Expat Travel

How to Visit Pattaya With a "Normal" Girl

Pattaya has a reputation.

It's the land of the fat bald old guy with some random bar girl they're paying for.

When I told my friends I was visiting Pattaya with my Viet girl (from Hanoi) who's a nice, normal, cute 26 year old with a good job, education and from a good family - they told me I was an idiot (what else is new).

You can absolutely visit Pattaya with a girlfriend or wife and have a great trip.

You just need a plan that mixes the beach town stuff with a night or two of seeing what Pattaya is actually known for, without making the whole trip about that like you would do if you were with a group of men.

Here's how I'd structure three days.

Where to Stay

I stayed at the Arbour Hotel and Residence Pattaya.

The rooms were spacious and comfortable, and the pool was a highlight.

It's a solid base if you want something relaxing and luxury to come back to after a long day out, rather than a party hostel or a budget room with creepy old men near Walking Street.

Day 1: Sunset Drinks, Then Walking Street

Start the day easy. Once you check in around 2pm, spend some time at the rooftop hotel pool before heading out.

In the evening around 5pm head to the Hilton hotel as they have a rooftop bar that is simply fantastic for sunset drinks.

The view over Pattaya Bay is worth it, and it's a good way to ease into the evening before things get louder and crazier.

After sunset, meander down to Walking Street.

This is the main strip of bars and clubs, and it's worth seeing at least once even if it's not your usual scene.

Grab a drink, stop at a few casual bars, walk the length of it, take in the chaos. You'll want to start here around 8pm so leave the Hilton around 7 once their Happy Hour is over.

If you're curious, this is also where you'll find the girly bars, the ones with women dancing on stage.

These places are built for a male audience, and I'll be straightforward about that.

If you go in as a couple out of curiosity, treat it like people-watching rather than a big event.

One stop is enough to say you've seen it, my girl was curious so we went and it was fun and silly.

After, if depending on your girl, you may want to visit a nightclub to end the night. We went to one of the massive Indian clubs, got a bottle with my friend who was joining us and headed home around 2am.

I do suggest leaving around 2am because the next day you'll want to visit Koh Larn and you don't want to be too hung over to the point where you sleep the whole day.

Day 2: Koh Larn, Then Russian Food

Spend the day on Koh Larn (for more, see my popular guide on the topic):

Ferries leave from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya and land at Na Baan Pier on the island.

Na Baan is just a small town and the beach right there isn't really usable, so don't plan on stopping.

Once you arrive, rent a motorbike. This is not optional.

There's basic public transport on the island but it's more expensive than just paying 300 Baht for a bike and going where you want, when you want.

A few beaches worth knowing about:

Tien Beach (my top pick): Undeveloped, big, and not crowded. The water is great for swimming and this is the beach I featured in my YouTube short. If you only do one beach, make it this one.
Coral Island Beach: More built up, with shops, cafes, and local food places. Beach chairs are set out right on the sand. I come here more for the food and coffee than the swimming.
Samae Beach: Similar setup to Coral Island. Big beach, good for swimming, solid for a more relaxed, family-style day.
Monkey Beach: Some people call this the best beach on the island. I'd still take Tien over it. Monkey Beach is smaller and nice, but that also means it gets crowded fast.

My personal move is Tien Beach for swimming and actually relaxing, then Coral Island Beach for food.

This spot is long walk to the end of the beach but it's worth it. Beautiful and no one knows about it.

You can stay overnight on Koh Larn, but I wouldn't recommend it.

It's quiet to the point of boring once the day-trippers leave. The last ferry back to Pattaya is at 6pm, so plan to arrive on the island by 1 or 2pm to give yourself enough time to see a beach or two before heading back at 6pm.

Back in Pattaya in the evening, get dinner at Caravan.

It's a Russian restaurant in Naklua with a 4.7 rating and thousands of reviews, and it's my go-to recommendation for Russian food in Pattaya.

Pattaya has a surprisingly large Russian expat and tourist population, and the food scene reflects that.

It's a good change of pace from Thai food and worth trying at least once.

After dinner, head to Hops Brewhouse for live music.

It's a solid spot to unwind, and a much calmer way to end the night than Walking Street. Good for actually talking to each other over a drink.

Aim to be back home by 10 or 11pm.

Day 3: Checkout and Local Food

Check out in the morning.

Before you head out of town, grab some proper local Thai food. Skip the tourist menus near the hotel and look for a spot with mostly Thai customers.

It's the best way to end the trip on a high note.

Taxi back to Bangkok

Yes there is a bus station , in Pattaya and at Ekkamai in Bangok (Ekkamai Bus Terminal), but I personally recommend taking a taxi. 2k Baht or so, fast and convenient.

Conclusion

Pattaya gets written off as a shit hole, and some of that is fair. But if you plan the trip with a mix of beach time, good food, and just one night that leans into what the town is actually known for, it works fine as a weekend couples trip.

You don't need to avoid Walking Street entirely, and you don't need to spend the whole trip there either.

Knowing where to go and what to do is the whole trick.