This popular beach resort in the Land of Smiles is out to charm, with something for everyone; here’s the best of Pattaya tourism.
There are few who can claim to know Pattaya better than Quest. As the Vibe Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Quest is responsible for organising family-friendly entertainment activities and creating musical and cultural experiences unique to the hotel, including its’ much raved about foam parties.
Invalid slider ID or alias.A city transformed
Having moved from Bangkok to Pattaya six years ago, he has seen this resort city transform into a family-friendly holiday and tourist destination, where everyone feels welcomed.
“Pattaya has changed quite a lot,” says Quest, who is eager to show us a different side to this resort city he now calls home. “There’s a balance between the vibrant city life and the beauty of living by the sea. It is easy to live comfortably here.”
Consumer’s paradise
Tour groups and vacationing families strolling on Beach Road, Pattaya’s main promenade, are spoilt with a vast array of dining and shopping options. Bustling open-air markets, street food vendors with their pushcarts and local shops jostle for attention with fancy beach-front shopping malls.
Central Festival Pattaya Mall, a short 10-minute walk from Hard Rock Hotel, is the new kid on the block and a favourite hang-out for locals and foreigners alike. This grand complex is a shopping and dining haven, with a supermarket, cinema complex, bowling alley and wide range of shops under one roof.
Mandatory snacking
Snacking seems to be a way of life here, and Quest, upon hearing that we were feeling peckish, brought us to Nong Mon market, a popular pit stop for locals en-route from Bangkok to Pattaya to shop for tidbits and a great place for tourists to stop for snacks.
Stretching for one kilometre on Sukhumvit Road along the way to Bang Saen, the market is a juxtaposition of sweet, sour, hot and salty flavours. We were spoilt for choice with a vast variety of locally produced dried seafood products such as dried fish, squid, and shrimp, hor-mok (spicy steamed fish cakes) and hoy-jor (deep fried shrimp rolls). Those with a sweeter tooth may want to try the local specialty Khao Lam (glutinous rice stuffed in bamboo) or banana chips.
Infamous Night Markets
Night markets are equally popular for leisurely strolls and takeaway dinners. We head to an open-air market adjacent to Mini Siam on Sukhumvit Road, which is the smaller cousin of the more well-known Thepprasit Night Market. The market, which runs from Monday to Thursday, has been around for more than a decade and is a good alternative to the packed weekend crowd on Thepprasit.
Best Pad Thai in Pattaya
Some five minutes away on the intersection of Nernplubwan Road and Sukhumvit Road, is a pushcart stall, which serves what locals call the “best Pad Thai in Pattaya.” Pad Thai, a staple in Thai restaurant menus, is rice noodles stir-fried in a light tamarind-based sauce with eggs and beansprouts. What sets this Pad Thai apart from the others is the addition of pork slices and deep-fried pork skin so crispy it crackles. The rice noodles are also chewier and springier. A queue forms instantly just as they turn on the lights for business. On good days, they would sell out by 9 p.m, sometimes clocking more than 200 plates a night.
Since there is always room for dessert, we stop by for a round of mango and glutinous rice. J.Noi is one of two stalls along Central Pattaya Road selling this sticky sweet goodness topped with coconut milk. With hundreds of ripened mangoes neatly displayed in rows and a whiff of the enticing aroma, it is hard to miss.
A Fruit Safari
We continue our culinary adventure on a healthier note. A “fruit safari” awaits us at Suphattra Land, a 128-hectare fruit farm in Rayong province about 40 minutes’ drive from the hotel. A tramcar takes us to the most interesting and attractive parts of the orchard, where we get the chance to pluck rambutans off trees and feast on a buffet of tropical fruits, including durians, mangosteens, papayas and mangoes. This is a must for visitors to Pattaya, and a hot new spot for Pattaya tourism.
