Pattaya Or Bangkok, Which One Should You Visit?

Pattaya and Bangkok are both cities in Thailand with a 60-minute drive separating them. They both have shopping, hotels, and good nightlife but each attracts a different type of visitor. Bangkok is the first place most visitors to Thailand will start their visit as it is where the main airport is.

Pattaya is a beach resort town that tends to attract people who are looking to party or take a short break for a few nights. And Bangkok is the capital city and is full of clubs, bars, hotels, markets, and temples and attracts people from every walk of life.

In this post, we will go through which one to visit Pattaya or Bangkok. Let’s get started!

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Which Is Better To Visit Pattaya Or Bangkok?

Pattaya and Bangkok are both cities in Thailand. Pattaya is a small beach resort city famous for its nightlife which has a population of around 120,000 people.

While Bangkok is the capital city with a population of well over 8 million people. It is normally the first stop for visitors to Thailand and also boasts great nightlife.

In comparing these two cities, we will compare things to do in each city, accommodation, nightlife, and any other factors that would have an impact on your visit.

Let us compare Pattaya and Bangkok.

Places To Stay In Pattaya Or Bangkok

Pattaya and Bangkok both have a good supply of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. Here are a few places to give you an idea of what is available if you are planning to visit either one.

Remember to check the reviews and book a place that suits your interests while traveling.

Pattaya Accommodation

Pattaya has a good variety of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. There are over 1080 properties in Pattaya with prices starting from $12 a night.

Pattaya Blue Sky

Rating 8.8, Prices start from $32 for a double room

Pattaya Blue Sky offers accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, a bar, and a shared lounge. There offer free WiFi and other services such as a 24-hour front desk, and room service.

Rooms are equipped with a private balcony, air-conditioning with a seating area a flat-screen satellite TV, a fridge, and a minibar. Shower facilities, a hairdryer, and free toiletries are included in an en suite bathroom.

LK Emerald Beach

Rating 9.0, Prices start from $145 for a double room

LK Emerald Beach offers accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, and an outdoor swimming pool. Free WiFi is accessible in the rooms and throughout its premises.

The rooms come with air-conditioning with a seating area that has a flat-screen satellite TV, a fridge, and a minibar. The private bathroom comes with shower facilities, a hairdryer, and free toiletries.

The Siam Guest House

Rating 8.4, Prices start from $25 for a double room

Siam Guest House offers accommodations with free in-room WiFi access in Pattaya. The property offers a 24-hour front desk and luggage storage facilities.

The rooms at Siam Guest House are air-conditioned with a flat-screen TV and a minibar. En-suite bathrooms offer free toiletries, a hairdryer, and slippers.

Bangkok Accommodation

Bangkok also has a huge variety of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. There are over 1100 properties in Bangkok with prices starting from $17 a night.

Siri Sathorn Bangkok by UHG

Rating 8.6, Prices start from $39 for a double room

Siri Sathorn Bangkok offers accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and a pampering spa. They offer free WiFi and other services such as a 24-hour front desk, and room service.

Rooms and suites are all air-conditioned suites that have a comfortable living space and flat-screen TVs in all rooms. Large en suite bathrooms are fitted with granite and marble.

X2 Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel

Rating 8.3, Prices start from $43 for a double room

X2 Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel features accommodations with a restaurant, free private parking, an outdoor swimming pool, and a fitness center with free WiFi available throughout the property.

Rooms are air-conditioned with a flat-screen TV and a minibar. En-suite bathrooms offer free toiletries, a hairdryer, and slippers.

Nouvo City Hotel

Rating 8.5, Prices start from $35 for a double room

Nouvo City Hotel features accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, rooftop pool, airport shuttle, and a restaurant. Along with free WiFi throughout the property

Rooms are air-conditioned with glass-walled bathrooms and wooden flooring. Each room is equipped with a flat-screen TV, minibar, and tea/coffee facilities.

Nightlife in Pattaya And Bangkok

Thailand is well known for its nightlife. The nightlife in Pattaya and Bangkok is famous for their crazy nightlife. They both have a reputation for prostitution but I will cover this in the next section.

Let’s compare the nightlife between Pattaya and Bangkok.

Pattaya Nightlife

Pattaya’s nightlife is properly world-famous at this stage. It is a city full of clubs, bars, go-go bars, massage parlors, and more. You will always find a bar or club open at any time of the day.

