Bangkok and Pattaya are two popular tourist destinations in Central Thailand. Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, and Pattaya is a beach town located 150 km southeast of Bangkok.
In this article, I will compare Bangkok and Pattaya based on their locations, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, food, and attractions. I’ve traveled to Bangkok and Pattaya many times, so I hope to give you useful information to help you decide which city is better for your visit.
Is it better to stay in Bangkok or Pattaya?
I personally prefer Bangkok more because it really feels like a microcosm of Thailand itself, offering a bit of everything in one place. The city is a perfect balance of traditional Thai culture and modern city life.
You can explore cultural and historic attractions such as ancient temples, royal palaces, and traditional markets, as well as modern landmarks like skyscrapers, shopping malls, and rooftop bars.
In addition to shopping and sightseeing, Bangkok also has a great street food scene, and vibrant nightlife. In my opinion, Bangkok is the best place to go in Thailand for street food, nightlife, and shopping.
Bangkok is Thailand’s main international gateway, making it a great starting point to explore the country. It is short flights to famous places like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi. You can also easily take day trips to Ayutthaya, floating markets, train markets, or Kanchanaburi.
Bangkok is home to Thailand’s best public transportation systems with its BTS Skytrain, MRT subway, and river boats. It makes getting around easy and hassle-free even for beginners.
I think Pattaya is ideal for returning travelers or for anyone who has already explored Bangkok. If you are first-timers to Thailand, you can visit Bangkok first then day trips out to Pattaya if you want a beach break. Two cities are only 150km apart, which is around 2 hours drive on the road.
Pattaya is known for its nice beaches with lots of water activities such as swimming, jet skiing, paragliding, or snorkeling. Pattaya is also a great destination for party lovers as it has a lively nightlife scene with many bars, clubs, cabaret shows, and beach parties.
In my case, Pattaya is a great stop when exploring the eastern Gulf of Thailand. I slowly travel from Bangkok, to Pattaya, then Koh Samet, Koh Chang, Koh Kood, and Koh Mak. You can consider my route to explore this side of the country. 3-4 days in each place is good enough to have a good sense of them.
My recommended accommodations in Bangkok:
- Luxury: Grande Centre Point Hotel Terminal21
- Mid-range: Holiday Inn Bangkok
- Budget: ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 4
My top pick hotels in Pattaya:
- Luxury: Amari Pattaya
- Mid-range: DeeProm Pattaya Hotel
- Budget: Siam View Hotel
Location & How to Get There
Both Bangkok and Pattaya are located in central Thailand. Bangkok is located along the bank of Chao Phraya River. Pattaya is located on the eastern Gulf of Thailand, around 150km south east of Bangkok.
There are frequent bus and minivan services between Bangkok and Pattaya. The ride is only around 2 hours. If you’re traveling with a group of friends and families, you might consider taking a private taxi, which is faster and more private.
Bangkok is easier accessible both domestically and internationally. It is the transport hub of Thailand with two international airports, many long distance buses, and trains. Pattaya has an international airport, but it offers only a limited number of flights to other parts of Thailand and abroad.
Accommodations
Both Bangkok and Pattaya have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. You can easily find luxury big brand international hotels and budget backpacker hostels in both cities.
Both cities are super popular with tourists, so if you’re planning to visit these places in the high season (November-May), make sure to book well in advance. Accommodations tend to book up fast during this period, and prices often rise sharply.
Booking in advance to ensure that you have a good quality hotel to stay. Booking at the last minute often leaves you with lower-quality hotels or sometimes no availability at all, which can cause unnecessary stress.
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Cultural Attractions
Bangkok is full of cultural and historical attractions, making it the better place to go for sightseeing. Some of the most iconic royal sites and temples are located in Bangkok.
Bangkok is home to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun, which are world-class and give you a deep sense of Thai history and architecture.
Pattaya is mainly famous for its beaches and adult nightlife scene, but it has some nice cultural attractions to explore. Popular landmarks are the Nong Nooch Garden, Big Buddha Hill (Wat Phra Yai), Sanctuary of Truth, and Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain).
Nightlife
Both Bangkok and Pattaya have great nightlife scenes. As the bigger cities and the tourist hub of Thailand, Bangkok offers a wider range of nightlife experiences.
