Beach Road Bricks and Brickbats

You could be forgiven for thinking Pattaya is an uninspiring desert of crap when it comes to decent architecture, and by and large you’d be right.

But there are some interesting buildings along Pattaya Beach Road, if you look closely enough (and can be bothered walking the whole length of it a few times - something which many can’t, let’s face it).

To save you that misery, here’s a review of what I think are its best and its worst  buildings.

I have always liked the above innovative hotel/boat/lighthouse ensemble at the A1 Royal Cruise Hotel, which is why I have stuck it in as the lead photo for this article.

I don't know when it was built but it stands out as an unusual building for Beach Road even today.

Northshore-a landmark building

Now, it may shock a few old lags when they see me include the quite ugly Northshore condominium in this round of interesting architecture, but it is in for a reason. It is truly a landmark building in Pattaya, not because it is an impressive design, but because of what it represents.

It was the first major investment from a Bangkok developer (Raimon Land) in the city’s real estate market, when they took over what used to be two ugly, derelict half-built towers and turned them into highly-sought-after, high-end condos.

It has been a massive success too, teething troubles aside, and it acted as a green light for other developers to pile into the Pattaya market, like it or not.

And the “or not” is relevant to my next pick, the Hilton Hotel.

Get Scrubbing

I have always thought the outside of the hotel resembles the inside of a very dirty toilet.

What on earth made them choose this design for the exterior? It is lovely inside, but the outside is a mess, and it looks unfinished.

In contrast, the giant piece of real estate it is sitting on, Central  Festival Mall, I do like.

Central-A lot Going on Outside

AKA Little Russia, as it’s always jammed with Russian strollers, buyers and diners, the amount of light and space inside the building on the retail and  restaurant floors is impressive, and its multi-layered  exterior is full of interesting angles.

And finally, I can’t help but admire the clever design of the new Holiday Inn at the north end of PBR.

Holiday Inn. Looks Like a Long thin tower

When you stand right in front of it, on Beach Road, you could well believe you are looking at a long, thin tower building, with a spire on the top.

But go a few steps further on, and its full size and its true dimensions are revealed.

But it's really a block.