[Thailand 2019] 4 Days 3 Night In Pattaya!
By Elin Chow - Sunday, February 23, 2020
It was busy month and we were feeling mentally fatigued from the strains of everyday life. We needed a break from work - a short getaway that is within our limited budget, just to get away and recharge. So we searched through Air Asia website for cheap flight deals and decided to visit Pattaya as it is a pretty inexpensive destination.
Total Expenses
Below is the cost breakdown of our 4 days 3 nights trip to Pattaya. This would give you a rough idea of costs as you plan for your trip.
Getting From Utapao Airport to Pattaya Central
Simply tell them the hotel that you are staying at and pay the price of the ticket. It will usually costs 250 baht per person. The good thing about booking a mini van is that they will send you directly to your hotel. But the bad thing is they will usually wait until the van is full (10 people) before departing.
You might want to book a private Grab car or taxi instead if you are in hurry. They will cost somewhere between 800 to 1,200 baht. It is much more expensive than minivan, but it will more comfortable and time saving.
It took us about 2 hours to reach our hotel in Pattaya Central even though we were told that it will take an hour. This is because the minivan has to make multiple stops along the way to drop off each passenger. Thus, taking a minivan might not be a good option if you are in a rush.
Getting Around in Pattaya
There are a number of ways to get around Pattaya. Songthaews and motorbike taxis are probably the cheapest way to get around. Also known as the Baht bus, Songthaews is like a converted pick up truck with two rows of benches at the back. It travels on specific route but may deviate from the original route without informing.
Most Songthaews will try to overcharge you if you ask for a destination as they might presume that you want to charter a taxi. So it is recommended that you ride the Songthaews without asking the destination.
Motorbike taxi is the fastest way to get around the city. It is sometimes cheaper than the Songthaews but can be pretty dangerous because there are many bikers who do not obey to traffic rules.
The most comfortable and safer way to get around in Pattaya is by private Grab car or taxi. But of course, Grab car and taxi are more expensive than Songthaews and motorbike taxis. There are very few metered taxi in Pattaya. Or rather, most taxis will refuse to use their meters. You will need to negotiate and agree on the price before getting in. But they would usually costs much more than Grab car.
During our 4 days in Pattaya, we used Grab car the most to get around because there are barely any Songthaews in the area we stayed. But we saw a lot of motorbike taxis with waiting drivers calling out to us to attract our attention. Even so, we prefer using Grab car to motorbike taxis. We find Grab car a whole lot more convenient and safer than other transportations. Most importantly, we know that we were not getting ripped off.
Alternatively, you can also rent a motorbike or car if you do not mind driving. Renting a motorbike can be a very cost effective way to get around in Pattaya, especially if you are staying in Pattaya long term. But please note that the traffic is pretty hectic in Pattaya, so driving around is not easy.
Accommodation
Toiletries provided are very basic such as shampoo, shower gel , hand soap and cotton buds.
Generally, we find the staffs very friendly and helpful. They would always make sure that everything is okay when we were getting into our Grab car or taxi rides. However, the location of the hotel is a bit far from most tourist hotspots, so we have to rely a lot on Grab car and taxi to get to places, which increased our cost of transportation. Even so, it is still conveniently located because you can get food and drinks easily from the 24-hour Foodland supermarket that is located just minutes away.
After settling down, we headed to Harbor Mall to grab a late lunch / early dinner. We decided to have KFC because we were lazy to think about what to do. There was no English menu, so we could only order 2 piece chicken set. Afterall, you can never go wrong with fried chicken.
I had spicy chicken and my husband had the non-spicy version. For some reason, we feel that KFC in Thailand (or even in Japan) just taste so much nicer than it is in Malaysia. The chicken were moist and not overly greasy. Oh, the drinks are refillable in Thailand.
We decided to try out the Hoegaarden Rosee because we wanted something with a lower alcohol percentage. It is pink, sweet and taste like raspberry. This is great for those who feel like drinking beer but hate the taste of beer. But this was really expensive. A can of it costs 125 Baht. If not, I would have bought more.
And of course, our favorite Meiji Dark Chocolate Lactose Free Milk. But sadly, this is only available in Thailand. I wish they would sell this in Malaysia too.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
Official Website: Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
The next day, we woke up early to have breakfast before heading to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, which is said to be one of the largest and most beautiful botanic garden in Southeast Asia. We got there by Grab car, which costs 500 Baht for a 30 minutes ride.
