Central Pattaya & Walking Street

This is the beating heart of Pattaya: the stretch from North and Central Pattaya down to the south end of the bay, where Walking Street lights up after dark. It's loud, dense and never really stops — malls, cabaret shows, rooftop bars, street food and the famous nightlife strip all packed into a walkable core.

Base here if you want everything on your doorstep and don't mind the buzz. By day it's shopping, shows and sights; by night Walking Street and the surrounding sois take over.

The honest line on whether Central suits you: this is a place where lady bars operate openly and people drink on holiday, and if that makes you uncomfortable you will be uncomfortable here. It is not hidden and it is not confined to one street.

What gets missed is that there is a great deal more to Central Pattaya than its nightlife, and the balance has been shifting for years — the area is being deliberately redeveloped towards families, with a lot more for children to do than its reputation allows. The restaurants are among the best in the city and the beach is the most convenient in it.

One rule that applies to the whole city and is worth stating here, because this is where most visitors spend their week: get out of Central Pattaya. Chonburi province has far more to it than the strip — the hidden-gem beaches around Sattahip, and the overlooked island of Ko Sichang, are both within reach and neither is on the average itinerary.