History in the making
For a dose of culture and art in Pattaya, Quest brings us to the Sanctuary of Truth. This all-wood mammoth structure, which pays homage to the ancient vision of earth, knowledge and Asian philosophy, commands one of the most breath-taking sights in Pattaya, set against the azure backdrop of the sky and the sea at Rachvate Cape. In fact, this art installation can very well pass off as a UNESCO heritage site, until I find out it was conceived in 1981 by a wealthy Thai businessman and till today remains a work-in-progress which will take another 20 years to complete. More than 200 Thai and Burmese artists were roped in to produce intricate carvings and sculptures adorning the walls and ceilings of the building.
Paradisiacal Art
There is also Art in Paradise, possibly one of the very few “museums” where visitors are allowed to touch and pose with the paintings. Opened in April last year, this illusion-art museum is a convenient stone’s throw from Hard Rock Hotel. We walk through numerous halls decked in artwork cleverly executed to give a 3D effect. The interactive nature of the gallery has Quest hamming it up for the camera, getting creative with poses to make the 3D artwork come alive.
Fishing fleets
Soon after, we are back on our food trail. Up next is Naklua seafood market, located next to Naklua beach in north Pattaya. A little fleet of fishing boats brings fresh catches to the market every morning, ensuring freshness and affordability. Locals come here to buy live seafood such as blue swimmer crabs, cockles, clams and squid.
It would be a shame not to eat seafood in Pattaya. Sitting on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Pattaya offers bountiful harvests for fishermen. We decide on Preecha Seafood, deemed as the go-to place by locals. Fish, lobsters, clams and crabs are housed in tanks at the entrance, ready for hungry diners to pick and choose. Located right on the beach, Preecha also has an unobstructed view of the sea, without the hum-drum of boats and beach makers to mar the dining experience. We have stir-fried crab legs with yellow curry, steamed squid with lime and a local delicacy called “Som Tum Puu Mar,” or papaya salad with raw blue swimmer crab.
Pattaya Fried Chicken
We leave the place stuffed, but still head for fried chicken. In fact, Pattaya serves up some of the tastiest fried chicken I’ve ever tried. “Tod Lhaek – Pattaya’s Supreme Fried Chicken”, a ten-minute walk from the hotel, pictures with local celebrities. The tiny shop sits on Phattaya Klang 16, a narrow walking lane that branches off Central Pattaya Road.
Owner Toy Poottamongkol uses only fresh chicken from a trusted supplier, which he marinates in a special concoction overnight. Palm oil is used for deep-frying and Poottamongkol changes the pot of oil every two to three hours to guarantee freshness. The batter forms a nice seal around the meat, which is cooked by its trapped moisture, sealing the juices within. The result is fried chicken with a nice golden tan that is crispy on the outside and succulent within.
As I sink my teeth into a chunk of the juicy thigh, it feels somewhat comforting to know that there’s so much more to this city than meets the eye.
This incredible place has something to offer everyone; so go and see the best of Pattaya tourism and discover more than you thought you could.
H Directory
Central Festival Pattaya Mall
333/99 Moo 9, Pattaya Beach Rd., Nongprue, Banglamung, Pattaya, Chonburi
Tel +66 3300 3999
Nong Mon Market
Sukhumvit Rd., Ban Suan, Muang Chon Buri, Chonburi
Night market next to Mini Siam
387 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Rd., Pattaya City Naklua, Banglamung, Chonburi
Pad Thai Stall
Junction of Nernplubwan Road and Sukhumvit Road, Pattaya
Suphattra Land
70 Moo 10 Tambol Nang La Lok, Amper Bankai, Rayong
Tel +66 3889 2048
Sanctuary of Truth
206/2 Moo 5, Soi Naklua 12,
Naklua, Banglamung, Chonburi
Tel +66 3836 7229
Preecha Seafood
200/9 Moo 4, Soi Na Jomtien 28, Na Jomtien Road, Sattahip, Chonburi
Tel +66 3870 9439
Naklua Seafood Market
Pattaya-Naklua Road, Pattaya
Art in Paradise
78/34 Pattayasaisong 1,
Pattaya Nua Bang Lamung,
Pattaya, Chonburi
Tel +66 3842 4500
Fried Chicken Stall
Pattaya Klang 16, (opposite Classic Inn) Pattaya, Chonburi