Pattaya History

Pattaya's coastal side is divided longitudinally into five contiguous sub-districts (or six, if also including Jomtien). Each one is named after the section of beach or headland at its seaboard.

In the middle are the three Pattaya Bay sub-districts, which share the main Baht Bus route (so most places are within 5 minutes / 10 baht of most other places, at any hour) and have much else in common, and hence in combination make up the main quasi-downtown zone:

North Pattaya (Pattaya Nua) - not the northern-most part of Pattaya (as Naklua lies further north), but the section of Pattaya adjacent to the northern end of Pattaya Beach and extending inland to both the north and south of North Pattaya Road. Does not include Naklua.
South Pattaya (Pattaya Tai) - not the southern-most part of Pattaya (as the Buddha Hill headland, and then Jomtien, lie further south), but the section of Pattaya adjacent to the southern end of Pattaya Beach and extending inland to both the north and south of South Pattaya Road. Includes Pattayaland and Walking Street. Does not include Buddha Hill or Jomtien.

Central Pattaya (Pattaya Klang) - not the dead center of Pattaya, but the section of Pattaya adjacent to the middle of Pattaya Beach and extending inland to both the north and south of Central Pattaya Road. Some maps/guides disregard the Central Pattaya convention, and instead extend North Pattaya and South Pattaya to meet each other along Central Pattaya Road; sometimes, Beach Road is described with a similar division, and the respective halves given "North Beach Road" and "South Beach Road" monikers.
Flanking the Pattaya Beach sub-districts are:

At the southern end of Walking Street is the New Pier, usually called Bali Hai Pier (sometimes "Pattaya Pier" or "South Pier"). The Old Pier, close to the junction of Beach Road and South Pattaya Road, is still shown on most maps but was dismantled and removed at the beginning of 2006.

Naklua - immediately north of North Pattaya, and with quick, frequent, and inexpensive transport to and from the rest of Pattaya; Naklua is popular with visitors whose native language is German. In terms of tourism-related locations, it's the smallest and least significant sub-district, the main attractions being the beaches (which are quieter than Pattaya Beach) and the Sanctuary of Truth.

Buddha Hill - named after the Buddha Hill landmark and sandwiched between South Pattaya (to the north) and Jomtien (to the south); to the east, South Pattaya and Jomtien meet directly.

In practice, exactly where each sub-district ends and the next begins is a very grey area as none of the boundaries lie along major roads (and none of the many readily available tourist maps attempts to define boundaries at this level); nevertheless they do provide a handy rough guide to approximate latitude. Further inland, the sub-district names are used less, and locality/road names take precedence - for example, an address might state "Sukhumvit, Naklua" which is useful in that it makes it clear the location is to the north of the Sukhumvit / North Pattaya Road intersection, however the exact same place would not normally be described simply as being "in Naklua" as that would give the misleading impression of it being in the main beachside/tourism area further west.

Pattaya's downtown area is easy to get around. Running north-south, a few hundred metres apart, are Beach Road (Thanon Hat Pattaya, sometimes also referred to as First Road) which borders the main beach (Hat Pattaya), Pattaya Second Road and Pattaya Third Road (with the smaller but busy Soi Buakhao in between), and the main Sukhumvit Road coastal highway. Beach Road is one-way (southbound), likewise Second Road (northbound).

These are connected by the three major east-west aligned roads: North Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Nua), Central Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Klang) and South Pattaya Road (Thanon Pattaya Tai). North Pattaya Road is a dual carriageway and carries the highest volume of traffic to and from Sukhumvit Road.

Also connecting Beach Road and Second Road are a large number of smaller streets or "sois". The main sois are numbered from 1 to 16, from north to south. Sois 1-6 are between North Pattaya Road and Central Pattaya Road; sois 7-13 are between Central Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road (including the "Pattayaland" sois, immediately north of South Pattaya Road); sois 14-16 are south of South Pattaya Road. Most of these east-west sois are (in theory at least) one-way.

Beach Road, Second Road, and North Pattaya Road (plus Naklua Road to the north) all meet at the Dolphin Roundabout landmark. Heavy traffic and frequent accidents here have resulted in a semi-permanent diversion being set up which, at peak times, prevents vehicles (except motorcycles) from continuing around this roundabout any further than the North Pattaya Road exit, pending the installation of traffic lights some time in 2006.

Second Road south of South Pattaya Road becomes Pratamnak Road, which shares a junction with both the southern end of Third Road and the northern end of the main road to Jomtien, Tappraya Road.

Beach Road south of South Pattaya Road is closed to vehicles in the evenings (currently 18:00-02:00) and is called Walking Street; it's the main tourist area, both for nightlife and shopping. Other major tourism areas include the section of Second Road between sois 1-4, and the sois immediately north of South Pattaya Road.

