Is it possible to get to know the real Thailand without long trips to the Thai hinterland? We tell you about interesting cities where you can easily go from Pattaya on your own by public transport, taxi, rented car or bike.
There are unique cities very close to the popular resort, in which there are almost no tourists. There are beautiful Buddhist temples and Chinese shrines, old markets and modern shopping centers. You will discover great roads, well-groomed parks, 7-Eleven shops familiar to Pattaya, but you will not see a single European face. Visit these places, and you will understand how the ordinary inhabitants of the kingdom live!
Look for interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Exchange rate: 1 Thai Baht (THB) ≈ 2.2 RUB.
Bangsaen
Price: 70-80 baht for a minivan, 400 baht for a taxi.
How to get there: take Sukhumvit on any minivan that goes in the direction of Bangkok. The road to Bangsaen takes 40-50 minutes. To get to the beach, near Nong Mon Market, change to the red songteo.
The town, which is 55 km from the seaside resort, is a pleasure to drive from Pattaya on your own. You will be surprised, but not Pattaya, but Bangsaen became the first resort center in Thailand. The beach closest to Bangkok dates back to the 1940s. Today it is a full-fledged city where the large Burap University is located.
Bangsaen's pride is a wonderful beach that stretches for 3 km. Take my word for it, its infrastructure is better than Pattaya. The seaside resort has an oceanarium, the Temple of Hell and Paradise, and the green Khao Samuk mountain, home to a large flock of macaques. If you want to swim and sunbathe without crowds, come to Bangsaen on a weekday.
Chonburi
Price: minivan travel costs no more than 100 baht.
How to get there: go to Sukhumvit and explain to minivan drivers that you want to get to Chonburi. Since this is the name of the whole province, say the exact place is "bass station Mueang Chonburi".
The provincial capital is a typical Thai city and there are almost no tourists here. Chonburi is located halfway between Pattaya and Bangkok, an hour's drive from the seaside resort. It is very big. For sightseeing, it is better to go from Pattaya by car, although you can also take a minivan.
Minivan passengers are brought to the very center of Chonburi (coordinates: 13.369543, 100.992112). There is an amulet center at the bus station, where they sell old and new-made statues of Buddha. Opposite is the amazingly beautiful Wat Thep Phuttharam temple with a tall golden pagoda. Nearby, on the slope of a forested hill, stands Wat Tham Nimit, which is famous for a huge sculpture of a seated Buddha.
From the west of the bus station, the historical buildings of Chonburi begin. Visit the old market and see the wooden two-story houses with shops that were built over 100 years ago. If you are by car, take a breeze along the new sea road that runs along the entire city, and drive to the picturesque Grand Canyon of Chonburi with a green lake (coordinates: 13.3231066,100.9806138).
Ayutthaya
Price: one way public transport costs 400 baht. Taxi is too expensive!
How to get there: by bus to the Northern Bus Terminal of Bangkok - Mochit, and from there by regular bus to Ayutthaya. Taking into account the waiting time, the journey by two buses will take 4 hours.
We advise you not to buy an excursion, but to go from Pattaya on your own. The old capital of Siam attracts like a magnet. When we first visited Ayutthaya, we were fascinated by the silence and special atmosphere that reigns around the dilapidated medieval temples.
It is convenient to get around the city by tuk-tuk or bicycles. If you want to spend the night, you will always find an inexpensive guesthouse or hotel in Ayutthaya.
Excursion: trip to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In >>
Sriracha
Price: a minivan is 60 baht, and a white songteo from North Street costs 30 baht.
How to get there: Sriracha is a town where you can go from Pattaya on your own on a bike. Drive along Sukhumvit towards Bangkok, and after 32 km you are on the spot! If you want to get there by public transport, get off at Sukhumvit and take a minivan that goes towards Bangkok. Passengers are dropped off near the Robinson shopping center.
Sriracha is the birthplace of the famous hot sauce and a city where many Japanese live. Expats from the Land of the Rising Sun work in the local port, so signs and shops with Japanese characters are found at every turn. Feed squirrels at the Coastal Health Park and watch the sunset on the tiny island of Ko Loi. Find out what to see in Srirac.
Chachengsau
Price: travel in two minivans one way - 150 baht per person. For a trip of three or four, we recommend renting a taxi in Pattaya for the whole day. It will cost 1500-1800 baht.
How to get there: from Pattaya we took a minivan to the bus station of the city of Chonburi, and from there to Chachengsau - by a regular minivan. One way trip takes 2 hours.
The ancient city of Chachengsau is located 107 km north of Pattaya, on the banks of the Bang Pakong River. The capital of the province of the same name is a popular pilgrimage center. In the heart of the city's development stands a marble giant - the Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan temple, which is highly revered by Buddhists. Whole families come here and as an offering they leave baskets of boiled eggs in cotton wool.
It is good to spend the whole day in Chachengsau and the surrounding area. Dine at over-water restaurants at the 100-year-old Banmai Market. Admire the world's tallest pink Ganesha statue See Wat Pho Bang Khla, which is surrounded by flying foxes. If you come from Pattaya with a child, take him to Suanpalm Farmnok Parrot Park and Palm Garden.
Excursion: travel to Chachengsau province >>
Panat Nikkhom
Price: one way trip by minivans will cost 132 baht.
How to get there: Phanat Nikkhom is located 87 km northeast of Pattaya. Take a minivan to the bus station of Chonburi city, and from there take a regular bus to Panat Nikkhom.
In Thailand, there are places where it is easy to imagine what the settlement looked like 100-150 years ago. In the center of the small and cozy Phanat Nikhom, the hands of the clock have stopped! The narrow streets are asphalted, but lined with old wooden houses. A small shrine houses a Buddha statue made during the ancient kingdom of Dvaravati.
Local craftsmen weave magnificent bamboo products. The city houses the Museum of the World's Largest Wicker Basket and the Traditional Bamboo Weaving Center. You will be able to see how women skillfully make delicate handbags and bamboo kitchen utensils. There are no better souvenirs from Thailand!
Nakhon Pathom
Price: one way - no more than 250 baht.
How to get there: we went by public transport. First, take a bus from Pattaya to Bangkok Ekamai Bus Station. Then on the surface and underground metro - to the Hua Lampong railway station, and from there - by train to Nakhon Pathom.
It is better to go to Nakhon Pathom from Pattaya for 2-3 days, because it is located in the central part of the country, 55 km west of Bangkok. Nakhon Pathom is the capital of the province of the same name and one of the most ancient cities in Thailand. The spread of Buddhism in this country began precisely with Nakhon Pathom. At the time of Dvaravati, the city was located on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, but over 1000 years the sea retreated by more than 50 km.
From anywhere in Nakhon Pathom, the huge Phra Pathom Chedi is visible. The tallest stupa in the world rises at 127 m. We advise you to visit the palace complex of King Rama VI and see the unique collection of cars in the Jesada Technic Museum.
The province of Nakhon Pathom is famous for its excellent pomelos. Ripe fruits are sold on every corner.Be sure to buy the cut fruit! I assure you, you have never tasted such a pomelo in your life. This is the taste of real Thailand!
