I'm going to Pattaya soon. I've always gone swimming in Pattaya Beach and Jomtien without any problem. Now though, I have a 2 year old boy. Should I let him play in the water?

Swim on Pattaya beach? Rather you than me. I wouldn't have done it 25 years ago.

Jomtien's a bit better but I would stick to paddling.

I live in Pattaya and let my kids play in the water when we finally make it to the beach. Its not very often as I don't like laying on the beach, he-he.

The water quality vary a lot, depending on tide and wind direction.

The water is slightly better in Jomtien in my opinion and the beach much wider so we normal go there.

Enjoy and have a nice holiday.

Remove the word quality from the title.

Swim in that water ???

Ya gotta be kiddin'

Still , I guess all life is a risk.

That is water?

Most of the year Pattaya beach ( and also Jomtien!) represents a sewer. I have noted however that during the cool season ( which is now) the water can be acceptable sometimes. Still, keep your kid in good health and take the family swimming on Koh Larn ( take the ferry, I think nowadays 30 baht?), crystal clear water there.

I live right on the beach at Jomtien and have never more than paddled in that sewer they call the sea there, OK, on the occasional day the water can look a bit more inviting than it normally does and i get tempted to have a swim, but then i remember the night before seeing all the rats running around and the fact that its used as a public toilet by all and sundry

Better to take the boat over to Ko Lan, the water is much cleaner there.

I go swim on pratumnak on occasion, like once every 2-3 months, but it is always a bit repulsive,

koh samed outside rayong is fantastic, never saw such white sand and nice sea.

I recommend sai kaew beach resort

Last time I tried jumping in the water in Pratumnak it was literally smelling like s**t and there was a pipe with some greenish stuff coming through it right into the water. We left for Koh Larn in less than 10 minutes, so I would advise against letting the small one going anywhere near the sea in Pattaya, unless you're reaching the side of Jomtien, as in Bang Saray far...

I have lived here 8 years and never once went swimming in Pattaya or Jomtien, the water is filthy, I'd love someone to do a European style water test just to see how toxic it is

Would I let a child in there - most certaintly not, you'd be exposing them to infections and if they take a mouthfull probably something much worse.

Unfortunately, most toilets empty into street drains, which empty into the sea. For that reason alone, I would never swim here. You're taking a huge risk.

Koh Larn is pretty nice.

In America, letting a 2 year old baby swim in a sewer would be called "child endagerment" and could get you arrested. I guess I'll let my boy boy swim in the pool at the hotel instead. Also, Ko Larn sounds like a nice day trip, thanks. Would it be ok to let him just walk and play in the water in Pattaya, without dunking his head? By the way, he has never been to the beach and he might enjoy it.

It looks like I am the only one here swimming in the water off Patt/Jom.

My kids nor I are dead/sick yet.

All the kids I see out swimming every day looks like they are having a good time too.

I intend keeping going to the beach now and again and if I go to the beach its normally for a swim.

Winter season is better since there is no run-off from the sewers (no rain). Let your children swim in it but tell them not to get their heads in the water (chance of ear infections) and when they are done, make sure you rinse them off with water. There are water outlets near by.

DON'T swim at either Beach... The water is some of the the worse in Thailand... The hole area.... You've been warned..

I remember about 5 or 6 years ago, the national english language newspaper that we are not allowed to mention on here, published a water quality survey of all Thailand's main beaches. None came up to European safe water standards. Pattaya beach was second most polluted sea in Thailand. The reason I remember is that the worst one was Jomtien!

There is a Thailand government website which give the ratings of most of the beaches in Thailand ---- Only available in Thai unfortunately.

Anyway it rates beaches on a scale of 1 to 5 --- 5 being really good.

At present there are no beaches rated at 5 and only a few rated at 4 (near Krabi for some strange reason). Around here 3 will be the max. Doubtless others will disagree.

(the way it looks is not the issue, it's the content of E-Coli, which is invisible)

There's always a balance between living a sanitized life and taking a bit of risk and enhancing one's immune system.

e.g. WIping down the handle of your shopping cart with an alcohol wipe and wearing latex gloves in the market, versus "barebacking it" and just pushing the unclean cart with your bare hands. (Small-scale exposure to virus/bacteria gives your immune system a chance to develop antibodies which can then help ward off a later, more intense exposure to those virus/bacteria.)

