There are plenty of options to travel to Pattaya from Bangkok. From Bangkok International Airport taxi will cost around 1000 Bhat. The taxi stand is regulated and drivers are issued with vouchers for every customer. Takedown details of the cab to report any unpleasant incident. The prices are fixed for taxis from the airport.
A convenient way to get to Pattaya is to rent a car from Bangkok International Airport. If have are carrying heavy bags, moving around in Thailand can be a hassle. Most people do not understand English very well, therefore, explaining the destination to the driver can be a challenge. Secondly, some cab driver will try to rip you off by taking you the longest way.
The easiest way to navigate is by renting a car from the airport. Make sure your car is GPS navigation-equipped or rent a GPS device. Getting a comprehensive insurance cover is a good precaution against accidents and mishaps on the road. Keep in mind that you rent a hotel with parking, otherwise, you will be spending a lot of time looking for parking and paying extra for parking on top of the hotel cost
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A mid-size car will cost you around 1200 baht/day. You will need to have a credit card for booking and an international driving licence. Licence from Australia, USA, UK and other European countries are accepted.
On my last trip to Pattaya, I made a booking in Jomtien Beach not realizing that it is around 10 km south of Pattaya Beach. I forgot to book a GPS from a car rental at the airport. Hoping to count on my great navigation skills I decided to take Highway 7 to Bangkok following the signs.
The maps do not point out that the freeway is running as a flyover on top of the arterial roads. Therefore, you need to be on the freeway to save as much time as possible. Driving on arterial roads is very slow and normally very crowded.
Getting on the freeway is quite challenging even for an experienced driver from the west as there are plenty of exits and entries and you do not necessarily see roads pointing towards Pattaya. I got on the ramp and by mistake got off and ended up on the same road underneath the freeway. Watch your signs and drive slow.
On highway 7 towards Pattaya, it is quite easy to navigate. Halfway through your journey, there is a nice stop-over, you can find MacDonald as well small cafes and restaurants. Getting into Pattaya, not knowing the place you will definitely end up driving near the round-about with blue dolphins located near Amari Watergate hotel. From there you can drive on a one-way street to soi 1 onwards.
Another convenient way is to take Na-Trat Highway (No. 3) via Bang Pakong, Chonburi and Sri Racha. Traffic can be avoided by using the Chonburi-Pattaya-Rayong highway.
If you want to catch a Bus to Pattaya get to one of three major bus terminals in Bangkok. The fare is around 120bhat. Buses run from Central Pattaya Road in Pattaya Road between Foodland and Big C. The drop-off point is the Victory monument in Bangkok. Departure timings are every thirty minutes between 5am to 9pm.
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| Street View Pattaya |
A mid-size car will cost you around 1200 baht/day. You will need to have a credit card for booking and an international driving licence. Licence from Australia, USA, UK and other European countries are accepted.
On my last trip to Pattaya, I made a booking in Jomtien Beach not realizing that it is around 10 km south of Pattaya Beach. I forgot to book a GPS from a car rental at the airport. Hoping to count on my great navigation skills I decided to take Highway 7 to Bangkok following the signs.
I was not sure as to which exit to take, therefore, I ended up on the other side of the river. Lumpini Park and Wireless hotels are easy to find on the map. Once on the road, it is extremely difficult to navigate if you take a wrong turn. After three wrong freeway exits and good 2 hours on the road, I managed to find my hotel. I was guided by a street girl near Lumpini Park :)
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| Stop-over on the way to Pattaya |
The next day I decided to drive to Pattaya. I got my general bearing from an atlas I bought from a book store and made a sketch of the map with all necessary exits to the freeway.
The maps do not point out that the freeway is running as a flyover on top of the arterial roads. Therefore, you need to be on the freeway to save as much time as possible. Driving on arterial roads is very slow and normally very crowded.
Getting on the freeway is quite challenging even for an experienced driver from the west as there are plenty of exits and entries and you do not necessarily see roads pointing towards Pattaya. I got on the ramp and by mistake got off and ended up on the same road underneath the freeway. Watch your signs and drive slow.
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| View from Hilton Hotel |
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| Public transport is quite cheap in Pattaya |
On highway 7 towards Pattaya, it is quite easy to navigate. Halfway through your journey, there is a nice stop-over, you can find MacDonald as well small cafes and restaurants. Getting into Pattaya, not knowing the place you will definitely end up driving near the round-about with blue dolphins located near Amari Watergate hotel. From there you can drive on a one-way street to soi 1 onwards.
Some hotels you book online are located quite far from the main drag. Even though you think the hotel is in Pattaya it can be quite far from the main Road near Pattaya Beach. Make sure you have the map of direction printed out if you are not very good with directions. You will find the same street numbers both in Pattaya as well as in Jomtien Beach.
If you are planning to stay for an extended period look for furnished apartments that can be rented for $400/months. This accommodation gives you lots more flexibility for cooking etc.
Another convenient way is to take Na-Trat Highway (No. 3) via Bang Pakong, Chonburi and Sri Racha. Traffic can be avoided by using the Chonburi-Pattaya-Rayong highway.
If you want to catch a Bus to Pattaya get to one of three major bus terminals in Bangkok. The fare is around 120bhat. Buses run from Central Pattaya Road in Pattaya Road between Foodland and Big C. The drop-off point is the Victory monument in Bangkok. Departure timings are every thirty minutes between 5am to 9pm.
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