Visiting Pattaya in July

[garygx]

Hi Guys,

I have really enjoyed checking out your posts the last few days and getting your take on Pattaya.  I am planning to be there about a week in July. Can I please ask for you to recommend a hotel to stay at.  Was thinking to stay around Jomtien Complex, but I also see there are other fun areas as well (ie Boyztown). So maybe something more central? 

Let me know what you think!

[floridarob]

11 hours ago, garygx said:

So maybe something more central? 

Since they're not worlds apart... I usually pick on or the other, depending on where I think I'll be hanging out more, but usually end up visiting each place almost as equally.

My preference on the last 2 trips has been Boystown area. Ambiance was my 1st Pattaya hotel and I still like it there, but like Classroom as well for different reasons.

Jomtien, I feel comfortable at The Venue..... all the places I mentioned are budget, clean, well maintained and guest friendly.

[Londoner]

The choice between Jomtien and Boyztown is the big one. Too much to say in a brief post but I recommend you read through many posts on the site which will describe the differences.

A couple of suggestions. Why not split the time between the two? We did this a few times And it worked. However, over the twenty-years I've been visiting both my partner and I have become "Jomtien" people, regarding the Agate Hotel in Jomtien Complex as our favourite in Thailand. And it's nowhere near the most expensive. Others feel differently and there are certainly some things in Pattaya we miss. Bear in mind that we're not "bar-goers"; those that are may well think differently.

Of course, you can do what we do, that is stay in Jomtien but take the bus into Pattaya in the evening. Floridabob's recommendation is seconded; I stayed at the Ambiance happily for twenty years. We moved to Jomtien because the area became too noisy for us after midnight when our routines changed. 

[siriusBE]

I was always happy with Zing at Jomtien complex. If you take one of the apartments on the pool side it's also very quiet but still close to all the fun. Friendly staff and good breakfast. No problem having guests. 80% gay.

[stijntje]

I prefer Jomtien, with hotels like Agate or Zing or Poseidon

[kokopelli3]

In Boyztown, Copa  is a good place to stay with very nice rooms. Copa is across the soi from Ambiance.

[Londoner]

Yes. The rooms are, if anything better than at Ambiance, including the penthouse ones. A friend stayed there a few years back and his only criticism was that it was more of an apartment block than a hotel in terms of front desk. He was a newbie and liked someone on the desk to review visitor IDs.

For my part, I wondered about the noise from down below. But the rooms...yes, excellent. Prices were  similar to Ambiance's. 

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, Londoner said:

Yes. The rooms are, if anything better than at Ambiance, including the penthouse ones. A friend stayed there a few years back and his only criticism was that it was more of an apartment block than a hotel in terms of front desk. He was a newbie and liked someone on the desk to review visitor IDs.

For my part, I wondered about the noise from down below. But the rooms...yes, excellent. Prices were  similar to Ambiance's. 

Recommended  by Vinapu, say no more. I hope to stay there in November. 

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, kokopelli3 said:

In Boyztown, Copa  is a good place to stay with very nice rooms. Copa is across the soi from Ambiance.

+1

2 hours ago, Londoner said:

Yes. The rooms are, if anything better than at Ambiance, including the penthouse ones. A friend stayed there a few years back and his only criticism was that it was more of an apartment block than a hotel in terms of front desk. He was a newbie and liked someone on the desk to review visitor IDs.

For my part, I wondered about the noise from down below. But the rooms...yes, excellent. Prices were  similar to Ambiance's. 

there's always somebody at the front desk at Copa and yes , they do check id of your visitors with humble exception of guests of undersigned for  two reasons - I'm regular at Copa and my guest rarely can be suspected of having new driver license.

47 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Recommended  by Vinapu, say no more. 

thank you very much but I wouldn't put much in store about my hotel and restaurant opinions . That's general, when comes to Pattaya yes,  Copa, Zing Resort and Classrooms are my favorites in equal measure and I usually alternate between them. Copa's Executive rooms are big and feel like an apartment, great value for money.

Attention newbies , Zing Resort is in thick of the action  but in quiet corner of Jomtien Complex. Don't mix it with ZING HOTEL which is on the main road , half  way between Pattaya and Jomtien. Nothing wrong with that hotel , just bit further from the action also with excellent transport links either way.

