Walking around in Pattaya

[Alamedaislandboy]

I've looked at a number of "maps" of the fun zone in pattaya. Can someone give me an idea about how easy it is to walk...say from Soi 2 to Walking Street? The map makes it look no more than a couple hundred yards...is that possible to squeeze that many streets into such a tiny area? I hear about people taking baht busses and it is only 5 minutes. Seems like you could walk end to end in about 10 minutes.

 

Is that right? I'm hoping to go to Pattaya sometime soon (in the next year) so want to start thinking about where to stay. I'm inclined to stay near Soi 6 (as it looks like my cup of tea) but don't want to be too far from everything else. I prefer to walk in situations like that as I enjoy "site seeing". If I stayed as far down as Soi 2, how long would it take to walk down Beach Road to get to the crazinezz of Walking Street?

[zeke]

For me it's not the distance it can be a bit of a pain walking as the sidewalk is narrow and filled with people (especially the handshaking tailors). After a few days you find the Sois or area you like and it's so much easier to jump a baht bus

Edited November 6, 2008 by zeke

[thetipster]

It takes about ten minutes from soi 8 (walking). But like zeke said its so easy to jump a baht bus 20-40 baht will get you quite far. I'd recommend Soi 7 or 8 that way your in the middle a bit more.

[Laawman]

You can actually measure the distance with the ruler function on Google Earth, but from Dusit Resort along to Walking Street is about 1.7 miles.

[missinginaction]

I actually like to walk about Pattaya thru the daytime. Lots of interesting things to do and see on your travels. But on a night it has to be the baht bus or a motorbike taxi

[JustChillin']

I've looked at a number of "maps" of the fun zone in pattaya. Can someone give me an idea about how easy it is to walk...say from Soi 2 to walking street? The map makes it look no more than a couple hundred yards...is that possible to squeeze that many streets into such a tiny area? I hear about people taking baht busses and it is only 5 minutes. Seems like you could walk end to end in about 10 minutes.

 

Is that right? I'm hoping to go to Pattaya sometime soon (in the next year) so want to start thinking about where to stay. I'm inclined to stay near Soi 6 (as it looks like my cup of tea) but don't want to be too far from everything else. I prefer to walk in situations like that as I enjoy "site seeing". If I stayed as far down as Soi 2, how long would it take to walk down Beach Road to get to the crazinezz of Walking street?

 

 

I've never walked it, but if you just walked at normal and didn't stop I'd guess it's 30-40 minutes. Reckon it's a good thing to do, but not every day, to just really see the area and bars/sois you might otherwise miss. If you 'sight see' on the way, could take a week or two!

 

Bear in mind also that Soi 2/3 has things happening, fact is you can't be at centre of everything, so you'll always have to walk/ride to somewhere. I'd think about Soi Buakow area, it's kind of pitched between Soi 6 and Walking Street, but also has it's own interesting bars/massage etc, without being quite so intense as Soi 6.

[hazze]

I did the walk a few times on my early trips.

Its doable, but during the day you will get quite sweaty in the heat.

Also as people have said, because of the condition of the pavements, street vendors blocking the path, rubbish, lots of falang in the way,etc, etc the walks take a lot longer.

 

Walking Street is as the name suggests walkable and during the evening when no vechincle are allowed on it, walking is the only option.

 

Beach road is a one way street that runs from the dolpin roundabout to Walking Street, and 2nd road is a one way that runs from Walking Street to the dolpin roundabout.

Most of the baht busses do constant circles of these routes.

For 10B you just get on, and of again where you want.

This is how most of us travel around.

 

If the baht driver tries to talk to you or negotiate then just get out and get the next one. A few will be operating as taxi's rather than busses and want to charge you 60-100B.

But you can go exactly the same route for 10B on most of the Baht busses.

[Alamedaislandboy]

Wow, great information. Looks like once around walking and Baht bus after you get the lay of the land. I can relate to the comment that you'll get sweaty walking around too much. That is likely the "killer" to doing a lot of walking. I'm not a real sweaty person but at nearly 100% humidty, anyone would be drippin pretty quick.