There are probably days where the beach water quality is HIGHLY suspect and should be avoided, whereas (and I hope this is most days?) exposure to the water would not kill or seriously infect someone with a healthy immune system. Repeated immersion in the water by a local resident could help build a tolerance of all the "bad stuff" in the water, whereas a first-time tourist might get sick on any given day.

Unfortunately, most toilets empty into street drains, which empty into the sea. For that reason alone, I would never swim here. You're taking a huge risk.

Koh Larn is pretty nice.

Most toilets empty into septic tanks as far as I know - and then it seeps into the ground as is normal with septic systems. Mine do. Where did you come up with this?

Unfortunately, most toilets empty into street drains, which empty into the sea. For that reason alone, I would never swim here. You're taking a huge risk.

Koh Larn is pretty nice.

Most toilets empty into septic tanks as far as I know - and then it seeps into the ground as is normal with septic systems. Mine do. Where did you come up with this?

Our whole village works this way. The septic tanks are just tanks. Nothing seeps into the ground. No leach field. When it's full, it just overflows into the drains. Remember when Carrefour use to have that long flexible tube dumping their sewer water right into the drains on the West side of the parking lot 6 months ago or so????

A good question is what do the hotels do? They are too big for septic tanks. Where does all this go???

There's always a balance between living a sanitized life and taking a bit of risk and enhancing one's immune system.

e.g. WIping down the handle of your shopping cart with an alcohol wipe and wearing latex gloves in the market, versus "barebacking it" and just pushing the unclean cart with your bare hands. (Small-scale exposure to virus/bacteria gives your immune system a chance to develop antibodies which can then help ward off a later, more intense exposure to those virus/bacteria.)

There are probably days where the beach water quality is HIGHLY suspect and should be avoided, whereas (and I hope this is most days?) exposure to the water would not kill or seriously infect someone with a healthy immune system. Repeated immersion in the water by a local resident could help build a tolerance of all the "bad stuff" in the water, whereas a first-time tourist might get sick on any given day.

There is a positive side to every story.

The TAT could promote the place as a health resort.

"Amazing Thailand' was a good slogan but this new one may work:

"Swimming in Pattaya could quite possibly give your immune system a chance to develop antibodies which can then help ward off a later, more intense exposure to those virus/bacteria."

The quality tourists thing didn't work out and the family resort thing isn't catching on....so this could save the place.

Where does all this garbage come from?

The Chao Praya river? The ships emptying their trash at sea? The beach vendors burying their garbage under the sand?

Edited December 24, 201114 yr by pauljones

Thanks for posting the photo, maybe if enough people see pics like this then something might be done about it.

A good question is what do the hotels do? They are too big for septic tanks. Where does all this go???

A very good question.

You are taking your life into your own hands swimming in Pattaya Bay.

A sewerage pit would be clean by comparison.

As for useful in building up ones immune system I would prefer eating good food and excercising to swimming in the filth that passes for water in Pattaya Bay.

If you are anyway walking by there every day, why not upload it on pattaya major facebook/whatever it is,

and then upload a new pic each day

Thanks for posting the photo, maybe if enough people see pics like this then something might be done about it.

Yes, one can only hope!

On some days the water can be almost crystal clear (actually around this time of year) but on most days it is ranges from average to absolutely disgusting. Don't dare go in the water a week after heavy downpours! But other than hearing third hand accounts, I have never personally met anyone who have been suffered after swimming in Pattaya/Jomtien/Wongamat beaches.

Last time I took my kids to Jiom Thiem was a few years back. Both got a

really bad skin rash all over their bodies. I wish I would have taken pictures.

We went to see a doctor, he immediately knew the problem and how to fix it ...

Gave some creams and lotions to apply ... it all went away after a few weeks.

I also find the beach vendors extremely annoying, not accepting a simple 'no'.

We usually go down to Kho Chang about 4 times per year, and spend the

rest swiming in our private salt-water pool. :-)

Cheers,

rudi