Why Pattaya Is A Great Place To Live

I saw a submission a few weeks back of someone saying that Pattaya is a cesspit and tells people that they shouldn’t visit the place.

As someone that has lived in Pattaya for a while now, I completely disagree with that, I personally think it’s the best city on earth and not just because of the obvious reasons.

If you come here and fall in love with a young girl that works in a bar and then heartbroken once you get home and realize it was all a scam then of course you are going to hate the place, but that’s your fault really.

I want to point out some things that make Pattaya a great place to visit and an even better place to live.

1.  Cheap accommodation

First things first, apartments and condos here don’t kill your Bangkok account.

You can get a decent room with air-con, Wi-Fi, a balcony, maybe even a pool, for way less than what you’d pay for a dump back home.

Yes, it’s not as cheap as it used to be years ago and prices have gone up slightly, but you still can still get them for a good price.

Most places come ready to move into bed, TV, fridge, all set up so you don’t have to spend weeks buying furniture or sorting bills. You just walk in and you’re good to go.

You’ve got choices too. If you want quiet, you can stay around jometien where its less lively but still nice, If you want to be near the noise and bars, stick to central Pattaya.

Either way, you’ll find something cheap and livable without trying too hard.

No credit checks, no long contracts, none of that crap landlords pull back home. You give the owner a bit of cash, sign a quick paper, and the place is yours.

I have a 3 month contract that keeps gets renewed at the end, just incase something comes up and I have to leave.

The good thing about condos here, even the cheap places aren’t dumps.

Some foreigners live like kings here on what would be pocket money back in the West.

It’s mad when you think about it paying a few hundred a month and still living somewhere clean, modern, and comfortable.

And when you’re not spending half your money on rent, life gets easier. You can go out more, eat better, travel a bit. You stop stressing about bills every five minutes.

That’s a big part of why so many people come here and never leave. Once you get used to paying next to nothing for a decent place, it’s hard to go back to the madness of Western rent.

2. Low cost of living

Although prices have been rising in Pattaya, it’s still dirt cheap compared to some places in the world.

You can eat, drink, get around, and still have money left over at the end of the week.

Thai food on the street might cost a dollar or two. Drinks are Cheap as hell. Even if you eat out every day, it barely adds up, You stop checking prices after a while because everything’s affordable.

Transport’s easy too. Motorbike taxis are everywhere and cost next to nothing. You can go around the city for the price of a coffee back home.

If you want to rent a bike or car, it’s cheap as well and  It’s simple you pay a bit, you go.

Bills are the same. Power, water, internet it all costs peanuts compared to what you’d pay in the West.

Groceries are the same too if you shop local, markets are full of fresh food for a few dollars.

Western stuff costs more, but even then, it’s manageable if you’re not trying to live like a celebrity.

Back home, people work their finger to the bone all week just to survive the bills. Here, you can breathe a bit. You’re not chasing money all the time you just live, and that’s the difference.

If you like a drink and that’s the reason you are here, Pattaya is one of the easiest places to do it without going broke.

Most bars are cheap, you can sit with a few mates, have a proper night out, and still spend less than what one round would cost back home.

The local beers are nice as well, Chang, Leo, and Singha are everywhere.

3. Endless nightlife

This one is really for the people that enjoy the nightlife in Thailand, because the nightlife in Pattaya never ends.

Bars, clubs, and live music places are every where, every single night, every day of the week here is a weekend.

You can walk down most sois in Pattaya and you will hear music, girls calling you into the bars, and see people everywhere.

There’s always something going on, no matter what day it is. You can start the night in a quiet beer bar on a Tuesday, end up in a nightclub at 3 a.m if that’s your thing.

Dont be put off by some of the crazy places though, Some places are wild but Others are laid-back bars where you sit with a drink and talk rubbish with whoever’s next to you.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’re into you’ll find your type of place. Some expats go out every night like it’s a full-time job. Others pop out once or twice a week to to let lose. Either way, it’s easy to get caught up in it.

