This page is a compilation of all our most useful articles about staying in Pattaya, Thailand. This guide is useful for visitors, tourists and anyone thinking about spending a short time or longer in the city.

The guide is broken into categories for easy reference

updated 27 April 2018

Soi 6

First things first. Soi 6 is easily reached from Second Road or Beach Road, depending on which way you are coming from. These two roads form a oneway loop around a major part of downtown Pattaya that is interesting to tourists. For more information on Soi 6 bars see our main article with a list of every bar on the soi.

map of bars on soi 6

Take your time and do a lap of the whole street, you can turn around and walk back and forth as long as you like enjoying the view and the calls of, hello, welcome…!

There are 3 main types of bars

  • open. the front of the bar is left open to the air. usually has fans attached to the walls and roof to keep you cool.
  • closed. the bar is closed usually behind dark tinted windows. inside is air conditioned.
  • hybrid. an open area at the front, with an air conditioned indoor space.

on a hot day there are obvious advantages to the closed design however in general the open or hybrid layout is more conducive to a good atmosphere.

Safety and security

October 2017 update: There will be a VIP event and expected heightened security for the ASEAN navy exercise in November please refer to our article

After the bomb attack at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok, Thai authorities in Pattaya have convened to determine new security measures to be put in place.  In Pattaya city, police have created check points in high risk areas and other places that may attract violence. Provinces such as Chonburi with major tourist attractions have been warned to take extra precautions against disaster and unrest that is affecting areas of the country.  In Chonburi Mr. Pakorn Ratthichai the Governor along with mayors of Laem Chabang and other municipal officials were convened to organise both civilian and military police in the area. The frequency of patrols has been increased to deter violence.

Maximum security will be provided to tourist areas and other places where people gather such as shopping malls, temples, Walking Street and Beach road. CCTV cameras are being checked as well as lighting in the area. In addition, plans are being put in place for the event of an accident occuring. Civilian, police and military authorities are planning if there is a security event in the area. If an emergency occurs authorities will be prepared to act immediately.

Pattaya is considered a top tourist destination by the government. The atmosphere is currently normal, however, people should take normal precautions around busy streets and alleys. Officials have stated that tourists should freely go about their business but increased levels of surveillance are expected. To date there has not been unrest in Pattaya as there has been in Bangkok. The Pattaya City police and Royal Thai police may set up more checkpoints to monitor for any suspicious activity and people may be stopped and searched for unauthorised items. Police advise that if you see anything to call 191.

Hotel safes

October update; note this story. Even though the guy had a safe he stupidly left it open and left the guest alone with the open safe!!!  They propositioned him and were invited back to his hotel. In the room they saw that the safe was open and when the man left the room to go to the toilet they robbed him. Due to being drunk the man passed out on the bed and the two robbers left. The police used CCTV footage to track down the culprit.

On April 30, Pattaya police have arrested two women who robbed tourist Christopw Emanuel Stadler of  €700 stored in his hotel safe. The two ladies, aged 27 and 38, were taken by the man to his hotel at the Vinee hotel in Soi 16. Police arrested the women after an investigation.

This is a timely reminder to visitors to Pattaya to bear in mind:

  • Select a hotel that provides an in-room safe, that is lockable by your key code only and not by a key that could be used by someone else in the room.
  • Keep large amounts of cash in a safe place or avoid carrying too much cash at all by using ATMs, however this will incur an ATM fee of 220 baht per withdrawal.
  • Do not trust any visitors to the room, and if taking visitors, ensure that their ID cards are left at reception
  • Some hotels will place a call to you immediately asking if everything is OK when visitors wish to leave
  • Take photos of visitors to assist police with identification if a crime does happen
  • Choose a hotel that has CCTV to assist police
  • Keep your door locked
  • If you have a safe, make sure you don’t open it in the presence of others
  • Don’t get too drunk that you cannot control the situation

Pattaya is generally a safe place but bear in mind that  €700 represents 28,000 baht which is about double the monthly salary of an average Thai, and so presents a very large temptation to do the wrong thing. If you are bringing large amounts of cash with you, make sure they are stored securely.

Police restrictions

Occasionally the ruling junta decides its time for a cleanup.

