Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [183]
Orientation
Curving around Ao Pattaya (Pattaya Bay), Hat Pattaya (Pattaya Beach) is the city’s showcase stretch of sand. Th Hat Pattaya (known colloquially as Beach Rd) runs along the waterfront and is lined with hotels, shopping centres and go-go bars. At the southern end of Th Hat Pattaya, Walking St is a semi-pedestrianised jumble of restaurants and nightclubs. The alleyways running between Th Hat Pattaya and Th Pattaya 2 each have their own character: Soi 13 has pleasant, midrange hotels while Soi 3 is the heart of the gay area, dubbed ‘Boyztown’. Development is ongoing with new places popping up frequently – shop around a little and you’re likely to find a good bargain.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Given Pattaya’s international appeal, some of the streets are known by both their Thai and English names. We have stuck with the Thai names, although some city maps use the English equivalent. Examples of Thai street names with their English equivalent include: Th Hat Pattaya (Beach Rd), Th Hat Jomtien (Jomtien Beach Rd), Th Hat Pattaya Neua (North Pattaya Rd), Th Pattaya Klang (Central Pattaya Rd) and Th Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya Rd). To further confuse matters, while all maps (including ours) agree that the two alleys south of Soi 13 are called Soi Yamato and Soi Post Office, they are respectively labelled Soi 13/1 and Soi 13/2 on street signs.
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Head to Hat Jomtien, a 6km stretch of attractive beach and cleaner water, for a mellower scene. It’s only 5km south of Hat Pattaya, or a 20B to 40B srng·ta·ou ride. There’s still a girlie-bar scene, but it’s not as in your face as the street-side pole-dancing you’re likely to encounter on Walking St.
Hat Naklua, a smaller beach 1km north of Pattaya, is also quiet(er).
MAPS
Explore Pattaya, a local magazine available free from the tourist office, includes a good map.
Information
BOOKSHOPS
Book Lovers (Map; Soi 3; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat) Has a good selection of used, reasonably priced English and German paperbacks.
Book Corner (Map; Soi Post Office; 10am-10pm) English-language fiction and travel guides.
Bookazine (Pattaya Map; 1st fl, Royal Garden Plaza, Th Hat Pattaya; 11am-11pm; Hat Jomtien Map; Th Hat Jomtien, 11am-11pm) Travel books, literature and magazines.
EMERGENCY
Tourist Police (Map; 0 3842 9371, emergency 1155; tourist@police.go.th; Th Pattaya 2) The head office is beside the Tourism Authority of Thailand office on Th Phra Tamnak with police boxes along Pattaya and Jomtien beaches.
INTERNET ACCESS
There are internet places around Soi Post Office (aka Soi Praisani), at the Royal Garden Plaza and along Th Pattaya 2. At Hat Jomtien, they pop up regularly along Th Hat Jomtien.
MEDIA
Explore Pattaya, a free fortnightly magazine, contains information on events, attractions and hotel and restaurant listings. What’s On Pattaya is a similar monthly publication. Pattaya Mail (www.pattayamail.com), a weekly newspaper, covers Pattaya’s famed social ills while Pattaya People (www.pattayapeople.com), another weekly, is an even racier read.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (0 3842 9999; www.bph.co.th; 301 Mu 6, Th Sukhumvit, Naklua; 24hr) For first-class health care.
MONEY
There are banks all over Pattaya and Hat Jomtien; all have ATMs and most have foreign-exchange booths that stay open late (usually 8pm).
Bangkok Bank (Map; Th Hat Pattaya)
Bangkok Metropolitan Bank (Map; Th Hat Pattaya)
POST
Post office (Map; Soi 13/2)
TELEPHONE
There are many private long-distance phone offices, charging 12B per minute to the USA, Australia and Europe. Most internet cafes offer Skype.
Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT; Map; 0 3842 5301; cnr Th Pattaya Tai & Th Pattaya 3; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) Southeast of central Pattaya.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT; Map; 0 3842 8750; tatchon@tat.or.th; 609 Mu 10, Th Phra Tamnak; 8.30am-4.30pm) Located at