You meet all kinds of people when you go out here. Travelers, locals, expats, digital nomads, girls working the bars, old-timers who’ve seen it all.

You start talking to someone at a bar and end up learning more about life in ten minutes than you would in a month at home.

The mix of people is what makes it fun. Everyone’s here to enjoy themselves, and nobody cares where you’re from or what you do.

It’s not just bars either. There’s live music, pool halls, street food every hour of the night, and random after-hours places that appear when you think everything’s shut.

Pattaya has that thing about it that keeps pulling you in. You tell yourself you’ll stay in for a night, then a mate calls or a girl texts you, and then you’re back out again.

The nightlife here can wear you down if you don’t pace yourself though. It’s fun, but it’s constant.

Some people burn out, others live for it. Either way, it’s a big part of what makes Pattaya what it is. There’s no city quite like it when the sun goes down.

4. Dating and the women

Of course, a lot of people come here for the women, that’s no mystery and no point in trying to hide or change that.

Finding a date in Pattaya or just a girl to spend your holiday with is easy and the attention then give you is amazing.

Living here its easy to date, but its hard to find a genuine relationship, so if that is what you are after long term then I would look further than just Pattaya.

This is the reason that you hear so many bad stories about Pattaya and why people think it’s the worst place in the world.

What happens is a guy comes to Pattaya looking for love, or sometimes not even looking for it, it just happens.

But the place they find it is normally in a bar with a girl that is just doing her job, and when it all goes pear shaped and he looses money or whatever, then he calls pattaya black and blue.

If people come here for fun they still have to keep thinking straight and not let feelings get the better of them, have a holiday girlfriend by all means but just dont forget its her job and dont expect anything to continue when you leave.

Living here when you want a relationship can put you in a tough spot, but it can happen, so dont lose all hope.

My advice though if you do want some female company is just to date and dont take it serious.

5. Massages and spas

Everyone loves a good massage if you know what I mean and here, You can’t walk more than a few minutes without seeing a massage shop.

They’re everywhere small local ones with all the girls sat outside, or full spa setups with proper rooms and staff in uniforms.

You don’t need to plan it, you just stop in when you feel sore or lazy. It’s one of the easiest and cheapest ways to relax here.

A full hour usually costs less than what you’d tip someone for bad service back home.

The regular Thai massage is rough but good. You walk out feeling lighter and a bit broken but  in the best of ways.

The workers know what they’re doing and don’t waste time. You don’t get the awkward silence or fake spa talk like in the West. They just get on with it, and it works.

There are high-end ones with saunas, steam rooms, and body scrubs, even those don’t cost much. You can spend an afternoon being treated like royalty for the price of a basic haircut back home.

And of course, you have the massages with extra services that we have all heard about.

6. Beach lifestyle

Ok, I might get a bit of hate for this one and people might disagree with me, but here goes.

Yes Pattaya beach can be a bit of a dump, but it’s still a beach, and you’ve got jometien also.

Living near a beach gives you a chance to have a relaxing chilled out day without traveling far, not to mention its a great hangover cure, sitting on the beach with a coconut drink.

Pattaya Beach itself isn’t perfect. It’s busy, full of people, jet skis, and vendors, but that’s something you have to live with, though no matter how long ive been here the vendors can be really annoying.

You can sit there for hours watching everything happen tourists haggling, local families on a day out, boats going past, girls taking selfies like they’re shooting an ad.

If you want something quieter, you just head down to Jomtien or one of the smaller places a bit out of the city. There’s always a bit of sand and sea waiting, no matter the mood you’re in.

It’s also a great place to go with a girl you may have met there, taking her out and not into a bar like most guys would do.

7. Convenience

Pattaya is one of those places where everything you need is right there. You can walk five minutes in any direction and find a 7-Eleven, a pharmacy, a food cart, and a place to get a drink.

