The best things to do in Pattaya have little to do with its bars. The carved wooden Sanctuary of Truth, a day on the island of Koh Larn, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and the hill temples fill two or three days, and Jomtien and Wong Amat are calmer beaches than the city's own. We checked prices, fares and hours on 14 November 2026, and we mark every figure that is only reported.
Tours and activities to book in Pattaya
These are the outings travellers book most in Pattaya, with live prices and availability.
Pattaya: Exclusive 3-Island Catamaran Tour with Buffet Lunch
A day on a catamaran to three islands off Pattaya, with a buffet lunch.
- Duration: 7.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.8(908 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $88per person
Pattaya: The Sanctuary of Truth Admission Ticket
Entry ticket for the Sanctuary of Truth, the carved wooden temple on the shore in Naklua.
- Free cancellation
4.7(1,387 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $14per person
Pattaya: Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Half-Day Tour with Meal
Half a day at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary near Pattaya, with a meal included.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.9(515 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $86per person
Pattaya: Max Muay Thai Stadium Ticket with VIP Seating
Ticket for an evening of fights at Max Muay Thai Stadium, with VIP seating.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Free cancellation
4.7(449 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $44per person
See more activities in Pattaya
What to do in Pattaya: prices and opening hours
| Sight | Entry, foreign adult | Hours | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary of Truth | 500 THB by day, 700 THB at night, reported | 8 am to 6 pm, 6:20 pm to 8:30 pm | Naklua, north of the centre |
| Koh Larn | Ferry 30 to 40 THB each way | Day boats, last return in the early evening | Bali Hai pier, south end of Walking Street |
| Big Buddha Hill (Wat Phra Yai) | Free | All day | Pratumnak Hill, about 3 km from Pattaya Beach |
| Pattaya Viewpoint | Free | All day, best at sunset | Pratumnak Hill |
| Nong Nooch Tropical Garden | About 500 to 600 THB, reported | 8 am to 6 pm | South of Pattaya, towards Sattahip |
| Pattaya Floating Market | About 200 THB, reported | From 9 am, closing time varies by source | Sukhumvit Road, south-east of Jomtien |
| Ramayana Water Park | About 1,490 THB at the gate, reported | 11 am to 6 pm, closed on Wednesdays | Na Jomtien, south of Pattaya |
| Columbia Pictures Aquaverse | About 1,000 to 1,950 THB, by seller | Daytime | Na Jomtien, south of Pattaya |
| Art in Paradise | 400 THB at the gate, reported | 9 am to 9 pm | Second Road, central Pattaya |
| Walking Street | Free to walk | Closed to traffic 7 pm to 3 am | South end of Pattaya Beach |
Most ticket prices in Pattaya are cheaper online than at the gate, sometimes by a third. The temples, the viewpoint and the beaches cost nothing, so a day on Pratumnak Hill and in Jomtien costs little more than the baht bus.
Sanctuary of Truth: 2026 prices, hours and dress code
The Sanctuary of Truth is a temple-like building made entirely of wood and covered in hand-carved figures, on the shore at Naklua. Work started in 1981 and is still going on, so you watch carvers at work and wear a hard hat inside. The building is laid out around questions about life and the universe rather than a single religion.
The museum's website gives two sessions, 8 am to 6 pm and 6:20 pm to 8:30 pm. Two 2026 guides report 500 THB for an adult and 250 THB for a child by day, and 700 and 350 THB at night. One adds that children under 110 cm go free and that day tickets stop selling at 5 pm.
Cover your shoulders and knees, as in any temple. Wraps are lent at the entrance. The daytime visit shows the carving best, and the evening session sees the building lit up.
Koh Larn: the ferry from Bali Hai and the beaches
Koh Larn, also called Coral Island, lies about 7 km off Pattaya and has clearer water than the mainland beaches. It is the easiest day out from the city, and you do not need a tour to get there.
Ferry times and prices from Bali Hai pier
Public ferries leave from Bali Hai pier, at the south end of Walking Street, for Na Ban pier in the island's village, and some go straight to Tawaen beach. Pattaya Mail gives 30 THB one way and about 45 minutes in August 2026. Another report says some departures moved to 40 THB earlier in the year, so carry small notes.
