tubehero Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Dear all, I have spent a lot of time trying to find a beach close to Bangkok for a family visit. At first, I thought about Hua Hin or Ko Samet. But it seems that in terms of transportation, Pattaya is still the most convenient. So if a family visit Pattaya, can they enjoy it or is that place now only for sex tourists? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poanoi Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I have to admit the beaches here is pretty disgusting, it's doable but not enjoyable. Koh Samed is a fantastic beach, but the truth is you are a tomato after a single day, so you'll probably want to do some family stuff like crokodile farm etc in Pattaya after that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw25rw Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Pattaya was a sex tourist haunt long before they started pushing it as a family destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSeek01 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 You know, I don't think Pattaya is that bad. It has lots of things to do and sure it does have loads of bars, but most are in South Pattaya and Walking Street. There are plenty of others but no so concentrated. As for the beach, I like it, it's very lively and not tawdry, especially at the north end, I am talking Pattaya Beach itself. There is always Wongamat and Jomtien both of which I think are nice. Agree, not as pristine and quiet as the Koh Chang and others but it's always a trade off. I've seen plenty of families in Pattaya and it looked like they were all having fun (except sometimes when Dad is peeling off the 1000 baht notes!). There is Pattaya Park water park, go carts, Gardens, Tiger and Crocodile farms, small attractions all over the place. Bring money but it's still one of the least expensive tourist areas here I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartender100 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Have you thought of Bang Saen? http://www.hatbangsaen.com/ Struck me a very nice place last time I was there, could always have a day out to Pattaya if you wanted a look around http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/556492657XDVKXA takes awhile to load Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliss Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 i certainly would not take a family to pattaya, nothing annoys me more than seeing farang parents , taking their children into the sexi soi,s . theres a time and a place for everything , but pattaya is smothered in the sex industry. i suggest chaam , would be far more suitable for a family . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mango1969 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Of course you can. Close to Bkk and easy to get there. There are many attractions around, if bored with the beach (Elephant Village, Crocodile Farm, Mini Siam...) The beach is not perfect, but Jomtien is ok (I do like it). If you have time you can go to Koh Larn. It is an island about 50 min from the city - take a ferry from Bali Hai (30 baht) and get to Na Baan Pier (" fishing village") on Koh Larn, and then by motorcycle taxi or songtaew (2o baht, 10 min) to the beach (I like Ta Waen Beach, a nice view from the hill on the way, and the best developed). Or you can take a ferry directly to the beach (a bit more expensive). I prefer getting to the village first. It is a nice and cosy place, small restaurants, nice shops, colorful, Pattaya panorama. There are some good places to stay there. And in Pattaya City you have anything cities have (movie theaters, shopping, funny places at Royal Garden Plaza...) Have a nice trip... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubehero Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thank you, everyone, for your great information. The forum is great as usual. I see that Jomtien beach seems a nice place - definitely better for a family than the central Pattaya beach. @bartender100: I am intrigued by your suggestion of Bangsaen beach. Could you pls tell me how I can get there by bus? thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simple1 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 You can also travel from Pattaya to Koh Samet for a day or overnight stay. Travel time approx one hour by car. if you're up for it a taxi is around 800 baht one way to Ban Phe then a ferry for 50 baht one way each. As it's a national park foreigners have to ay 200 baht entrance fee. But if only going for the day you can normally walk from the ferry to the beach without having to pay the fee. Note if you get the 'bus" from the ferry to the beach you will have to pay the entrance fee, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubehero Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Do you know how long it takes for a Bangkok bus to arrive in Pattaya? Two hours or 3 hours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreetCowboy Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 i certainly would not take a family to pattaya, nothing annoys me more than seeing farang parents , taking their children into the sexi soi,s . theres a time and a place for everything , but pattaya is smothered in the sex industry. i suggest chaam , would be far more suitable for a family . You need to get our more. I've been to Pattaya a few times, and never seen the need to go near a gogo bar. My family go there fairly frequently as well. For convenience to the airport and South-East Bangkok, its hard to beat. I suppose we should check out some of the old victorian resorts around Samut Prakarn, but that all gets a bit - bush; a little bit more complicated. At least Pattaya is quite tourist-friendly. I do fancy a trip down to the seaside at Samut Prakarn, though - it looks like Portobello or Musselburgh (or Dunoon, if you're not from my part of the