Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Pattaya is one of the most popular resorts among Russian tourists. This town is versatile, because it can provide rest for every taste and budget. Central Pattaya is attractive for its abundance of entertainment and nightlife, but it is noisy, dirty and very crowded here. Therefore, more and more tourists prefer more remote areas of northern and southern Pattaya, where you can calmly rest from the bustle of the city and enjoy a truly paradise vacation in the shade of palm alleys.
Where to stay for a tourist in Pattaya
Different areas of the city differ markedly from each other. Geographically, Pattaya can be divided into three conditional parts:
- North Pattaya is a quiet place, where a large number of condominiums are concentrated, where both foreign tourists and Thais themselves live. The northern part consists of the Naklua and Wongamat districts. The entertainment infrastructure is concentrated closer to Severnaya st. and includes shops, cafes, restaurants and shopping centers.
- The city center stands out for the fact that there is a lot of entertainment – bars, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers.
- The southern side, which includes the districts of Jomtien and Pratumnak, attracts primarily by the clean sea, an abundance of entertainment and measured silence.
We believe that it is better to choose hotels located along the southern or northern part of the resort. It is quieter there, and loud music and cheerful youth will not interfere with sleep at night. In fact, Pattaya is a small town and, if you wish, in just 10 minutes, you can easily reach the epicenter of entertainment.
Hotels and inns are concentrated mainly near popular beaches, so you can choose a place to stay based on the beach area you like. Our experts have compiled a rating of the best beaches in Pattaya, based on numerous reviews from tourists and travelers.
Best beaches in Pattaya
| Nomination | a place | beach | rating |
| Best beaches in Pattaya | 1 | Koh Lan Island | 5.0 |
| 2 | Bang Saray | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Cozy Beach | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Jomtien | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Dongtan | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Crescent beach | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Pratumnak | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Wongamat | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Dancing Girl Beach | 4.2 | |
| 10 | Ban Ampur | 4.1 | |
| 11 | Najomtien | 4.0 | |
| 12 | Military beach | 3.9 |
Koh Lan Island
Rating: 5.0
Our rating opens a small coral island Ko Lan (Koh Larn), which is located 9 km from Pattaya and is considered a truly paradise. Despite the fact that the island is not so big – only 4 km in length, it has 5 main beaches and several additional ones, which are comfortably hidden in bays. Tourists note that the beaches are very clean and the surrounding landscape is very beautiful. The only drawback of Ko Lan is the large number of tourists.
The beaches on the island are private property, so to sunbathe on them, you will have to rent a sun lounger. Apparently for this reason, prices for services and goods are higher here than on the mainland.
You can stay at Ko Lan in comfortable hotels. True, most of them are concentrated on the eastern side of the island, where there are no beaches. But this is not a problem: motorcycle taxis and minibuses run between the beaches, and fans of high-speed driving can rent a bike for free movement. You can get to the island itself from the mainland by regular boats or liners.
There are practically no bright sights on the island. People come here mainly for a beach holiday. The only thing you can see the temple, see the Buddha statues or visit the observation deck overlooking the island itself or nearby Pattaya. The island also has traditional water activities – diving, banana boat rides, jet skis. In principle, even despite the large number of tourists, Ko Lan can be considered the cleanest swimming place in Pattaya.
Bang Saray
Rating: 4.9
The beach in a quiet virgin place Bang Saray, located 15 km from the center of Pattaya, where there are no high-rise hotels and package tourists yet, takes the second step in our rating. This is the very place where you can enjoy a measured vacation far from civilization.
Bang Saray Beach itself is not like the rest of Pattaya beaches. Its infrastructure is underdeveloped, the beach is not so crowded and is not even equipped with sun loungers. Although at the moment many condominiums are being built here, which gives hope for the development of this part of the resort in the near future.
Although the beach leaves a pleasant impression, it is not suitable for everyone. There is practically no entertainment here, but there is a wide strip of clean yellow sand (about 3 km in length), a shady palm alley and clean, clear water. The beach is almost always completely calm, so those who like jumping in the waves have nothing to do here, but families with children will definitely like such a vacation – in clean, calm water with a gentle slope.