Pattaya Beach

Naklua beach, immediately north of Pattaya, is quiet and unpolluted. It doesn't have as many restaurants or expensive resort hotels as it's neighbor to the south, nor the rowdy nightlife, but all these are available for the 10 Baht cost of a 20 minute songthaew ride to Pattaya beach. Similarly, Jomtien beach, around the headland to the south of Pattaya, is quieter and less congested but has good quality accommodations and restaurants.

The 6 kilometer long, lagely straight beach, located around the headland from pattaya with winsurfers and watersport inthusiats. It is also quieter and more relaxing than Pattaya Beach Hotels and others accomodation facilities are available along the road that runs parallel to the shors.

Pattaya Nightlife

Pattaya is famous for its nightlife, loaded as it is with beer bars of all description, a profusion of go-go bars and live music venues, and plenty of large discos that open at 22:00 and go on until late. The evening in Pattaya starts early, although many visitors tend to dine later (between 20:00 and 22:00) as things don't really kick off until tenish.

Pattaya also has many attractions for all tastes and pockets. There are plenty of international and Thai restaurants, along with street stalls, while Thai massage and foot massage is also in evidence, as is shopping - think big malls to night markets and street vendors. Of course, there’s always the promenade of Pattaya Bay, which is good for an evening stroll. Mind the ladyboys!

Walking Street

Generally speaking, most of the nightlife action geared towards tourists is found in South Pattaya, with the densest concentration of bars, Go-Go bars, massage parlours and discos along the famous neon-drenched strip known as Walking Street (stretching from Soi 13 to 16). Unique and unruly, it's shut off to traffic during the evening, with raunchy shows, bar games, competing stereos and lots of booze 'all combining forces to make one huge party zone. Vying to satisfy crowds comprised mainly of men are armies of girls so friendly that even shy guys can confidently get cozy. If only for the 'I've-seen-it' experience rather than 'I've done it' enjoyment, it has to be experienced at least once.

More of the same can be found slightly further north at Soi Pattayaland 1, 2 or 3, especially in Go-Go and beer bars. Soi Pattayaland 3, known commonly as Boyz Town, caters to the burgeoning gay crowd. Towards Central Pattaya Road, Soi 7 to 8 is slightly less hectic but packed with clusters of open-air beer bars, restaurants and bars. And all along Second Road, are little pockets of beer bars.

     Clip Pattaya Walking Street Nightlife Mix

Water Sport

Pattaya’s sea side location has made it a perfect beach resort with a plethora of exciting water sports. If you are the adventurous kind and want to brave the wind and the waves gear up to enjoy the Water Sports in Pattaya. The glittering water of the Gulf and the blue firmament above it invites one to dive into the beautiful world of coral coves or swim across the warm tropical waters. Many would prefer to wind surf, yatch race, jet ski or go snorkeling. Deep sea diving or scuba diving for those who would love to glimpse the marine life while dingy sailing and cruising for the less adventurous . Parasailing or paragliding will offer you the panoramic view of the Pattaya bay.

- Windsurfing in Pattaya
- Water Skiing in Pattaya
- Snorkeling in Pattaya
- Scuba Diving in Pattaya

Pattaya’s attraction for the tourists all over the world is its reputation as the most exotic sea beach of Asia. Situated in front of the Gulf of Siam, Pattaya has a plethora of water sport activities. Many exciting adventurous sports highlight Water Sports in Pattaya. Swimming, sailing, water skiing, snorkeling, windsurfing, banana boat rides, cruises, scuba diving are the water sports practiced in Pattaya. If you wish tMost of the tourists find Here you can find most types of water sports from jet-skis to snorkeling; parasailing to deep-sea diving; water-skiing to yacht racing; sailing in a dinghy; diving in beautiful coral coves and swimming in the warm tropical waters.

Sport in Pattaya

Sports are a part of life. Since the beginning of civilization man has always enjoyed the excitement of contests, be it viewing chariot races or a gladiator engaged in fights with the lion or princes locked in games of chess staking their kingdoms for the sheer lust of winning. Sports in Pattaya is very popular among its residents and also tourists who make it a point to visit Pattaya for its sporting events.

With splendid sprawling meadows, Pattaya houses more than 12 golf courses situated within easy driving distance. Pattaya Sports Club offers a host of sporting events such as bowling, fishing, tennis, softball, darts and computing. Many exciting adventurous sports highlight Pattaya sports life. Swimming, sailing, water skiing, snorkeling, windsurfing, banana boat rides, cruises, scuba diving are the water sports practiced in Pattaya. Other exciting games in Pattaya include parasailing or paragliding, Muay Thai boxing or Thai kick boxing event and the "tower jump" at Pattaya Water Park and Tower. "Tower Jump" is a sky shuttle, where one is given the choice to avail shuttle rides that one on aerial rides from the top of the tower to the ground.