 

That being said, I can see at least one whole day just walking around looking at all the bars, go go's, and street girls. That's my kind of site seeing. Also, I assume the Soi 6 girls won't mind giving me a bj even if I'm sweaty.

[hazze]

If your prepared to make a day of it and stop of lots of places then you won't get two sweaty.

7/11's or family marts and good places to visit to cool down.

They have full on arctic cold air conditioning in the western style and you can pickup a bottle of cold water for 7B. You'll be chugging down a few of those on your walks.

 

Many beer bars only have fans to cool you. But if the girls like you they will mop you down with cold wetwipes to help cool you.

 

 

If your in a hurry at mid-day you could end up dripping.

 

Thais think us falang smell, so they can get quiet offended when we're dripping away with sweat.

Had this on my first trip after walking most of 2nd road and back in the mid-day sun.

 

BG's will be less bothered, expecially somewhere like Soi6. They know they can bung you in a shower if your going short time, and if she's prepared to give BJ's in the bar then she won't be to picky about you honking a bit.

If your going gogo hopping on Walking Street it will make a differance with the best girls.

Also the shopkeepers don't like sweaty falangs.

I try and have a shower break between mid-day mongering and evening mongering. Helps freshen up as well.

 

But and added bonus of doing short times on Soi6 is your getting showers anyway.

[Scottish_Tyrant]

For me it's not the distance it can be a bit of a pain walking as the sidewalk is narrow and filled with people (especially the handshaking tailors). After a few days you find the Sois or area you like and it's so much easier to jump a baht bus

 

Totally agree the pavements are a nightmare.

 

From soi 2 to WS I would head down to the beach and walk on the beachside of the road but it will take you a good 20 - 30 mins!

 

If you enjoy walking its not a problem, its normally the heat that floors me

[rajs123]

I normally do a daily walk from Walking Street all the way to Soi 2 along beach road. I have never calculated how long it takes me since I would often stop along the way. Having said that, I normally only come to Pattaya during December/January so the weather is much more pleasant.

 

If you get tired just look for a baht bus - fare is only 10 Baht. I get so used to the baht bus that when I go to Bangkok I am always looking to flag one

[Jai Yen]

If your in a hurry at mid-day you could end up dripping.

 

This happened to me once on my first visit to Thailand when I was in Phuket. I thought I could easy walk from hotel to an Irish bar I spotted further in town. By the time I got there I was completely drenched and had to buy a new t-shirt from a vendor before going in thats how soaked in sweat I was.

 

For the price of the baht bus it's money well spent to avoid this happening to you.

[coolman]

I like to stay on central pattaya road so am in the middle of everything mate its about 10 mins to WS and 10 min to Dirty Soi 6 mate rigth in the middle just wear i like to be !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bonzo]

This is my 2nd visit to Pattaya and because I love wandering around and exploring the back sois I learned a few hard lessons from last time

i) if you plan to walk much rather than use the baht bus you don't only need comfortable shoes, but more than one pair; wearing the same pair for too long gave me sore rubbed feet and laid me low for a while last time

ii) beware of sweaty trousers or shorts chafing - very uncomfortable indeed (baby powder does the trick!)

iii) I completely agree about going into an air conditioned shop every now and then and drinking water, otherwise you will end up with a headache and feel very rough indeed

iv) you need to develop your eye-contact and body-language skills to cope with the girls (and others) who will try everything possible to get you into their bars/agogos/tailors; with Thai girls and kathoeys I always smile, say something jokey (anything really) and keep walking but with tailors I just say "no thanks" and avoid taking any interest whatsoever

v) get a map on your first day (the Groovy Map is plastic covered and doesn't fall to bits, it is also quite interesting and very clear); there are whole areas of the town I didn't find last time

vi) after your exploratory walk go back to your hotel, shower and change and THEN go out looking for action (would you want to get close to someone overheated and sweaty?)

