When is the best time to visit Pattaya ?

[FlashMatrix]

I'm hoping to make my first visit to Pattaya soon, or as soon as my work aproves my holdiay booking :)
but what would be the best time of the year to visit ?

I would be travelling from Manchester as it is the nearest airpot to my town, is there an airport in Pattaya, or do I have to fly to BKK first ?

[foz]

get internal too heathrow then direct too bkk

[FlashMatrix]

get internal too heathrow then direct too bkk

the nearest airport is Manchester, do I have to fly from heathrow ?
I have to check it with a travel agent I suppose,

also is there no airport at the Pattaya ?

dose evryone have to goto BKK first then to pattaya ?

[nosehair]

also is there no airport at the Pattaya ?

dose evryone have to goto BKK first then to pattaya ?

some guys stop off in bkk for a couple of days before grabbing a cab or bus and heading to Pattaya....about a 3 hour ride in traffic....which will cost anywhere from 100b to 1500b depending on mode of transportation.

Good luck with your trip planning and welcome to the boarddancing

nosehair

[gonzo]

You can fly from Manchester, couple of guys on here flew out of there Friday. As for the best time, whenever they haven't got a bloody helection on! :Copy of angry:

[Bilbobaggins]

and further to other boardies comments, the best time to visit is between January and December :thumbsup:

[torrenova]

We are having unseasonally warm weather at the moment this December, it is usually a few degrees colder than this but for westerners it is never cold. even the eveings are warm as opposed to getting a cool or cold breeze coming in off the ocean. Well, that's global warming for you !

Some people like Songkran but I and many other hate it. So I'd avoid it, usually some time in April, check with google.

Hotel prices go down after Songkran, some before but the difference is marginal in most cases and only a couple of pounds a day so don't worry about that.

Fly in from manchester via the middle east or Amsterdam / Frankfurt. I personally don't like the 6+6 flights and if I had to change, I would prefer 1+11 or 11+1 but the cost rides the choice for many.

Unless you're used to 30c+ then it will be warm all year.

I'd come when you can get away. You'll be blown away on your first trip so it won't matter when you arrive.

You will have to fly into Bangkok and Pattaya is about 90 minues in a taxi. One piece of advice as you don't know Pattaya is that the taxis you get from the airport don't know Pattaya at all in the main. They and you won't know where your hotel is and as such, you might be better to get your hotel to get you a taxi or pay more for an airport limo (not more than 2000 baht though) just to make sure.

When you've got your dates, post up about hotels, what you want, what facilities and your budget and I'm sure we'll have a wealth of advice to hand out.

[old crust]

I fly from Birmingham to Amsterdam (KLM) and then on to Bangkok. It works for me as I find getting to and out of Heathrow a pain.

Getting from the airport to Pattaya is fairly easy, nearer the time we can point you in the direction of good transport options.

[mack]

There is a small airport near Pattaya (U-Tapao) but as far as I know you will have to land in Bangkok and then get a taxi to Pattaya. A good time to go imo is during the Thai holiday of Loy Krathong, it's in November every year and is whenever the full moon is...in 2008 Loy Krathong is on November 24th. From the web here's a short blurb on it:

It's not a national holiday but an evening when Thais pay respect to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelit offerings on any and all waterways around the kingdom.

Many of the Thai women will dress up in fancy dresses and it's a great evening. Plus the weather is normally a few degrees cooler in November-December. But pretty much any time is good to visit, although I'd agree and avoid going during the week in April during Songkran unless you enjoy getting wet from people squirting or dumping water on you every day for a week. :cheers:

[roamer]

Anytime but Songkran for me.

I`ll agree with mack about Loy Krathong,was in Pattaya last month when it was on,nice atmosphere.

Being from the UK same as you,I like getting out
to Pattaya anytime during our winter months,escape the cold weather here.

[3lanceit]

anytime is best for pattaya its like disney land never closes hop on a plane and have the rides of your life

[Mirkwood]

Call me a weirdo but I like June and November best.

November when all the girls are there but no blokes. Just before Xmas.

June as its low season big time. Weathers ok place is empty and Soi 6 lady need love.

[cdawg]

the last time I took a limo from the airport they tried to get 2400 baht out of me and then tried to sweeten the deal by saying they would bring me to airport for 800

[butterflyblonde]

the last time I took a limo from the airport they tried to get 2400 baht out of me and then tried to sweeten the deal by saying they would bring me to airport for 800

It's better to go to the taxi meter stand outside, many people take a ticket from the booth which you will see clearly marked but I used to walk to the right where the taxi's are queueing at the back, those guys are eager for a customer and will often get out the cab and call out to you, then it's just a matter of haggling the price to pattaya.

You can usually pay around half that limo fee you quoted, or maybe just a little over half by 100/200 baht. I would usually pay 1.200 baht + tolls. It's worth noting that you can pre-book taxis with people like Mr toom's service or hotels and pay around the same as the taxi meter.