Heading to Thailand for a few months, meeting up in Pattaya for two weeks first before heading around the country.  Not my first time in Thailand, but my first time in Pattaya!  I like to swim, but I've heard bad things about the water quality of Pattaya beaches.  Are any of the beaches in Pattaya good for swimming?  Just to tide me over before I can get to Phuket or one of the smaller islands.

Are you partial to skin diseases? If so go ahead.

 

I've seen what comes out of that sewage plant near Walking Street, and it's not nice.

Hahah yeah I'm not interested in that.  I figured Pattaya Beach would not be good, but wasn't sure about Wong Amat, Pattaya Beach, or others nearby.

The main beach in Pattaya is not regarded as very clean, although it is somewhat better these days as there aren't thousands of tourists using the hotel toilets..... You can head out to the islands, Koh Larn, or to beaches South of Pattaya for better water quality. Even Jomtien is suspect these days. 

You are kidding, right?

2021: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-naklua-sewage-spill-claimed-to-be-non-hazardous-347009

 

2019: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/environment/pattaya-officials-react-to-the-video-of-gushing-sewage-and-wastewater-video

 

2017: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/sin-city-sewage-viral-clip-reveals-possible-waste-pipes-pattaya-beach-drain-ocean-video/

 

They are all OK now from personal experience, but the haters sitting in some foreign country in a box will tell you how bad it is and you might die.

Come and check it out.

Grab a ferry to Koh Larn and swim off Samae beach.

The water off Pattaya and Jomtien beaches is full of bacteria

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They are all OK now from personal experience, but the haters sitting in some foreign country in a box will tell you how bad it is and you might die.

Come and check it out.

Come on.  We've all seen the sewage spills, black water pouring onto the beach, and the news that the recycling station has basically been out of order for years.  Though many places don't have their drains connected to the mains anyway.  Just right into the storm drains, and right out to the sea.

 

The beaches here are terribly polluted.  The amount of trash is staggering.

 

It's better on Koh Larn.  Worth a trip out there.  Its easy and cheap!

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They are all OK now from personal experience, but the haters sitting in some foreign country in a box will tell you how bad it is and you might die.

Come and check it out.

For years pre covid I would take the kids to play at the beaches around Jomtien/Bang Saray (not Pattaya Beach Road) and I'd get in the water with them and swim around, never had any infections or mutations 555.  I'd be more concerned about the jet skis and small boats hitting you, best to stay in the roped off areas.

If you can, go to the military beach. 

The seawater's certainly cleaner than it was pre-Covid, but it'll never match the islands. When the swimming pools were closed I was swimming in the sea at Jomtien Beach most days and you could make out the sand ripples in the sea bed in six feet of water, though only when it was calm and the waves weren't disturbing the sediment. One thing I had never realised before was that the sea becomes infested with jellyfish during the rainy season. I got stung a number of times in the area I liked to swim (the giant, buoyed-off area between Wat Bun and Chaiyapruek), and gave up there. I found that Dongtan Beach had less of a problem, though the jellyfish are still there. I'm not sure when they clear off again, presumably when the wet weather ends and the cools eason starts, but the Pattaya jellyfish season is certainly not something you see mentioned in the TAT brochures, and there are no warning signs that I've seen.

Anyone know if Bang Saray beach is safe?

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Are you partial to skin diseases? If so go ahead.

 

I've seen what comes out of that sewage plant near Walking Street, and it's not nice.

Due in part to recent monsoon like rains, the water is very dirty.  All the run off from the rains and sewage from many areas above sea level discharges into the sea.   May be cleared somewhat by the time you arrive but now it is mostly brown for a long distance from shore.

Just wqit and do your swimming in Phuket.

 

10 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They are all OK now from personal experience, but the haters sitting in some foreign country in a box will tell you how bad it is and you might die.

Come and check it out.

I’m a foreigner sitting in a little cottage (why would we live in a box?) and I’ll tell him how I nearly got decapitated (twice) by the same kid on a JetSki whilst coming up from a dive off Pattaya beach, directly under a dive flag and all.

(god knows why I ever thought to try a dive there - desperate I guess).