You don’t need to plan your day, you just go out and everything’s available. It’s hard to explain how easy that feels until you actually come here. Everything is so close together or at least a short motorbike taxi ride.

7-Eleven runs this city, you can’t walk down a soi and not find one. You can buy anything from coffee,food and booze at three in the morning.

Need a drink, something to eat, or even toothpaste? It’s sorted. Every corner has one.

Then you’ve got Family Mart, Lotus’s, Big C, and local markets filling in the rest. You never run out of options. It’s like the city’s built for people who hate planning ahead.

Transport is the same story. Motorbike taxis, Baht busses and Bolt drivers are everywhere. You can leave your condo and be halfway across town in minutes.

No waiting for buses, no expensive taxis, no hassle. It’s quick, simple, and cheap.

You can live here without owning a car and never feel stuck. Everything’s built for convenience, even if the roads look like chaos to a newcomer.

Food delivery apps make life even easier when you dont want to go out or dont want to cook for yourself.

You can sit in your room and have any kind of food dropped off in twenty minutes. Thai, Western, Indian, Japanese, whatever you fancy.

Everything works in its own messy but perfect way. Once you get used to that level of convenience, going back to the slow, overcomplicated life back home feels ridiculous.

8. Street food everywhere

Again, this is not for everyone, a lot of Westerners will come to Pattaya and still only stick to eating western food, although I think what’s the point, I still understand it.

Street food in Pattaya is part of daily life for me. Fried rice, grilled pork, noodle soup, papaya salad all cooked right there in front of you. It’s cheap, hot, fast, and it hits the spot every time.

You end up with your favourite stalls and the people who run them start recognising you. It feels local real fast.

The food stalls seem to be everywhere at all hours of the day and night. Outside 7-Elevens, along busy roads, near bars, even down small alleys.

You can eat at any hour because someone’s always cooking. A full meal costs less than a beer in most Western bars. You can eat like a king here for peanuts, and it tastes better than most restaurant food back home.

You don’t have to dress up, you don’t have to wait, you just point at what looks good and eat.

You’ve got the experience the thai way of sitting on the side of the road, using plastic chairs, no menus, no service charge, no fake smiles. Just proper food, cooked by people who’ve been doing it for years.

Even if you’re picky, you’ll find stuff you like. They do grilled chicken, omelettes, rice, burgers, everything.

You can eat healthy if you want, or you can live on fried food and beer like most blokes do for a while. Either way, you’re eating good.

Warning to first timers in Thailand though, Thai food can be very very spicy, so yeah, be warned.

9. Plenty of stuff to do

There’s always something to do in Pattaya. You can spend your days at the beach, go to to the gym, go fishing, take up golf, or learn Thai, it’s really not just bars and women.

It’s one of those places where boredom doesn’t exist unless you’re really trying. Everything’s close by, easy to find, and doesn’t cost a fortune.

Golf is a big one here. The city’s surrounded by courses, from cheap small ones to high-end places that feel like resorts.

Even if you’ve never played before, it’s worth a go just to try something new and it’s a good laugh.

For days when you don’t want to move much, there’s still plenty going on. You’ve got markets, bars, shooting ranges, escape rooms, arcades, and rooftop pools. It’s a mix of lazy and active options.

10. Great weather

The weather in Pattaya out of rainy season, It’s hot almost every day, and you don’t have to deal with snow, cold winds, or grey skies for months at a time like most of us do back home.

You wake up, it’s bright, you put on shorts, and that’s it. You don’t check weather apps or worry about jackets.

You get the odd downpour during rainy season, but it doesn’t last. It pours it down hard for half an hour, the streets flood, and then it’s sunny again like nothing happened. Locals don’t even flinch. They just keep doing whatever they’re doing until it stops.

Once you get used to that, it’s actually kind of nice. It cools everything down and washes the dust away. Then you’re back to blue skies.

The heat can be rough at first. You sweat through your clothes in minutes, and you wonder how anyone survives it. Then you adapt.

