Utapao Airport has direct flight to Dubai which makes the trip easy for those living near Pattaya. The taxis in Dubai are metered, hotels prices are not bad, even for some 5 star hotels, plenty of sights and things to do in a weeks time. The Gold Souq is not to be missed. Just so much over the top opulence to see there. I'm looking forward to sharing the experience with my kid in the near future.
I understand the hesitation from many about the place. My first time passing through there on a job assignment I felt the same. One thing that I did there was dress nicely in slacks and dress shoes so I didn't look like the other idiot tourists in crappy shorts and t shirts.