With the looming prospect of elections law and order has become a possible high profile issue for the military government in Thailand. The Washington post reports that “it is the first time in 40 years something like this has happened” with bars checked for such legal technicalities as having a licence to be allowed to play music. The army shut down the bar because of this despite an informal arrangement being made with local police and the owner. The military is saying that this current crackdown is Thai-centric rather than foreigners, with a spokesman saying “disorderly young Thais, staying out late, had provoked the new measures” according to WaPo.  Many analysts say the current crackdown is more for appearance and “face” rather than being effective. Bar owners are saying that some tourists will go to Cambodia or Vietnam, however, it is unlikely Pattaya will  be much affected. The city has legitimate “entertainment precincts” that have always been officially or unofficially excempt from restrictions in place in other parts of Thailand, such as restrictions on the sale of takeaway alcohol. You can buy a beer at 7/11 any time of day or night whereas in most Thai cities including Bangkok, there is a midnight restriction in place. The Thai military will be careful not to drive away tourists as the economic effects could have a bad impact on their popularity.

In yet another periodic crackdown, many Soi 6 bars are tightening their policy with regards to use of short time rooms on site. Existing customers may be able to access the rooms but new punters who are not know to the bar may be requested to go off site to their hotel.  This is a precaution that is in place due to the police and military activity being increased with extra surveillance activities being carried out. Many reports have been heard of military personnel checking ID cards and also ensuring that proper dress standards are maintained. To you and me that means some of the more racy outfits have been replaced with more modest clothing.

note: in November the Prime Minister will be visiting, expect closures and extra security

Visitors to Soi 6 may also notice they are being accosted less in the street. This is due to a large number of bars under foreign ownership implementing a “no hassle” policy.  While this is sensible from certain perspectives it does mean the street has lost some of its characteristic charm, as girls sit inside the bars looking bored, or inside entertaining existing customers, rather than out in the street soliciting punters.

Of course if you are the kind of person that goes to Soi 6 for the music and drinking then none of this matters as those activities are always available. It is now the hot season so it is advisable to stay hydrated and if possible pick a bar with airconditioning if visiting during the day. There are a number of small minimarts on the street where you can pick up a bottle of water for 10 baht rather than pay 50 baht or more ordering water in a bar. This will help you stay hydrated and avoid any nasty hangover. It’s even possible that girls will be more willing to go LT and enjoy your comfortable air conditioned hotel room rather than standing around in the heat.


Latest episode of farangs being stupid in Thailand. Video posted online shows a bulky foreign man driving a Honda Civic being confronted by another older foreigner. You can see the guy was getting back in the car when the old guy slaps the door with his had. The end result is that the older man provokes him into a fight and ends up getting punched to the ground. Sources online have said that the car driver’s daughter was spraying the old mans daughter.

This is a classic case of how quickly and easily things can go bad. There are so many ways this could have been prevented:

  • Don’t put  your children in unsafe situations
  • Don’t create a situation where the other person loses face
  • Don’t deal with something happening by confrontation
  • If given the chance, walk away – don’t try and have the last word or get a parting shot in

Police in Pattaya don’t like high profile social media incidents and are likely to crack down on any assaults. This guy was driving an identifiable car and will likely be caught.

Songkran is a really enjoyable festival but remember to be safe and if in doubt, remember, in many Asian societies you don’t rock the boat because harmony is valued over individual rights. The law in Thailand often lets offenders go leniently if there has been a provocation, such as the victim causing the attacker to lose face.

If you go to Thailand during Songkran, EXPECT to get wet, ESPECIALLY in Pattaya where tourists are equipped with high pressure water guns. This means, it is up to you to secure your electronic devices, children, or any other water-sensitive items BEFORE you venture out, or you should stay indoors.

You are unlikley to receive much sympathy if you complain about getting wet.

Things could have gone very badly for everyone involved here, not only the victim, for example the guy in the car could have been dragged out by the group of Thai men and beaten.


