Pattaya - Thailand's favorite beach resort

Pattaya is Thailand's favourite beach holiday resort. It is situated just 150 kilometers - about two hours drive - south of Bangkok and to reach Pattaya from overseas one used to have to go to Bangkok's Suvanabhumi airport. Now, however, a new international airport has been built at Samutprakran which is about 1 1/2 hours drive from Pattaya.
Pattaya's climate is tropical and warm all year round and it can get very hot from July to September. The temperature generally ranges from 32 to 38 degrees. The rainy season is from May to August, it does not drizzle but you get great showers lasting an hour or so and then it simply stops. The cool season is from November to February and is generally rain free, this is the peak season for tourists.
Travel around Pattaya is very easy; there are three local air conditioned bus routes but the local mini-bus, called baht busses, are very cheap and there are also motorbike taxis everywhere. Motorbike and car rental is also easy. To travel from Pattaya to other parts of Thailand is usually by air conditioned bud - the railway line between Bangkok and Pattaya is little more than a joke - with just one train a day.
Pattaya has accommodation to suit every budget. Varying from 5-star luxury hotels with magnificent sea views to basic hotels and guest houses.
Pattaya has a large expatriate community and is essentially an international tourist resort that is expanding all of the time. Most notices and signs are in English and the vast majority of locals can speak reasonable English.
The attractions of Pattaya really are too many to list; apart from the beaches and islands there are dozens of activities available.
If it's just too hot, or if it's pouring down with rain, then there's plenty to do indoors. Apart from the numerous shopping malls there are indoor activities such as ten pin bowling, Ripley's believe it or not, Ripley's haunted house and, of course, the Pattaya bridge club.
The nightlife of Pattaya is renowned worldwide. There are hundreds of restaurants to cater for all styles/costs, food stalls, bars, karaoke bars, cabaret shows, cinemas (English language) etc. to keep you occupied in the evenings. Most hotels have cable or satellite TV with plenty of English speaking channels.
Whether you just want an eventful holiday or are thinking of somewhere stable to retire to with a cheap cost of living; think about Pattaya, Thailand.