If you remove the dirty beaches and all the crime here Pattaya is a lovely place to visit and live in.

Try to ignore that the beaches looks dirty and try to ignore there's a ladyboy walking beside you looking at your bag , and you can continue to hold on to that dream of a paradise.

May as well ask "Is McDonalds more upmarket than KFC"?

For starters Phuket is an island consisting of a main town/city and many different beach areas. Pattaya is one city with an open air sewer which some regard as a beach. Phuket island attracts holiday makers from most parts of the world and is truly an international destination. Pattaya gets package deal Chinese, Russians and sex tourists from all over the western world. Both get retirees looking for the good life. Phuket is expensive while Pattaya is cheap. I like to spend time in both.