Know Pattaya before you arrive.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Soi 6 Pattaya: what it actually is

Five hundred metres in North Pattaya, busiest in the afternoon, and almost nothing written about it is neutral. The history, the geography and what to expect.

The islands near Pattaya, honestly compared

Koh Larn, Koh Si Chang, Koh Samet, Koh Chang and Koh Kood, honestly compared. Which island suits a half-day trip, which needs a weekend, and how to actually get to each one.

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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.

Water parks in Pattaya: which one to choose

Ramayana Water Park suits teenagers and thrill-seekers, while Columbia Pictures Aquaverse, the park that replaced Cartoon Network Amazone, is the better bet for young and mixed-age families.

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.