How to Reach Pattaya

You would be thinking how to reach Pattaya once you are in Thailand. Here we are discussing various options you can choose for reaching Pattaya.

Bus
Bus is the cheapest and most popular way to reach Pattaya from any part of Thailand. From the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) of Bangkok, there are departure every 30 mins by air-conditioned bus from 5am until 10pm. Buses also operate from the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit II). Bus services are available for Pattaya from all major tourist destinations of Thailand.

You can board buses for Pattaya from Bangkok, both Express and Ordinary. The Express one charges more money but it would provide more comfortable journey. If you are ready to shell out money, you can opt for taxis or hire cars. Don't forget to haggle for money for you would be offered exorbitant amount initially.

Train
Pattaya Railway Station is located north of Sukhumvit Rd close to the Siam Country Club. A train operates daily from Hualamphong railway station of Bangkokg for Pattaya. The train takes five hours to complete its journey. You could also take a weekend excursion train from Bangkok for Pattaya on Saturdays and Sundays. If you want to save on your money and also have time by your side, go for the train. Watching picturesque scenic view on your journey, reach Pattaya in three to four hours.

Air
Pattaya airport is located at U-Tapao. Flights operating between Bangkok and Koh Samui stop at U Tapao. From the airport you can take taxis to reach the airport.

From Suwarnabhumi Airport of Bangkok
Most international tourists to Pattaya land at Suwarnabhumi Airport of Bangkok. They can hire taxis which would take more than one hour to reach Pattaya. Another option is buses, some of which start their journey from the airport itself. Several buses coming from Bangkok city also stop at the airport.

Once you reach Suvarnabhumi Airport of Bangkok, connected to various Thai and international cities, you can take taxis or private/public buses for Pattaya. Taxi drivers initially ask for exorbitant amount but after haggling for a while, they could settle for half of it. If you want to reach Pattaya without loosening your pocket, you must go to the Bus Stop and find out a bus for Pattaya.

However, you must always catch an express bus instead of the ordinary one. The former would not only be faster but also have more room for your luggage. And the last tip. While enquiring about the transport to Pattaya, you must always ask the airport staff, not the touts who would revolve around as soon as they come to know that you are an away-tourist ignorant of the local ways.

Taxi
You could hire taxis for reaching Pattaya from Bangkok and other major Thai towns. Most taxi-drivers don't run their meters for long distances and you would have to rely on your bargaining skills to reach a settlement.