Pattaya Hotels - Reviews and Deals

Pullman Pattaya Hotel G	Amari Ocean Hotel Pattaya
Dusit Resort Pattaya	Hard Rock Hotel
Marriott Pattaya Resort & Spa	Mercure Hotel Pattaya
Rabbit Resort	Sheraton Pattaya Resort
Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa	Woodlands Hotel and Resort

Once a sleepy fishing village popular with harried Bangkokians and American GIs on R&R, Pattaya has since mushroomed into a major beach resort smothered with high-rise hotels, roaring discos, fine restaurants, throbbing go-go bars, and lively nightclubs. Those seeking peace and solitude on a deserted beach should forget Pattaya and head south or east to the less commercialized beaches.
Visitors who seek out nonstop entertainment and a honky-tonk environment will love Pattaya, one of the most convo- luted and schizophrenic destinations in the world.

Today, this low-powered Riviera of Southeast Asia is undergoing an image crisis as it transforms from a bachelor's paradise to a sophisticated retreat catering to middle-aged couples and families. Pattaya's image problem stems from inadequate sewage facilities, flooding, uncontrolled commercial sprawl, drugs, prostitution, a mysterious series of murders, and water pollution so severe that
tourist officials strongly discourage swimming anywhere along South Pattaya Beach. The Far Eastern Economic Review once cited Pattaya's problems as a classic lesson for other Asian countries of the dangers of unplanned tourism development. Criticism from travel agents, tour operators, and local hotel owners has finally pushed local authorities into action. Several new water-treatment plants are under construction, and south Pattaya will soon be renovated with a landfill project, a new beachfront road, a pedestrian promenade, piers for excursion boats, parks, and a concert hall. Both despised and loved, Pattaya may yet prove itself the first Asian resort destroyed by tourism but saved by government intervention.

Although it's still fashionable to condemn Pattaya as superficial, overbuilt, unplanned, congested, polluted, tawdry, and having nothing to do with the rea/Thailand (all true), most of the three million annual visitors seem to come away satisfied with its wide range of hedonistic offerings.

Attractions

Named after the southwestern monsoon wind which sweeps the east coast during the summer months, Pattaya is a beach resort dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure and love of sanuk. The range of activities is nothing short of amazing sunbathing, parasailing, skin diving, golf, game- fishing, zoos, night markets, and the world-famous nightlife. Traditional culture is not much in evidence so perhaps just to remind visitors that Pattaya is located in exotic Thailand rather than Miami Beach orWaikiki, outlying attractions include an elephant camp, Buddhist temples, and an orchid farm with Thai dancers.

Big Buddha

Fine views over Pattaya can be enjoyed from two small hills in south Pattaya. The closer hill is capped with a microwave station, while Pattaya Hill to the south features a large seated Buddha image surrounded by seven mini-Buddhas representing the seven days of the week.

Beaches

Pattaya's biggest disappointments are the narrow and brownish four-km beach, vastly inferior to the crystalline shores of Phuket or Sarnui, and the polluted waters which were recently declared a hazardous zone by a government-sponsored study on environmental pollution. Better sand and cleaner waters can be found at Jorntien Beach in South Pattaya and Wong Amat Beach in north Pattaya. Wong Amat is recommended as the best option to central Pattaya.

Water Sports

Pattaya offers a wide range of water sports. Most are now found on Jorntien Beach since Pattaya Bay is crowded with powerboats and fishing trawlers. Prices are negotiable, subject to change, and higher on weekends and holidays. For a general guide to current prices, check local publications such as Pattaya This Week and Explore Pattaya. Check fuel supplies and condition of equipment, and never sign papers which promise liability. Fleecing ignorant tourists is big business here in Pattaya.

Outer Islands

Islands near Pattaya offer better sand and diving than the mainland beaches. Converted fishing trawlers leave from south Pattaya piers opposite Soi 14 and adjacent to Tangkae Restaurant daily at 0830 and cost B40-50 roundtrip. The Sailing Club on Beach Road charges B120 for a roundtrip ticket, with departures at 0930 and 1100. Travel agents arrange glass-bottom boat trips for B200-250. Prices vary depending on quality of meals, diving equipment, and number of islands visited. Tours usually include Ko Rin or Ko Pai before stopping at Ko Lam ("Coral Island"), a highly developed resort fixed with several upscale hotels, pricey restaurants, golf course, and dive shops. Coral Island is a fanciful rendition of its rather prosaic name (true translation: Bald Island). Pack food and drinks if you're counting your baht.