Hua Hin Ferry









for more infomration take a look at the Official ROYAL FERRY WEBSITE


The war between taxi drivers and Uber has a new battleground in Pattaya. Reports in the local media and online show that fights and violence have broken out between drivers suspected of threatening the livelihood of traditional taxis. Worryingly, one case of taxis following someone they thought was an UBER driver was a case of mistaken identity as it was actually a real estate agent taking a client to look at properties. In other cases, drivers have been dragged from vehicles and beaten up while the horrified passenger looks on. The Pattaya police have generally treated taxi drivers taking vigilante action leniently. But on the other hand, enforcement of the laws has also been lax.

Uber X, servicing the low cost segment, has been declared illegal by the Thailand Department of Land Transport and drivers can be fined, with fines typically being around 2,000 baht. Despite this the service is popular in Bangkok and has expanded to Pattaya. The price is typically cheaper than taxis for example from Central Festival to Pattaya bus station is around 110 baht compared to 300 baht for a Chonburi taxi.

We recommend using songtaews, the converted pickup trucks with bench seats, for getting around central Pattaya. This is very cost effective as the charge is only 10 baht per person. Songtaews can also be hired to take you to the destination of your choice by talking with the driver and agreeing on a price. For the brave motorbike taxis are a convenient and quick option, often being the fastest way through traffic. The fare from anywhere north up to dolphin roundabout to Walking Street is 60 baht, however at night time when returning from Walking street prices may spike to 80 baht, and also expect to pay 100 baht if 2 people are riding (with the driver being a total of 3 people on the motorbike, this is technically illegal and only recommended for very short journeys).

Motorbike rentals

After Songkran is over, it is low season in Pattaya but the police have been busy catching members of a gang involved in the theft of motorcycles, according to media reports. Police arrested Praphae Prachachai, 27, Ampol Sakdejdee, 37, and Suwat Rungruang, 30 and impounded a Toyota pickup truck. Police Captain Apichai Khumphet, Pattaya City Police Department said that the gang targeted motorbikes in the Banglamung area. They would then be smuggled to the Cambodian border and sold for 15,000-20,000 baht each.

This is a timely reminder for visitors to Pattaya, when renting a motorbike it is advisable to check that full insurance is provided in the event of theft. Pattaya is generally safe and we have not had any problems leaving our motorbike parked on main roads overnight or longer. But it is advisable to check with the rental company that a lock is provided as an extra precaution against possible theft of the motorbike. Other things to check are that helmets are included and that you are covered in the event of an accident. Most insurance only covers damage to the motorbike and not any damage to another vehicle or your personal injury costs. For this reason it is desirable to have travel insurance cover before travelling to Thailand.

It is also necessary to have a valid international licence as well as a licence in your own country to ride a motorbike. Many companies will not ask for this when renting the motorbike but in the event of an accident it will be checked and if you don’t have it insurance will decline the claim. In addition if you are stopped at a police checkpoint the officer will check your licence and if you don’t have it you will be fined.


In today’s candidate for the Darwin awards an Australian man was given a suspended sentence after accidentally killing his fiance on a  jetski. Yes, you read that right. Not for this bloke the ordinary, mundane experience of getting scammed by a dodgy operator, threatened by heavies and dealing with Thai police trying to recover his funds. Nope, this dude really wanted to get up close and personal with the Thai justice system, particularly the courts, by getting in an accident that some say was tragic and others refer to the legal maxim, “volenti non fit injuria” or in laymans terms, doing stupid shit that was asking for trouble.

Anyway here is a link to the BBC article.

Ms Collie suffered fatal neck and shoulder injuries when the pair collided on separate rented jet skis.

At the time, Keating told police his vision was impaired by sunlight reflecting off the water.

Sounds like a real bright spark right? Anyway, don’t be that guy. This happened in Phuket which is just as much or possibly more of a tourist trap than Pattaya, at least if you’re Australian. Don’t rent a goddamn jetski, the ways in which it can go wrong are manifold and having ridden a jetski before we can confidently say there is nothing special about it. Mostly it screws  up your ass and hands from the choppy vibrations of the engine and/or waves.

This guy was super lucky that a) he got a suspended sentence and b) he didn’t kill himself too. The Bangkok Hilton is not a nice place and we don’t mean the hotel. Thai prison is scary and don’t count on being extradicted back to serve your term in a nice, cushy Western prison.

One thing this dude deserves credit for though is letting someone smart write his media statement, which he managed to read correctly.

“I respect the country of Thailand and the Thai people. This was a tragic accident.