You start moving slower, drinking more water, and taking things easy. You learn to live with the heat instead of fighting it.

The upside is you can wear flip-flops and T-shirts all year and never think about jackets again.

Even at night, the temperature stays warm. You can sit outside at a bar without freezing or worrying about rain ruining the night.

You end up doing more because the weather lets you. It’s easier to go out, meet people, and enjoy the day when the sun’s out nearly all the time.

The constant summer feeling does something to your mood. You feel more relaxed, less tense, and you stop rushing.

Every now and then it gets humid enough to drive you mad, but even that becomes normal. It’s not perfect, but compared to the miserable cold back home, it’s paradise.

11. International community

Pattaya pulls in people from every corner of the world. You hear accents from everywhere British, Aussie, American, Russian, German, Scandinavian and now a whole lot of Indians all mixing in the same bars.

Some are here on holiday, some are running businesses, and plenty just never went home. It’s one of those cities where you can walk into a random place and end up chatting with someone from the other side of the planet like you’ve known them for years.

You don’t have to try hard to meet people. Expats are everywhere, and most are open to talking.

That’s why I always tell solo travelers not to worry about coming to Pattaya alone, you will always meet someone, and if you dont, there is plenty of women in the bars to keep you company.

Everyone’s got a reason for being here, and half the fun is hearing what brought them. It’s not like the West where everyone’s in a rush or glued to their phones. Here, people actually talk, laugh, and have fun.

99% of the guys in Pattaya are there for one reason, and we all know what reason that is, so nobody is that stuck up or judgmental.

There’s a weird sense of community that forms over time. You start recognizing the same faces in bars, shops, and gyms. People look out for each other. Someone always knows a good mechanic, a visa agent, or a cheap dentist.

You can live here for a short while and still end up with a small circle of mates who feel like family. It makes life easier when you’re far from home.

Some are retired and living quietly. Others are working online or trying to make their own thing work. Then you’ve got the lads who just live for the nightlife. It’s all mixed together, and somehow it works.

You don’t get bored because there’s always someone new around. One day you’re chatting with a guy who worked on oil rigs, the next day you’re drinking with someone who sold everything to move here. It’s never dull, and that’s why so many people stay longer than they planned.

12. Medical tourism

One of the biggest perks of living in Pattaya is how cheap and easy it is to get medical care.

You don’t have to wait weeks for an appointment or pay ridiculous prices. You can walk into a private hospital, see a doctor within the hour, and walk out with medicine for a fraction of what it would cost back home. The service is quick, clean, and professional without the stress or the massive bills.

The private hospitals here look more like hotels. They’re spotless, modern, and full of polite staff who actually treat you like a person.

You get seen right away, and most doctors speak good English. The equipment’s up to date, the rooms are air-conditioned, and the process is smooth. It makes you realise how broken Western healthcare systems really are when you see how easy it can be here.

A lot of people think that because Thailand is still classed as a third world country that the medical services would be terrible, but that’s really not the case at all.

Dentists, eye clinics, and skin specialists are everywhere too. You don’t have to plan anything months in advance. You can just walk in, sort it out, and go back to your day.

Prices are low enough that people fly in just for treatment. You’ll see tourists coming for dental work, surgeries, and cosmetic stuff because it’s cheaper and faster here than in their own country.

Pharmacies are on every corner as well. Most medicine is available without a hassle, and the staff usually know what they’re talking about.

If you’ve got a minor problem, you don’t need to see a doctor at all. You walk in, explain what’s wrong, and they hand you something that actually works. It really is that simple.

Living here means you can take care of your health without the panic that comes with medical bills in the West. You don’t need insurance for every little thing. You just deal with it and move on. It takes away a lot of stress knowing that if something happens, you can sort it quickly and affordably. That peace of mind is worth more than people realise.

13. Close to Bangkok

Being close to Bangkok is another big advantage of living in Pattaya.

