Doesn't have to be a Sunday of course, any day will do. It's just that in my home town of Adelaide, I miss the pleasures of driving up to Hahndorf and visiting the motor museum, or through the Barossa calling in to some wineries, or down to Victor Harbor, McLaren Vale etc. I just can't think of a leisurely drive enjoying some nice scenery and places of interest around Pattaya. What am I missing?

Take the car to the ferry and go for the day or more to Koh Chang. Rayong is a nice place to go check out the beaches and markets. Sattaheep is also interesting. I usually just get out and drive...whats interesting to one may not be to another.........Enjoy and be safe.

Driving ??? Scares me so much in Thailand.

Really miss having a nice Sunday Drive in a nice Car....., and stopping for Lunch and enjoying the Scenery....

Yep, one of the things i miss most about living in Thailand, and especially Pattaya, the lack of anything if real scenic interest or beauty for an day drive. No real coastal highways and nothing scenic about the coastline in any case. Like you say, few, if any, destination restaurants or points of interest for most westerners...pathetic dribbling "waterfalls" and temples don't count. Within a 2-3 hour drive of my Bay Area home, there's a lifetimes worth things to see and do and endless culinary adventures.

Take the car to the ferry and go for the day or more to Koh Chang. Rayong is a nice place to go check out the beaches and markets. Sattaheep is also interesting. I usually just get out and drive...whats interesting to one may not be to another.........Enjoy and be safe.

Been to Koh Chang, Rayong is very average and the beaches are dirty, not sure what you found interesting about Sattahip. Maybe I'm looking for something that isn't there.

Google search: strawberry town rayong.... It's northeast of Rayong in the hills. Brookside Valley Resort in same complex if you want to spend the night.

Take the car to the ferry and go for the day or more to Koh Chang. Rayong is a nice place to go check out the beaches and markets. Sattaheep is also interesting. I usually just get out and drive...whats interesting to one may not be to another.........Enjoy and be safe.

Been to Koh Chang, Rayong is very average and the beaches are dirty, not sure what you found interesting about Sattahip. Maybe I'm looking for something that isn't there.

Try lunch at the Marriot or the Rayong resort, both are nice places with great views, and remember you said you were going for a drive not a swim in the beach....i agree there are no good beaches anywhere in Thailand.

Silver Lake Winery is not far from Pattaya.

based on your comparisons of what you missed you won't find comparable here.

Silver Lake Winery is not far from Pattaya.

based on your comparisons of what you missed you won't find comparable here.

Been to Silverlake and the big Buddha several times.

Here's one beach and one 'mountain' drive. These are more like a 2-day trip to get the best views and experience since the one-way drive may be 2 - 3 hours depending on traffic and your style of driving.

Head up 331 onto 3245 and 304 through Kabin Buri and explore the 'Little Switzerland' of Wang Nam Khieo. Debua Valley Resort is nice or there's Baan Phu Luang Resort for great views.

Or head down Highway 3 but turn off on 3399 before Chantaburi and head for Kung Vimarn Beach. Stay at either Faasai Resort or the more romantic Al Medina Beach House.

....i agree there are no good beaches anywhere in Thailand.

There are but they aren't near Pattaya.

Here's one beach and one 'mountain' drive. These are more like a 2-day trip to get the best views and experience since the one-way drive may be 2 - 3 hours depending on traffic and your style of driving.

Head up 331 onto 3245 and 304 through Kabin Buri and explore the 'Little Switzerland' of Wang Nam Khieo. Debua Valley Resort is nice or there's Baan Phu Luang Resort for great views.

Or head down Highway 3 but turn off on 3399 before Chantaburi and head for Kung Vimarn Beach. Stay at either Faasai Resort or the more romantic Al Medina Beach House.

Just don't do it on the weekend. Wifey just showed me a pic of the traffic jams in that area. Yes, it's a holiday weekend, but if you can, best avoid the crowds.

Great recommendation!

Here's one beach and one 'mountain' drive. These are more like a 2-day trip to get the best views and experience since the one-way drive may be 2 - 3 hours depending on traffic and your style of driving.

Head up 331 onto 3245 and 304 through Kabin Buri and explore the 'Little Switzerland' of Wang Nam Khieo. Debua Valley Resort is nice or there's Baan Phu Luang Resort for great views.

Or head down Highway 3 but turn off on 3399 before Chantaburi and head for Kung Vimarn Beach. Stay at either Faasai Resort or the more romantic Al Medina Beach House.

Just don't do it on the weekend. Wifey just showed me a pic of the traffic jams in that area. Yes, it's a holiday weekend, but if you can, best avoid the crowds.

Great recommendation!

Good advice! The best time to visit these 2 locations (and pretty much anywhere really) is during the week and well clear of local holidays.

Grew up in Adelaide but spent most of my working life in Perth.