“However, I take responsibility for what happened. And I have decided that the best thing is to accept a charge of careless driving leading to death.”

I think there is a lesson here. Even if you are caught metaphorically or even literally with your pants down, profess respect for Thailand and the Thai people. It will help.

So to reiterate these points:

  1. If you visit Thailand, do not rent a jetski

Technically, that is only one point but we feel that it is such an important one it deserves its own list.

There are plenty of things you can do in Pattaya that don’t involve killing your girlfriend by accident. We recommend trying out such attractions as Mini Siam, Nong Nuch Tropical Botanic Gardens, etc. Additionally, domestic flights in Thailand are dirt cheap so you could easily travel to the southern islands, Phuket, or north to Chiang Mai or Pai for a few days to break up your holiday a bit.  Even nearby Asian countries such as Cambodia are only about an hours flight from Bangkok. Visit Siem Reap, see Angkor Wat!  Don’t die in a jetski accident or get beaten up by the mafia.

Sideline girls

Meeting Thai sideline girls in Pattaya isn’t as hard as you think but nor is it very easy. For tips I recommend you read our guide.  I mean, the easiest way is to just walk down Soi 6 or beach road at any time of day or night and you won’t need to put in any effort at all. Whereas if you want to take home a “normal” girl who is not in the entertainment or massage business then you will have to work a little bit harder.

Option 1 is Thaifriendly. Now, many of the girls in Pattaya who are using TF are actually freelancers or bar girls. They will generally not get far into the conversation before the subject of short time comes up. Whereas if you mention “short time” to a normal girl she will be confused, or, if she has already had to deal with perverts messaging her, she will block you.

Really you should be setting your location filter to Bangkok, it is just down the road and the ratio of normal girls to bar girls is much more in your favour. You will have a fairly good shot at a holiday girlfriend style arrangement this way. For example, we’ve taken out a nurse from Chonburi on our vacation. You should really have a Facebook account ready made for the purposes of this style of dating too.

Thaifriendly girls speak English or at least are actively trying to meet foreigners. If you want to break into the Thai sideline world you will need to speak at least a bit of Thai, even better if you can also read and you can type พัทยา into google, because unless your girl is an English major it is unlikely you will be able to communicate. And yes, there are some girls who are studying English on TF who want to meet someone for language practice and maybe more.

Pattaya isn’t really a college town so you can’t expect to find lots of cute young students. The best you can do is find a group of girls who are down from BKK for the weekend. Again, you will need pretty good Thai skills to get anywhere. Thai-Chinese hiso girls who come down in their Mercs and BMWs to party and check out what condo they want their parents to buy don’t really go for cheap Charlies.

You can find Thai college girls in dessert cafes and in some Thai-oriented walking street clubs. It’s pretty difficult to pick up but not impossible. We found a group of BKK girls upstairs in insomnia, just introduce yourself the same way you would in any club. Thai clubs are based around having a group at a table so it can be hard to break into a group.

You other app options include badoo. Badoo is popular with many Thais but in Pattaya you will have trouble wading through all the ladyboys and freelancers to find the real Thai girls.

In fact it’s probably easier to just do it the old fashioned way and pick up girls from Starbucks than using badoo in Pattaya.


In addition to the usual mix of beer bars, go go bars, and of course the “unique” attraction that is soi 6 that cannot be found anywhere else in Thailand, Pattaya is not really known for its soapy massage venues, but of course they are still available. The best know perhaps is Honey body massage which is so famous that it has a street named after it, Soi Honey which can be reached not far from Central Festival on Second road. Any tuk tuk or taxi driver will know it. Honey 1 even has a large parking area for tourist busses of Chinese to park, we would avoid going at the same time as the locust horde if at all possible. Bus loads of tourists are shuffled into the premises, no wonder the girls end up with a mechanical attitude to service when it’s basically a production-line.

for more details, read our article on Pattaya soapies


So, it’s after midnight and you’re still by yourself. Pattaya is a place where the party keeps going on all night, so what are your options? A lot of Thai ladies like to head to the Walking Street clubs to find company and you can too. Which club is the best? As they say in Thailand, “up to you.”

