Getting around Pattaya

Which transport fits your trip?

For a base where most of your plans fit together, compare Central Pattaya and Jomtien before booking a room.

Baht buses (songthaews)

Pattaya’s shared taxis are pickup trucks with two benches in the back. Everyone calls them baht buses; the Thai name is songthaew. A ride costs 15–20 baht, depending on distance.

Choose the right road: Beach Road is one-way, heading south; Second Road is one-way, heading north. Crossing to the other pavement on either one-way road does not reverse the traffic. Confirm the truck reaches your stop, especially when continuing beyond the central streets.

Flag down a shared truck, press the buzzer for your stop and pay once it has stopped safely. If the route or fare is unclear, confirm it is a shared ride before boarding. A private trip to your chosen address has a separate price: agree the total first.

How to ride the baht bus: the loop, which side to stand on, fares and late nights →

Cars, pickup points and late returns

Grab offers car rides in Pattaya. Check the chosen service and quoted fare, then check any tolls or surcharges separately. Wait for a driver to accept the trip. For a street-hired car or private baht bus, agree the trip and total fare before leaving.

Set the pickup at an entrance the vehicle can reach. Check the address instead of relying on the phone’s automatic location, and use the app’s message function to agree the meeting point. Put your hotel entrance in the destination field, rather than just its neighbourhood.

Before a night around Soi Buakhao or Walking Street, save the hotel address and decide how to get back. If shared service or walking will not suit the return, arrange a car in advance or check app availability before leaving the venue. Allow time for the pickup.

Motorbike taxis

Motorbike taxis offer point-to-point trips. Agree the fare first, wear a helmet and fasten the strap. If a helmet is unavailable, choose a car or shared baht bus. Read the safety guide before choosing a motorbike.

Walking

Use walking for nearby stops, then check each longer trip separately. A hotel’s area name does not tell you how far its entrance is from the beach or your chosen nightlife street. Look for road crossings, steps and a usable pavement, especially with luggage or limited mobility.

Walking Street itself is about 780 m from end to end; that leaves the trip from your hotel to either entrance. The Walking Street directions distinguish the Beach Road entrance from the Bali Hai end. For LK Metro, check the approach through Soi Diana or Soi Buakhao.

Show your driver

Show the destination name with its map pin, then agree the drop-off. Area pages use a named landmark for their driver card: for example, Central Pattaya’s card goes to the shopping mall. Use the hotel’s own address when you want the hotel.

Save the transport map and Thai driver cards as a free A4 sheet

Getting to Pattaya

Coming from Bangkok’s airports? The airport guide compares the direct bus, shared transfers and private cars from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, with the current fares and timetables.

Leaving? Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport: bus times and options →