Pattaya Beach Road

You will love to visit the Pattaya Beach Road area. It has so much to offer:

A very wide light brown sandy beach the City tends to, replenishing the sand and keeping it litter free.
A wide, shady palm tree lined, newly paved/paver walkway adjacent to the road for extremely safe walking,
Various water sports and activities.
Multiple vendors providing comfortable chaise lounges under shady umbrellas with drinks and snacks.
Sit in the shade or out in the sun to lounge around watching others enjoy water activities.
In addition to the vendor provided seating areas, you can sit for free on the sand and there are some steps scattered along the Pattaya Beach Road between the sand the walkway.
Roaming vendors offering (pestering) you with a variety of helpful items as well as things you really don't want.
Gaze at the hundreds of boats moored out in the bay
Enjoy the extreme excitement when the City puts on a Beach Festival with thousands of people on the beach and walkway. Fireworks, live music, other entertainments, multiple delicious food and drink vendors.

Pattaya Beach Road walkway with new pavers and palm trees providing shade

Where is Pattaya Beach Road

Beach Road runs parallel to the ocean and adjacent to the beach. Traffic is one way traveling to the south. There are 2 lanes with lots of traffic and a parking lane on the east side (not on the beach side). Most of the time there is a lot of pedestrian traffic.

There is no First Road (Beach Road is the first road in from the water).

Beach Road starts on the north end at the intersection with North Pattaya Road. Traffic runs south, past Central Pattaya Road all the way to the intersection with South Pattaya Road and the beginning of Walking Street.

Map of Pattaya Beach Road from North to South

Map showing the extent of Beach Road starting at the intersection of North Pattaya Road, running south to Central Pattaya Road and continuing south all the way to it's ending at the intersection of South Pattaya Road & Walking Street

The total length of Beach Road is about 1.7 miles. With the heat, humidity and beating sun, I don't think I could walk it's full length during the heat of the day.

I jump on and off the baht bus, walk a bit and get a coffee, cool drink or a snack. I may head into one of the air conditioned buildings to cool off.

A more detailed map showing Beach Road in the Central Pattaya area

Walking Along Pattaya Beach Road

The sidewalk on the east side of Beach Road is mostly very narrow whenever there are bars or smaller retail shops next to it. You will need to turn sideways or step into the street (not easy with all the motorbikes parked) to let groups pass by.

The sidewalks on the east side open up wider in front of the larger buildings (Central Festival Mall, Hilton Hotel, Royal Garden Shopping Center and Mikes Shopping Mall).

The west side of Beach Road has a nice wide, combination of pavement and pavers, pedestrian friendly walkway.

Getting from one side of Beach Road to the other is a challenge. Traffic can be extreme and with 2 lanes of impatient drivers, it is not just an easy crossover.

There are some designated crosswalks with buttons to push to stop traffic. Stopping for red lights seem to be optional in Pattaya. Usually the baht buses will slow down for pedestrians. Large tour buses, delivery trucks, motorbikes, scooters and traffic in general, probably not.

You need to be very careful when crossing. Be patient, pick your moment and hustle across.

Busy scene from a Beach Road bar

How Do You Get to Pattaya Beach Road

Walk, take a taxi, motorbike taxi, Bolt, Grab, or use the baht bus strategically.

The baht buses run:

Both north and south on Soi Buakhao.
North on Second Road.
South on Beach Road.
Both north and south on South Pattaya Road
Both north and south on Central Pattaya Road.

My first trip I walked all the way from my hotel off Soi Buakhao to Beach Road. That was a big mistake. I exhausted myself from the heat and it being much, much farther than I thought. Plus, I tore my feet to shreds with blisters, sweated like crazy and got way too much sun.

Yes, walking is good for you, but watch the extent. Pattaya is a larger city than you think.

After that mistake, now I get to the Pattaya Beach Road area by jumping on a north driving baht bus on Soi Buakhao. Most of those buses will turn left at Central Pattaya Road and drive westerly towards Beach Road. I get off right at the intersection of Central Pattaya Road and Beach Road.

Many buses go all the way to Beach Road, not all. Sometimes the driver just stops and bangs on the truck window, which means...get out. So, get out and pay. Sometimes they turn on Second Road to go north. If so, ring the buzzer, get out and pay. In either case, walk the rest of the way.

You have to adapt. I find it exciting to not know exactly where I'm going and make decisions moment by moment.

In Pattaya, you will have to do a lot of walking unless you continually pay a taxi, Bolt or Grab to get you around.

What Can You Do on Pattaya Beach Road

Exercise

People walk and jog in the sand or walkway. Some do forms of yoga or body resistance exercises out in the sand.

Play

Frisbee or fly kites.

Enjoy Water Sports

Snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, boating, fishing, banana boats, jet skis and swimming.

All these water related activities are available for a cost from various vendors.

Everyone says to avoid renting a jet ski due to the potential for scams. So far, I have taken that advice.

