Is Pattaya Close to Bangkok

Is Pattaya close to Bangkok?  

The short answer is yes.

Most tourists going to Pattaya will fly into the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok Thailand.

If you arrange a ride by private vehicle (taxi, Bolt or Grab), it is only about a 1.5 hour drive from the time you leave the airport until you arrive at your hotel in Pattaya.

The best way to get from Bangkok to Pattaya Thailand is by private ride you arrange in your home country, but you can also take the public bus or find a taxi at the airport or by various Apps (Bolt or Grab).

The bus will obviously take longer with waiting until the designated time the bus leaves, the time it takes to load the bus and the extra time for transportation from the bus terminal to your Pattaya hotel.

If you go to Pattaya as part of a Bangkok tour and leave from the center of the City it will take longer to get through Bangkok.

Total Time from My Home to Pattaya

I can leave my home in the USA at 5:00 pm and be checking into my Pattaya hotel at 3:00 pm, 2 days later. 

I lose 12 hours for the time difference (Thailand is exactly 12 hours ahead of the Central Standard time in midwestern USA).  I need 34 hours of total travel time to get to Pattaya.

The last 1.5 hour ride from the Bangkok airport to Pattaya is the easiest.

Is Pattaya Close to Bangkok

Pattaya is almost directly south‑east of Bangkok.  It is a beach city on the Gulf of Thailand, which is part of the larger South China Sea region which is part of the Pacific Ocean.

Distance from Bangkok:

  • About 90 miles (150 km) southeast of Bangkok by multi-lane freeway with 2 very short stops for tolls
  • Driving time = around 2.5 hours by bus
  • Driving time = About 1.5 hours by car!
Thailand Map Pointing Out PattayaIs Pattaya Close to Bangkok? Bangkok and Pattaya are both on the far south side of the main part of Thailand right on the Gulf of Thailand

Bangkok is a huge city, well-known for massive traffic issues.  But, you avoid all those problems with the airport on the far eastern side of Bangkok. 

You will quickly be traveling at freeway speeds (or faster) once you get in your transportation, passing through industrial areas east of Bangkok that transitions to mixed farming and industrial areas between Bangkok and Pattaya.

Suvarnabhumi Airport to PattayaA closer view showing that Pattaya is not that far from Bangkok

Getting Through Bangkok Airport - 2 Hours

It takes longer to get off the plane and get to your ride than the ride itself.

You will arrive in Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.  It is a fabulous airport, super professional, well done with friendly and efficient staff.

Here are the steps:

  • Get Off Plane & Walk
  • Go to and Get Through the Immigration & Visa Line
  • Pick Up Luggage
  • Exchange some money
  • Walk to the Exit
  • Find Your Ride

I have laid all the details about getting from my home all the way to Pattaya, including the details at the airport here - Time to Get to Pattaya

Suvarnabhumi Airport MapThis map gives you an idea of how to make your way through Suvarnabhumi Airport

Is Pattaya Close to Bangkok? It is By Taxi Taking me About 1.5 Hours on My 5 Trips

What the Ride is Like

Your driver will load your luggage and backpack into the trunk.  I grab my fanny pack first as it has my passport and ALL my cash.

Collapse into the backseat and the driver takes off.

I enjoy the taxi ride in nice, newer vehicle with a Thai driver. 

The road south to Pattaya has some significant landmarks:

  • Huge billboard minutes after getting on the freeway from the airport
  • Cross a large river
  • Massive industrial areas
  • Apartment complexes
  • Eventually some agricultural land intermingled with industry and apartments
  • Pass between 2 heavily vegetated mountains
  • 2 toll booths
Typical Freeway scene Bangkok to PattayaTypical Freeway scene Bangkok to Pattaya

Along the way I may get really tired, groggy, sometimes even napping in the back seat. But I love looking out the window at Thailand and try to stay awake.

Before you know it, the freeway ends and you are in the northern part of Pattaya passing through built up city areas (gas stations, retail areas, shops and apartment buildings.

The driver will use the phone App to drive through Pattaya and stop right in the front of your hotel.

Get out and while the driver is taking your luggage out of the the trunk, you get out your Thai baht to pay the agreed upon price.

For me this has been:

  • $1,100 ThB for the ride and the tolls
  • $200 ThB for the tip

Is Pattaya Close to Bangkok
Wrap Up

There is a lot involved with an international trip and it takes long time to get to Pattaya. 

Is Pattaya close to Bangkok?  Thank goodness, it is.

Getting to Pattaya from Bangkok is the easy part of the trip.

The hard part for me is the 15 + hour flight from O-Hare in Chicago, USA.  And the cost, usually $1,500 USD or more for the roundtrip flight ticket.

That minor hardship is worth it for the kind of experience Pattaya provides.