Getting Around Pattaya
Getting around Pattaya is extremely easy. There are abundant air-conditioned, comfortable and inexpensive taxis for your convenience or you could simply hop onto a Songthaew. I am not sure why this is, but there are no regular Tuk Tuks here at all. I shall try to find out why this is so when next here. You will find Tuk Tuks in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai but not here in Pattaya. Nevertheless you have the Songthaew Taxis. They are not like regular taxis, but a pick-up truck with a hard canopy. At the back they have bench type seats on either side on which to sit. Songthaew's travel along the more popular routes on the main roads. The busiest routes being from south Pattaya along 2nd Road, down Soi 2 and then along the beach road. Although there are few bus stops along these routes you will see many of them outside supermarkets like the Big C.
Songthaew Taxi
Getting around PattayaSongthaew TaxisThese taxis are quite frequent, so you seldom have to wait very long. All you have to do to stop the driver is to simply indicate with your hand in a manner similar, as if you would be hitch-hiking. Once the vehicle stops you just hop on board. To hop off, you simply press one of the buttons which you will see attached to the canopy crossbar. A Songthaew can be seen in the photo above.The standard fee for any one singular trip is 10 baht irrespective of the distance travelled. I do know that the local Thai's pay only half of that. Should you be travelling with a Thai companion though, you would be expected to pay the full fair of 10 baht each. It's the Thai way. This expression I have heard many times while in Thailand. Nevertheless, I use this form of transport regularly when I am here, partly because it is convenient and can be quite fun to hop on and off.
Luxury Cruiser
Getting around PattayaRentalsI personally feel that there is little need to hire a car in Pattaya itself unless you wish to visit some of the other towns in the vicinity. Perhaps a scenic drive along the south east coast of Thailand towards the Cambodian border as I once did, can be an interesting experience. You will find that most of your time in Pattaya will be spent walking around and when that becomes tiring, you can simply catch a cab or a Songthaew.Perhaps hiring a motor bike can be a lot fun. Not always a good idea to use the public motor bike taxis as sometimes this can be a little risky as the local bikers don't always share good driving skills. I've seen many a scar on arms and legs. In the event of an accident, Thai's seem to have "the right of way" so just be aware and cautious, especially when getting around Pattaya. Another excellent way to get around Pattaya is to hire a motorboat to travel the superb bays in the area. Some of the top resorts here have their own luxury cruisers for your exclusive private use so don't be afraid to ask.
Motor Bike Transport
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