Measuring 600-acre, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand, welcoming about 3,000 to 5,000 tourists daily. The garden is open from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm every day with restaurants opening until 10.00 pm.
It was around 9 am when we arrived at the garden. I would really recommend anyone to get here early in the morning before it gets really crowded and hot. Another reason why we visited so early was because we wanted to catch the 10.30 am Thai Cultural show.
The package that we bought includes the entrance ticket, Thai Cultural and Elephant shows and international buffet lunch. It costs 1,000 Baht per pax and tickets are strictly non-refundable. You will receive a booking voucher in your email after payment. You will need to redeem the entrance ticket at the ticket counter at the garden.
After lunch, we decided to take a stroll around the lake. You can also rent a paddle boat to cruise around the lake for a while.
At the feeding area in front of the restaurant, you can also pay to feed the giant arapaima. Basically you will be given a pole with a piece of chicken tied to the end of it. You will then be asked to lower the pole down to the water surface. We watch in amazement as the arapaima powerfully snap the meat off the line.
The garden is divided into various themed gardens such as Stonehenge, French, Italian, Mammoth, European, Cactus garden, to name a few. It is home to great variety of plant species such as cactus and succulent plants, orchid, palm, roses and bonsai. You can explore the huge garden on foot, on rented bicycle or on the sightseeing bus that departs every 30 minutes.
As the garden is too big in size, it is impossible for me to shoot each statues separately. If not, I believe you will get tired and bored scrolling through all the photos in this post.
Butterfly Hill
The Butterfly Hill is an ornamental garden filled with large amount of colorful flowers, resembling the colorful patterns of the butterfly wings. Here you will find lots of animals statues such as lions, orangutan, mini pigs, saber tooth tigers and goats.
French Garden
The French garden is modeled after the Versailles Palace in France, decorated with golden pagoda, red telephone booths and huge dinosaurs as it is located just next to the Dinosaur Valley.
Pottery Garden
Ants Tower
Sightseeing Bus
Dinosaur Valley
The Dinosaur Valley is a heaven for dinosaur lovers! Here you will find some of the best well-known dinosaurs like Triceratops, Tyrannosaurs Rex, Pterodactyl and Brachiosaurus. I believe you will have a lot of fun taking tons of photos with the prehistoric beasts.
Price: 60 Baht
It was a very hot and humid day and we decided to get some drinks from the cafe at Dinosaur Valley. And look what we have got! Dinosaur Coke! This is so cute.
The Stonehenge Garden is a replica of the Stonehenge of England.
However, I probably would not recommend this place to anyone because I do not support animal cruelty. For those who plan to visit, please do not pay for any animal activity like elephant riding or tiger selfies.
Swiss Sheep Farm
Official Website: Swiss Sheep Farm
The farm is open from 10 am to 7 pm from Monday to Friday and 9 am to 7 pm on the weekends. Please note that horse riding activity will operate only until 4.00 pm. So do come early if you would like to ride a horse.
There are plenty of beautiful spots to take photos in the farm. The place is adorned is a dutch windmill, a red English telephone booth, tractors farm carts, old water pumps, halloween pumpkins, retro American trucks and other objects that might seems strange but will provide a great backdrop for photography. It will make you feel like you are travelling through several European countries at once. So get your camera ready and take as many photos as you like.
The Swiss Sheep Farm seemed like it is a forgotten tourist attraction in Pattaya. Most of the shops and restaurants in the farm were permanently closed. There are a few rides for children, but none of them were in operation. Even the carnival games booths were abandoned.
However, the good thing was the farm was almost empty and we actually enjoyed having the entire place to our own. We were free to take as much photos as we want without needing to wait for others.
We left the farm at around 5 pm and booked a Grab Car back to our hotel for a short rest before heading out for dinner. The 30 minutes ride cost us 570 Baht.
Walking Street
Pattaya is well-known for its nightlife, particularly its sex industry. I believe most people will immediately think of ladyboys, bar girls, erotic shows and drunk tourists whenever they think of Pattaya. There are plenty of opportunities to dance, drink and have sex in Pattaya.
The street is closed to vehicles from 7.00 pm to 3.00 am but there was not much action before 10.00 pm. The real parties and action only happen around midnight. You might want to consider visiting early if you are not into partying or prefer quiet places.