Ferryscanner lists the first boat from Bali Hai at 8:30 am and the last at 5 pm, but its timetable dates from December 2025. Read the board at the pier and check the last boat back, which leaves in the early evening. A seat on a shared speedboat costs about 150 to 300 THB and takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Which beach on Koh Larn
Tawaen is the busiest, with restaurants and water sports. Tien is quieter, Nual, also known as Monkey Beach, is good for swimming and snorkelling in the south, and Samae faces the sunset. Ta Yai is the one for a calm afternoon. Sunbeds cost about 100 to 200 THB, and songthaews and motorbike taxis wait at Na Ban pier.
Big Buddha Hill and Pattaya Viewpoint
Wat Phra Yai, the Big Buddha temple, sits on Pratumnak Hill between Pattaya Beach and Jomtien, about 3 km from the centre. A large golden seated Buddha looks over the bay, with smaller statues around the terrace. Entry is free. Cover your shoulders and knees and take your shoes off where asked.
Pattaya Viewpoint, on the same hill a few minutes away, gives the classic view of the bay and the city. It is free and best at sunset, when parking runs short. Go up the hill late in the afternoon, visit the temple, then walk to the viewpoint for the light.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and the Pattaya Floating Market
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
Nong Nooch is a vast landscaped garden south of Pattaya, with themed areas such as a French-style topiary garden and dinosaur figures. The garden's own site lists a Thai cultural show and an elephant show, without times. It opens from 8 am to 6 pm.
Guides report about 500 to 600 THB at the gate for a foreign adult, and resellers sell it for less. The grounds are large, and resellers also sell tickets that include a sightseeing bus around the park. Plan half a day.
Pattaya Floating Market
The Pattaya Floating Market is a modern market built on a pond off Sukhumvit Road, with wooden houses on stilts, food stalls and boats laid out by region of Thailand. Entry is reported at about 200 THB for foreigners, and a ride in a rowing boat costs extra.
It opens around 9 am. Sources disagree on closing time, between 6 pm and 8 pm. It is a show market rather than a working one, so think of it as a food stop on the way to Nong Nooch.
Pattaya beaches: Pattaya Beach, Jomtien and Wong Amat
Pattaya Beach runs along Beach Road in the centre. It is crowded with sunbeds and boats, and the water is not the cleanest. Jomtien, south of Pratumnak Hill, is longer and less cramped, and Wong Amat in Naklua, to the north, is the calmest of the three.
Jomtien and Naklua, the quieter bases
If you want the sights without the noise, sleep in Jomtien or Naklua rather than between Beach Road and Second Road. Both have baht bus links to the centre for 20 THB, and Naklua puts you a short ride from the Sanctuary of Truth. Many foreign residents settle in Jomtien and on Pratumnak Hill, which is why Pattaya appears among the best places to live in Thailand.
Pattaya with kids: water parks and rainy-day ideas
Pattaya has more for families than its name suggests. The two big water parks are south of the city, in Na Jomtien, so take a Bolt or Grab.
- Ramayana Water Park opens from 11 am to 6 pm and closes on Wednesdays. The gate price is reported at about 1,490 THB, with free entry for children under 106 cm. From 106 cm, children can ride every slide except the Aqualoop and Free Fall.
- Columbia Pictures Aquaverse is the park still listed on many sites as Cartoon Network Amazone. It was renamed in 2022. Prices vary a lot by seller in 2026, from about 1,000 to 1,950 THB for an adult.
- Art in Paradise on Second Road is a 3D illusion museum where children pose inside the paintings. The gate price is reported at 400 THB, less online, and it stays open until 9 pm.
Koh Larn works well with children too, on the calmer beaches such as Tien. Nong Nooch has enough space and shows to fill a day.
Walking Street Pattaya and the evenings
Walking Street is the nightlife strip at the south end of Pattaya Beach, closed to traffic from 7 pm to 3 am. It is lined with restaurants, bars, clubs and go-go bars, and it is Pattaya's red-light district. In the daytime there is little to see.