- Motor Racing in Pattaya
- Horse Riding in Pattaya
- Tennis in Pattaya

- Shooting in Pattaya
- Thai Boxing in Pattaya
- Golf in Pattaya

http://www.thailand-huahin.com/pattaya/pattaya-sports-golf-tennis-go-karts-horse-riding-motor-racing.htm

Pattaya Shopping

Pattaya offers many kinds of shopping. You can imagine it is from bustling open-air markets that sell food and non-food items, noisy night markets, street stalls/vendors and local shops to western style department stores, supermarkets and upmarket specialist shops. Although many of the shops are small, some open-air without air-conditioning, there are plenty of shops and services available in Pattaya and they all welcome barganing. While department stores, supermarkets and malls hold a lot of product items but bargaining is not allowed. Most shops usually open late morning and close late at night. Department stores, supermarkets and malls tend to open earlier.

Shopping in Pattaya area can be very different from shopping in your country. You probably won't find the same selection but because of the relatively high proportion of farangs here, a reasonable choice of products is now on sale. The larger department stores, supermarkets and malls are usually near the centre of the towns and many of the outlying shopping areas consist of small shops called shop-houses.

Shop-houses are a combination shop and home for the owner. The shop is on street level and the family lives in the rooms at the back and above the shop. They are usually fully open in the front with a variety of goods ranging from cooking needs to cleaning products. When they close, the shutters slide down and cover the shop front.

It's very important for you to learn more about Thai money. The Thai money have in Notes and Coins,but both are currency in Baht. You should learn more about Thai Money at : www.pattaya.com/pattayainfo

Pattaya Floating Market By Richard Barrow
When I first heard about the Four Regions Floating Market in Pattaya, I just thought that we would be getting another tacky and artificial tourist attraction built just to bring in the tourist dollars. There are not really that many authentic floating markets around. The famous one at Damnoen Saduak was recreated in order to cater for foreign tourists. It is situated on the site of a much older floating market that was abandoned years ago when people started going to local supermarkets by car. However, we now have an alternative that was specifically built as a floating market. The recent soft opening of the Pattaya Floating Market has already made it one of the best and biggest floating markets in Thailand. The floating market is just south of Pattaya on Sukhumwit Road. It is open daily from 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. If you are planning a trip to Pattaya then I strongly urge that you visit this floating market. http://www.pattayafloatingmarket.com/

Foodland Supermarket PATTAYA
Foodland stands for high quality and complete customer orientation and commitment. Our policy is to cater to the best quality products for our customers. Since its inception, the management has made conscious efforts to create its own exclusive house brand products. The Company invested and built production facilities for high quality meat and bakery products. A European master butcher and an executive pastry chef and baker were engaged to oversee production and product quality, staff training, market research and product innovation. The Company believes that good quality products are derived from the best ingredients. With high quality control procedures established in both facilities, our specialties like quality sausages, hams, and bakery products are exclusively produced and sold only at our stores. www.foodland.com/foodland_pattaya

Royal Garden Plaza PATTAYA
The Royal Garden Plaza is the only truly international standard retail center on the Eastern Seaboard enjoying the patronage of millions of customers annually The Royal Garden Plaza is the only truly international standard retail center on the Eastern Seaboard enjoying the patronage of millions of customers annually. With it's convenient location, unique architectural features and modern interior design, the Royal Garden Plaza has established itself as a well known family oriented retail and entertainment destination, equally popular with thai and visiting tourists.
Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya is home to many national and internationally recognized brands including Guess, Esprit, Timberland, Swarovski, Sizzler, Swensen's, The Pizza Company, CD warehouse and the world renowned Ripley's Believe It of Not! Museum World of Entertainment. www.royalgardenplaza.com/pattaya

Central Festival Pattaya Beach
The Largest Beachfront Lifestyle Shopping Complex in Asia Shopping:
You are cordially welcomed to Central Festival Front Lifestyle Shopping Complex, the latest and largest international shopping complex in Thailand’s Eastern Region. Discover a new realm where you can keep up-to-date with the world’s latest trends amidst the uptown fascinations of Pattaya beach.
The Shopping Complex spans across a majestic, seven-storey building set amidst an over 11-meter long stretch of sand. Feast your eyes on a perfect cluster of over 200 chic fashion outlets and boutiques. Savour a wide range of exquisite dishes in hip restaurants lining the beachfront and offering you an exceptional al fresco dining experience. Spend your nights at a five-star hotel affiliated to the Hilton whose spacious parking lot can accommodate some 2,000 vehicles. Central Festival Pattaya Beach will colour your shopping experience with a unique shopping complex that answers the needs and wishes of every lifestyle amidst a picturesque resort. Explore a cluster of international brands in over 200 leading shops, including eight large-scale stores. http://www.centralfestivalpattaya.co.th/

Pattaya Map

From : http://www.pattayawikipedia.com/, http://www.pattaya.com/, http://www.traveltour.com/