 

Simple enough really!

[timorno]

depends on the weather... if its hot and humid walking 100 meters feels like a mile...

[PartyHardy]

wow pattaya = heaven on earth.

 

i might be the only BM here that enjoy humid/heat/sun. i might just walk around shirtless. i know the sweat will get to you, might as well go shirtless.

[timorno]

wow pattaya = heaven on earth.

 

i might be the only BM here that enjoy humid/heat/sun. i might just walk around shirtless. i know the sweat will get to you, might as well go shirtless.

 

walking around shirtless on the streets is pretty mannerless imo... do it on the beach or your room...

[PartyHardy]

walking around shirtless on the streets is pretty mannerless imo... do it on the beach or your room...

 

of course i wont go into the high end restaurants wearing just cargo shirts and flip flops.

 

i walked around shirtless in hawaii and florida with no problems. felt great.

 

 

hell i even walk around shirtless in my neighborhood during the summer time. like getting the mail or going to the store

[PartyHardy]

actually pattaya isnt even big. i walked 15 miles in 3 hours one day.

 

Area - Total 22.2 km² (8.6 sq mi)

Population (2007)^[1]

 

- Total 104,318 - Density 4,699/km² (12,170.4/sq mi)

[picoman]

of course i wont go into the high end restaurants wearing just cargo shirts and flip flops.

 

i walked around shirtless in hawaii and florida with no problems. felt great.

 

 

hell i even walk around shirtless in my neighborhood during the summer time. like getting the mail or going to the store

 

You'll be in Thailand, not your neighborhood.

Edited December 23, 2008 by picoman

[Smee again]

Pattay is not that big, i walk nearly everywhere, to get a feel of the place, Google 'pattaya photo guide' interactive map.

Regards the Baht busses, if you see an empty one parked, they will treat it as a 'private hire' and charge something like 100 Baht, get one that is moving, or has people already on it.

 

Enjoy

[marre]

I usually stay arojnd the soi buakhao area like already said this is situated somewere in the middle so getting every where is quite easy on foot.

You wil get tailors trying to get you in the shop by first shaking your hand and then pulling you in to the shop holding it.

I uasually give them the evil eye and walk on.

about the girls then : It is sometimes hard to pick a bar with all the fine looking ladies i usually walk around for a while, getting thirtsty looking at the girls an then i decide where to go.

 

Have fun on you trip.

 

PS: I'll going in january to actually

[TampaPacMan]

I actually enjoy walking around Pattaya,the bayside promenade is very nice during the day,I've actually walked it many times at night without any problems. I would also recommend staying around Soi 8, there several reasonably priced hotels in that area, and it's equadistamce bteween Soi2 and Walking Street.

[Hin]

Staying anywhere on the beach is fine if you like to walk. It has been established that it is about a 2km long beach so....how bad could it be.

 

Walking along the beach side will keep you away from the Tailors and the bar girls. Though the butterfly girls and boys that hang out on the beach promenade can also be a problem. Walking the promenade has the added benefit of being a good surface to walk on. Almost all of the sidewalks anywhere in Thailand have numerous holes / raised areas and or unevn surfaces. If you do walk the sidewalks then pay attention to where your feet are being placed. It is easy enough to sprain an ankle or worse here. Also be on the look out for poles and sgns that sprout up everywhere, not to mention street vendors.

 

Lastly remember....You Have No Rights as a pedestrian here. Cars, trucks motor cycles and yes bicycles will run you down, so look both ways and then look again before crossing the street. Do not be blinded by the great set of legs or the perfect ass that you have just seen and walk blindly on to the road.

[caltexman]

Mate walking around patts is entertainment all on it's own!!

 

But shit it gets HOT.................drink lots of water and take a few breaks.

 

I spend most of my time in bkk and walk around alot there but it's not so bad as it is easy to find a bit of shade or just duck into a bar/shop to cool down.