 

Of course, flopping about on the surface he’ll be more visible … or maybe more of a target ...

10 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The main beach in Pattaya is not regarded as very clean, although it is somewhat better these days as there aren't thousands of tourists using the hotel toilets..... You can head out to the islands, Koh Larn, or to beaches South of Pattaya for better water quality. Even Jomtien is suspect these days. 

I swam at Pattaya beach on Sunday, down by holiday inn. The water was very nice and clear. 

I've swam there in the past and never got sick, but I do agree.. There are nicer places. 

I usually swim daily at Dongtan beach.. By the water park. 

It's very nice there.. 

Pattaya Beach water quality has improved dramatically in comparison with what it used to be like when I first came to Pattaya, 25 years ago.

 

Back then, with a 4ft sewage outcrop belching filth from the bowels of hell into the sea at the end of the old Navy pier (near the entrance of Walking street)... we were less worried about pollution and more worried about the sea catching fire ???? 

8 hours ago, Pravda said:

If you can, go to the military beach. 

I agree. The water is clean, the accomadation is old fashion.

I am told (not been myself) the beach behind the naval school 'KLET KAEO BEACH' south of Pattaya is quiet clean and beautiful. May be worth a songkew ride down there.

2 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Anyone know if Bang Saray beach is safe?

Define safe! But no, it's not. Until sewage, rivers and khlongs start running uphill, it never will be "safe".

Just don't swallow any water and take a shower when you get home.

Enjoy yourself.

You probably encountered worse growing up and it never harmed you.

13 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The main beach in Pattaya is not regarded as very clean, although it is somewhat better these days as there aren't thousands of tourists using the hotel toilets..... You can head out to the islands, Koh Larn, or to beaches South of Pattaya for better water quality. Even Jomtien is suspect these days. 

Jomtien has never been much cleaner than Pattaya.

 

It's definitely much better without all the people.

 

There's not enough treatment plants and the two main ones are usually breaking down or working at limited capacity.

 

The water quality was dangerous 20 years ago.

 

But the beaches at the moment look really inviting.  But your better swimming in the hotel pool than risking dysentery or some wierd skin rash.

Not sure if it's still open to the public, but the beach at the army base at utapau is cleaner than most in that area. 

Though a little bit out of the way from pattaya. 

Close to the airport. 

Another vote from the military beach from me.

 

It's maybe 15-25 mins drive south of Jomtien, near Bang Saray.

 

Clean water and less harassment by people trying to sell food or foot massages or other <deleted>.

Thanks for the responses everyone!

22 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Pattaya and Jomtien beaches is full of bacteria

Did you do a water test? 

What kind of bacteria you find? 

What amount per liter? 

It is dangerous? 

 

Or do you just tell us fairy tales? 

10 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Jomtien has never been much cleaner than Pattaya.

Well I beg to differ..... but I am thinking back many years when there wasn't much to Jomtien. I do recall often going that way for a day on the Beach from The Residence Garden.... Dongtan mostly. I also recall getting itchy skin from something in habitation in either the water or sand!

1 hour ago, CH1961 said:

Did you do a water test? 

What kind of bacteria you find? 

What amount per liter? 

It is dangerous? 

 

Or do you just tell us fairy tales? 

So you are too lazy to do your own research.

Here is an excerpt to wet in your appetite excuse the pun.

I have know many friends become ill after swimming in the waters not every time but most of the time.

 

Some bacterial strains occuring in the seawater were quantified: coliforms, fecal coliform, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. Most stations were heavily polluted by the bacteria especially Ang Sila, Bangsaen, Wonnapha Beach, Sri Racha and Pattaya. The highest number of the total coliforms detected was 2.4*10**(3) MPN/100 ml at Sri Racha in July and at Pattaya in September

I watched a video of tutu beach yesterday.. That looked pretty nice. 

5 minutes ago, LA8RAT said:

I watched a video of tutu beach yesterday.. That looked pretty nice. 

So many beautiful beaches in Thailand and yet people feel the need to extol the virtues of Pattaya beach.

There's actually nothing wrong with the beach (when it isn't washed away by the rain), just the water quality ????