where to stay in pattaya 2024 - 5 best areas

In this article, we dive deeper into your question about where to stay in Pattaya.

To make it as simple as possible for you as a reader, we start with an overview of all the recommended areas we cover followed by a short description.

Then, we briefly answer a few commonly asked questions:

Where to stay in Pattaya first time?

Where to stay in Pattaya with family?

Where to stay in Pattaya for nightlife?

Where to stay in Pattaya for couples?

You can always tap on a purple link to go directly to that part of the article.

This will save you a lot of time and only read what you need to read.

Enjoy!

Overview of the best areas to stay in Pattaya

Name of the area in Pattaya	Description of the recommended area
1. Jomtien Go directly to this part of the article for more in-depth information. ↓	One of the most desired areas in Pattaya as you have access do a decent beach, are surrounded by many great restaurants and you’re located away from the city center and the adult entertainment areas. A great, family-friendly area for tourists who visit Pattaya to enjoy beach life.
2. Naklua Go directly to this part of the article for more in-depth information. ↓	There are several similarities between Jomtien and this area, but the difference is that Naklua is located more centrally without access to a decent beach, while Jomtien is located less centrally with access to a decent beach. Naklua is considered a family-friendly area and a good option for those who visit Pattaya not for its nightlife scene.
3. Pratamnak Hill Go directly to this part of the article for more in-depth information. ↓	A bit of a secluded area that lies between the city center and Jomtien, which offers a bit of both. It’s an ideal area for couples. Keep in mind that you don’t have direct access to a beach, but many hotels here have pools with a view.
4. Pattaya Beach Go directly to this part of the article for more in-depth information. ↓	This is one of the two recommended areas for those who come to Pattaya to party and find companionship in the adult entertainment industry. This is a central location with an abundance of good hotels and you’re located near the nightlife areas the city has to offer.
5. Walking Street Go directly to this part of the article for more in-depth information. ↓	This is basically the epicenter of Pattaya’s nightlife scene where you can find an abundance of bars, clubs, and gogo-bars. If you’re not looking for any of this, avoid this area at all costs.

Where to stay in Pattaya first time

The best areas to stay in Pattaya first time are Jomtien, Naklua, Pratamnak Hill, and Pattaya Beach.

Now, Pattaya attracts a broad range of travellers and it’s no secret that many tourists travel to the city to party and explore its red-light district.

If that’s your purpose, then read the part in this article about Where to stay in Pattaya for nightlife.

For all the other types of travellers, the four mentioned areas are considered ideal for first-time travellers.

If you want to avoid the red light district and its clientele at all costs, Jomtien and Na-Jomtien are by far the best options.

Where to stay in Pattaya with family

The best areas to stay in Pattaya with family are Jomtien, Naklua, and Pratamnak Hill.

When staying in one of these three areas, you won’t be bothered by Pattaya’s red-light district and its clientele.

Jomtien in particular offers several family-friendly resorts and you can find a waterpark in this part of the city as well.

You also have access to a decent beach, although the best beach can be found in Koh Larn.

There are several family-friendly resorts available in Naklua as well.

Pratamnak Hill is a quieter area, ideal for families who seek a bit of peace.

Where to stay in Pattaya for nightlife

The best areas to stay in Pattaya for nightlife are Walking Street and Pattaya Beach (Road).

From here, you have great access to Pattaya’s red-light district and the party epicenter of the city, namely Walking Street itself.

Where to stay in Pattaya for couples

The best areas to stay in Pattaya for couples are Jomtien, Naklua, and Pratamnak Hill.

Similar to the family-friendly areas, you won’t be bothered with Pattaya’s red-light district and its clientele, and in these areas, you can easily enjoy a beachfront holiday.

In case you, as a couple, don’t mind being slightly disturbed by this phenomenon, then you also have the option to stay around Pattaya Beach.

You can find some really amazing resorts in that part of Pattaya, and you’re located near the pier that takes you to Koh Larn as well as the nearby Temple of Truth.

But in my personal opinion, Jomtien is the better area as you can find many great beachfront resorts, restaurants, and lounges that attract many couples.

1. Jomtien

Jomtien is one of the best areas to stay in Pattaya as it offers a wide variety of proper hotels and it’s located outside the busy city of Pattaya.

It’s no secret that Pattaya is the Southeast Asian epicenter for adult entertainment.

It attracts its clientele from all over the world.

But what most foreigners don’t know is that Pattaya is also a tremendously popular holiday destination for Thai and expats as it has the closest reasonable beach near Bangkok.

And the last thing those tourists want is a holiday around Pattaya’s Walking Street that’s full of bars, clubs and vulgarity.

Instead, they want calmness. And exactly that’s what Jomtien offers.

Because of this calmness, you have a much better holiday feeling that staying in other parts.

You also have access to a decent beach, although the beaches in Pattaya are not the most beautiful ones in Thailand.

The atmosphere in Jomtien is completely different than in Pattaya itself and there is a huge variety of cool restaurants, beach clubs, and other venues.