Your mention of the Barossa and Victor Harbour make me quite Homesick... used to love the Barossa, arranged a Train Trip there for the Vintage Festival one year when I was working for NWS 9. It was brilliant, complete with a Jazz Band on board.

A "Good Sunday Drive" here... at least a Life Preserving one would be, Back your car onto the street, then drive back into your Carport.

My wife and daughter used to love our Sunday drives in Oz but back here, it is a whole different story... pity!

Good thread but people who moan about driving are exaggerating - compared to Saudi - Kuwait - Burma- Vietnam - Libya Paris - Rome ... Thailand is a breeze for driving -

Good thread but people who moan about driving are exaggerating - compared to Saudi - Kuwait - Burma- Vietnam - Libya Paris - Rome ... Thailand is a breeze for driving -

True, but not a breeze when compared to many other places around the world. And on weekends, many roads are like parking lots.

Good thread but people who moan about driving are exaggerating - compared to Saudi - Kuwait - Burma- Vietnam - Libya Paris - Rome ... Thailand is a breeze for driving -

Read the question, I'm asking about places to go.

Here's one beach and one 'mountain' drive. These are more like a 2-day trip to get the best views and experience since the one-way drive may be 2 - 3 hours depending on traffic and your style of driving.

Head up 331 onto 3245 and 304 through Kabin Buri and explore the 'Little Switzerland' of Wang Nam Khieo. Debua Valley Resort is nice or there's Baan Phu Luang Resort for great views.

Or head down Highway 3 but turn off on 3399 before Chantaburi and head for Kung Vimarn Beach. Stay at either Faasai Resort or the more romantic Al Medina Beach House.

That Al Medina Beach House looks like a nice place for a visit...thanks for the heads up. Too bad there's nothing scenic about the drive to get there and back.

There are some beautiful coastal roads in Chanthaburi province running through little bays and some decent beaches like Chao Lao and Laem Singh. In Chao Lao there's a good mangrove walk and aquarium. You could then go inland to hit Namtok Phlio, a pretty good waterfall. Chanthaburi town also has a really nice little old town along the river. I'd want to stay one night at a little resort along the Gulf but you could do it as a day trip from Pattaya. I think Chan is about a two-hour drive from there. It definitely beats the Rayong coast in my opinion.

I like the Wang Nam Khiao idea too. You could even do Khao Yai National Park in a day, entering through the southern gate via Nakhon Nayok.

Driving in Thailand is too scary ever to be "nice". I only make essential journeys.

OK, thanks guys for all the suggestions, might kick off with a visit to Brookside Valley Resort.

Leisurely drive in Pattaya is a no-go. If it exists anywhere in Thailand, then probably way up north. Mostly it's like driving through a war zone.

There are some beautiful coastal roads in Chanthaburi province running through little bays and some decent beaches like Chao Lao and Laem Singh. In Chao Lao there's a good mangrove walk and aquarium. You could then go inland to hit Namtok Phlio, a pretty good waterfall. Chanthaburi town also has a really nice little old town along the river. I'd want to stay one night at a little resort along the Gulf but you could do it as a day trip from Pattaya. I think Chan is about a two-hour drive from there. It definitely beats the Rayong coast in my opinion.

I like the Wang Nam Khiao idea too. You could even do Khao Yai National Park in a day, entering through the southern gate via Nakhon Nayok.

Agreed. But getting there from Pattaya is a bit tough. 36 is a horrible highway. From there on its fair at best. Once there, it's pretty good!

Maybe a drive down the coast around Ban Chang? Some nice places to stop and not much traffic. Again, avoid the weekends at all costs!

Yeah, I'm in Pattaya because it's not like my hometown; but let me complain about Pattaya because it's not like my hometown.

Guys, this post is about places to see outside of Pattaya, not California traffic fines, or the dangers of driving in Thailand, OK? I mean really, who cares?

Off topic posts that are hijacking the topic have been removed, topic is about options for a Sunday drive not the USA

Somewhere on the main road between Rayong and Pattaya, there's a hill that has been cut in half and has a 30 metre Buddha gold-plated into the rock face. Saw it 20 years ago, probably still there. Quite impressive.

Somewhere on the main road between Rayong and Pattaya, there's a hill that has been cut in half and has a 30 metre Buddha gold-plated into the rock face. Saw it 20 years ago, probably still there. Quite impressive.

There's the big Buddha that's been etched into the rock near Silverlake, not sure I need to see another.

Good thread but people who moan about driving are exaggerating - compared to Saudi - Kuwait - Burma- Vietnam - Libya Paris - Rome ... Thailand is a breeze for driving -

Read the question, I'm asking about places to go.I did. It's a good question with some good responses. A good thread. I responded to the comments about driving in Thailand which I think are a bit mard.

This post is about places to go outside of Pattaya, not the difficulty of driving here, the condition of the roads, the price of tea in China or anything else.