world...) SC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalansanitwong Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 A Thai friend of mine was in Bangsaen recently and said the place stunk of sewerage presumably washed down from Bangkok city. Pattaya beach has been eroded down to patches of sand surrounded by rocks,used condoms and bottles. You're best bet is to spend real money and take your family to Krabi pi-pi-don-Phuket. Expensive, but atleast they have decent beaches.England and Ireland have better beaches than Pattaya but who goes to Pattaya for beaches? Pattaya has nothing to do with family outings.Its been a cheap sex and poor rice paddy Isan wife buying destination since the 70's and always will be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David48 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 A Thai friend of mine was in Bangsaen recently and said the place stunk of sewerage presumably washed down from Bangkok city. Pattaya beach has been eroded down to patches of sand surrounded by rocks,used condoms and bottles. You're best bet is to spend real money and take your family to Krabi pi-pi-don-Phuket. Expensive, but atleast they have decent beaches.England and Ireland have better beaches than Pattaya but who goes to Pattaya for beaches? Pattaya has nothing to do with family outings.Its been a cheap sex and poor rice paddy Isan wife buying destination since the 70's and always will be. No disrespect but you are so wrong and I'll leave my comment at that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David48 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 The gf and I recently went to Koh Sichang which is an island north of Pattaya and were pleasantly surprised. You can go to Pattaya and get a boat from there but it's apparently a 3 hour trip back in the direction of Bangkok where you just came from. We hopped off the bus north of Pattaya and took the shorter ferry cruise. If you want a totally safe island relaxing get-a-away then highly recommended. Limited beaches though so not a place to stay in the sand all day. So if it's a nice beach you want, just travel a little further south from the main Pattaya area. But if it's a no cares relaxing island holiday, close to Bangkok, try Koh Sichang. the only photo I have with a person in it ... you know what the Thais are like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 What are you looking to do? Sit on the beach or visit some tourist sights? Without your own car, the later can be a bit difficult here in Pattaya. Unfortunately, we don't have a good taxi system here. As mentioned above, avoid Walking Street and some of the more notorious sois and you will be fine. Central Festival is a nice place for a bite to eat, a movie, some shopping. Nakula has some nice beaches, Jomtien's are OK. If you stay at a place like the Rabbit Resort, the beach out front is pedestrian only and quite nice. Lots of places to eat nearby with only a small area with beer bars. Take the bus to Pattaya and then get a private songthaew to take you to your hotel. Or, have the hotel arrange a pickup for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naam Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) A Thai friend of mine was in Bangsaen recently and said the place stunk of sewerage presumably washed down from Bangkok city. Pattaya beach has been eroded down to patches of sand surrounded by rocks,used condoms and bottles. You're best bet is to spend real money and take your family to Krabi pi-pi-don-Phuket. Expensive, but atleast they have decent beaches.England and Ireland have better beaches than Pattaya but who goes to Pattaya for beaches? Pattaya has nothing to do with family outings.Its been a cheap sex and poor rice paddy Isan wife buying destination since the 70's and always will be. he's right! why don't you follow his brilliant advice and take your family to England or Ireland. it's not that hot there nowadays, spring is around the corner, you get better fish and chips... nearly forgot to mention another advantage. you won't run into a misanthrop like Jalan It's Wrong who lives in Pattaya. Edited March 21, 2012 by Naam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Forgot to add, as mentioned above, Koh Larn has some really nice beaches and is a great day trip. Easy access from Bali Hai pier. You can also spend the night there if interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 The better beaches in Pattaya are at the bottom of Pratumnak Hill, Sois 4 or 5. Other than that you need to go further out to Ban Amphur or Bang Saray way. But all are difficult to get to if you only use public transport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Take the train down to Hua Hin / great for familes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toenail Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) I was in the positon once, wanted a beach destination close to Bangkok. If you just want to spend 3-5 days in Pattaya, then I think Pattaya is "do-able". There is the Centara Grand MirageResortwhcih would be the best for kids (with a jungle theme)- Wongamat Beach-which is great for kids and has beautiful sunsets. I would stick to the Northern part of Pattaya, such as the Dusit, Amari, or Holiday Inn Hotel.These 4-5 star hotels have great views of the bay, good swimming pools, and no "sleeze balls". My other suggestion would be the Holiday Inn since it has great rooms facing the sea which is beautiful. These three hotels are across from Pattaya Beach so you can take a stroll during the day time along the prominade which will remind you that you are in a developing country... The beach there is jammed packed with old torn umbrellas and reclining chairs. The pools at theses hotels are great and you still have the nice view of the bay. Pattaya Bay is not great for swimming as the other members have stated (that is why you have the pools at the hotels) From there you