The recently renovated and reopened Lucifer deserves a mention for its super bright neon entrance hallway. It’s definitely eye-catching and inside the club is cavernous, definitely feeling spacious even when the floor is packed. It also has a mixed crowd including local Thai people drinking at the many tables. They have a live band most nights and generally they seemed to have done a good job revitalising this place.

insomnia cllub girl

A more standard pickup joint is insomnia/I-bar. This two-in-one bar downstairs and club upstairs is often packed to the gills with freelancers and off-duty ladies from other bars looking for new customers. They will line the walls and wait for you to start a conversation. Since its loud you might need to type messages on your phone with google translate for assistance. Sometimes can be a little crowded with other guys.

Other noted venues for finding company are 808 and Marine discotheque. In Thailand, what we would call a nightclub is still called a disco. Marine is the granddaddy of Walking Street discos and can feel like it sometimes. It has a downmarket feel. However it is still a mainstay of the late night scene. Unfortunately you have to go up and check it out, sometimes it can be dead before 3am or 4am. Watch out for ladyboys, they usually stick to their area but always be vigilant, “This is Thailand”.

808 is in the middle of walking street and plays hip hop if you’re tired of the usual electronic music. It can attract a slightly different crowd so it’s worth making a stop if you’re making your way down the strip. Be warned like all the clubs on walking street you  pay a  premium price for your drinks.

At the very far end of Walking Street at the Bali Hai pier end is Mixx, this is the Walking Street club that has an actual dance floor. Most of the clubs have the usual Thai setup of tables everywhere which restricts the space you can cut a rug. Mixx has a big central floor where you can get your grind on. Along with insomnia this is the European and Russian guys place to go. It is pricey as you would expect from a venue pitched at a higher part of the market.girls at insomnia

We have had the most success finding a date for the night at insomnia but clubs have different peak times and a lot depends on whether you hit the right club at the right time. A place that is dead at midnight can be packed at 3am. Left it until 5am? Still might not be too late for somewhere like Marine. And of course, the “coconut bar” a.k.a Beach Road always stays open.

A note on dress code: we’ve never been refused entry in jeans and a tshirt. It’s up to you how much you want to dress to impress.


In Pattaya there are many ways to spend your money. Some are good and some are not so good. What the tripadvisor reviews won’t tell you about Hollywood is that it is the venue of choice for employees of Walking Street GOGOs to take their well-heeled customers. Some are paid a commission to come here. The most popular choice for many Asians such as Japanese and Koreans is to barfine some girls from Walking Street and go to Hollywood to drink and maybe sing karaoke in the rooms upstairs. Hollywood is also out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, so you will need to get help from a friendly songtaew or the taxi mafia to get there and back to your hotel. Oh and don’t forget an overpriced bottle of imported spirits that you need to buy mixers with the just to drink your own booze.

On soi 6 you can have a drink , buy your girl a drink and a short time session and get change from 1500 baht. Not so for Hollywood. This is where you go if you have money to buy some fried rice with shrimp for 900 baht, popcorn for 300 baht, a bottle of mixer for 300 baht etc. They generally have dancers and live music on stage, and the place gets packed from midnight with so many tables good luck trying to get past to the bathroom. Since it’s Asian clientele, the place is packed with carcinogenic levels of cigarette smoke too.

You can find some freelancers here sometimes but mostly you bring your own company from Walking Street. A thing that elderly Asians like to do is barfine a whole group of girls and buy bottles to show off their immense wealth. Tipping the male waiters is also expected, 200 baht or so for them carrying your drink and occasionally putting some ice in it. You may think I am being slightly harsh on Hollywood Pattaya, because they have high overheads due to getting skilled dancers and live music in their club. But you can go to any bar on Walking Street and see a live band and go inside a gogo you can see dancers. Hollywood is a weird combination of those things. Working girls take their prized customers to Hollywood and compare notes with each other to gain face.

