Pattaya Navigation

[whitethai]

How easy is it to navigate around Pattaya? walk bus etc?

Is it complicated place or simple like New York?

[Humphrey Bear]

When talking about Pattaya, we usually mean the bit between Sukhumvit (the trunk road) and the beach.

This is the shopping area, most businesses and quite a few residents. Many others, especially expats, live in 'East' Pattaya - the other side of Suk. For that you really need a car.

Pattay has three North/South roads - Beach road, Second Road and Third Road.

Many cross-streets - from Beach Road to Second Road the Sois are numbered from Zero to 13, but there is a 6 1/2, Pattayaland 1, 2 and 3, plus main roads such as Pattaya Klang in between. So about 20.

Between Second Road and Third Road there are two different worlds - North and South of Pattaya Klang (Pattaya Central Road).

For getting around - I use Shanks' pony and my trusty velocipede. Don't believe in motorbikes and do not want a car yet.

If you want public transport you will become one of the Sawng Thaew people - either 'basher' or 'supporter' - see very many threads on this forum. There is no recognised bus service as in Europe or the States - it has been tried and failed. There are no regular taxi services plying for hire, although you may sometimes be lucky enough to catch one.

If you are of a certain age and your girth is spreading, or if you are French, then you may consider hiring a very large motorbike and driving around with your shirt off. But you'll look a real dork.

Small motorbikes can be hired cheaply, provided you have the right documents, but the crash-rate is not low. You can hire a car, but I would suggest that first you should learn the roads, how to use them (not the same as Europe - except Rome) and where you can park.

I reckon on walking 10-15 kms a day, a bit less when raining - say from Suksabai to Tukcomm - then Soi Buakhaow - Pattaya Klang (Carrefour) - down to Second Road - Soi 6 - along Beach Road - Stop at Royal Garden Plaza - up tpo Friendship and back to Suksabai. Then down to Walking Street in the evening. But my wife thinks I'm crazy.

The whole area of Pattaya is accessible, but outside the city limits it is necessary to have decent wheels - then you can visit many other places in the area which give much variety to life.

I have one or two private hire guys on my mobile phone, who will rent me a car and driver by the day or half-day - it is possible to make such arrangements. And not expensive, if there are three or four people.

[Jingthing]

You will find the Pattaya public transportation system as efficient, transparent, and racially non-discriminatory as in good old New York.

Oh, and there are no taxi cabs.

Edited July 19, 2007 by Jingthing

[whitethai]

<br />When talking about Pattaya, we usually mean the bit between Sukhumvit (the trunk road) and the beach.<br /><br />This is the shopping area, most businesses and quite a few residents.

OK so is this near SOI LK METRO OFF SOI DIANNA INN ?

And neare the main tourist bar areas 6 7 8 etc?

Thanks

[eefoo]

Just "Google Earth" Pattaya. Here's Soi Diana Inn. You can get an idea of the layout of Pattaya from this.

Soi_Diana_Inn.kmz

[eefoo]

And here is Soi 6

Soi_6.kmz

And Pattaya Klang road with sois 7 and 8

Sois_7_and_8.kmz

As you can see - they are all pretty close together. It's only the oppressive heat and the need for another cold drink as fast as possible that stops most people walking between them all.