However, the lack of infrastructure familiar to Pattaya does not mean that there is nothing at all on Bang Saray. There are hotels, Thai restaurants, bistros and cafes along the beach. Also, directly on the beach there are many Thai makashniki, where you can get a rug and a picnic table for free if you order any food. Travelers note that food is cooked deliciously, but the conditions in which this food is prepared do not always meet minimum sanitary standards.
At the back of the beach, there is a park created in honor of Queen Sirikit's 60th birthday, where you can stroll and enjoy freshly prepared seafood. You can also rent a boat here and go fishing or take a closer look at the coral reefs. In general, the beach is good for a measured family vacation far from civilization.
Cozy Beach
Rating: 4.8
The small Cozy beach, located in a rather isolated part of Pratumnak Cape, takes the third step in our rating. Cozy Beach looks more like a closed bay: it is very small and you can easily pass it by a sack in 5-10 minutes. The main descent to the beach is a steep staircase, but, according to many tourists, this is more a disadvantage than an advantage. The length of the beach is 400 meters, the width at high tide is 12-15 meters. This place is attractive primarily for couples with children, the main age of tourists is 35+.
The sand is mostly fine, yellow, but shell rock appears closer to the water, and the sand becomes harder, there are large stones. The entrance to the water is shallow, although in some places there are places with a muddy bottom and sharp stones. Due to the ebb and flow of the tide, the water becomes cloudy in the afternoon and you need to cover some distance to get to the depth. This creates inconvenience, although it does not frighten Russian tourists, of whom there are always many.
There are a number of sun loungers under umbrellas on the beach, although there is also space to spread the rug. There are also small cafes on the beach with cool drinks and snacks. There are also restaurants that cater to VIP clients. Jet skis and boats can be rented. You will have to get to more significant attractions by car, because Cozy Beach itself is isolated, although it is located not far from the center of Pattaya. Going on vacation to Cozy Beach is best from November to April. It is advisable to book a hotel two months earlier.
Jomtien Beach
Rating: 4.7
The famous Jomtien Beach is on the fourth step of the rating. This is one of the largest beaches in the southern part of Pattaya. The Jomtien Beach line stretches for more than 6 km, the width of the beach strip is 15-30 m, the coastal zone is covered with fine sand. Compared to the beaches located in the central part of the resort, you can relax here more calmly, measuredly and safely.
In 2017-2018 the embankment was reconstructed with an investment of 600 million baht. Many vacationers note that it has become much better: the sand was cleaned, palm trees were planted, the coastline was increased. The beach is constantly cleaned, special areas are equipped for smoking. But, nevertheless, there is still rubbish here, stray dogs and numerous merchants walk around. Also, a lot of inconvenience is caused by boats that transport tourists to nearby islands. The rest of the impressions of Jomtien Beach are positive. Many vacationers especially emphasize the beautiful sunsets, the romantic noise of the surf, the golden sandy coast and the absence of crowds of vacationers.
Expants and winterers prefer to live in the vicinity of Jomtien, because there is everything for a comfortable stay: transport accessibility, developed infrastructure, shops and hotels. By the way, the service sector is focused on Russian tourists – signs, names of dishes in restaurants – everything is duplicated in Russian, and there are Russian-speaking staff in the tour bureaus.
The beach offers a wide range of activities. There are conditions for skating, surfing, you can rent a banana or a boat. Also on the territory of Jemtien there is a large selection of food outlets, which mainly offer Thai and European cuisine.
Dongtan Beach
Rating: 4.6
Dongtan, located between the beaches of Pratumnak and Jomtien, occupies the fifth position in our rating. It is located far from large popular hotels, so it is almost always quiet and peaceful here. Dongtan is most often offered as an excellent place for a measured holiday with children, although they say that here you can meet gay vacationers, but mainly on the southern part of the beach.
Dongtan is conventionally divided into 3 parts: northern, southern, central. For a comfortable stay, the central part is most suitable, where there is a rental of beach equipment, umbrellas and sun loungers. Fans of active pastime will be offered water activities here – boating, banana boat, aquabike, windsurfing. There is also a volleyball court on the beach. Nearby is a hotel with a water park.
