When you move somewhere, you move there because it has something to offer, and when those areas are packed in traffic those times you want to visit, is it a problem?
Just the energy in Pattaya puts me off, and I'm pretty much done after a few days now. Like to come down for a few days visiting friends, dinners, but now at 55 and married I'm not especially up for clubbing anymore which was one of the reasons I thought Pattaya was worth a visit before.
Everything else that attracted me to Thailand is better than other places, so If I need a city vibe I have learned to enjoy BKK more and more the later years, especially Silom.
For those who want to live in Thailand and move here, I would say, do the Pattaya and tourist places first, and then find a good place for a quiet life and a solid base you can travel from when you need changes or get bored. A good base need something to offer for you to do on daily basis, and not only hitting the bar for socializing.
Paradise cease to exists at once you live there for most. Doesn't seem to happen to the most hardcore Pattaya enthusiasts, but for most