Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [186]
Budding Michael Schumachers (and petrolhead dads) should head to Pattaya Kart Speedway (Map; www.easygokart.net;0 3842 2044; 248/2 Th Thep Prasit, Soi 9; 9am-6.30pm), where you can race go-karts around an impressive 800m loop. Prices start at 300B for 10 minutes in a 10HP kart. There’s a down’n’dirty off-road circuit and the littlest ones will enjoy the ‘baby karts’ on a 400m beginners’ track.
At nearby Paintball Park Pattaya (Map; 0 3830 0608; 248/10 Mu 12, Th Thep Prasit; 50 bullets starting at 400B; 9am-6pm) older kids can vent their frustration at being on holiday with their uncool parents.
Of course, if the kids don’t behave then you can threaten them with the 50m jump at Pattaya Jungle Bungy (Map; 08 6378 3880; www.thaibungy.com; Mu 12, Th Hat Jomtien; jumps 1800B; 9am-6pm).
Pattaya Park (Map;0 3836 4129; www.pattayapark.com; 345 Th Hat Jomtien; adult/child 100/50B; 9am-6pm) has three different ways to exit the 55-storey tower in its water park. Once the kids (and Mum and Dad) have recovered, get them all excited again on the roller coaster and dodgems in the venue’s Funnyland Amusement Park.
Escape the heat and sun at Underwater World (0 3875 6879; Th Sukhumvit; adult/child 450/250B; 9am-6pm) with acrylic tunnels making up a walk-through aquarium. It’s 200m past the Tesco-Lotus shopping centre on the main road south.
The Pattaya Elephant Village (0 3824 9853; www.elephant-village-pattaya.com) is a non-profit sanctuary for former working elephants. There’s a 2.30pm elephant show (adult/child 500/400B), which demonstrates training techniques, and one-hour (adult/child 900/700B) and 3½-hour (adult/child 1900/1300B) elephant treks. The elephant village is 7km off Th Sukhumvit.
You can spend from a half day to four weeks working with mahouts and their elephants, in rehabilitation after being forced to work in the city, at the Elephant Mahout Project run by Eco Explorer (Map; 08 4561 8873; www.theelephantmahoutproject.com; 217/7 Soi 15, Th Thep Prasit; per half-day incl lunch €27). An average day includes an early start to bathe and feed the elephants, followed by training to develop your own skills as a mahout.
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MIDRANGE
Pattaya has many midrange hotels, with competition keeping standards high and prices (relatively) low. Hotels tend to age fast in Pattaya, so watch out for the latest openings, which may be offering special deals.
Pattaya
Natural Beach Hotel (Map; 0 3842 9239; naturalbeach@excite.com; 216 Mu 10, Soi 11; r 750-950B; ) Infused with a low-key relaxed ambience that’s nicely at odds with the surrounding hubbub of Pattaya, the Natural Beach delivers a pretty garden, a shady swimming pool and tidy rooms with an unintentional 1970s retro feel.
Lek Hotel (Map; 0 3842 5552; lek_hotel@hotmail.com; 284/5 Th Pattaya 2; r 850-1200B; ) It’s about time for the Lek to replace the bright red carpet in its hallways – and the bright blue carpet in its rooms – but it’s still popular with return visitors, who come back for the central location and good-value breakfast (110B). Ask for a quieter room away from the street.
Ma Maison (Map; 0 3871 0433; www.mamaison-hotel.com/e_index; Soi 13; r 1180-1480B; ) Sip your pastis around la piscine (swimming pool) at this very French low-rise oasis. The French management can be a bit snooty to non-French speakers, but it’s nothing a lounge by the pool can’t allay. You can also hitch your laptop to the hotel’s wi-fi network.
Areca Lodge (Map; 0 3841 0123; www.arecalodge.com; 198/23 Mu 9, Soi 13, Th Pattaya 2; r incl breakfast 2000B; ) With stylish rooms and two swimming pools, this place almost gatecrashes into the top-end category. No one has told the owners though, and from February through November, rooms run at a much lower price of 1300B – one of Pattaya’s better bargains.
Naklua
Garden Lodge (Map; Th Naklua; 0 3842 9109; fax 0 3842 1221; r 850-1300B; ) Escape the hype and hustle of Pattaya in one of the town’s best-value midrange options. There’s no skimping on the garden atmosphere with fish ponds and leafy pavilions, and the tour