Pattaya vs Patong

A comparison between Phuket Vs. Pattaya is no easy one. To be more specific we can compare Pattaya vs Patong too. While Phuket provides a more rejuvenating and relaxing experience, Pattaya is a rather noisy destination with an environment of constant excitement and party. While Phuket is best suited to families, Patong is very suited to teenagers, and couples, Pattaya is best suited to adventure freaks, and to all travelers seeking opulent nightlife.

Yet we bet it won’t be easy to choose one out of either Patong or Pattaya, no matter how diverse and special they’re. Even by wider mean, the debate about Pattaya vs. Phuket has been going on since people first came to Thailand on their holiday.

As with most issues, the correct answer is subjective, and there is no single best place for everyone in Thailand. A lot will depend on what you want to get out of your trip and pick the best location based on your hopes for you.

Patong during the evening with heavy traffic

We have compared the key items in this article to consider when they try to choose between Phuket vs. Pattaya. We compared the two destination beaches, sights, and more.

Pattaya vs. Patong beach

Being close to the beach is a big draw to choose as your destination, either Pattaya or Patong. While both have great access to the beach, not the same beaches are created in both places.

Phuket Beaches

Phuket features some of Thailand’s best beaches. Known for its white sand and fine water, this is a great tropical beach getaway. Patong’s main area has a long stretch of beach, which during high season can get very crowded. However, Phuket is a large island, and visitors have more than one choice.

Patong, Karon, and Kamala are three of the most popular resort areas. Kamala is an excellent place to chill out and relax if you want to get away from the tourist mess in Patong.

Besides the main beach areas, there are a few smaller spots on the island to which you can drive. Laem Singh beach is, for a good reason, very popular. In a small cave, the beach is hidden away without all the tourist clamor on the main drag. Plus, the location looks like you’d see something in a film.

And the beach options at Phuket are not stopping there. You can take a day trip to one of the many nearby Phuket islands, such as James Bond Island or Ko Phi Phi.

Even though you might spend much of your time in Patong beach and sleeping in Patong beach hotels, I want to list here some locations you should not miss when you travel to Patong but you also seek some relaxing atmosphere around Phuket! Grab a motorbike for rent and Go!

Ao Yon beach

Surin beach

Promthep Cape

Ao Sane Beach

Pattaya Beaches

If you are planning to spend your time on the beach while you are in Pattaya, you might be disappointed. The Pattaya Beach main is a tiny version of what it was once due to years of erosion. It is just off Beach Road, a tiny strip of sand. When vendors are allowed to rent beach chairs out, you’ll be fortunate to find some patch of sand remaining. The waters off Pattaya, however, hit me less than cool.

You have some other options, either heading to Jomtien beaches or Naklua / Wong Amat beaches. Both of these areas have many more beautiful beaches to relax and enjoy the ocean.

You’re in luck if you want to feel the tropical island and beautiful beaches. Ko Larn Island is situated a 45-minute ferry ride from Bali Hail Pier. These are the best beaches in Pattaya, which you will find. While in high season the island can be crowded, the trip is well worth it.

But just let’s face it. While you do have beach options, no one goes just for the Beaches to Pattaya.

Pattaya walking street

Walking Street is a red-light and entertainment district in the city of Pattaya, Thailand. The street is a tourist attraction that attracts foreigners and Thai nationals, especially for their nightlife.

There are seafood restaurants, live music venues, beer bars, discothèques, sports bars, go-go bars, nightclubs, and hotels in the Walking Street area. Tourists are also often offered on the street the opportunity to watch, for example, a variety of sex shows, including sexual acts between show performers.

The street is closed from 19:00 until 03:00 for vehicles. Parking for cars and motorcycles is offered at the Bali Hai end.

Even though the closing time for the bars and clubs is officially 04:00, some remain unlawfully open later.

Walking Street is located on the eastern seaboard along the Siam Gulf coast, in the central part of Pattaya city. The street is noteworthy for its big neon signage. In 2015, the Pattaya authorities started cracking down on oversized signs to enhance accessibility for emergency vehicles on Walking Street.

Phuket walking street

Phuket Walking Street is a night market every Sunday evening, which takes over the beautiful Thalang Road in Phuket Old Town. Also known as Lardyai (from the Southern Thai variant of Talaad Yai, meaning’ big market’), Phuket Walking Street helps tourists to discover some typical Southern Thai specialties as well as local handicrafts and gift stalls.

With the presence of toy stalls as well as musical performances and other entertaining acts, this weekly event is family-oriented.

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Phuket Walking Street’s main entrance is on Thalang Road’s eastern (Phuket Road) side, where a superb Chinese-style wooden gate is built. The gate boasts a sign written in three languages (Thai, Chinese, and English) with’ Lardyai’ and is a popular photo op.

The vibrant façades of the house in the Sino-Portuguese style are enhanced by incorporating color-changing lights, which also create a stunning backdrop.

Food and souvenirs are the two major items sold at Phuket Walking Lane. Barbecued squid, chicken, and pork, if you consider the number of stands selling them, are certainly the favorite dishes. Also popular are fruit juices, ice creams, and Khanom (traditional Thai sweets).

Pattaya vs Patong! Patong Bangla road vs. Pattaya walking street

Upon sunset, Bangla Road comes alive. The road is closed to traffic as well as transforms into a festival of neon lights, loud music and cheap beer for 400 meters. Jammed most nights of the year, walking around is quite a friendly and lively place, as bars and clubs compete for customers.

Most of the street’s length is filled by beer bars, with several go-go bars and a few cafes, restaurants, discotheques and shops rounding out attractions both on Soi Bangla and down its side streets.