[vinapu]

10 hours ago, Londoner said:

The choice between Jomtien and Boyztown is the big one.

I have solution I came to few years ago by chance - by putting wrong date on reservation I found myself in possession of rooms in Zing resort and Copa  for the same night, both non-refundable. Then moment of enlightenment came , isn't it great to have option depending  on where I find suitable negotiator for border delineation between France and Netherlands ?

so in short, if one can afford,  rent for 1-3 nights cheapest  rooms in both Ambiance or Copa AND Zing Resort or The Venue and you don't need to worry when you finish the night. 7/11 to buy tooth brush and Colgate are close by here and there. For 60 $ you may have freedom of choice and save money on night transport between two and as a bonus you can get extra drunk knowing bed is steps away.

I did it two or there more times already and plan to do again whenever I'll be in Pattaya 2-3 days. For more than that easy 2 night here -2 night there is better solution.

[Keithambrose]

5 hours ago, vinapu said:

I have solution I came to few years ago by chance - by putting wrong date on reservation I found myself in possession of rooms in Zing resort and Copa  for the same night, both non-refundable. Then moment of enlightenment came , isn't it great to have option depending  on where I find suitable negotiator for border delineation between France and Netherlands ?

so in short, if one can afford,  rent for 1-3 nights cheapest  rooms in both Ambiance or Copa AND Zing Resort or The Venue and you don't need to worry when you finish the night. 7/11 to buy tooth brush and Colgate are close by here and there. For 60 $ you may have freedom of choice and save money on night transport between two and as a bonus you can get extra drunk knowing bed is steps away.

I did it two or there more times already and plan to do again whenever I'll be in Pattaya 2-3 days. For more than that easy 2 night here -2 night there is better solution.

'Four hotels vinapu',  sounds good, though some concern about the French and Dutch negotiators being abandoned!

[Boy69]

On 4/28/2024 at 7:59 PM, vinapu said:

in short, if one can afford,  rent for 1-3 nights cheapest  rooms in both Ambiance or Copa AND Zing Resort or The Venue and you don't need to worry when you finish the night. 7/11 to buy tooth brush and Colgate are close by here and there. For 60 $ you may have freedom of choice and save money on night transport between two and as a bonus you can get extra drunk knowing bed is steps away

The distance between the areas is about 20 minutes by baht buss I don't see any advantage in spending double costs for accommodation.

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, Boy69 said:

The distance between the areas is about 20 minutes by baht buss I don't see any advantage in spending double costs for accommodation.

neither do I but still consider doing it  as those 20 minutes  may be better spent clinging to the boy than baht bus railing. I mean it

[Londoner]

The JC to Central journey in the early evening often  took over forty minutes last November owing to the never-ending roadworks.  In March it was better, perhaps thirty. Occasionally even less.  If you go during the daytime, twenty minutes is the average in my experience. Much the same as the return to the JC.

It's a d**n nuisance but we don't find the JC at night as interesting as central Pattaya. However, I must add that the Jomtien promenade at sunset is fun with a couple of decent places to eat as a change from Dick's. Better than Pattaya's in fact. And no business girls.

I like seeing the women do their dance-exercises to music- often fifty of them- and admire the occasional elderly falang who tries courageously to participate! I've said before that the atmosphere there is almost Mediterranean. Not just falangs but Thai families.

[reader]

12 minutes ago, Londoner said:

I like seeing the women do their dance-exercises to music- often fifty of them- and admire the occasional elderly falang who tries courageously to participate! I've said before that the atmosphere there is almost Mediterranean. Not just falangs but Thai families.

Never been to Jomtien, or Pattaya for that matter, but your description reminds me of what I love about walking Lumpinee Park at Twilight. You can see those women dancing and the occasional young Thai guy practicing his moves on the periphery. You can feed the cats, turtles and fish. You can walk, jog or just grab a seat on a bench and watch the world of Bangkok pass by. The city's free--for an an hour or so--of any traces of hi-so and low.

 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, reader said:

Never been to Jomtien, or Pattaya for that matter,

 

I detect certain shortage of adventurous spirit although it took me 8 or 9 trips to Thailand  before I ventured there.