Walking down the street was an interesting experience. You will get to see lots of sexy, scantily clad girls dancing around chrome poles on stages and on the tables, trying to attract passer-by to enter their bars. There are a lot of Russian girls here if you are not interested in local ones. Most of the bars are dimly lit with loud music. Alcohol are not very cheap here. You might want to visit during happy hours for great promotions and savings. But please note that most of the bars and clubs here will not allow you to take photos.
All along the street, we were being approached by dozens of men holding a menu card, inviting us to sex shows, with each promising that his show will be the best.
One of the thing we find it funny was that there was a busload of tourists, mainly from Mainland China that were brought here by their tour guides. The tour guides will walk them through the streets to have a look at the notorious night life spot. It certainly makes the Walking Street feels like any other ordinary street whenever that happens.
As expected, prices are not cheap and seafood like lobsters, crabs and big tiger prawns are measured by weight. But we decided to splurge a little for this meal.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Stir-Fry Tiger Prawns with Ginger and Spring Onions
Stir-Fry Kang Kong
Stir-Fry Clams in Spicy Thai Chilli Sauce
Overall, the seafood were fresh and service was fast and great. The bill came out to 2,765 Baht, which was a little more expensive than what we expected. But we absolutely enjoyed our dinner.
Siladon Spa
Official Website: Siladon Spa Pattaya
Siladon Spa offers a wide variety of treatments and couple packages for both men and women, as well as single and double rooms to suit different needs and budgets. Packages start from 2,300 Baht and range anywhere from 2 to 5 hours.
We booked their 2 hours Siladon Refresh package at 2,700 Baht for 2 persons. The package includes body scrub and aroma oil massage. Please note that the promotion price is valid for direct booking through their website, phone or email only.
The whole experience was very comfortable. The therapists were very professional and well-skilled. I almost fell asleep several times during the massage.
69 X-rated show
We got the chance to watch an adult show in Pattaya. Actually, we did not plan to watch one in the first place. We just happened to chance upon an adult show while we were searching for things to do in Pattaya. So we thought that we should go and watch one just to experience the adult entertainment scene in the Pattaya.
We only booked the tickets a day before the show through Online-Pattaya while we were chilling in our hotel room in Pattaya. The price was 900 baht per person (depends on nationality), which includes 2-way transfer and admission fee to the show. Please note that some nationalities will have to pay more.
The 69 X-rated show is an adult sex show meant for adults only. After booking online, you will receive a confirmation email from the tour operator. No prepayment is required, so you do not have worry about getting scammed. Payment is made directly to the driver on the pick up day.
The show will start at 6.00 pm and ends at 10.00 pm every night. Each show is about 45 minutes and it is repeated in the 4 hours. The pick up time is between 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm. You will receive a Whatsapp message from the driver on the day itself informing you on the actual pick up time. So make sure you provide the correct phone number during booking.
We were surprised that it was a very pretty Russian girl who came to pick up us at our hotel. The trip from our hotel to the show venue took about 25 minutes. Please remember to bring you passport along with you for verification purposes.
As video and photography are not allowed, we were asked to hand over our camera and smartphone to the ticket counter for safe keeping. There are very strict inspection at the entrance, so do not try to hide your gadgets and bring it into the hall.
Since photography is not allowed, I would just give you a rough idea what you could expect to see at the show. You will be able to see partially and completely naked young women, men and even ladyboys dancing and performing various incredible tricks on stage. There will be some interactions with the chosen audiences, but this is only for men. If you lucky, you will have the chance to touch one of the naked women.
However, the show does not contain explicit sex scenes due to frequent police inspections. But you will be able to enjoy exciting imitation of sexual intercourse from the show.
Overall, we enjoyed the show.It was our last night in Pattaya and the show was a really good way to end our trip. Oh, did I mention that there are lots of tourists from Mainland China? It was very surprising to find dozens of tour buses bringing Chinese tourists here to watch this show.
We left once we have seen everything. Our driver was already waiting for us at the entrance, ready to drive us back to our hotel. Upon reaching our hotel, we walked to Foodland Supermarket to get some drinks. We usually buy almost the same items every night. But I decided to try out a different yogurt drink and fell instantly in love with it. It is called the Butterfly Probiotic Yogurt and this is slightly more expensive and much smaller than the Betagen yogurt drink. But I love this more than Betagen because it is thicker and more creamier.
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