Asian woman or guy. Having never done this, we are not sure what it is like, but it seems to be very popular with foreigners at Pattaya.
Pattaya has a lot of hotel accommodation to choose from as well as guest houses. So whether you are looking for 5 star luxury, or the budget accommodation package, Pattaya will cater for your needs rather well. One word of caution though! Pattaya is renowned for sex tourism and has a higher than average number of bars and entertainment complexes geared up to cater for this market. Indeed, the city's growth can justifiably be put down to its willingness to cater for sex tourism. Naturally, some of the guest houses and small hotels are also geared up to cater for this type of clientele. So if you decide to vary from the beaten track of the usual hotel chains and book into a small, privately owned 'boutique' hotel or guest house, do your research first to find out who they are catering for.
Book online via a reputable booking service and you should safely avoid such establishments, if that is your wish.
Pattaya can offer tourists a very enjoyable time as it is a busy city that goes out of its way to cater for tourists. You will find that just about every street has cafes, restaurants, travel agents, massage centres, bars and clubs all aimed at tourists. There is also an enormous amount of expats and western tourists in Pattaya all year round. You wont have to walk far to find a bar that is full of westerners.
Many people enjoy Pattaya and come back to it year after year. It is a city that appears to have a secure future as a tourist destination due to its ability to cater for all types of tourists. Evidence of the cities popularity is found in real estate offices where the price of 1 bedroom studio apartments can exceed what you would be expected to pay in downtown Bangkok.
Koh Samet
Just a little further down the coast from Pattaya, near to Rayong, is the ferry port that takes you the short distance across the sea to Koh Somet, one of the most popular weekend destinations for people in Bangkok, particularly young professional Thais. Koh Somet is a busy little island with a great deal of resorts scattered around the island ext to the many golden beaches. The busiest part of the island is in the north, with the beaches nearest to the ferry port being most popular with Thais as well as those who use the Lonely Planet as some sort of travel bible. South of the island is more isolated and the resorts are probably better suited to couples looking for a quiet romantic break.
There is also an increasing number of gay Thais heading to the island too, with Tubtim beach being their favourite haunt.
Koh Somet is a place where you can relax during the day on a hot, sleepy beach then head back to your hotel room to get showered and dressed for a fun filled night in one of the many beach bars outside under the stars. There is also a wide range of things to do during the day, including snorkelling or boat trips where you can fish and then BBQ your catch before enjoying a healthy seafood lunch.
Koh Somet is busiest at weekends and hotels are hard to find when one of the many long holiday weekends comes around in Bangkok. The ferry from the island is regular but usually ends around 6:30pm.
Things to do at Pattaya
- Play Golf. Pattaya and the surrounding areas is home to some fine golf courses. Thailand has invested a lot of time and resources into creating top class gold courses to make the Kingdom a 'must go' tourist destination for golfers. If you are a golfer and are heading to Pattaya then you must bring your gold clubs and enjoy the game that Pattaya courses offer.
- Visit "South Pattaya". This area, commonly referred to as 'the strip' is where you will find many bars, restaurants and clubs aimed at tourists. Whilst many of the establishments are aimed at men looking for the company of a sexy girl or boy for the evening, South Pattaya does offer a whole lot more and it suitable for families as well as the lone traveller.
- Visit the Crocodile Farm. Open daily from 8.30am - 6.00pm. The farm is about 10 kilometres outside Pattaya and has "crocodile shows" at 11.00am, 2pm and 4.30pm each day. See a travel agent to book a trip.
- Visit the "Gay Beach" and try to figure out if there really is a "colour code" for the beach parasols.
- Visit "Jomtien Beach", which is usually quieter and cleaner than other beaches in the areas. There are regular taxis going along the beach front from Jomtien to Pattaya. Just hail it down and jump in the back beside the other tourists. Fare is usually around 60 baht each.
- Visit a "Go Go Bar" or a "Gay Go Go Bar" in Pattaya. The city is famous for its sex tourism and a walk down one of the 'go go streets' is an essential sight-seeing requirement if you want to be able to tell you friends back home that you have done the 'real' Pattaya.
- Visit Koh Somet on the weekend. Two nights on Koh Somet is a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Pattaya.