Give South-East Asia's Sin City a wide berth
Soon after the Vietnam War kicked off in earnest, Pattaya became bombarded with drunken American GIs on debauched R&R breaks, thus setting the seedy tone for which the once-quiet seaside town is still best known. The place remains enslaved to vice; a neon-lit tropical Gomorrah fuelled by sweat, tears and the sterling trade of its sprawling red-light scene.
With licentiousness the norm, Pattaya has inevitably become a hotbed of international gangsters, paedophiles, arms dealers and desperados. Yet families and ever-increasing swarms of Russian visitors continue to flock here on the package-holiday treadmill. The beaches here are nothing to write home about so if you do go, plan on heading a bit further south to Jomtien, where it's quieter and the sand is whiter, or hop a boat to one of the off-shore islands.
If Pattaya does hold one advantage over other beach spots in Thailand, it's that it is relatively close to Bangkok (around a two-hour drive, and even closer to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where many holidaymakers head off directly to Pattaya by private car). Also, to its credit, Pattaya has an ever-increasing number of international-standard hotels, dining options and spas, plus a few cool adventure options, such as submarine rides and skydiving.
Still, even as Pattaya has admittedly been working to clean up its act and become a more family-friendly beach destination, most looking for a quick way to reach the beach would be far better off looking to places such as Hua Hin (a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bangkok, and where Thailand's royal family holidays) or the island of Koh Samet (about three to four hours by car and ferry, with its fine white sand beaches and chilled-out vibe). Or just book yourself on a flight for the short hop (around an hour's flying time) down to Koh Samui, Krabi or Phuket. In any of these other places the sleaze is on a much smaller-scale and far more easily avoided.
Hat Yai
Whereas Pattaya attracts tourists from all over the world, the drab urban sprawl of Hat Yai, one of the largest southern Thai cities, lures busloads of Singaporeans and Malaysians who cross the northern Malaysian border for similarly seedy reasons. This booming tourist destination has no notable beach or obvious natural attractions — look closer to notice the dodgy massage parlours, karaoke joints and hook-up nightspots that line every street downtown, then give 'em a miss.
Southern comfort sadly scarce
Given the scant tourist infrastructure in place, relatively few foreigners visit Thailand's deep south. And ongoing security issues further blight this impoverished region. The predominantly Muslim, southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani and Songkhla have been embroiled in a violent insurgency for some time, and should be avoided. This is a pity, not least because a popular misconception among Thais is that southerners are generally prone to violence. However, caution is warranted: as with the majority of Thailand's restive south, look out for the latest regional news updates before travelling.
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