There are several beachfront restaurants as well as lounge bars and dining options built on top of a cliff that provides quite the view.

The downside simultaneously is that you have to travel a bit in order to reach the city or attractions like the Sanctuary of Truth.

Further south is another recommended area called Na-Jomtien where you can find more luxurious hotels and private apartments.

But compared to Jomtien, it’s far less vibrant.

Na-Jomtien is ideal for those who want to get away from it all for a few days.

Just keep in mind that aside from its calmness, Jomtien doesn’t have much to offer like shopping malls but for most of us, that’s not important when you’re on a holiday.

Those modern and convenient amenities are located in Pattaya itself, which is only a short taxi ride away from it all.

Jomtien can be seen as the top destination in Pattaya for families, although couples would definitely appreciate it as well.

If you travel with kids, make sure to visit Pattaya Water Park, which is also located in this part of Pattaya.

Some of the best hotels to stay in Pattaya in this particular area are listed below:

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2. Naklua

If you appreciate staying more central yet a bit away from Pattaya’s notorious nightlife, Naklua is your best option.

Here, you can find many of the top brands within the hotel industry that offer rooms with a great panoramic view.

As you stay centrally, you have all the comforts you can wish for, something the previously recommended area doesn’t always have.

However, the beach in Pattaya is not good at all and at Naklua, you won’t find a proper beach at all.

Luckily, the hotels often have large swimming pools and lounge areas so sunbathing with an occasional plunge accompanied by an ice-cold beer should not be so difficult.

If you’re a beach lover, take the ferry to Koh Larn, which is an island close to Pattaya.

Here, you can enjoy water activities and spend time on a proper beach.

Keep in mind that Koh Larn is an extremely popular beach destination near Bangkok and especially during the holidays and long weekends, it gets quite busy over there.

In the evening, Naklua is vibrant and there are many restaurants to discover.

It’s far more vibrant than Jomtien, although the quality of the restaurants in Jomtien is slightly better, thanks to the several restaurants with stunning views.

When you choose to stay in Naklua, keep in mind that you’re located close to the nightlife epicenter and you will encounter plenty of drunk tourists.

If you want to avoid this at all costs, it’s better to stay at Jomtien.

If you’re looking for an area with more convenience and a more vibrant atmosphere, Naklua is the better option of the two.

Some of the best hotels to stay in Pattaya in this particular area are listed below:

3. Pratamnak Hill

Pratamnak Hill is a small area between Jomtien and the city of Pattaya.

One of the benefits of staying in this somewhat secluded area is that can have a little bit of both.

You’re located closer to the city center but you also can enjoy the calmness of Jomtien.

As you’re located on a hill, the hotels often offer a magnificent panoramic view.

Unfortunately, you don’t have direct access to the beach.

Now this should not be a huge problem as Pattaya doesn’t have the nicest beaches and a short ride to Jomtien Beach is easily made.

But there is always the option to take the ferry to Koh Larn for a full day of sunbathing and water activities.

Similar to Jomtien, you can find several beach clubs located on top of the hill that have great swimming pools and lounge areas where you can definitely spend the day sipping cocktails and enjoying all sorts of Thai and international bites.

Combining all of this and it’s fair to conclude that Patamnak Hill is a great area to stay in Pattaya when you’re travelling as a couple.

Some of the best hotels to stay in Pattaya in this particular area are listed below:

4. Pattaya Beach

So far, we’ve come up with areas that are suitable for basically all types of travellers.

However, the majority of Pattaya’s visitors are in town to fully enjoy Disneyland for adults.

There is no other way to put it than the majority of Pattaya’s tourism is based on the clientele of its adult entertainment.

If you’re into partying and you want to stay close to the nightlife epicenter of Pattaya, you have two great options.

One of them is Pattaya Beach.

In this part of Pattaya, you’ll find plenty of hotels, ranging from budget to proper luxurious resorts.

Some of these resorts even organize daytime parties, but most of them are calm as even families tend to book a hotel in this central area of Pattaya.

But the majority are here for something else.

As you’re located close to several major party streets, such as Soi 6, LK Metro, Soi Bukhao, and Walking Street, there is no better place for the party-minded, hedonistic traveller than choosing this area to stay in.

If this is nothing for you, avoid this part of Pattaya at all costs.

Some of the best hotels to stay in Pattaya in this particular area are listed below:

5. Walking Street

The last area that we recommend is the area around Walking Street.

Similar to the previously recommended area, you should only stay here if you’re in Pattaya to explore its somewhat notorious nightlife scene.

During the evening, this street full of bars, clubs, and go-go bars is one of the best nightlife areas in Pattaya and when you’re really into partying, you want to stay as close to the action as possible.

Picking a hotel near Walking Street is what many single men do.

If your purpose for visiting Pattaya is to explore its nightlife until sunrise, then this is the area you want to stay at.

If not, avoid this area at all costs.

Some of the best hotels to stay in Pattaya in this particular area are listed below: