Pattaya Beach is the main beach in Pattaya. It is the true heart of the city where all the action happens. It is a great destination for shopping, nightlife, enjoy the beach activities, and explore the city’s beautiful viewpoints.
In this article, I will write about the location of Pattaya Beach, how to get to, the 3 main areas of the beach, and what to do on the beach.
You can check these articles to know more about Pattaya:
Where is Pattaya Beach?
Pattaya Beach is the main beach in Pattaya City, located 150 km southeast of Bangkok. It is a 4 km long beach, stretching from Dusit Thani Hotel in the north to the light house in the south.
The Beach Road runs parallel with the beach and is packed with hotels, restaurants, bars, and shopping malls. It is also home to the lively Walking Street and the popular Bali Hai Pier in the south.
How to get to Pattaya Beach?
If you stay around the beach, you can walk to the beach. A walk from the northern end of the beach to the southern end of the beach is around 1 hour.
In addition to walking, you can use Grab, Bolt, motorbike taxi, songthaews, or Baht Bus to get to Pattaya Beach. The Baht Bus is a cheap way to get to Pattaya Beach from other beaches in Pattaya City such as Jomtien Beach or Wong Amat Beach.
Grab and Bolt are convenient options for quick, private trips to the beach. With Grab, you can use the Grab Bike option, which is cheaper than Grab Taxi and ideal for solo travelers.
If you come from other cities in Thailand, you can read How to get to Pattaya & Get Around for more details of how to get to the beach from Bangkok, Chiang Mai…
Overview of Pattaya Beach
Pattaya Beach is a 4km long beach in the heart of Pattaya. The beach is popular for chilling, swimming, sunbathing, playing with sand, or taking a walk along the beach. There are signs of watersports everywhere on the beach. You can try jet skiing, parasailing, or banana boats.
There is a row of umbrellas and sunbeds lining the beachfront right next to the palm tree-lined boardwalk. At low tide, the row of sunbeds is far from the water.
Running parallel with the beach is the Beach Road and the Second Road. These roads are connected by smaller streets, called Pattaya Soi 1, Pattaya Soi 2,… There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, shops, night markets, malls, and entertainment venues on the main roads and small alleys.
The beach is quieter at night and is a great place to chill and take a leisure stroll. You’ll see many ladies along the beach promenade; please treat them with respect.
I will divide the 4 km crescent coastline of Pattaya Beach into three distinct areas, which include The north, the central, and the south. The North has a more quieter atmosphere with lots of shopping malls, while the central and south has livelier nightlife with more concentrations of bars and night clubs.
3 Areas of Pattaya Beach
North Pattaya Beach (around Terminal 21)
North Pattaya Beach is a quieter area of Pattaya Beach. The northern end of the beach is where Dusit Thanai Hotel is located. The beach next to North Pattaya Beach is Wong Amat Beach. There are some long tail boat docks at the northern end of the beach.
North Pattaya Beach has all beach facilities such as bedchairs, umbrellas, beach bars, beach vendors, and watersport services. It is cleaner and less smelly in some parts in the central part of Pattaya Beach.
The North Pattaya Beach stretches between Pattaya Soi 1 and Soi 6. In this area, you can find some major shopping malls such as terminal 21 (my favorite mall in Pattaya with a nice food court), Central Marina Mall (with the night market in the evening), and the Big C supermarket.
On the Second Road of the North Pattaya Beach area, you can find several night markets where you can explore in the evening. The Runway Street Food is a major night market in the area, offering a wide variety of food and drink.
If you want to watch a ladyboy show, this part of Pattaya is the place to go. Two major venues are located here including Tiffany’s Show and Alcazar Cabaret Show.
Central Pattaya Beach(around Night Bazaar)
The Central Pattaya Beach is the area running from the Central Pattaya Road in the north to the beginning of Walking Street in the south. This part is livelier than the north section and many malls and entertainment venues are located right on the Beach Road.
Like the North Beach, there are lots of sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach along the beach promenade. Many festivals and big events are held in this beach area, including the Jazz Festival. You can easily book a watersport such as jet skiing on the central beach.
There are an array of malls located on the Beach Road including Central Pattaya, Mike Shopping Mall, and Royal Garden Plaza. In the evening, you can check our Pattaya Beach Market and Night Bazaar.
South Pattaya Beach (around Walking Street)
The Walking street is the red light area of Pattaya. It is lined with restaurants, bars, clubs, live music venues, go-go bars, and neon-lit entertainments on two sides of the street. It is quiet by day and livelier at night.
