Thailand – What The Fox has to say about Pattaya!
By THE FOX ... a (not so) innocent abroad DAN-GER WARN-ING DAN-GER WARN-ING.... if the Lost In Space robot somehow appeared in Pattaya he would thus exclaim, forearms traversing like pistons, in classic, time honoured fashion ! But he would not be fearsome of any alien beings or dastardly space travellers... his circuits would be under attack from sensory overload (well, that and the sight of Dr Smith having pulled two absolute stunners...but more of that later!) Yes, sensory overload! If there’s one description of Pattaya I remark to myself regularly (and I AM a resident), that's it...SENSORY OVERLOAD!! The sights, sounds, aromas and feelings experienced by Pattaya visitors render the City one of the world unique major conurbations. The only similarly unique place I can imagine is The Vatican... but uniqueness is where the similarity ends....trust me! Now I am reasonably well travelled, but my friends, far better travelled than I, have all exclaimed "I’ve never seen anything like it!" Indeed, if the aforementioned robot WAS actually spotted blundering around Walking St, well, it would hardly raise an eyebrow! Stranger things are seen daily! So, back to you! It’s your first time in Thailand, and you want some real fun, excitement, and access to some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the world? I suggest you do a minimum 2 resort holiday.... go to Koh Samet or Koh Chang for the latter, and then hop on a minibus to Pattaya for the TIME OF YOUR LIFE! It is a total party town.... you could live here for 5 years and eat out every night at a different good quality restaurant. The same with bars of all shapes, sizes, themes, kinds, atmospheres! There are at least 30 sumptuous movie screens to watch the latest films in luxury, three multi lane state of the art bowling alleys, big screen live sports venues aplenty, live music and cabaret venues too numerous to mention , at least ten lifestyle/ shopping centres with a multitude of quality retailers and superstores represented therein ! Zoos, leisure parks, water sports, bungee jumping, 30 golf courses in reach, driving ranges, weaponry shooting ranges, temples, elephant trekking...I mean, the list of things to occupy your time is literally endless, so lets carry on... fishing parks, water parks, massage parlours (offering professional services of all kinds) , go kart tracks, beaches, watersports of all descriptions, diving and snorkelling trips, island hopping, floating markets and restaurants... phew, I’m getting tired just thinking about it! Suffice it to say, you cannot be bored, cannot be lonely, unless you so choose. That’s not to say there are no beaches... indeed, Pattaya Bay itself has an uninterrupted beach of about 4k, and if you add the southern suburb of Jomtien and the Northern suburb of Naklua, the beachfront probably extends to 15k or so. You will not be short of sunbathing options, believe me, albeit the water is not the cleanest or clearest in Thailand, and the beaches are not "desert island' quality or width. The aforementioned suburbs are probably more family friendly to stay in and yet only a 15 minute taxi/bus ride to the heart of Pattaya’s entertainment area. Officially, that area is about 5k by 1 k, but remember, Pattaya is a City... not a long thin stretch of sleaze central... don’t forget to explore! So, what are the most economical aspects of Pattaya... accommodation, food, transport, entertainment, and, for the single male, women. I’ll repeat those... food, accommodation, travel, women and entertainment. Indeed, what else is there? This incredible phenomena is true of Thailand as a whole, but, Pattaya being the fun capital of Asia (if not the world), makes it simply an un-missable experience. Hotels range from; say 800 baht a night (well located guest houses/modern basic hotels) up to say 10000 baht a night, for the Sheraton, Amari and other 5 star chains. TuK Tuk travel is plentiful and the on/off standard routes are a flat fee of around 20 baht regardless of distance, and the famous taxi bikes will set you back a maximum of, say 80 baht, to traverse the city! Pattaya is just a two hour bus or taxi ride South from Bangkok (and its new Suvarnabhumi airport) U-Tapao airport is the local favourite for onward internal flights to places like Phuket and Samui. Pattaya’s climate is temperate and wonderful. Even the so called rainy season June to September beats a European summer hands down, and April and May are the hottest months. High season is November to March, and provides the PERFECT escape from the European winter. Walking Street is the worlds most famous entertainment Street, where you’ll see scantily dressed gyrating girls (or boys, for those so inclined) in almost every club (with the best offering audience participation at little cost), and other entertainment areas of similar curiosity value include Soi’s (streets) 2,6,7,8, and Bhukao. There is simply so much to explore and do that I cannot proclaim in print in a family site, and by the same token, these places can easily be avoided by couples and families, with no loss of entertainment option. One wouldn’t go to the Nevada desert and not visit Las Vegas. Similarly, Pattaya’s uniqueness is really unparalleled and MUST be experienced by visitors to Thailand. ENJOY! The Fox This page contains views and opinions about various aspects of Thailand and Thai life. The views that have been expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the websites owner. It is presumed that anyone who has contributed to this site is giving their honest opinion about Thailand. Therefore although what they have to say is checked before it is put on this website it has in no way been altered. Do you have knowledge about Thailand that you would like to share with others? If so, click on the link below, there you will find a Thailand Chat form to send in your own views. There are also more pages containing other people’s opinions on various aspects of Thailand. Return From Pattaya The Fox To Thailand Chat
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