The smallest and least comfortable is the northern side, which began to adapt for recreation much later than the others. There are no cafes and restaurants, sun loungers and umbrellas.
Tourists in their reviews often speak unflatteringly about the cleanliness of the beaches of central Pattaya, but many single out Dongtan as one of the cleanest places where you can swim. In addition, there are good conditions for diving, boating or jet skiing. And shoppers will definitely appreciate the fact that the most famous 'island' of shops in the city is located next to Dongtan. An equally pleasant attraction is the beautiful embankment, along which you can walk both on a hot day and in a secluded evening.
Crescent beach
Rating: 4.5
Crescent beach is often overlooked and not always mentioned in tourist guides, but nevertheless, this is where you can really relax. In the sixth step of our rating, we have placed the so-called crescent beach, which is worthy to come here with your closest friends and family. Despite its some alienation and the lack of a number of popular entertainment for Pattaya, you can find mostly positive reviews about this place. Crescent beach is located in North Pattaya, between the beaches of Naklua and Palm Beach.
Infrastructure on Crescent beach is poorly developed, but there are several interesting places near the crescent beach that are definitely worth seeing. For about 500 baht, you can visit the Temple of Truth – the only temple in Thailand made of wood and somewhat reminiscent of a magic tower. And you can have a snack after a hot holiday in small restaurants of Thai and European cuisine.
Pratumnak
Rating: 4.4
On the seventh line of the rating is the Pratumnak beach, popular among Russian tourists, immersed in greenery, located between Jomtien and Central Pattaya. One half of the beach is clean and well maintained, while the other is almost abandoned. The beach stretches for 500 m in length, sand spreads 20-40 m in width.
The calm atmosphere of these places is especially popular with vacationers with children. The audience here is mostly respectable and quiet, but many complain that robbery attacks are often carried out in the Pratumnak area, so you need to be careful in the dark.
The sand is fine and clean, but at the same time, during the surf, it can take out garbage on the shore, which, in principle, affects many Pattaya beaches. The situation is better near private areas assigned to hotels, the launching facilities are specially equipped, and sun loungers and umbrellas are provided on the beach. There is free wi-fi throughout the territory, although the speed is enough only to view the news feed on social networks. There are many restaurants, cafes and shops nearby.
The difficult mountainous terrain of the area limits the opportunities for movement, so there is no public transport, and to explore the sights you will have to cover the entire distance on foot. You can get to the area by motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuk and songteo.
In terms of attractions, Pratanmak Hill offers a magical view of the sea – Pattaya Bay, Laem Port and Koh Lan Island, as well as the tropics. Climbing up to the observation deck and dropping 10 baht into the binoculars coin acceptor, you can admire the surroundings of Pratumnak at sunset. Also on the hill there is a Chinese Garden and a Buddha statue.
Wongamat Beach
Rating: 4.3
The main beach of the north of Pattaya – Wongamat, which is cleaner and more calm in comparison with Pattaya Beach, in our ranking takes the eighth position of the rating. In high season it is calm here, the atmosphere is quite calm and perfect for a secluded holiday. Wongamat is located off the highway, but from here it is easy to get to the center of nightlife, shops, restaurants and attractions concentrated in the city center.
The beach area is divided into several parts. In the southern part there is only a small landscaped area for swimming, the rest of the area is covered with large boulders. By the way, you can take some great selfies against their background. The northern part is also more suitable for a secluded holiday. The coastal area is built up with expensive hotels, each of which has its own access to the beach, so all the sun beds here belong to hotels and are not rented. Beach activities are only available in the center, where you can ride a banana boat, jet ski, water skiing or play beach volleyball.
In the evening, Wongamat is pretty deserted. Nightlife is concentrated in the Rim Talay Seafood restaurant, which sometimes hosts discos. On the beach itself, you can find many stalls, cafes, restaurants selling ice cream, cold drinks and a variety of snacks, and merchants often go here offering a variety of goods. The most interesting attraction that all tourists from Pattaya come to see is the Temple of Truth. There is also an Orthodox church not far from the beach.
