Pattaya Tourist Attractions

While the nightlife areas of Walking Street and Soi 6 are the most famous of the Pattaya tourist attractions, there are a variety of attractions to enjoy during the glorious sunny days or on an occasional rain day in Pattaya.

What I love about the Pattaya tourist attractions is with the modest hotel costs, you can go about seeing the attractions at a relaxed pace. The extremely high cost of hotels in the US (and Europe) forces you to minimize the number of nights you travel, and rush from dawn till dark trying to see everything in the best vacation spots and then hustle back home to avoid blowing your budget on expensive hotels.

But in Pattaya, I can happily enjoy puttering around my hotel some of the day, drinking coffee on the balcony early in the morning, spending the mid-morning at the pool working on my color and chatting with my hotel neighbors.  Kind of like I am semi-retired for a week or 2.

After a delicious, big midday meal, I spend most of the afternoon exploring the city and seeing the attractions.

Then I head back to my hotel by late afternoon for some coffee, a nap, reflecting on what I saw that day and then plan my evening of nightlife.

Pattaya Tourist Attractions - Culture & Interesting

The Sanctuary of Truth

These are very cool, with some of them being world class tourist attractions to visit at some point during your stay:

• Sanctuary of Truth.  This is a must do.  North of the Central Pattaya area so you need to arrange transportation.
• Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens.  This is also a must do.  East of Central Pattaya so you need to arrange transportation.

Wat Temple

• Wat Chaimongkron Temple Complex.  A Wat is a Buddhist Temple and sacred.  You will need to remove your shoes to walk around inside.  On South Pattaya Road, so on the baht bus line and a short walk.  On the way to Walking Street.
• Wat Nong Oo. A few blocks north of Central Pattaya Road.  You can probably take the baht bus part way and walk the rest.
• Art in Paradise.  This is so cool. It is an art museum that when you point your phone at the art, it comes to life.  Make sure your camera phone is charged up.  On 2nd Road just south of Terminal 21 Mall, so on the baht bus line.
• Big Buddha & Pattaya Viewpoint.  Quite awesome.  At the top of many steps, so you need to have some stamina.  You will need transportation to get to it.
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not.  It's in the Royal Garden Mall, almost to Walking Street between Beach Road and 2nd Road.  You can walk or take the baht bus.

Theatre Attractions

All these have awesome shows.  Get your tickets beforehand.

• Alcazar Cabaret Show.  On 2nd Road, south of Terminal 21 Mall, so you can get there by baht bus.
• Tiffany's Show.  On 2nd Road, Across the street from Terminal 21 Mall, so can get there by baht bus.
• Colosseum Show Pattaya.  In Jomtien, so you will need to arrange transportation.

Animal Themed Attractions

• Underwater World
• Tiger Park
• Pattaya Elephant Village
• Pattaya Dolphinarium
• Monster Aquarium Pattaya
• Flight of the Gibbons.  This is not about Gibbons, it is zipline attraction in the jungle.  Check the weight limit before you go.  I am too big for it yet.

Pattaya Tourist Attractions - The Beaches

The beaches in and around Pattaya are not as spectacular as the ones in Phuket, Krabi, or the Phi Phi Islands, but they are still great with plenty of sandy beach and water sports available.  

• Pattaya Beach.  Pattaya Beach has a very nice, wide sidewalk between it and Beach Road and it is nice and safe from traffic.  They do not have too much for benches to sit as that would conflict with the vendors, but there are some steps you can sit on if necessary.  The Pattaya Beach Road area is an attraction itself with it's easy access to multiple things to do and enjoy during the day and at night.
• Naklua Beach.  North of Central Pattaya.
• Jomtien Beach.  Very quiet.
• Koh Larn Island beaches.  Very clear water.  Take the ferry (very cheap) from Bali Hi Pier or arrange a boat.  Once you're on the island, you can walk or there are some baht buses. Koh Larn is an adventure in itself, here is a great resource: Koh Larn Island

Overlooking the main beach at Koh Larn. Super clear water and a lot of beach activities

You can rent a beach chair and sit in the shade under the umbrellas or pull out your chair into the sun.  I think the last time I did this it was $100 Thai Baht (about $3 USD).  I don't recall the time allowed.