People say things like Hollywood is a “local” crowd, well if you mean gogo girls and their rich Asian customers then yes, Hollywood is a reflection of Pattaya. It is not really a reflection of a Thai nightclub aimed at Thai clientele. The rich locals and BKK crowd tend to go to Differ rather than Hollywood. If you have money and can speak Thai then you would have a better time at Differ, there are normal non-working girls there and you might even get lucky with a hiso girl who wants to slum it for a bit. By hiso I don’t mean old money though, I mean tacky hiso wannabes who think money can buy class. Beware of hard drugs and the occasional gang stuff though. If you are a foreigner you might have a weird time, go with your Thai friends. Don’t take a bar girl there though, she will feel way out of place, like if you took her to the Hilton or something. Even the dialect most Isaan girls speaks marks them as low social to Bangkok Thais, let alone the tattoos and whatnot.

Dating Apps

There are a number of apps and online tools to help you get the most of your trip to Pattaya. A little preparation beforehand can save you a lot of time and effort later when you arrive in Thailand.  You could install these at the airport using wifi but since most people have time before they travel to set up, it’s better to do it at home.

What’s LINE? Have LINE!

You probably already have social media accounts. If you come to Pattaya, at a bare minimum you should have a LINE account set up. LINE is the most common and popular chat app in Thailand, even people aged 60+ use it because you can make free voice and video calls with it. It is similar to WhatsApp or any other instant messaging app like Kakaotalk or Wechat. Put a profile photo of yourself up and optionally a few photos on your timeline to show what an awesome person you are. A hand phrase to know is MEE LINE MAI? This literally means, have line no( as in, do you have line?) like in the old days how guys would ask a girl for her number. If she says no it’s not that she doesn’t have a phone, she just doesn’t like you. Five seconds later you will probably see her sending a message to her friends on LINE.

Set up a clean Facebook

If you have a facebook account you probably don’t want a bunch of bar girls on it so you should set up a separate fb ahead of time. there are guides on google on how to make a second facebook profile, it shouldn’t take too long if you plan ahead. Be aware that unlike you, ladies will have real photos of their family and kids on their fb. It might seem weird but that is how it works in Pattaya. The reason to have a fb is that some ladies will become suspicious if you have line but not fb. If you have a clean fb you come off as a good guy. Trust us, the experienced ladies have two or sometimes even three facebook accounts, if you want to play the game then know how it’s played.

Research dating sites

A popular site is and if you sign up beforehand you can actually have some leads before you even set foot in Thailand. If they are a working lady then they will open the conversation with terms and conditions whereas ordinary ladies will start off with small talk or explicitly say in their profile they are not a bar girl. This doesn’t mean you can’t make them your holiday girlfriend in exchange for the right remuneration just that it might be harder than simply getting their line and telling them where your hotel is. You might even make a real connection with someone.

Set up dating apps

In addition to the most famous of dating apps Tinder, and the thaifriendly app, in Thailand there is Beetalk, badoo and wechat that all have location-based matchmaking. Setting up a profile doesn’t take long and you can recycle your best photos and blurbs. Badoo charges a premium which isn’t really worth it, just find girls near you and send them a message, if they look at your profile and reply then you are good otherwise don’t bother wasting your money. It’s possible to find a lady to come to you without leaving your hotel room without touching your credit card. Badoo has a bad signal to noise ratio. There are lots of people on it but the level of engagement is low and you can send out dozens of messages and not get a response.  Tinder you will generally get a response when you match but the matches tend to be biased towards other foreigners as Tinder is more a Western dating app.


You can open a Thai bank account in Pattaya, just follow our instructions here. If you have a Thai bank account, you can save on ATM fees. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards 220 baht per transaction, plus your own bank may charge you a fee.


If you believe the internet then the rainy season in Pattaya starts in June and lasts until October. It is currently the ‘cool’ season but that term is relative to the HOT season which follows starting in mid-March. Even though it is not technically rainy season, Thailand is a tropical country, and it is possible to get torrential rain on a day or two. Today, it was a taste of the rainy season to come as it bucketed down and forced people to do indoor activities or at least drive around inside a pickup that has enough ground clearance to get around on flooded roads. People who tried to use their motorbikes may have had a bad time!!

Here is a video of the flooding near the beach. you can see the water level is just below the top of the kerb so it’s not too bad but you wouldn’t want to drive fast.

I just read in the Bangkok Post that the LPGA golf event has been cancelled due to the rain.

The players at the top of the leaderboard were scheduled to tee off at 11.50am and were still waiting out the rain when tournament officials ordered all players off the course at 12.40pm. The round was officially abandoned at 3.45pm.