Walking Street street is the main party street in Pattaya but is not cheap. If you go to Sois 7 and 8, it is better and cheaper.

Bangkok Nightlife

Bangkok’s nightlife is also world-famous. It has its fair share of clubs, bars, go-go bars, and more. These are the main areas to party.

• Khao San Road – This is where the backpackers go to party. Can get very messy.
• Sukhumvit – Here you will glamorous rooftop bars, bars, and clubs to seedy hangouts.
• Silom – This has stylish rooftop bars, clubs, and more.

Prostitution In Pattaya And Bangkok

These 2 cities have a reputation for prostitution and there is a reason for it. Pattaya is home to the largest concentration of hookers in the world. There is no way of avoiding them in Pattaya especially if out for the night.

On the other hand in Bangkok, you will find prostitution in 3 main areas which are Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza, and Patpong. You are not going to really encounter hookers unless you go to these areas or go looking for them.

What To Do See In Pattaya And Bangkok?

Pattaya and Bangkok are both blessed with temples, food, shopping, and plenty of other things to explore in each city.

Here are some of the best things to do in Pattaya and Bangkok.

Things To Do In Pattaya

Pattaya is a popular resort with Thais and international visitors, this is because of the nightlife. There are other things to do other than the nightlife.

Here is a list of a few things to do in Pattaya Thailand.

Visit A Few Temples

There are a few interesting temples in Pattaya that are worth a visit. Here are the lists of the temples to visit in Pattaya.

• Sanctuary of Truth – This is not a Buddhist temple and is made from teak wood. This is a beautiful and humbling place to visit.
• Wat Phra Khao Yai – Also known as Big Buddha Hill, it is about 100 meters above sea level. At the top, you can see Pattaya city.
• Buddha Mountain – At the side of the mountain, you will see the largest engraving of Buddha in the world.

Enjoy The Water Parks

One thing Pattaya doesn’t lack is water parks. It even has the largest in Thailand. They all have plenty of slides and rides, just don’t forget the sun cream. The best 2 water parks to visit are as follows.

• Ramayana waterpark.
• Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark.

Go, Island Hopping

Pattaya is close to a couple of islands that have some amazing beaches and is a good day out visiting the islands. Go can relax on the beach, go snorkeling, and more.

Some of these islands are as follows.

• Koh Larn.
• Koh Sak.
• Monkey Island.
• Koh Krok.
• Koh Rin.

Visit Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

This has over 300 exhibits that will astonish you with surprising and shocking displays believe it or not stories.

There are also some fun rides, a 12D Moving Theatre, and the extremely popular Sky Rider. Which will give you awesome views of the city.

Visit Pattaya Floating Market

If you are interested in visiting a floating market, you have an opportunity to see the Pattaya floating market. Here you can buy fruit, food, souvenirs, and clothing.

Things To Do In Bangkok

Bangkok is truly a city that never sleeps. Other than the nightlife there are plenty of things to do in Bangkok. The challenge is trying to get around to doing it all.

Here are a couple of things to do in Bangkok Thailand.

Going Shopping

Bangkok is a great place to go shopping. There are huge shopping centers all around Bangkok that can suit any budget.

Some of these shopping centers are as follows.

• Siam Paragon.
• Terminal 21.
• CentralWorld.
• MBK Center.
• Platinum Fashion Mall.
• Pantip Plaza.

Visit The Markets

There is no shortage of markets in Bangkok. These are from river markets to the standard markets. At these markets, you can buy anything from fruit, food, souvenirs, clothing, and more.

These are only a few markets in Bangkok.

• Chatuchak weekend market.
• Srinakarin train market.
• Damnoen Saduak floating market.
• Ratchada train market.
• Saphan Phut.
• Pratunam market.

See The Normal Touristy Things

There are the normal touristy things that everyone visiting Bangkok should try and do. These are as follows.

• Grand Palace and Wat Pra Kaew.
• See Wat Arun.
• Drink at the Sky Bar.
• Jim Thompson’s house.
• Visit Lumpini Park.
• Drink on Khao San Road.
• Try some street food.
• Watch kickboxing.

Wrapping Up

Finally, which one to choose really depends on your personal preference. If you are looking to party hard then it is Pattaya while if it is looking for more culture with good nightlife then it is Bangkok.

Personally, I would choose Bangkok over Pattaya as it has more to offer with better restaurants and a better variety of nightlife to enjoy.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on Pattaya or Bangkok which one should you visit has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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