You’re only about a two-hour drive away, which makes life a lot easier.

You can go there for embassy visits, a day out, or just to get away from Pattaya for a bit.

Getting there is simple. Buses, vans, and taxis run all day and night. You can book one in minutes, or just walk up and get a ride.

A lot of people living in Pattaya use Bangkok as their big-city backup. When they need proper shopping, visa runs, government paperwork, or flights out of the country, it’s right there.

The trip also works the other way around. People from Bangkok come down to Pattaya for weekends to escape their life in the capital and go wild in Pattaya.

It’s one of those things you don’t think about much until you live here. You get to enjoy the beach life and Pattaya life, but Bangkok is always within reach for anything important. It’s the best of both worlds.

14. International food

I mentioned earlier that not everyone likes or wants to eat Thai food, One thing Pattaya nails is food variety.

You can eat Thai street food one night, Italian the next, then switch to Indian or Japanese.

Every kind of food is here, It’s one of the few beach towns where you can live for years and never get bored of what’s on your plate.

The city’s full of expat-owned restaurants, Italians making proper pizza, Germans running bakeries, Indians serving curries, turks with their kebabs. You can walk down a single street and see signs for food from five different countries.

It’s not watered down or fake either. Most places do it right because the owners actually come from those countries.

Western comfort food is everywhere too. If you’re hungover and need a fry-up, there’s a café around the corner doing a full English for a few baht. If you want steak, burgers, or Mexican, you can find it. Pattaya feeds everyone.

For people living here long-term, that food mix makes a huge difference. You don’t burn out on Thai food, and you don’t miss home cooking either. You can switch it up whenever the mood hits.

15. Networking opportunities

Networking isn’t spoken about much when people talk about the benefits of Pattaya.

Pattaya isn’t just beaches, girls and bars. There’s a big network of people doing real things here.

You’ve got digital nomads, small business owners, retirees running side projects, and freelancers working from cafes.

It’s a city full of people trying to make something work and not having to return home to a 9 to 5 job.

If you spend a bit of time meeting people, you’ll realise how much opportunity there actually is.

You can walk into a bar, start a random chat, and find someone who runs a business, builds websites, trades crypto, or manages rental properties. People here talk openly and share ideas because everyone’s in the same boat trying to live good and make things work on their own terms.

A lot of people have built small but steady incomes from contacts they’ve made right here in Pattaya.

Even if you’re not into business, having a good circle here helps. Someone always knows a guy who can fix a visa issue, find a condo, or set you up with work. The word-of-mouth network is strong.

I am a software developer, and one of my biggest clients was found in Pattaya just through word of mouth.

It’s easy to underestimate Pattaya because of the party reputation, but apart from all of that, there’s a lot going on.

You can live the party lifestyle and still build something for yourself if you’ve got the drive.

16. Laid-back lifestyle

I will end with this one. Pattaya can be a crazy and fun filled lifestyle, but it can also be a laid back lifestyle, the beauty is, you can choose which one you want, or you can have both.

You wake up when you want, eat when you feel like it, and take each day as it comes.

You see it everywhere. Locals don’t stress. Shops open when they open. Traffic moves when it feels like it. Even the expats who used to live by strict schedules start to relax. You realise that not everything needs to be planned or perfect. Things just happen when they happen, and that’s fine.

It takes a bit of adjusting, especially if you come from a fast, high-pressure country, but once you get it, life feels more easy.

Over time, that laid-back lifestyle becomes addictive. You stop checking your phone all day, you stop thinking about what’s next, and you just enjoy where you are.

It’s one of the biggest reasons people stay here. Life in Pattaya isn’t perfect, but it’s easy. It gives you space to breathe, and that’s something most people don’t realise they’ve been missing until they get here.

So that is just some of the points I want to say, there are plenty of other reasons that people visit here or move here.

My advice is to come and see for yourself, dont like to the opinion of a 60 year old man that hates pattaya because his bargirl girlfriend left him for someone else.