could hire a taxi to take you to other tourist destinations such as the Floating Market, Crocadile Farm, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Nong Nooch Garden and show... There are plenty of places to go to. These hotels may also have a shuttle that can take you to some of the places. Oh, if you want to go to a sandy beach you can take a private boat or public ferry to Khoh Larn. There is also Central Department store with the latest cinemas for your liking. (Yes, Pattaya is a bit seedy in some places but there are enough places that are not. Edited March 21, 2012 by toenail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Take the train down to Hua Hin / great for familes We liked our several stays in HH. We stayed at the Marriott a few times and the Hilton a few times. For our trips, we just hired a private mini van. Not really that much money and so much easier. Door to door service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Take the train down to Hua Hin / great for familes We liked our several stays in HH. We stayed at the Marriott a few times and the Hilton a few times. For our trips, we just hired a private mini van. Not really that much money and so much easier. Door to door service. Sometimes its just nice to get on a train for a few hours rather than sit in a van or car :-) and watch the countryside slip by Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Take the train down to Hua Hin / great for familes We liked our several stays in HH. We stayed at the Marriott a few times and the Hilton a few times. For our trips, we just hired a private mini van. Not really that much money and so much easier. Door to door service. Sometimes its just nice to get on a train for a few hours rather than sit in a van or car :-) and watch the countryside slip by Agreed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 OP sent me a PM, but I would like to put it here for others to comment on. He wanted to know how long it takes from central Bangkok to Hua Hin. I think that to a certain degree depends on the time of day. Obviously around rush hour will be a bit longer. I haven't done this trip in a long time. And I believe a new road has been built? Can others help here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roj Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Thank you, everyone, for your great information. The forum is great as usual. I see that Jomtien beach seems a nice place - definitely better for a family than the central Pattaya beach. @bartender100: I am intrigued by your suggestion of Bangsaen beach. Could you pls tell me how I can get there by bus? thank you. I was in Bang Saen a couple of weeks ago for the motorcycle festival. For a family holiday, or any other for that matter, I couldn`t recommend it. Nothing for a family to do there and the beach and water quality aren`t anything to shout about - no different from any other Thailand urbanisation. It does have pesky semi tame monkeys on the road just outside the town but they`re more of a nuisance than an attraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartender100 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 The better beaches in Pattaya are at the bottom of Pratumnak Hill, Sois 4 or 5. Other than that you need to go further out to Ban Amphur or Bang Saray way. But all are difficult to get to if you only use public transport. You are right, I live around there, but its so sad that they never clean the beach's there or clear any of the rubbish lying around, how much would it cost to have a gang of youngsters go down every morning and rake the beach, and pick up the litter? Train to Hau Hin is cheap and a nice trip, about 4 hours from Bangkok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phuket1 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 OP sent me a PM, but I would like to put it here for others to comment on. He wanted to know how long it takes from central Bangkok to Hua Hin. I think that to a certain degree depends on the time of day. Obviously around rush hour will be a bit longer. I haven't done this trip in a long time. And I believe a new road has been built? Can others help here? I've done it several times and it takes me 2 hours the most. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) The better beaches in Pattaya are at the bottom of Pratumnak Hill, Sois 4 or 5. Other than that you need to go further out to Ban Amphur or Bang Saray way. But all are difficult to get to if you only use public transport. You are right, I live around there, but its so sad that they never clean the beach's there or clear any of the rubbish lying around, how much would it cost to have a gang of youngsters go down every morning and rake the beach, and pick up the litter? Train to Hau Hin is cheap and a nice trip, about 4 hours from Bangkok. I've always found that the deck chair vendors rake the beach and clear up the litter as when I get there in the morning the sand is always raked and clean. One of the vendors has an old man with a pointy stick clearing leaves and litter all day. Annoyingly though he doesn't pick up the discarded beer bottle caps which could cause injury. Problem with the beach at the bottom os Soi 4 though is those stairs that lead down to them which are full of rubbish and all sorts of crap. Edited March 21, 2012 by PattayaParent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nisa Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Take the ferry from Pattaya to Koh Larn Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poanoi Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 If i go to the "beach" in pattaya, it is soi 5 pratamnak, but i always have to vade through a belt of plastic junk & other nasty stuff, and even if i make it through, the water is still nasty dirty, i see ~3 dm through it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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