Many visitors walk it once out of curiosity, early in the evening. Ignore the promoters offering free shows, which lead to drink bills of 500 to 2,000 THB, according to local guides. In 2026 the tourist police tightened rules for the street's security guards after videos of guards hitting tourists were shared online.
For a different evening, the night markets, a Muay Thai card or the cabaret shows in the centre are easier with a family. Alcohol sales stop on major Buddhist holidays.
How many days in Pattaya: a 3-day itinerary
Three days are enough for the main sights and Koh Larn. Two work if you skip Nong Nooch, and a fourth gives you a water park or a second island day, on Koh Samet.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| 1, the city | Sanctuary of Truth at opening | Big Buddha Hill, sunset at Pattaya Viewpoint |
| 2, Koh Larn | Ferry from Bali Hai pier | A beach on the island, back before the last boat |
| 3, south of Pattaya | Nong Nooch or a water park | Floating Market, then dinner in Jomtien |
Pattaya is an easy add-on after a few days of things to do in Bangkok, since the bus takes about two hours. Koh Samet, about two hours away by road and boat, and Hua Hin, across the gulf, are the closest of the other Thailand destinations.
Best time to visit Pattaya
November to February is the dry season and the best time to visit, with calmer sea for Koh Larn. It is also the busiest and most expensive period. March to May is hot and humid, and Songkran in mid-April turns the streets into a water fight.
The rainy season runs from about May or June to October, with the heaviest rain in September and October. Showers rarely last all day, and room prices drop, one reason the cost of living in Thailand swings with the seasons in beach towns.
Getting around Pattaya: baht bus, Bolt and Grab
Pattaya's baht buses are blue pick-up trucks with two benches in the back, called songthaews. They loop along Beach Road and Second Road and run out to Jomtien and Naklua. On 10 April 2026 the fare went up for the first time in more than 30 years, Pattaya Mail reported.
| Ride | Reported fare in 2026 | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Baht bus, central loop | 15 THB | Hop on, press the buzzer, pay the driver when you get off |
| Baht bus to Jomtien or Naklua | 20 THB | Longer routes, over about 10 km |
| Baht bus hired for you alone | About 100 to 300 THB | Agree the price before you get in |
| Bolt or Grab | Shown in the app | Best at night and for Nong Nooch or the water parks |
Many guides still quote 10 THB for the baht bus, the fare before April 2026. Bolt and Grab need mobile data, so set up a SIM or eSIM on arrival, and fill in your Thailand Digital Arrival Card before the flight.
Bangkok to Pattaya: bus, airport coach and taxi
Pattaya is about 150 km south-east of Bangkok, two hours by road outside rush hour. The cheapest options are the bus from Ekkamai and the airport coaches from Suvarnabhumi.
| From | How | Reported price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekkamai bus terminal, BTS Ekkamai | Roong Reuang coach, about every hour from 5 am to 10 pm | About 148 THB | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Suvarnabhumi, Level 1, Gate 8 | Airport bus 389 to Jomtien | About 130 to 151 THB | About 2 hours |
| Suvarnabhumi, Level 1, Gate 8 | Bell shared transfer to your hotel | About 143 to 300 THB | 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
| Victory Monument or Mo Chit | Minivan | About 200 to 250 THB | About 2 hours |
| Airport or hotel | Grab, Bolt or taxi | About 1,000 to 1,500 THB | 1.5 to 2 hours |
Bell's own site lists six departures a day from Suvarnabhumi, at 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm and 6 pm, with drop-off at your hotel. A metered airport taxi does not run to Pattaya on the meter, so agree the fare first and ask whether motorway tolls are included.
Pattaya scams: jet-skis and chartered baht buses
The jet-ski scam works as it does in Phuket. When you bring the jet-ski back, the renter points to damage that was already there and asks for thousands of baht. Local press and guides report claims of 5,000 to 50,000 THB.
The baht bus trap is milder. If you stop an empty truck and ask how much to go somewhere, the driver treats it as a private hire and quotes 100 to 300 THB. Flag one already heading your way, get in the back with the others and pay 15 or 20 THB at the end.