The Best Things You Can Experience in Pattaya

The best thing in Pattaya by a wide margin, and one of the more extraordinary buildings in Thailand. It is an enormous temple-like hall on the shore at Naklua, over a hundred metres tall, built entirely of teak and other hardwoods with no nails, and covered inside and out with carved figures from Buddhist, Hindu, Chinese and Khmer tradition.

Construction started in 1981 and it is still not finished — carvers work on it continuously, replacing wood as the sea air destroys it, so it is a building that will never be completed by design. You wear a hard hat inside. Go in the morning before the light gets flat.

South of the centre, and the beach most people should actually use. Longer, calmer, with a promenade and a much more relaxed strip of restaurants than Pattaya Beach itself.

Coral Island, forty-five minutes by ferry from the Bali Hai pier. The water is genuinely clear here in a way it is not on the mainland beaches, and there are half a dozen bays around the island, of which the further ones are the quieter. Go early; the day-tour boats arrive mid-morning.

The central crescent. It is fine for a walk and for the view, but the water is not why anyone comes, and the beach itself is busy with vendors and jet skis. Be firm and unbothered about the jet-ski rental scams, which are a long-running problem here: photograph any rental thoroughly before taking it out.

Wat Phra Yai sits on the hill above the town, reached by a naga-flanked staircase, with an eighteen-metre golden Buddha at the top and a view over the whole bay. Free, and busy at sunset.

Just below it, the Pratumnak viewpoint gives you the classic photograph of the crescent bay and the city sign.

Buddha Mountain, thirty minutes south: a 130-metre image of the Buddha cut into a cliff face with lasers and inlaid with gold, made in the 1990s to mark the fiftieth year of the king's reign. It is best seen from a distance in the late afternoon.

A very large botanical garden south of the city, with formal French-style gardens, a significant cycad collection, a butterfly hill and a Stonehenge replica for reasons nobody adequately explains. The gardens themselves are genuinely good and take two or three hours.

An honest note: the elephant shows at Nong Nooch and at similar attractions in the area involve performing behaviours that animal welfare organisations criticise, and the training behind them. If you want to see elephants, look for a sanctuary that lets them behave as elephants and does not offer riding or performances — several operate within reach of Pattaya, and they are clear about their practices.

Pattaya's reputation rests mainly on Walking Street and a few adjacent areas in the centre, which are dense adult-entertainment districts. They are geographically small, well signposted and easy to avoid entirely.

If you are travelling with family or simply do not want that to be part of your holiday, base yourself in Jomtien, Naklua or Pratumnak rather than central Pattaya. From there you get the beaches, the temple, the islands and the food, and you will barely encounter the rest.

Worth stating plainly: sexual exploitation and trafficking are real problems in Thailand's adult industry, and Thai law is strict about anything involving minors. Visitors should treat this as a matter of conduct and not curiosity.

Songthaews — pickup trucks with two benches, known locally as baht buses — run fixed loops for a fixed low fare. Get in at the back, press the buzzer to stop, and pay when you get out. Agree a price beforehand if you ask a driver to go somewhere off the loop.

The best eating is not in the tourist strips. Naklua has the fish market and the seafood restaurants the locals use; the Thepprasit night market on the southern side is where you eat street food properly. Somtam, grilled pork skewers, pad krapow and whatever comes off the grill at the market stalls are the point.

Pattaya is spread out, but the strip from the Bali Hai pier through Pratumnak and up to Big Buddha Hill connects most of what is worth seeing on foot. A city game gives you a route with something to solve at each stop, which is a good use of a morning before it gets too hot.

About two hours by road, and a similar time from Suvarnabhumi airport. Buses and minivans run frequently.

Yes, if you stay in Jomtien or Naklua. The central nightlife district is small and avoidable, and the beaches, islands and gardens are all family-friendly.

November to February is dry and comfortable. March to May is very hot. The rainy season runs roughly May to October, usually as heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain.

At Jomtien and on Koh Larn, yes. Central Pattaya Beach is less appealing. Water quality has improved over the years but the islands are still the better swim.

Jet-ski damage claims, taxi and songthaew overcharging away from the fixed routes, and gem or tailoring "deals". Agree prices in advance and document rentals.

Yes, particularly for beach and island days. Accommodation is cheap and plentiful. For organised group activities, see what we run for companies and groups.

A shape that works: the Sanctuary of Truth first thing, Koh Larn or Jomtien for the middle of the day, Big Buddha Hill and the viewpoint in the late afternoon, and the Thepprasit or Naklua markets for dinner. If you want the morning to have a route, here is how our games work, and you can get in touch about organising one. Heading back to the capital? Our guide to four amazing temples in Bangkok covers the two hours up the road.