Getting Around Pattaya

Getting Around Pattaya

Pattaya is a sprawling city, and the way it's laid out shapes how you'll move around it. The main beach and the busy central strip run along the coast, while the commercial area spreads inland and north toward Naklua, and the Jomtien area sits to the south beyond Phra Tamnak Hill. Because the city has outgrown its original municipal borders and merged into the surrounding Bang Lamung district, getting between neighbourhoods often means covering more ground than the map suggests. There is no rail, metro, or tram network within the city, so visitors rely on road transport, their own two feet, and a few distinctly Thai vehicle types.

Songthaews: The Local Shared Ride

The songthaew is the workhorse of local transport in Pattaya. It's a pickup truck converted into a share-taxi and local bus, with two rows of bench seating in the back. You'll see them running along the main beach roads and connecting the bus stations with the beach and Walking Street areas.

• Songthaews generally depart when full, which on busy routes means every few minutes.
• The standard fare is low, but drivers often quote much higher prices to visitors, especially from the bus stations. Waiting and boarding with a group can bring the price down.
• A common tactic is to flag a songthaew while it's already moving and hop on the back without negotiating with the driver first, which keeps the fare at the local rate.
• To get off, press the buzzer button mounted on the underside of the roof.
• White songthaews run along Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Sattahip, useful if you're heading south along the highway.

Buses and Long-Distance Connections

Pattaya has no single central bus station, which makes bus travel here confusing unless you're heading to Bangkok. Different destinations are served from different terminals scattered around the city.

• Bangkok services use the Air Conditioned Bus Terminal Pattaya–Bangkok on North Road. First-class buses to and from Bangkok are air-conditioned, usually have an onboard toilet, and run essentially direct. They depart frequently from Bangkok's Eastern (Ekamai), Northern (Mo Chit 2), and Southern (Sai Tai Mai) terminals, with Ekamai and Mo Chit being the most frequent.
• Other destinations are served from separate terminals: Nakhonchai Air (inland side of Sukhumvit Road) for Chiang Mai, Ubon, Surin, and Nan; the Yellow Bus Company or Bell Travel/Roong Reuang for Hua Hin via Suvarnabhumi Airport; and the 407 Bus Company station for Udon.
• Tickets for the Bangkok first-class services are sold at the bus station and generally can't be pre-booked more than an hour or so in advance. If the next departure is full, seats are usually available on the following one.
• Because there's no comprehensive guide to stations or routes, the most reliable approach is to ask at your hotel. Motorbike taxi drivers are also a good source — they know where the stations are even if they don't know the routes.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

Metered taxis and prearranged cars are available, and for airport runs in particular they can be good value, especially at night. The key practical point is to agree on the fare before you set off.

• For airport transfers, negotiate the fare with the driver in advance and confirm the rate before leaving the taxi rank. At quiet hours you may be able to negotiate downward.
• Passengers are expected to pay any tolls incurred en route.
• Be wary of unlicensed taxis soliciting business — these drivers lack proper accreditation. Similarly, being offered a metered and apparently licensed taxi from the departure level is an attempt to avoid the airport fee or pocket it.
• Hotels and local taxi brokers can arrange airport pickups. Rates through less expensive local hotels tend to match the standard metered taxi rate, while larger resorts and international chain hotels often charge considerably more.
• Return fares from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport, if arranged in advance with a returning metered taxi, are reasonable plus tolls — but these may not be available at the last minute, so book ahead.

Walking

Walking works well for the compact core of Pattaya — the beachfront, the central strip, and the Walking Street area are all close together and pleasant to cover on foot in good weather. Beyond that core, the city spreads out and walking becomes impractical, particularly between the northern beaches, the inland commercial areas, and Jomtien to the south. Do bear in mind that Pattaya floods frequently, especially during the monsoon season, when heavy rain can leave important roads underwater and impassable on foot.

Getting In from the Airports

U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport (UTP)

U-Tapao is the closest airport to Pattaya, sitting just off the main Sukhumvit Highway to the south. It's primarily a military facility and fields commercial passenger flights to only a handful of destinations — there are no commercial passenger flights connecting it directly with Bangkok. Airlines serving it include Bangkok Airways (Ko Samui and Phuket), Air Asia (Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Udon Thani, and Kuala Lumpur), Thai Lion Air (Chiang Mai), and VietJet Air (Ho Chi Minh City), plus many seasonal charter flights from Russian cities.

• Minibus: The easiest transfer is a direct door-to-door minibus, operated by several companies including those linked to Bangkok Airways and Air Asia. They deliver passengers to their hotels, can be found at the front doors of the airport, and pre-booking isn't required — though pre-booking surface transport can be wise, since competitively priced door-to-door services may not be available on arrival. Driving time is normally about 30–50 minutes.
• Watch the drop-off point: If a minibus doesn't take you where you specifically want to go, it may drop you at the North Bus Station, which is still a long way from the beach strip. Songthaew drivers know this and will often ask for an inflated fare from there to the beach or Walking Street, when it should be very cheap.
• Public buses: The ad hoc option is to flag virtually any bus on Sukhumvit Road. Heading south, a bus terminating at Sattahip means you'll need to swap buses or finish by songthaew; a bus going further east (Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat) will drop you at the airport entrance as it passes. Heading north, wait for a bus going beyond Sattahip so you don't need to transfer. White songthaews also run Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Sattahip.
• Rail: A third-class train runs between Pattaya and Sattahip on weekdays only — no trains on Saturdays or Sundays. Get off just before or after the line crosses the highway and connect to the airport by songthaew or bus.

Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)

Suvarnabhumi is the closer of Bangkok's two airports to Pattaya, and road transfers are inexpensive and quick in dry weather, though slower in the wet season as highway upgrades continue.

• Taxi: A fairly inexpensive option, especially at night. Negotiate and confirm the fare before leaving the taxi rank, and expect to pay the tolls en route.
• Hotel and broker pickups: Most hotels and many local taxi brokers can arrange airport pickup. Less expensive local hotels generally charge about the standard metered taxi rate; larger resorts and international chains often charge much more.
• Return trips: Arrange your return to Suvarnabhumi in advance with a metered taxi — last-minute availability is not guaranteed.

Don Mueang Airport (DMK)

Don Mueang is where low-cost carriers such as Air Asia and Nok Air operate, both domestic and international. The easiest way to transfer to Pattaya is by taxi; the cheapest alternative is to go by bus via Mo Chit, Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal.

Practical Tips

• Agree fares in advance for taxis and any negotiated songthaew trips, and confirm before you set off.
• For buses to Bangkok, buy tickets at the North Road station and arrive early if you want a seat on the first departure of the day — the longest queues are for those early-morning services.
• If you're heading to Bangkok's Ekamai terminal, you can ask to be dropped at the On Nut Skytrain station on Sukhumvit Road to connect to the city's rail system — but confirm this with the crew after departure, as the bus doesn't pick up passengers there on the outbound leg.
• When in doubt about which station or route serves your destination, ask your hotel or a motorbike taxi driver rather than relying on travel agencies, which have little incentive to help with bus travel.
• Plan around the weather in the rainy season, when flooding can disrupt road travel and walking.