Bangkok has different areas that provide a different nightlife atmosphere. You can find a backpacker party vibe at Khao San Road, adult nightlife at Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy, gay nightlife at Patpong Night Market, or more trendy bars and clubs at Sukhumvit Soi 11, Riverside, Thong Lor, or Ekamai.
In Pattaya, you can explore the nightlife at the Walking Street along Pattaya Beach, or head south to the Jometien area for a more relaxing atmosphere. Pattaya Walking street is well known as an adult entertainment area of Pattaya.
Additionally to the bar and club scene, both cities have a wide range of night markets for those who enjoy browning street food instead of partying. Famous night markets in Bangkok are Jodd Fairs, One Ratcha, Asiatique riverside market, and Chinatown.
Popular Night Markets in Pattaya are Jomtien Night Market, Pattaya Night Bazaar, Runway Street Food, or Thepprasit Night Market.
Shopping
Bangkok, without a doubt, is the best place to go shopping in Thailand. Pattaya also has a good shopping scene with many modern malls and local markets. I prefer the shopping scenes in Bangkok more because it has a huge variety inducing both high-end and bargain.
In both cities, you can find both luxury, bargain fashion, electronics, and antiques. Pattaya is the beach city, so you will find more beach wear products like swim suits, hats, sunglasses…
Bangkok has an advantage of its public transportation that many malls are accessible via BTS and MRT trains, making mall hopping pretty easy.
You can also combine shopping with sightseeing. Places like icon SIAM or Asiatique are very close to major sights of the city like Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Chinatown. These places are just short boat rides along the Chao Phraya River.
Top shopping spots in Bangkok include Chatuchak Weekend Market, Pratunam Market, Siam Paragon, MBK, CentralWorld, Asiatique The Riverfront, or Emporium.
Popular places to shop in Pattaya include Central Festival Pattaya, Terminal 21 Pattaya, Royal Garden Plaza, Pattaya Night Bazaar, or Jomtien Night Market.
Food
Both Bangkok and Pattaya have good food scenes, serving both local Thai food and international dishes. You can find street food stalls at the night markets, food courts in the shopping malls, or independent restaurants in each city.
As a major city with a diverse international expat population, Bangkok has a wider array of ethnic cuisines. You can easily find areas that specialize in Korean, Japanese, Arab, or Indian food.
Pattaya is a coastal city, so it is an excellent place to eat fresh seafood. In addition to numerous seafood restaurants, you can check out The seafood market at Naklua 18 on Wong Amat Beach for cheaper and fresher seafood.
Both cities have Terminal 21 Shopping Mall, which is home to a nice reasonable-price food court. I really enjoy eating cheap and delicious street food in this beautifully decorated mall.
Day trips
Bangkok is a better base for day trips to nearby cities in central Thailand. You can visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Maeklong Railway Market, Lopburi Monkey City, and Kanchanaburi with WWII attractions and Erawan waterfalls.
Pattaya is a coastal town, so you can take a day trip to nearby islands like Ko Larn. Koh Larn is located only a 30 minutes boat ride from Pattaya, and is a great place for exploring more pristine white sandy beaches.
Cost of living
From a tourist perspective, I think they have a similar cost of living. The cost for accommodations, food, drink, and transport are quite similar in both cities. If you are long-term visitors or expats, you can go to the more local areas and will be able to find wide ranges of rentals in both cities for all budgets.
Getting Around & Transportation
Bangkok has Thailand’s best public transport system, so you can easily get around with BTS skytrain, MRT subway train, and boats. The city also has many taxi, and riding share services like InDrive, Bolt, and Grab.
Bangkok’s heavy traffic means that booking ride-share services during rush hours often leads to long waits and frequent driver cancellations.
Pattaya does not have modern train systems but it is smaller and easier to get around even on foot. The city also has taxi and riding share services like in Bangkok. There are shared Baht Thai buses connecting major areas like Pattaya Beach, Jomtien Beach, and Wong Amat Beach.
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So, you have it, my comparison between Bangkok and Pattaya. Overall, Bangkok is the best place to visit for first-timers to Thailand because it’s a small version of Thailand. You can explore ancient temples, modern attractions, vibrant nightlife, shopping, and great Thai food all in one place.
Pattaya is a good place to visit after visiting Bangkok. It’s more ideal for first-timers who are combining their holiday in both Bangkok and Phuket, or for returning visitors. This beach town is known for its urban beaches, good nightlife, shopping, and island hopping opportunities to Koh Larn.