The vendors will pester you if you are in a beach chair.  They will poke you awake.  I ended up spending some money on my last trip - a coconut, a soda, an ice cream bar, some crab/spring rolls, some trinkets and a pedicure.  Bring some extra money for this, it's nice, it helps the vendors.  Each purchase was small.  I teased the girl giving me the pedicure, she was out in the sun and I was in the shade.

If you don't want to pay for a chair or deal with the vendors as much, you can just go out into the sand wherever and sit.  Bring a towel or get sandy.

There are water sports available for a cost – banana boat rides, para sailing, boat rides.  So far, I haven’t done any of these yet.

Some of My Favorite Pattaya Tourist Attractions Include Spectacular Views From High Vantage Points

There are some awesome views from various high vantage points in Pattaya.

• Horizon Bar located at the top of the Hilton Hotel (34th Story).  This is a very popular spot in high season, so it is difficult to get in.  It is best to ask at the Hilton front desk before you go up if there is capacity or how long the wait is.  I have gone twice, both times in August.  They normally have a buy one drink, get the second free early in the evening.  It’s a great place to watch the sunset or to enjoy the night.
• Overlook from the Big Buddha Statue
• Pattaya City Sign & Phra Tamnak Mountain Viewpoint
• There are some other rooftop bars.

Views to Enjoy from Lower Elevations and the Ground Level

• Pattaya Beer Garden.  At the north end of Walking Street.  Enjoy a meal or drink right out on the water.  A must do.
• The top floor from Central Festival Mall
• The top floor from Terminal 21 Mall
• Beach Road Bars.  This is a big event for the sunset and people watching.    
• Khao Phra Tamnak Viewpoint 

Shopping

While I am more into enjoying Pattaya's nightlife, I do like to spend some time shopping at Pattaya's various shopping options. 

The main multi-story malls are absolutely incredible with every store imaginable, fantastic sit-down restaurants and inexpensive food courts.  Plus, the malls are fully air-conditioned with super clean restrooms.

• Central Festival Mall. On a hot, humid night it's nice to pop into this mall, right between Beach Road and 2nd Road with various nightlife areas very close by, to cool off, sit down, stop spending money and use their clean restrooms.  You can also get a nice meal in the restaurants on the upper floors or get a bargain meal or snack in the lowest level food court.  There are some street food vendors and seating out in front on the 2nd Road side. 
• Terminal 21 Mall. North of Central Pattaya area on the 2nd Road baht bus line.  Multi-story, huge and a very nice place to spend a few hours browsing for nice purchases, eating a nice meal in the upper floor restaurants or lower floor food courts.
• Mikes Mall.  Between Beach Road and 2nd Road in Central Pattaya, so walk there.  Many vendors offering knock off merchandise at very good prices.  The stores have AC, the restrooms do not.
• Big C Market.  On Central Pattaya Road, east of Central Pattaya.  Take the baht bus part way there and walk.  If I buy something, I take a taxi back.  Lots of things here.  I buy a pad for my outdoor chair here.
• Pattaya Night Bazaar.  Enter on 2nd Road.  All kinds of small cool shops at low prices.  You  can bargain a bit.  It is warm, fans, but no AC.  I have bought shorts, tailored shirts, jewelry and a beach towel here.
• Buakhao Market.  On the corner of Soi Buahkao and almost to South Pattaya Road.  Very warm in there.  I have had coffee at the little stand, a few face massages and found some nice gifts for people back home.
• Floating Market.  In Jomtien.

The Food

Pad Thai

There are hundreds of restaurants in Pattaya Thailand.  Tiny stalls with a few chairs and super low prices all the way up to very large (and much pricier) places.

Thai food is incredibly delicious.  In my home city in the US, there are various Thai restaurants that I would eat at all the time if they didn't cost just as much as other restaurants in the US.

Many Pattaya restaurants include western style food with some specializing in steaks, burgers, pizza and western comfort food.

One of the best things about Pattaya is going out to great restaurants multiple times a day and not break your budget.

Pattaya Tourist Attractions Wrap Up

You could spend a week in Pattaya hustling to explore all the various tourist attractions and not even spend any time (or money) on the nightlife.

For me, I focus on the nightlife but really enjoy rounding out a Pattaya trip by visiting these attractions.  They help to make my experience even more memorable.