Thailand · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in Pattaya
Pick up a rental car at Pattaya's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every Pattaya terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in Pattaya
Songthaew baht buses run fixed loops for 10 baht; press the buzzer and pay on exit, and refuse any driver who offers to take you somewhere directly, which silently converts the ride into a private charter at ten times the price. Jet-ski damage claims on the beach are a long-running shakedown. Several attractions post separate Thai and foreigner prices. Carry a passport copy for nightlife-zone ID checks.
What things cost in Pattaya
Sanctuary of Truth costs 500 baht; Nong Nooch is 600 baht for the garden or 800 with the elephant and cultural shows. A songthaew hop along the beach loop is 10 baht. Street pad thai or moo ping runs 50 to 80 baht. Walking Street beer costs 150 to 250 baht and cocktails 250 to 400, against roughly 60 to 80 baht at a Soi Buakhao bar.
Pattaya with kids, realistically
Pattaya works better for families than its reputation suggests, provided you base in Jomtien or Na Jomtien and stay off Beach Road after dark. Cartoon Network Amazone and Ramayana Water Park are both genuinely large, and Underwater World has a walk-through tunnel. Pavements are poor for strollers. The Koh Larn ferry takes about 45 minutes and suits ages six upward.
What to eat in Pattaya
Avoid Walking Street's laminated tourist menus and eat instead at Naklua Market in the morning or Thepprasit Night Market, which trades Friday to Sunday. Chonburi is a seafood province: grilled prawns, hoy tod oyster omelette and pu pad pong karee crab curry at the Lan Pho stalls in Naklua. Soi Buakhao carries cheap som tam and moo ping carts that residents actually queue at.
Pattaya after dark
This is why most visitors come, and it is far more explicit than Bangkok. Walking Street closes to vehicles from around 18:00 and runs to roughly 02:00 or 03:00, all neon and touts. Soi Buakhao and LK Metro are cheaper and less aggressive; Tree Town sits in the middle. Bar fines and lady-drink pricing are standard, and haggling over them is expected.
When to go to Pattaya
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| December | 30°C / 86°F | 5 days |
| January | 31°C / 88°F | 6 days |
| February | 31°C / 88°F | 9 days |
The month to avoid is May — around 32°C (90°F) with roughly 19 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: December is the sweet spot, May the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Light, breathable clothing — linen and technical fabrics earn their keep, High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Pattaya
- Pattaya Beach — Main strip — hotels, restaurants, the Walking Street nightlife district.
- Jomtien — Quieter beach south of Pattaya — family hotels, calmer water, beach umbrellas.
- Wong Amat — Upmarket beach north — resort hotels, more relaxed pace, fewer crowds.