Know Pattaya before you arrive.

A day on Koh Larn, done properly

The clear water is 45 minutes offshore and costs almost nothing to reach. Here is how to do it without an organised tour.

Where to actually get work done in Pattaya

Fast internet, real power sockets and coffee worth the trip. The rooms that hold up for a full working morning.

Pattaya in 48 hours

A first visit, planned around the two things this coast does better than anywhere near it: the water offshore and the light at sunset.

What to do in Pattaya when it rains

Wet season storms are heavy, short and predictable. Here is how to reorder the day instead of losing it.

Getting around Pattaya

Baht buses, ride-hailing, scooters and when to just walk. What each one is actually for, and the pricing trap that catches almost everyone.

Golf in Pattaya: what nobody tells you before you book

Twenty-plus championship courses within an hour, year-round play, and a set of practical realities about heat, caddies and transport that catch first-timers out.

Eating and drinking around Lake Mabprachan

Ten minutes inland from the beach, Pattaya's east side has quietly become the best place in the city to eat if you are not chasing a sea view.

The best beaches near Pattaya, honestly assessed

Pattaya Beach is not the reason to come. Here is where the water actually turns clear, which beaches reward an early start, and which to skip.

Where locals actually eat in Pattaya

Markets, small kitchens and one seafood ritual that has nothing to do with the tourist strip. What Thai residents eat and where.

Pattaya with kids: what actually works

Pattaya has a reputation that puts families off and a genuinely good set of things to do with children. Here is which is which.

The Pattaya coffee guide

Pattaya has hundreds of cafés and a much smaller number roasting properly. Where to find real specialty coffee, and how to order it.

Getting to Pattaya from Bangkok and the airports

Two airports, four realistic routes, and the one that is right depends entirely on your luggage, your budget and what time you land.

Where to watch the sun go down in Pattaya

The bay faces west, which means the whole city has a view. These are the places that make something of it.

Shopping in Pattaya: malls, markets and what is actually worth buying

Two large malls, several night markets, and a clear-eyed view of what is worth your money and what is a mark-up on something you can buy anywhere.

Staying longer in Pattaya: the practical basics

SIM cards, banking, healthcare, which areas suit which lives, and the realities of a longer stay that nobody mentions until you are here.

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Thai visas: what you need to know before and after you arrive

Entry rules are changing right now. Here is how the system actually works, what the categories are, and how to check the current position rather than trusting a number online.

Where to stay in Pattaya: an honest area-by-area guide

The single most important decision of your trip, and the one most people get wrong. What each area is actually like and who it suits.

How Pattaya became Pattaya

A fishing village, an American war, and sixty years of unplanned growth. The story explains almost everything about the city you see today.

Driving in Pattaya: scooters, cars and what can go wrong

Renting is easy, cheap and the single most common way visitors get into serious trouble here. What to check, what to refuse, and what to do after an accident.

When to visit Pattaya: seasons, monsoon and heat

Three seasons, not four, and the wet one is nowhere near as bad as its name. How to pick your month.

Live music and a night out that isn't Walking Street

Pattaya has a genuinely good live music scene, several rooftops, and a set of bars where the point is the room rather than the reputation.

Day trips from Pattaya

Islands, waterfalls, a vineyard, a floating market and a city two hours away. What is worth the journey and what is not.

Thai etiquette: what actually matters

Most of what visitors worry about is fine. A smaller number of things genuinely cause offence, and one of them is a criminal offence.

What things cost in Pattaya, and the scams to know about

How the pricing actually works, where the real value is, and the handful of long-running scams that catch visitors every year.

Massage and spas in Pattaya: how to find the good ones

Traditional Thai massage is a serious therapeutic tradition. Here is how to tell a proper shop from the rest, and what the treatments actually involve.

Diving and water sports in Pattaya

Pattaya is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive, with wrecks, year-round conditions and a genuine caveat about visibility.

Pool and snooker in Pattaya

Tournament-grade tables, a real competition scene, and rooms open around the clock. Pattaya is a better cue sports city than almost anyone realises.

Television and streaming in Thailand: what you can actually watch

Which services work here, what happens to your home subscriptions, where the live sport is, and the setup that catches most visitors out.

Walking Street: what it is, where it came from, and how to do it

Pattaya's most famous half-kilometre, treated as the landmark it is. Origins, seafood, live music, the scams to know about, and an honest note on what this guide does not cover.