Can you find good beaches in Pattaya? We talked about our favorite places where we swim ourselves, as well as the best beaches in Pattaya. How to get there on your own? Where do tourists like to swim and which beaches are suitable for families with children?
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Pattaya beaches map
Central Beach (Pattaya Beach)
The first time we came to Pattaya in 2009 and enjoyed swimming on the Central Beach. Relaxing on the long sandy strip along Beach Road was convenient. All attractions are within easy reach. Once, for fun, we rolled to Jomtien. I liked it, but then only a dirt road led there. Why travel so far when everything you need is close at hand?
Today, there are still many tourists on Central Beach, but now it is - one of the dirtiest places in Pattaya. There is heavy traffic on Beach Road from morning to evening. Cars go one after another. Overgrown Pattaya is dumping so much waste into the Gulf of Thailand that the water at Central Beach is almost always muddy. From April to November, during tropical rains, torrential streams carry away everything that has accumulated on the surrounding streets into the sea.
The Thais carried out several reconstructions, rearranged paths, strengthened the shore, brought tons of fresh sand, but everything was useless. The central beach looks poor in many places. Why do tourists go and go to it? The logic is simple - there are enough sun loungers and parasols, and there are many restaurants and shops nearby.
Despite the fact that many people love the Central Beach in Pattaya and it is still popular, we do not recommend relaxing on it, especially with children. There are amenities, but health is more expensive!
How to get there. Getting to Pattaya Central Beach on your own is easy - take a taxi or catch a songteo and ask if they go to Central Festival or the Hilton hotel.
There is a songteo from Tappraya and North Bus Stations to Beach Road or Second Beach Road. And from the Sukhumvit road, go to the North, Central or South road - they lead directly to the beach, and there you can catch a tuk-tuk.
Phratamnak
Pratumnak - one of the best beaches Pattaya. It stretches for 500 m at the foot of the hill and the 5th Soi Pratumnak goes to it. On the beach there is a strip of sand 20-40 m wide and a swimming area fenced with buoys. There are stones in the water to the right of Exit 5 Soy, in other places the bottom is completely sandy. There is little shadow.
How to get there. You can get here only by taxi, private transport or on foot. Landmark - 5 Pratamnak Street and Hotel Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya. You can take a songteo to the beginning of Dongtan Beach - it connects to Pratamnak Beach.
Cozy Beach
Cozy Beach, a popular tourist destination, has a length of 600 m and a width of up to 30 m. The sea and sand are definitely better here than on the Central Beach. The water is usually cleaner in the center and north of Cozy Beach, and there is a sewer in the south - don't swim there. At the edges of the beach there is sharp stones.
How to get there. You can get to Cozy beach on your own only by taxi - there is no public transport here. It is located at the Cozy Beach hotel, and call it a taxi driver. There are 2 stairs leading from the road to the beach.
Asia Beach
Another small sandy beach is located near the Asia Hotel and Cabbages & Condoms cafe. They call it that - Asia Beach. It seems that it is private, but it is not - everyone is allowed in. This is one of the best beaches in Pattaya for families with children.
How to get there. You can only get to this beach in Pattaya by taxi or on foot if you live in the Pratumnak or Jomtien area. Phra Tam Nak 4 Alley street leads to it. The Asia Pattaya Hotel will remain to the left of the entrance to the beach.
Dongtan Beach
Dongtan Beach is named after the palm trees that grow here. There are no cars running along the beach and therefore the place is quiet. The entrance to the sea is shallow, and the bottom is sandy.
After the Adriatic Hotel and the rescue station, there is a section where guests of the Pattaya Park Hotel swim and sunbathe. Then a series of rainbow flags begins - places for lovers of same-sex rest... Not everyone understands the hint, so families with children often come to the beach for homosexuals. But there is no problem - everyone is welcome on Dongtan!
Every part of the beach has sun loungers, parasols, toilets, showers, volleyball courts and surfing equipment. Renting a sun lounger costs from 40 to 100 baht. Do you want to spend money? Relax on your towel or mat away from the beach infrastructure. We advise you to take a walk along the footpath along the beach and watch the squirrels jumping in the crowns of casuarinas and palms.
How to get there. The sandy shore stretches from the rocky spit of Pratumnak Hill to the Jomtien Beach Street, which is used by songteos. If you look at the map, you will see that in fact all this is one beach, and the division into Pratumnak, Dongtan and Jomtien is rather arbitrary.
You can get to this beach in Pattaya on your own by public transport. Continue to the intersection of Thappraya Road with Jomtiensaineung (this is Jomtien's first Beach Road). There is a police station and a 7/11 store right on the corner. This is where the beach begins. You can also walk on foot if you live near the beaches of Jomtien or Pratumnak.
Dongtan Beach Panorama
Jomtien beach
The longest and most popular beach of the resort is located in its southern part - along the Jomtien area. Several years ago, the coast was reconstructed, so today the long beach is considered one of the best in Pattaya.
In the south of the beach, jet ski races and beach volleyball competitions are regularly held. On weekends, many Thais come here by car. Little space is left on the road along the coast. Approximately in the middle of the beach, the sea storm drain pipe... You shouldn't swim here!
In terms of infrastructure, Jomtien Beach is similar to Central. There are enough sun loungers and umbrellas. Toilets and showers are located behind the road. There are many restaurants, cafes, massage parlors and small shops with food, souvenirs and leisure goods on the street.