Street performances are also popular most evenings, which can make it harder to maneuver around tailor shop salespeople, leaflet dealers, street vendors, and ping-pong shows, but it’s all part of the fun.

Soi Bangla can be divided into approximately three parts, each with its particular atmosphere. Soi Bangla’s end, furthest from the beach and closest to Rat-U-Thit Road and Jungceylon Shopping Centre, hosts most of Phuket’s biggest and best nightclubs.

Continue west, and you’ll reach the midway point where you’ll find most of the go-go bars along Bangla Road as well as plenty of alls that would normally block your way around.

Bangla Road’s beach ends from Soi Freedom-is the easiest part. The southern side of the highway is almost filled with beer bars.

There are some of the most popular establishments in the region across the road. You will also find ladyboy cabaret dancers posing around here for photos, directing people to their places. The street’s beach end is taken entirely by stores, suits for sale, souvenirs, and fast food.

Water sports in Pattaya or Patong

Scuba Diving

Diving beneath the Pattaya beaches is an excellent option for all the water babies out there to explore the underwater world. You’ll be awestruck by the zoomed-in view of the tropical sea life.

Wander around Pattaya beaches, and you will spot tons of operators offering day trips to cool diving sites. Around the coral islands around Pattaya, across 20 of them remain.

Its necessarily you to be a good swimmer, or even know how to swim, scuba dive–just donate your flippers, goggles, and tanks of oxygen and dive into the clear waters.

Flyboarding

Did you ever dream of diving like a dolphin in a vast stretch of water? Perhaps going out like a bird in the air? What if we say you can put them both together?

Flyboarding has become a rage with thrillseekers and is the newest adventure sport. This requires a strong jet of water attached to your feet, which propels you in the air and helps you to dive down into the sea.

You can equally try 360-degree loops, flips, or any other stunt that catches your fancy once you become used to it. This is a sport that tops the quotient of awesomeness.

Sailing

This one is out there for all the brooding explorers. Sailing takes place all year round, but more so in November to April months. You can either make one-day sailing trips or go for accredited sailing lessons, depending on your interests.

Kite Surfing

it is one of the coolest ways to relax in the true adventure spirit–all you have to do is have the right equipment and a steady breeze across the ocean.

A large steerable kite is usually used to launch you over water, and you start zipping over the waves with increasing wind speed. With it can go as far as 50 feet high when kite surfing when the wind is blowing intensely.

In Pattaya, numerous kite-boarding schools can teach you this sport in as few as three days.

Snorkeling

Witness the vibrant coral reefs and swim in the turquoise blue waters of Pattaya by snorkeling with a shoal of fish. It is a sport that is similar to scuba diving, but far less equipment is involved. So no wonder so many travelers are in favor of it.

Patong vs. Pattaya for family

You might feel a little worried about Pattaya or Patong not being a good place to take your kids for a holiday.

Thai child-friendly hospitality is legendary, and Thais will love children.
The restaurant’s female staff likes to whisk and entertain them abroad.
People will want to have their photo taken with your child on the beach, or even in the shopping mall.
You will find out that children are treated with respect, and are considered an adult very much.

Take caution, though, and don’t let your kids go out in Patong or Pattaya at night. There more “bad girls” in the streets at night, therefore, don’t stay with your family at night.

Is Patong better than Pattaya?

I don’t think the answer to this one is correct or wrong. It’s all about personal choice and how you want to spend your holidays. If you prefer to spend your time with some good nightlife on a beautiful beach, Phuket is definitely for you.

Pattaya may be right for you if you prefer your nightlife, sightseeing and don’t plan to go to the beach, and don’t mind the (or prefer) citywide red-light district.

But based on my experiences, that is just my opinion.

Another could think otherwise. The debate about Pattaya vs. Phuket won’t end anytime soon. Just make sure that the destination you choose is right for you and not the one that someone else is telling you to visit.

What is the best time to visit Patong or Pattaya?

Like most Thailand, Pattaya has a typical tropical climate and sees tourists nearly all year round. Here’s a monthly climatic breakdown so you can plan your trip better: November to February: this is absolutely the best time to visit Pattaya, from November to February, when you can expect the weather neither too hot nor too cold, mostly remaining pleasant all day around.

This is also the main tourist season, and tourists are lined with most beaches and other places of attraction. One can expect brief rain spells and regular bright sunshine days. But try to make all your reservations in advance, because places are being sold out and prices tend to rise.

March to May: The weather is getting hot and humid during March, April, and May, but the influx of tourists is still high. During this period, while the beaches are busy, they aren’t as crowded as during the peak season.

You need to make sure to carry plenty of sunscreen lotion, a hat for the day time strong sun, good sunglasses.

June to October: from June to October, Pattaya experiences heavy rainfall, and if you’re looking to enjoy Pattaya at its quietest, then the rainy season is ideal. The beaches are much less crowded, the temperature isn’t too high, and lodging in hotels is cheaper.

June to October in Phuket you can incur in pretty heavy rainfalls that can last really long time. This is a very common situation in Phuket.

Many people prefer to travel to Pattaya, particularly during July and August, when the rainfall is significantly lower, and the prices of the accommodation are better. Don’t forget to pack a pair of sturdy shoes to deal with the rains.

Pattaya vs Patong. Which is safer amongst Patong and Pattaya?

Both Patong and Pattaya do have their own experiences to offer. They are both safe, and you will not find hassle in exploring them. However, don’t go to places where you don’t know the location road maps for safety purposes.

Destinations

Pattaya vs Patong

Pattaya vs Patong

Pattaya vs. Patong beach