Has Jomtien Become Pattaya?

[jackr]

Orinigally posted on the Travel Forum but not many seem to be in there.

Haven't been to Jomtien for about 5 years and remember it being fairly relaxed and a lot more respectable than its noisy neighbour. My folks are coming over soon and I'll be taking them to a few places, including Chiang Mai. They also want to go to a beach resort before heading home and having done Krabi and Hua Hin on a previous visit and Kohs Samet and Chang being a bit out of the way I thought of Jomtien for a few nights. Has it become like its bigger, more vibrant and kinky brother or is it still ok? Nothing wrong with vibrant and kinky of course, unless you're trying to entertain your mother.

What's the beach like and any recommendations for hotels etc. and transport to the resort from Don Muang? Does the Thai Airways bus run to Jomtien or just as far as Pattaya? Spose taxis are an option but we'd need two and that would be a fair expense.

Ban Phe any good?

Apologies to the large Germans out there who don't fit the title description.

Cheers

[doctormann]

Orinigally posted on the Travel Forum but not many seem to be in there.

Haven't been to Jomtien for about 5 years and remember it being fairly relaxed and a lot more respectable than its noisy neighbour. My folks are coming over soon and I'll be taking them to a few places, including Chiang Mai. They also want to go to a beach resort before heading home and having done Krabi and Hua Hin on a previous visit and Kohs Samet and Chang being a bit out of the way I thought of Jomtien for a few nights. Has it become like its bigger, more vibrant and kinky brother or is it still ok? Nothing wrong with vibrant and kinky of course, unless you're trying to entertain your mother.

What's the beach like and any recommendations for hotels etc. and transport to the resort from Don Muang? Does the Thai Airways bus run to Jomtien or just as far as Pattaya? Spose taxis are an option but we'd need two and that would be a fair expense.

Ban Phe any good?

Apologies to the large Germans out there who don't fit the title description.

Cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jomtien is still very much quieter and 'respectable' than Pattaya. I have been living there for about four months now and generally find it to be pretty dead as far as nightlife is concerned. Any 'gay' action seems to be concentrated at the North end of the beach (sugar palm beach) and there are one or two 'gay' bars in the Jomtien Complex, off Thrappraya Road. There are some straight bars and restaurants there as well. There is also a concentration of beer bars / restaurants around Soi 8 and, generally, along the Northern part of Beach Road. As you progress Southwards things rapidy quieten down. As you probably know, Jomptien beach is about 6km long and there is not very much on the Southern 4km except hotels - and not that many of them.

There is rather more beach width along Jomptien, compared to Pattaya. It can get pretty busy on weekends / holidays but if you head South it won't be that crowded. Also, the water is reputedly a lot cleaner here.

I don't have any specific recommendations on hotels as I have been renting a condo.

Getting here from Don Muang is easy. The airport bus goes to the terminal in Pattaya Nua (no further, as far as I know, but could be wrong). At the terminal there are always plently of Baht Buses that will take you to Jomptien for about 30 Baht per head or about 150 Baht per bus. Exact price depends on how far and how good your negotiating skills are. I think that a taxi all the way from the airport to Jomptien would not be that expensive - it's about 800Baht + tolls in the other direction. This would certainly be quicker and less hassle.

Have fun.

DM

[Humphrey Bear]

There's always Rayong - Novotel / Rayong Resort / bla bla.

But Jomtien is inoffensive - no problem taking relatives there.

Bus from Ekamai will go to Jomtien Beach - taxi from airport to Ekamai is cheaper than all-the-way. But it's a three-hour trip that way, as against 1 1/2 hours with airport limo's and 2 hours with taxi-meter.

So for three people (say) in a taxi / bus 150 plus 3 x 100 = 450 baht / 3 hours.

By Limo 1,500 - 3,000 baht, depending on the passenger/car ratio in 1 1/2 hours.

By taxi-meter 1,000 baht and 2 hours.

Take your pick.

[astral]

One Swallow does not make a summer!!

