People bad mouth Pattaya but it’s more than “Walking Street” and soi 6. I lived in north Pattaya for 16 years, renting three different condos along Wongamat Beach and north Pattaya Bay ( my work was 20 minutes away). The resort city is definitely cheaper than living in Phuket and no tuk tuk mafia in Pattaya, (10 baht songthaew to get around). -And it is less than a 90 minute drive to Bangkok. The short time tourist only visits the seedy part of Pattaya but once you live there you get to know the other side of Pattaya with isolated beaches nearby, great international cuisine, modern fitness centers, roof top bars,grocery stores catering to Western tastes and the three modern malls. And there is a Pattaya Expat club which meets weekly with interesting guest speakers. True, the beaches are not as nice as Phuket, but you do have beautiful sunsets and a nice beach promenade to walk or jog on. People also do not realize there is more than tourists in Pattaya. There is a large number of expats ,( including families), living in the Pattaya & Sriracha area ( Japanese, South Korean, Chinese, Americans, Europeans, Australians…even Brazilians ) working at the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Complex nearby that has over 300 international companies, (Ford, Masada, Toyota, Kelloggs, BAST, DOWA, Great Wall automobiles, Bendix, Gulf, Stanley, LG,Isuzu,BOSH to name a few industries there). There are over four decent international schools in Chonburi and Rayong provinces that cater to these international families. There are also plenty of activities for children to participate in such as private ballet lessons, art classes, and the famous Planet Football weekend activities. If you do not want to live in a condo, there are plenty of housing “villages” outside the busy resort town. …And let’s not forget that Pattaya is an easy 40 minute drive to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thank you for sharing! Absolutely. Every time I go to Pattaya I'm always impressed by all the excitement that is going on. Sure Walking Street is one aspect of it but there are great activities for everyone.
The only real thing(s) holding Thailand back is the inconsistency when it comes to their Visa policy .. As well as them always changing things up when it’s not convenient on a whim .. Other than that Thailand is GREAT!!
USA is way inconsistent though. Some need 28 years to get visa processed but crossing the border in a split second is allowed even if against the "policy".
Thank you. Love all your content. Would you suggest buying Phuket or Pattaya? I want to learn to surf and have a dog that needs a lot of exercise so green spaces are also important, but I also like a variety of restaurants , nightlife, bars. Big decision.
Gosh that's tough, as I've only briefly visited and never lived in either. Both have what you're looking for in their own ways. I think the best thing is to spend a decent amount of in both cities and see where you yearn for the most.
If you're going to buy real estate in Thailand, the safest bet is Phuket: limited supply because it's an island, has high purchasing power, high tourist, and high expats.