From the walking street, you can walk all the way to Bali Hai Pier and the light house. You’ll have closer views of Pattaya City Sign at Bali Hai Pier.
What to do at Pattaya Beach
Sunbathing, Swimming
Pattaya Beach is not one of the best beaches in Thailand, but it is swimmable. The sand is yellow and coarse, the water is clean. There are several designated swimming areas marked off by floating barriers all along the beach.
You can rent a beach chair with an umbrella for a day for around 100 baht. Or you can bring your own mat to the beach for free.
Water Sport Activities
Pattaya has a wide range of water sport activities to enjoy including jet skiing, parasailing, water scooter. Lots of speed boats can take you to the floating restaurants. The price for a 30 minute jet ski is around 1000 baht and 500 baht for 15 minutes.
Strolling along the beach
The beach is a long stretch of sand with a paved walkway running alongside it. It is ideal for chill, and taking a stroll both day and night. You can have a great view of the sea and the city from every corner of the beach.
There are many services on the beach such as massages, manicures, and pedicures. If you want something relaxing, you can take a Thai foot massage or head massage right on the beach.
Watch the sunset
Pattaya Beach is a lovely place to watch the sunset. You will have beautiful views of the sea, the palm tree, and the highrise building with the golden sky in the background.
The best sunset spot is anywhere on the Beach Road, or if you can walk further, you can head to the Light House area. There is a cafe here offering nice views of the sea, especially at sunset.
Shopping Malls
There are lots of modern shopping centers, scattered around the length of Pattaya Beach. You can shop for almost everything at these malls, from authentic high-end brands to counterfeit products. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, you can check out their food court for some nice dishes.
Some major shopping centers around Pattaya Beach including Terminal 21 and Central Marina Outlet in the north area of the Beach, and the Central Pattaya in the central section of the Beach.
I, sometimes, went to the mall just to cool down from the heat. The air conditioning system worked very well in these modern malls. I also love the foot court in Terminal 21. I came there many times for meals.
Night Markets
Pattaya Beach area has high concentrations of night markets and food complexes. You will likely find several night markets located within walking distance from your hotels around Pattaya Beach.
I recommend having a look at the Runway Street Food, Pattaya Beach Market, or the Night Bazaar. You will find a great selection of delicious Thai dishes in these markets.
Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Walking Street is a famous attraction in Pattaya Beach. Even if you don’t want to dine or drink at bars or restaurants on the Walking street, it is still worth checking out for some photos.
Take Ferry from Bali Hai Pier to Koh Larn
Bali Hai Pier is located at the southern section of Pattaya Beach, within walking distance from the Walking Street. This pier is always packed with people from morning to early evening with boats and ferries to Koh Larn.
Pattaya sign viewpoint
The Pattaya sign viewpoint is located high on the hill on the south section of Pattaya Beach. The viewpoint offers stunning views of Pattaya Beach and City. You can walk to the viewpoint area as well as use grab or songthaews to get to the viewpoint.
Best places to stay in Pattaya Beach
If you want a quieter atmosphere, stay somewhere on the north section of Pattaya Beach. If you want to stay closer to the nightlife, you can consider staying in the central and south section of Pattaya Beach.
Hilton Pattaya
This is a 5-star hotel located right on the beachfront area on Beach Road in the central area of Pattaya Beach. The hotel is right above the famous Central Festival Mall, offering stunning sea views. If you are looking for something luxurious in the middle of the action, Hilton is the perfect choice.
InterContinental Pattaya Resort
InterContinental is an upscale resort located on the hill south of Pattaya Beach. If you are families and couples looking for a relaxing beach getaway, InterContinental is a great option. The price is rangeing from ฿5,000 to 10,000 per night.
Holiday Inn Pattaya
Holiday Inn is a good mid-range hotel in the central location of Pattaya. It is located in the North Pattaya Beach area, which is convenient to access to famous malls and entertainment venues such as terminal 21, and Tiffany’s Show. The price per night ranges from ฿2,500 to 4,500.
Avani Pattaya Resort
This is a great hotel in the heart of Pattaya Beach, just a few hundred meters from the lively Walking Street. You can easily walk to the beach, shopping malls, and night markets. The price is from ฿3,000 to 5,000 per night.
So, you have it, my travel guide about Pattaya Beach, the main beach of Pattaya City. The Beach has a vibrant mix of sun, sea, and city life, offering the perfect blend of relaxation and activity for all types of travelers.