How to get there. It is convenient to get from the city center to any part of Jomtien by songteo for 10 baht. You need to sit down from Volkin Street, at the intersection of Yuzhnaya and Vtoraya plyaznaya streets.
Na Jomtien Beach (Bacco Beach)
The quiet southern outskirts of the resort are also suitable for a beach holiday. There are fewer equipped beaches here than in Jomtien, and the sandy strip is not so wide. There are enough restaurants and cafes. Especially famous are the restaurants of fish cuisine, which are located at the farthest end of Na-Jomtien, near the rocky stretch of the coast, where no one swims.
If you like fish and seafood dishes, come to the beginning of Na Jomtien early in the morning. Every day from 6:00 to 9:00, local fishermen sell their catch, and their enterprising wives prepare fresh grilled crabs and shrimp for tourists.
How to get there. Na Jomtien - farthest beach in the south of Pattaya. You can get there on your own, but it takes a long time. At Sukhumvit, take a 20 baht white songteo that goes south towards Nong Nooch. You can get to the beach along Na Jom Tien Soi 10 street, which will lead to Bacco Beach - this is a part of Na Jomtien beach.
Na Jomtien Beach Panorama
Beach near the hotel "Ambassador"
The gently sloping sandy beach is good for those staying at this hotel. Tourists from Pattaya rarely come to the Ambassador. Why waste time on the road when you can find good swimming spots in the city itself?
If you want to swim and sunbathe - welcome! Everyone is allowed to the beach near the Ambassador. Mowed lawns, fountains and flower beds - beauty!
The beach strip is very wide. There is no such number of people as in Pattaya.In addition, the water is noticeably cleaner than downtown.
How to get there. On Sukhumvit you can get to the hotel by tuk-tuk and minibuses. Same as Na Jomtien beach, but a little further. A notable landmark is the Mimosa shopping center. Through the hotel to the coast - 5 minutes on foot.
Panorama of the beach near the Ambassador Hotel
Wong Amat Beach
The main beach in the north of Pattaya is considered one of the best in the resort. The Naklua area is one of the cleanest and greenest in the city. It's good to rest here, but there is little natural shadow... The places where you can rent sun loungers and parasols are located near the hotels. The shore between them is not well-groomed, and there are many stones in the water.
The ebb tides in the north of Pattaya are stronger. When the water goes away, it becomes very shallow. We recommend swimming in the center and south of the beach.
Naklua adjoins old Banglamung, home to descendants of Chinese expatriates and fishermen. The seabed in this part of the city is muddy and not suitable for swimming.
How to get there. It is better to get to this quiet Pattaya beach on your own by your own transport - after the fountain with dolphins, turn to Naklua. Via Na Kluea street 16 or 18 you will get straight to the beach.
You can also use public transport. One route - with transfers. Take a tuk-tuk on Second Road and reach the fountain, and then change to another one that goes along Naklua. Get off at Na Kluea 16 or 18. Another route goes from Second Street to Naklua, then you do not need to change trains. How lucky you are :)
The best beaches around Pattaya
There are pleasant places to stay on the southern and northern sides of the resort. Where do tourists go?
Sai Kaew Beach
20 km south of the resort is a beach owned by the Royal Navy. Because of the clear waters of Sai Kaew Beach called the Blue Lagoon... The coast with fine light gray sand stretches for 0.5 m. The depth begins 10 m from the coast. The entrance to the beach is 100 baht.
You can get to the Military Beach in Pattaya on your own only by taxi, rented transport, or by ordering a transfer from a travel agency.
Dancing Girl Beach (Nang Ram Beach)
Not far from U-Tapao airport, 40 km south of Pattaya, one of the best beaches in the vicinity of the resort is located. The coast is divided by a rocky promontory on which there are sculptures. The sandy beach is quite wide, the entrance to the water is shallow, and the tall casaurine trees provide a pleasant shade.
To the beach of the Dancing Girl public transport does not run... As well as to the Military Beach, people can get here by taxi or rented transport.
Panorama of Nang Ram Beach
Bang Saen
Not all tourists know that the first Thai resort was not Pattaya, but Bangsaen. The town, an hour's drive from Pattaya in the direction of Bangkok, has been hosting tourists since the 1940s. The equipped sandy beach stretches for 4 km. There is a walking path along it, cafes, restaurants and hotels are open.
Bangsaen is a favorite resting place for Bangkok residents... On weekends, many cars arrive at the local beach. Tourists from Pattaya are rare guests because they know little about this beach. You can only get there by taxi, transfer or your own car.
The road to the beaches in the vicinity of Pattaya takes from 40 minutes to one and a half hours. Not too convenient! Imagine spending 2 hours a day just getting to the beach and returning to your hotel? For 1-2 trips per vacation, this is not critical, but for daily rest it is not suitable.
Koh Lana beaches
We found a way out for ourselves and went to swim on the island, which is located 8 km from Pattaya. The sea and beaches on Koh Lana are much better than in Pattaya, and a boat trip turns a day of relaxation into a real adventure. Agree, sailing 40 minutes on the sea is much more interesting and enjoyable than going by car or bike to the beaches in Sattahip or Bangsaen.
There are several beaches on Koh Lana - Tawaen, Tonglang, Tai Yai, Naul, Same, Tien and Sang Wan. The coast, which looks towards Pattaya, brings a lot of plastic waste from the mainland - packages, bottles and scraps of old fishing nets. If you want to swim in clear water, choose the west coast of the island.