Not everyone knows that there is a promenade on Wongamat Beach, which is a pedestrian zone that stretches along the entire coast. In general, the beach makes a good impression, many tourists note the purity of the sand, however, some reviews contain information that in the area of fishing boats, on the left side of the beach, rats are carried ashore, although this is not observed in other places on the beach.
Dancing Girl Beach
Rating: 4.2
The Beach of the Dancing Girl, named after a beautiful legend about a love story, is in ninth place in our ranking. In fact, these are two beaches, which are delimited by a small cape decorated with sculptures. The western side of the beach is called Nangram Beach and the eastern side is Nangrong Beach.
The first beach has water activities. Also, umbrellas and sun loungers are traditionally rented out, although a thick forest that begins behind a strip of sand creates sufficient shade where you can hide from the heat of the day.
The eastern part is several times longer than the western one, and the green promontory with hills creates a pleasant atmosphere. There is a hotel with bungalows here to stay overnight. By the way, the infrastructure here is the same as on the western side – restaurants, souvenir shops, toilets.
The entrance to the beach is free, for the entry of one car you will have to pay 20 baht, you do not need to pay for the bike. One of the disadvantages of the beach is that tourists can only get to it by private car or taxi.
Ban Ampur
Rating: 4.1
The secluded Ban Amur beach in the south of Pattaya, located about 15 km from the center and a few km from Jomtien, is in the tenth position in our rating. It is impossible to get here through travel agencies, because there are practically no housing and chain hotels nearby. The likelihood of hearing Russian speech is practically minimal, there are practically no foreigners on the beach either. The beach is popular with Thais, who come here on weekends, and on weekdays Ban Amur is practically empty. It is often quiet, calm and cozy here. There is no roar of engines from boats, obsessive traders and massage parlors.
One of the best playgrounds in the city is located on the beach, so tourists with children often come here. There are no resort entertainments on Ban Amur. In the center of the landscape there is a wind generator, next to which there is a spacious parking lot, toilets and a gazebo. Not far off on the coast there are restaurants, cafes and cafeterias, as well as shops.
But as for swimming in the sea, many travelers are not satisfied with the quality of the cleanliness of the sand and water. There is a fishing port nearby, and during high tide, a lot of garbage is carried ashore, which practically no one removes. But, nevertheless, it is nevertheless cleaner here than on the central beach of Pattaya. You can get to Ban Amur by tuk-tuk to the turn on Sukhomvit, and then walk or get to your destination by motorcycle taxi.
Najomtien Beach
Rating: 4.0
The beach in the south of Pattaya, which stretches for 3 km and is a continuation of the longest Jomtien, takes the penultimate step in the ranking. Na Jomtien is considered the outskirts and does not quite belong to Pattaya, so it will take a long time to get here by public transport. But at the moment it is experiencing a construction boom. The coastline is gradually being built up with cottage villages, hotels and condominiums with direct access to the sea.
These zones have all the necessary equipment, and safe swimming areas are fenced with buoys and pontoons. On the territory of the beach there are traditionally coffee shops and cafes, massage parlors, shops. Na-Jomtien is famous for its seafood restaurants. The water is cleaner here than on other beaches. By the way, the location is ideal for families with children away from the noisy city life and evening life.
Military beach
Rating: 3.9
The twelfth and last step in the ranking is occupied by the so-called military beach, which is located in the closed territory of a military base, 20 km south of Pattaya itself. You can book a trip to this beach, also called by the local Blue Lagoon, at travel agencies in Pattaya.
The military beach is 500 meters long and 30 meters wide. The beach is located in a secluded place – on three sides it is surrounded by hills covered with dense tropics. They just form a lagoon, which is protected from the winds. And the clear blue water and clean sand just attract tourists who are tired of the dirty and noisy beaches of central Pattaya.
The beach is very clean and tidy. It is regularly cleaned by cadets. There are swings in the trees, and flower beds are arranged in the adjacent territory. Sun loungers and bedspreads are rented. Various water activities are also present here. You can go water skiing, banana boat, take diving lessons, play beach volleyball.
There are several small cafes and restaurants, as well as shops on the beach. But there are no entertainment establishments working at night on the military beach. After 4 pm, the beach starts to empty. You can stay overnight in one of 15 small houses, for two families, with two separate entrances.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