These people were brave enough to go to the beach in the rain. I don’t think it would be much fun but maybe you can enjoy sitting under the umbrella and listening to the rain fall. There doesn’t seem to be much of a crowd today, wonder why.

rain at pattaya beach

If you’re gonna drive make sure your car can cope with the flooding. Seems like the Prius here is in trouble or maybe that is just normal Thai style driving. This is not driving though it’s more like BOATING. HA HA that’s a joke. This road is meant to be three lanes each way but you can see, lane markings are invisible. Not that anyone pays attention to them usually anyway. Thailand has an anything-goes approach to traffic. I think most of these cars will be okay since the water isn’t even reaching the top of the wheels, only about half way up. Might want to check your door seals are good.

cars stuck in flood pattaya

Even if you only have a Yamaha scooter like this you can still try your luck with the flooded roads. Hope you’re not afraid to get a bit wet and dirty as all the rubbish floats to the surface and the sewers overflow into the streets! Try not to swallow any of the water. Definitely not good for you. I’ve never gotten badly sick in Pattaya though. Just the usual rough trips to the toilet when eating spicy foods and the occassional cold. You can get anti biotics over the counter from any pharmacy. They give them out like candy. It won’t be good if a serious outbreak happens.

motorbike drives through flood pattaya

Days like this the place to be is inside a nice bar or your hotel room with some friendly company!! The good thing about rain in Pattaya is that it tends not to constant. There is usually a time when it stops for several hours so you can do all the stuff you want to do.


for  more details, read our Songkran 2018 guide.

If you are going to take part in the water play remember that the water itself isnt necessarily super clean so you might want to avoid swallowing it and wear glasses to protect your eyes as many unscrupulous people deliberately aim powerful water cannons at your face and eyes, using the festival as an excuse to be an asshole. Its not quite Khao San Road levels of bad, but be cautious.

it is also worth remembering that Songkran also brings about a grim death toll the result of drinking and driving. As reported by the Bangkok post,

From April 11-17, there were a total of 3,724 road accidents across the country, claiming 418 lives and injuring 3,897 people, the Road Safety Centre announced on Wednesday.

while many of the accidents occur on rural roads, in Pattaya there are plenty of people who are intoxicated and of course, don’t pay attention to things like red lights. It is wise to drive even more cautiously than usual and if possible avoid the roads as much as possible. Even being a pedestrian is not safe.

In the bbc news today  a 31 year old British tourist fell naked from a balcony on walking Street and died.  At songkran the usual dangerous activities are made more risky because local Thais are also on holiday and everyone is consuming alcohol. In addition, roads are packed and water is being sprayed everywhere.

Although some girls return home, in Pattaya songkran lasts a full 8 days which is more than any other city in Thailand. So even if some girls leave they will be back shortly.

We have observed that some walking Street go gos are a little empty but that means you will have your choice of the full selection. Palace is the stand out line up but expect 2000 baht barfines.

Thankfully soi 6 pricing is still reasonable. Police and military have been spotted making id card checks and some dress standards have been put in place temporarily meaning more covered up. Due to the laws of physics a wet t-shirt means there is still plenty to see

When to go (Time of year)

Other than weather considerations, another thing to take into account is the university calendar in Thailand. Many non-professional student girls come to Pattaya on the summer break to make some money. It is more likely you will meet a cute girl studying English at certain times of year, for example March-June for the technical colleges and May-August for the universities.

What not to do

we have compiled a list of common mistakes people make in Pattaya. you can read it here. some examples:

  • Booking a hotel that is not guest friendly. Check our list of guest friendly hotels before you book! Avoid joiner fees of 500+ baht.
  • booking a hotel that is used by tour groups. Constantly moving people at all times of day and noisy bus engines so you can’t sleep.
  • Package tours in general. Do you own research, its not hard and you will avoid the crappy hotels they put you in.
  • Name brand hotels. There are Marriots, Travelodges, Holiday Inns etc in Thailand but you can get better value by looking around.
  • Paying for breakfast. Good food is easy to find in Pattaya whereas most hotel buffets are decidedly average. Plus Pattaya is a night town, you probably won’t wake up early enough to enjoy it.