[Boy69]

For me it was the opposite on my first visit I was so horrified from Bangkok I escaped to Pattaya the next day and I loved this city immediately. 

[vinapu]

Bangkok / Pattaya discussion is similar to twink/ hunks one or bars/ apps for that matter. Can be discussed to no end and no solution with supporters of either way trading arguments to no end.

My personal solution is to spend most of time  in Bangkok but make 2-7 days jump to Pattaya obligatory, usually in the middle of trip but for next time, whenever it will be I sternly ordered myself to try new approach - start in Pattaya and finish in Bangkok. 

As always my old advice ' go and try for yourself " stays as it's best way to build up a plausible opinion. I'm still grateful to our member who when I posted my not so thrilling impression of Pattaya after first jump there  commented ' give Pattaya a chance'.

[reader]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

I detect certain shortage of adventurous spirit...

You would be correct. Restrict my adventures geographically to Bangkok and Vietnam.🙂

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

BanCuriousgkok / Pattaya discussion is similar to twink/ hunks one or bars/ apps for that matter. Can be discussed to no end and no solution with supporters of either way trading arguments to no end.

+1

1 hour ago, Boy69 said:

For me it was the opposite on my first visit I was so horrified from Bangkok I escaped to Pattaya the next day and I loved this city immediately. 

"For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like." 🙂

   The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie, 1969

Curious what horrified you about Bangkok?

 

[Marc in Calif]

5 hours ago, reader said:

"For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like." 🙂

   The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie, 1969

Thank you for quoting one of Dame Maggie Smith's best lines from one of her very best films! 💯

[Londoner]

13 hours ago, reader said:

Y

 

 

[Londoner]

Apologies......I was about to comment that age has certainly vanquished my "adventurous spirit."

For thirty plus, I ached for the unusual and the edgy. Travelling for miles through the West African bush with my (very handsome) friend, Ismaila,  to visit a celebrated marabout to receive some sort of magical charm.  White people didn't go there and the children were so frightened of  seeing a white man they ran away. Nevertheless, I was still invited to a circumcision hut where small boys awaited their fate. Both eye -opening and knee- crossing. 

Later on in Palestine,, confronting settlers in Hebron  and callow,  aggressive army youths outside Jerusalem who enjoyed sticking guns in my face. And the kindness, even love, I received in the refugee camps.

And there I was, driving through West Kingston in Jamaica in the middle of a  political gang war (this was the 70s). OK, it was by accident.... we'd taken the wrong turning and had arrived in Trench Town, of Bob Marley fame. That  was scary. 

Later, my spirit  somewhat tamed, I was still anxious to visit places off the beaten rack. In Thailand, some of my happiest memories are of when we rented a car and explored the north... places like Mai Salong and Mai Sai.

 Now, we stay comfortably in tourist hotels in Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Jomtien. And our journey to Terminus 21 is the furthest we venture.

However, I've no doubts "as the days darken around me" that some of my happiest memories (apart from being with P, naturally) are of those places which were difficult to access and had an element of, well, insecurity and chance about them. Places where I was an outsider, though- and this is crucial- where  I was warmly welcomed.  Indeed, the more disadvantaged the community, the more kindly was  I received.

 

[brall3]

Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn Express which is not that far from Boystown?  If so, do they allow  visitors to the room?

[Travellerdave]

I’ve visited Pattaya for more than 20 years with my stays ranging from around 2 weeks to over 2 months in duration, although since Covid  they have been mostly the former, with 90% being in the Boystown “ghetto” or the Jomtien Complex, as I feel more confortable in gay or gay friendly hotels, despite seldom having issues elsewhere. In the Complex I have mostly chosen the Zing although I have tried the others (but never the Venue). The rooms there are a little on the “basic” side but so are the rates, and the pool is a big asset for myself and often my “boyfriends”. 

 

 

[Patanawet]

It will be quite wet at this time of year.
So I would stay in the district Where my night-time activities will be.
I really wouldn't fancy being ridden home , a little tipsy,  on a motorbike taxi. during a monsoon.
In Jomtien, I would choose Zing (Make sure you book the Jomtien Complex one!!) or  The Venue.
In Boyztown, Copa.