Wide, sandy beach, lots of boats and some jet skis in the distance

Lounge

Rent a chaise lounge under an umbrella or get in the sun from one of the vendor who has lots of these available in a big group.

When you're happily relaxing in your lounge chair, roaming vendors will pester you, even poking you awake. On my last trip I chose to buy a few things from them - a manicure, an ice cream sandwich, deep fried spring rolls/crab/shrimp, and some souvenirs. Each of these things were not that expensive.

I like to lounge around and watch others exercise, play or do water sports.

Stay

Stay in one of the great hotels along Beach Road. I'd like to stay in the Hilton some day. There are others. Imagine the views right from your hotel room.

Pattaya Beach Road scene Horizon Bar from beach

View of the Hilton Hotel with Horizon Bar at the very top from the Beach Road walkway

Shop

There are multiple places to shop right off of Beach Road - Central Festival Mall, Mike's Shopping Mall, Royal Garden Shopping Mall, smaller roadside stores and vendors.

Eat, Get Coffee, Drink & Party

There are many restaurants, cafes, bars and food courts all along Beach Road.

My Favorite Places to Visit on Beach Road - North to South

With the exception of the Pattaya Beer Garden all these places are on the east side of Beach Road.

Hard Rock Cafe

Located south of Soi 6 and before Central Pattaya Road. I like to stop here to rest after I’ve spent a few hours on Soi 6. They have all the drinks, very professional high-end staff, live music, comfortable seating, outdoor seating and indoor seating with very good AC.

Beer Bars near Central Pattaya Road

There are a few Open-Air Beer Bars just south of Central Pattaya Road. After some effort just getting to Beach Road, a quick cold beer is nice.

Beer Bar Complex near Soi 8

Located south of Soi 8. This is quite a large complex with multiple bars and very popular. Great for afternoon drinking and watching the sunset.

Gorgeous night view from the Horizon Bar

Horizon Bar

This is a rooftop bar on the 34th (top floor) of the Hilton Hotel between Beach Road and Second Road. The hotel is massive and is attached to the Central Festival Mall.

The view is incredible with fantastic views of the ocean, Pattaya Beach, up and down Beach Road and the rest of the City.

The last time I went I was able to watch a lighting storm out over the ocean. Of course, as I saw the weather moving inland towards us, I quickly paid my bar bill and left.

Because it is so fabulous, they limit the number of people who can go in. I tried to get in during high season right after sundown and was turned away. You need to plan accordingly and be flexible. I’ve gone on my August trips.

Note: It is a little difficult to get to. One elevator does not just go all the way up. It takes 2 elevators, kind of exclusive.

I find sipping an expensive cocktail or 2 at the Horizon Bar a must-do experience in Pattaya.

Having a fancy cocktail at the Horizon Bar with comfortable seating

The Five Star Bar

Located south of the View Talay 6 condominium (a huge white high rise south of the Hilton Hotel). This is a great bar to chill and watch the sunset.

Albatross Coffee Roasters

Located immediately south of the Five Star Bar. Very small, with great AC.

Tahitian Queen

Located just south of Mike's Shopping Mall and before you get to the Royal Garden Shopping Center. It is a really low slung building with a tiny, and easy to miss sign. One of my favorite Go-Go bars in Pattaya.

Royal Garden Shopping Mall

I am not really a shopper, but this is a nice mall and with the great AC and some food and drink options, it's a great place to cool off in the shade if you've been out on the beach or walking too much.

Pattaya Beer Garden

Located at the far south end of Beach Road (where Beach Road ends), first building on the ocean past the beach at the entrance to Walking Street and on the water (west side of Beach Road.

This is a must go to place right on the ocean with a massive food and drink menu.

I love to come here for a late lunch, to watch the sunset, for a late-night snack or a fancy drink to cap off my evening.

Nightlife Areas Just a little Bit Off Beach Road

I like to start many evenings on or near Beach Road and then work my way back towards my hotel off Soi Buakhao over the course of the night to avoid exhausting backtracking and excessive walking.

I try to catch the baht bus to get to the Beach Road area, and get back to my hotel by motorbike taxi if I am just too tired to walk all the way back.

Soi 6

Soi 6 is almost a half mile north of Central Pattaya Road. I try to get as close as I can to Soi 6 by baht and enter Soi 6 from Second Road. Then walk west down Soi 6 to Beach Road.

After what is usually an exhausting few hours partying in the chaotic, noisy, intense atmosphere of Soi 6, it is pleasant to stroll down the other worldly quiet of Beach Road towards Central Pattaya Road.

Central Pattaya Road Bars

There are a handful of bars on the north side of the road just east of Beach Road. I fell in love with a Palmy look alike in one.

Soi 7 & Soi 8

There are lots of options as you walk east from Beach Road towards Second Road. Great live music at Rolling Live 3 on Soi 8.