Your First Night in Pattaya, Thailand: Hour by Hour

Pattaya. Say that word to ten guys and you get ten different faces. And which face you make after your trip, a lot of that is decided on the very first night.

So here's your first night in Pattaya, hour by hour, the way I'd do it.

Your first night in Pattaya, in short

Getting there: arrive in the afternoon, in daylight.
Hour 1, the hotel: stay central, and ask if it's guest friendly.
Hour 2, a walk: learn the two roads and the Baht bus.
Hour 4: food, water, and an hour of rest.
Hour 6, stop one: Soi 6, early. Just walk it.
Hour 8, stop two: Soi Buakhao. Here you sit down.
Hour 10, stop three: Walking Street. Once, to look.
All night: cash only, and no motorbike.

Bangkok to Pattaya: bus or private taxi

It starts with getting there. From Bangkok it's about two hours, and you have the bus or a private taxi.

The bus is cheap and it's fine. I've taken it. But once you've done the taxi, door to door, from your hotel in Bangkok to your hotel in Pattaya, you'll never go back. More on that in The Almighty Bangkok-Pattaya Combo.

And whatever you take, arrive in the afternoon. You want to see this city in daylight first, because at night it looks completely different.

Bangkok to Pattaya, bus or private taxi: the bus is cheap and fine, the private taxi goes door to door

Hour 1: where to stay in Pattaya

I once stayed in Pattaya for 8 weeks straight and tested 10 different hotels, so trust me on this one.

Stay central, somewhere between Beach Road and Soi Buakhao. And not on Walking Street itself, because you won't sleep.

And ask one question before you book: is it guest friendly? If you don't know what that means, you'll find out, and it's better to find out before you pay.

Hour 2: a walk in daylight, and the two roads

This is not sightseeing. This is learning the map, because Pattaya is simple once you see it.

There's Beach Road along the water, and the traffic only goes one way, south.
One block inland there's Second Road, and that one goes back north.
And between them, all the small streets, the Sois, with numbers.

That's it. That's the whole system.

Map of Pattaya: Beach Road runs south along the water, Second Road runs back north one block inland

The Baht bus: the cheapest ride in Thailand

On those two roads you have the cheapest ride in Thailand. The blue pickup trucks. People call them Baht buses.

You wave, you jump on the back, you press the buzzer when you want to get off, and you pay the driver a few coins. 10 or 15 Baht, so have them ready.

One mistake. Don't ask how much. The moment you ask how much, you didn't get on a bus, you rented the whole truck, and that's a different price.

How the Pattaya Baht bus works: wave, jump on the back, press the buzzer, pay 10 or 15 Baht in coins, never ask how much

Hour 4: food, water, and a rest

Eat something real. Drink more water than you think you need. It's hot and the night is long.

And go to the hotel for an hour, because tonight has three stops, and you want to be awake for the third one.

By the way. If you're thinking, fine, but where exactly is all of that, which Soi, which hotel: that's exactly what the interactive maps in my Thailand Guide are for. Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, over 500 pins, including where to stay.

Hour 6, stop one: Soi 6

Here's what first timers don't know. Soi 6 is not a late night street. It starts in the afternoon and it's at its best in the early evening. If you come at midnight, you missed it.

So you go first, while it's still light. It's one short street, bars on both sides, and a lot of attention. A lot.

And tonight you just walk it. One time, top to bottom, slowly. You don't have to sit down. You're here to look.

Map of Soi 6 in Pattaya, the first stop of the night

Hour 8, stop two: Soi Buakhao, LK Metro and Tree Town

Soi Buakhao, and the streets around it, LK Metro and Tree Town. This is where a lot of guys ended up when Walking Street got too loud and too expensive. Beer bars, pool tables, live music, normal prices.

So here you sit down. You have a beer or two, you watch, you talk.

Map of Soi Buakhao, LK Metro and Tree Town in Pattaya

Two rules while you sit

Your drink stays in your hand, and you watch it being poured.
You check the bill every time it comes, because in Pattaya a bill can grow by itself.

That's not every bar. But you don't know yet which bar you're in. I explain the tricks in The Bill That Grows by Itself.

Two rules in a Pattaya bar: your drink stays in your hand, watch it being poured, check the bill every time

Hour 10, stop three: Walking Street

I'll be honest with you. It's not what it was. It's loud, it's expensive, and somebody steps in front of you with a menu every few meters.

But you came all the way to Pattaya, so you're going to see it. And you should. So walk it once, from the big sign to the end, and look at it like a show, because that's what it is now.

If a place looks good, go in. If not, you've seen it, and that's enough for night one.

Map of Walking Street in Pattaya, the last stop of the first night

The one rule for the whole night: cash only

This is the most important one. Before you go out, decide what tonight is allowed to cost, put that in your pocket, and leave the cards in the hotel safe.

Because Pattaya doesn't take your money in one big hit. It takes it slowly, one round at a time, and it's very good at it. When the cash is gone, the night is over. And that's the whole point.

Cash only rule for Pattaya nightlife: decide what tonight may cost, cards stay in the hotel safe, cash gone means night over

Getting home

Take the Baht bus, or a car from one of the apps. What you don't do, on any night, is ride a motorbike after drinking.

Everybody worries about scams in Pattaya. The motorbike is what actually puts tourists in the hospital.

Why this order works

So that's your first night. Arrive in daylight. Stay central. Learn the two roads. Soi 6 early, Soi Buakhao to sit down, Walking Street once, to look. Cash only, and no motorbike.

Your first night in Pattaya in short: arrive in daylight, stay central, Soi 6 early, Soi Buakhao to sit down, Walking Street once, cash only

And notice what you did. You saw all three areas in one night, and you didn't spend much in any of them. So tomorrow you know exactly where you want to go back to, and that's when the trip really starts.

Pattaya is paradise and hell on the same street. And most of the time, the difference is just the guy who had a plan.

If you want the exact hotels and streets, and everything else you need to plan the trip, I have put it in one place: the Thailand Guide. 60+ videos, 3 eBooks, and the interactive maps for Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, with over 500 pins. One payment, lifetime access. And if you want me to plan the trip with you personally, by email, that is the Diamond package.

Quick answers for your first night in Pattaya

How do I get from Bangkok to Pattaya?

It's about two hours. You have the bus or a private taxi. The bus is cheap and it's fine. The taxi goes door to door, from your hotel in Bangkok to your hotel in Pattaya.

Where should I stay in Pattaya the first time?

Central, somewhere between Beach Road and Soi Buakhao, and not on Walking Street itself, because you won't sleep. And ask before you book if the hotel is guest friendly.

How does the Baht bus in Pattaya work?

You wave, you jump on the back, you press the buzzer when you want to get off, and you pay the driver 10 or 15 Baht in coins. Don't ask how much, or you rented the whole truck.

What time should I go to Soi 6 in Pattaya?

Early. Soi 6 starts in the afternoon and it's at its best in the early evening. If you come at midnight, you missed it.

Is Walking Street in Pattaya still worth it?

It's not what it was. It's loud and expensive. But walk it once, from the big sign to the end, and look at it like a show. If a place looks good, go in.