[jbaldwin]

My parents (aged 73 and 70) came to visit my last year. They stayed at the Jomtien Grand Palace which is a fair way down Jomtien beach. They enjoyed it very much and will stay there again this year

[ProfessorFart]

A good run to Ban Phe takes only an hour more than to Pattaya. Then its only about 40 mins to Ko Samet. A lot more suitable for parents!

[wilko]

If you want a good place to put your parents, book them into Cabbages and Condoms. If you don't know why it's called that, don't knock the name.

Situated between Jomtien and Pattaya, it's a suberb landscaped garden resort with own beach and pool, beautiful rooms and good restaurant. They grow their own veggies too!

It's run by a charity that supports rural poor with education, training etc. If you can't check it out yourself, look it up on the net.

Edited February 14, 2005 by wilko

[bkk_mike]

A good run to Ban Phe takes only an hour more than to Pattaya. Then its only about 40 mins to Ko Samet. A lot more suitable for parents!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends how adventurous your parents are when it comes to eating.

One thing Pattaya has going for it is lots of places doing "western" food. (and so long as you don't expect the Thai food in a western restaurant to be anything above dire, you'll generally be pretty happy.)

[hooliganz]

Orinigally posted on the Travel Forum but not many seem to be in there.

Haven't been to Jomtien for about 5 years and remember it being fairly relaxed and a lot more respectable than its noisy neighbour. My folks are coming over soon and I'll be taking them to a few places, including Chiang Mai. They also want to go to a beach resort before heading home and having done Krabi and Hua Hin on a previous visit and Kohs Samet and Chang being a bit out of the way I thought of Jomtien for a few nights. Has it become like its bigger, more vibrant and kinky brother or is it still ok? Nothing wrong with vibrant and kinky of course, unless you're trying to entertain your mother.

What's the beach like and any recommendations for hotels etc. and transport to the resort from Don Muang? Does the Thai Airways bus run to Jomtien or just as far as Pattaya? Spose taxis are an option but we'd need two and that would be a fair expense.

Ban Phe any good?

Apologies to the large Germans out there who don't fit the title description.

Cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jomtien is still very much quieter and 'respectable' than Pattaya. I have been living there for about four months now and generally find it to be pretty dead as far as nightlife is concerned. Any 'gay' action seems to be concentrated at the North end of the beach (sugar palm beach) and there are one or two 'gay' bars in the Jomtien Complex, off Thrappraya Road. There are some straight bars and restaurants there as well. There is also a concentration of beer bars / restaurants around Soi 8 and, generally, along the Northern part of Beach Road. As you progress Southwards things rapidy quieten down. As you probably know, Jomptien beach is about 6km long and there is not very much on the Southern 4km except hotels - and not that many of them.

There is rather more beach width along Jomptien, compared to Pattaya. It can get pretty busy on weekends / holidays but if you head South it won't be that crowded. Also, the water is reputedly a lot cleaner here.

I don't have any specific recommendations on hotels as I have been renting a condo.

Getting here from Don Muang is easy. The airport bus goes to the terminal in Pattaya Nua (no further, as far as I know, but could be wrong). At the terminal there are always plently of Baht Buses that will take you to Jomptien for about 30 Baht per head or about 150 Baht per bus. Exact price depends on how far and how good your negotiating skills are. I think that a taxi all the way from the airport to Jomptien would not be that expensive - it's about 800Baht + tolls in the other direction. This would certainly be quicker and less hassle.

Have fun.

DM

Your going to be hard pushed to find a meter taxi that will take you to jomptien for 800baht + tolls

(200baht) near on, your looking at about 1300 minimum +tolls these days.

Best of luck

Edited June 8, 2006 by hooliganz

[britmaveric]

Jomtien alright mind you seems to have attracted lot of troublesome katoeys as of late.

-Koh Samet is an option - nice/peaceful, though might be too quiet.

[Thaiquila]

I did see some little Germans with big boys there the other day, does that count?

Oh, never mind, they were Russians ...

Edited June 8, 2006 by Thaiquila