It's funny how everyone who visited Pattaya have the need to justify them self against the stereotype it holds by shitting on the city haha. All these crazy party scene can be completely avoided staying in selected areas.

City is good for long term stay it have everything you need and BKK is only 1h 40min drive too. I would not prefer it for 1 week vacation.

About beaches daily trip to Koh Larn is option and also if you prefer 4+ star resorts Samed is closest option available around 1h 40h drive also. Koh Chang is also driving distance and great island to visit.

I'm talking about central Pattaya and that's probably where most people are going to spend time when visiting for the 1st time but I know there are plenty of places to live a normal life around there.
When that high speed train opens I think it's 45min to Bangkok? I'd strongly consider moving to the area as Bangkok air pollution is becoming untenable.

maybe you're right. i was told in a dtac shop a year ago that i need a min 3 month contract for the deal with unlimited traffic at fixed bandwidth (10mbps). but it's probably easier via app directly.


sorry, i meant: if you go to bangkok from the airport, then just take a taxi from the normal stands, don't preorder a ride.

It's not so much justifying it's more like the lack of options, honestly. That's why I like BKK. You can go that hooker route and you'll have moar good options than almost anywhere in the world, except maybe Pattaya and not moar than maybe a handful of other places around the world. But at the same time you can stay away completely from anything like that and spend all your life exploring the various other nightclubs/other parties/museums/parks/shops, whatever other places and these will not be secondary options, these will be prime options, that's completely where it's at, and you will meet interesting peeps from around the world, usually.
In Pattaya, yeah there are other options, but quite honestly, like 90% of the city, and that's being generous, is being built around the P4P trade. I told the stories before, no need to repeat it, hookers were approaching me on the beach, at lunch, etc. Just no safe spaces. I wasn't even single.
It doesn't matter, there are options but just not that great, you can go visit the temple which looks pretty much like any other temple in TH, you can visit the beach, don't walk too far, you might find some sewage lines, you can go to the water park, mainly if you have kids I suppose, restaurants and stuff but come on...
Leading directly to the second point; if you're caucasian white or something, and under 50, you just don't fit in that well in Pattaya IMHO. Most of your peers will be over 50, many over 60. When/if I make it to that age group I could totally see having a moar positive view of the place, but for the moment I can very well do without it. But if that's what you want I have no problem with it at all....

I just though it was funny when I meet new people here. Whenever I meet somebody from the west many of them always say something like "I don't party much not for me", "I don't like the city I am here for that and that", "I am here only few days, can't stay more than that here, too much party". Like everyone who comes here needs to immediately defend himself against the stereotype.

Of course the capital holds more options but it can also be overwhelming how big it is and of course the traffic it has. Pattaya is great choice if you prefer to live in the city but you don't want the capital due the overpopulation living there.

All tough there are a lot of streets filled with bars, massage, clubs etc if you live long enough you know where those streets are and you can completely avoid them. And if you are forced to go in one of those streets, walking in a way like you don't have interest in this scene should do the trick ( don't smile and look girls in the eyes, don't walk like a tourist rotating your head everywhere, plan your destination and go straight to it).

To quote "but quite honestly, like 90% of the city, and that's being generous" - When you say 90% of the city you are referring to the central city area which is 1st road ( beach road), 2nd and 3rd road (Soi Buakhao) and the walking street. Thats not really 90% of the city at the first place. Check Wongamat (Na Kluea) , Phra Tamnak area which both of them are full of families living there. Most condos are minimum 1 month rent and majority of people living there don't engage in night life at all.

I did mention lack of clean beaches like Phuket but unless you live beachfront its not even convenient to visit them unless you like sand in your private areas. Most of the condos do indeed have pools to make up for the lack of beaches, many of them at reasonable prices also. If you do like swimming on beaches Koh Larn, Samed and Koh Chang are really good option for 2-5 days getaway.
Koh Chang is big island you can visit with your car by ferry and Samed have long, wavy, clean small white sand beach who compete greatly with the beaches on the south. Prices of high end resorts at those places are also cheaper by significant sums compare to the south.

Pattaya and the beach road is trying to make itself more family friendly by introducing many festivals that are not party oriented like Kite festival, Food festival etc. So it is going in "good" direction.
As I said already it has everything you need and you didn't mention anything that is lacking except younger population from west countries, especially women. But promoting this stereotype is one of the contributing factors for it. But Pattaya is fighting against it. Who know maybe in the future we don't need to justify ourselves for being there when wo go back to our native countries haha.

Yeah all good, but one thing you didn't mention is that Soi Bukhao makes a few turns and you can also find bars, massage parlors etc. on the other side of Soi Bukhao, so that covers a pretty big part of the city. Sure there are also residential areas, other stuff but it's clear what the main businesses are. I still remember vividly once I walked down Soi Bukhao, the usual scenery of gogo bars as far as the eye can see, interrupted by the occasional restaurant, 7 11 and stuff. But suddenly there was a big gate and building which looked kinda out of place to the usual shack type of building.
What is that? Oh it's the Pattaya General Hospital. But immediately after the gate, the next buildings are again like(forgot the exact names) why not? bar, you and me bar etc. So if you survive whatever biz you had at the hospital you can get back right into the action, no detours needed
Yeah sure they might want to diversify away from that, at least that's what the government says, all the sin city kinda places Macau, las vegas etc. have policies like that, but whether that's really happening would be another matter to discuss...

Sorry im just trying to catch up on this thread, but would love if you just gave a quick description of how you went to thailand, how you met wife, do you play poker for money etc....where youre from, age etc...

thanks