3 Days in Pattaya With Kids

Before you go: where to stay

Jomtien. The sand is wider and calmer than Pattaya Beach, the strip behind it runs to family restaurants rather than bars, and Thepprasit Night Market is close enough for an easy evening. Na Chom Thian, further south, is the better option if you are driving — it puts the water parks and Nong Nooch within a few minutes — and the worse one if you are not, because nothing down there is walkable.

Booking in the middle on price alone is the thing to avoid. Central Pattaya is fine with children in daylight and less fine to walk back through late in the evening.

Day one — a water park, from opening

Pick one. Ramayana is the largest in Thailand and the right choice for a wide age range, with the slide count for teenagers and enough shallow water for the small ones. Columbia Pictures Aquaverse is smaller and more themed, which suits a family of young children only.

Be there when it opens. The queues build through the morning, the shade gets taken, and the middle of the day is when everyone flags. Plan to leave mid-afternoon rather than closing the place — a tired drive back is how a good day turns bad.

Both are in Na Chom Thian, twenty-odd minutes south of the centre.

Day two — animals or gardens, then the beach

Khao Kheow Open Zoo is about an hour north, traffic depending, and the standout, with large enclosures and a lot of walking — go in the morning and treat the afternoon as recovery. Nong Nooch is closer, south of town, and is a botanical garden with an elephant show and a dinosaur park bolted on, which sounds like a mess and works better than it should.

Either way, be back at the beach by mid-afternoon. Jomtien's northern end at Dongtan is quieter than the main stretch and shallow enough for small children.

Day three — the island, or the elephants

Koh Larn if the sea is calm and the children are old enough for a boat: about forty-five minutes on the public ferry from Bali Hai, or fifteen by speedboat for around 150 baht, and clear water at the other end. Go on the first boats and check the return times when you arrive.

Otherwise the Elephant Sanctuary near Bang Sare, which runs feeding, washing and walking in small groups with no rides and no performances. That distinction matters to a lot of parents, and it is a morning rather than a day.

Save the afternoon for the pool and the evening for a market.

Rain, heat, and the bail-out options

The indoor attractions are all in the centre and all an hour or two rather than a day: Art In Paradise for the trick-art photographs, Ripley's on Beach Road, the Dolphinarium, and Mini Siam's miniature landmarks. Terminal 21 will absorb a wet afternoon on its own.

In the rainy season, June to October, rain tends to arrive as a heavy burst rather than a whole grey day. The exception is the island boats: when the sea is up they stop, so keep day three flexible rather than booked.