How to Get to Pattaya on Your Own: By Plane, Bus, Train, and Ferry

Overview of ways to get to Pattaya

Pattaya is one of the most accessible resorts in Thailand, where you can get on your own from almost anywhere in the country and the world. Unlike island destinations, it is reachable by air, land, and sea: by plane via Bangkok airports or the local U-Tapao airport, by bus, train, or even ferry from nearby islands. We have tested all the main routes from personal experience, so below is verified information without fluff.

Below we break down each way to get to Pattaya in detail: from planning tickets to the final leg to your hotel.

By plane

There are three airports near Pattaya, so you can fly into any of them to get to the resort. We will tell you about all three options:

How to get to Pattaya via Suvarnabhumi Airport: flights, tickets, transfer

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (Suvarnabhumi) is the main air gateway to the country and the most convenient airport to get to both Pattaya and Bangkok. It handles the most flights from Russia and other distant countries, has the lowest flight prices, and it is the easiest to get from it to the resort. The IATA code for buying tickets to it is BKK.

Suvarnabhumi has direct flights from Russia and other countries, as well as many options with transfers through the Middle East and China. In most cases, it is the connecting flights that are the cheapest, so you can save a good amount if you are ready for a little inconvenience.

You can find and book flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, including connecting flights, using the search form below, or on reliable search engines Aviasales or Trip.com.

How to get from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya

Suvarnabhumi is 110 kilometers from Pattaya (Suvarnabhumi on the map). Getting from it to Pattaya is very easy and inexpensive; even a tourist without much independent travel experience can easily handle it. The journey will take about 2 hours, and the trip will cost from a budget 139 baht/person to 1,500 for a taxi or transfer per car. But you will have to choose not only based on price but also on transport operating hours, since only taxis operate at night. Here are all the ways:

• By taxi. The cost of an official taxi is from 1,200 baht. Private drivers ask for more – 1,500 baht, you need to haggle. At night the taxi price is lower. The driver may also ask you to pay for travel on two toll road sections, from 30 baht each. Travel time is from 1.5 to 2 hours.

  You should order an official taxi at the counter at the exit from the arrivals hall; follow the Public Taxi signs. You can also order a taxi through the Grab, Maxim, Bolt, InDrive apps; the price will be about the same.

  Another option is to book a tourist transfer. It is more expensive than a taxi, but the driver will meet you in the arrivals hall with a sign and take you to the hotel door. You can book a transfer at:

  • Kiwitaxi.ru
  • Intui.travel

• By bus or minivan. Roong Reuang Coach bus No. 389 departs from the airport to Pattaya. You need to look for it on the first floor at exit No. 8 (Gate 8, Level 1). The cost of the trip is from 139 baht. They depart every hour from 06:00 to 22:00, travel time 1.5-2 hours. There is no need to book tickets in advance; they are always available for purchase on the spot for the nearest or next flight.

  But if you arrive late, tickets for the last 2-3 flights may be sold out by 20:00, we have experienced this ourselves. So if possible, book in advance on 12go.asia or Trip.com (accepts Russian cards). You can check information about possible schedule changes on the official website https://airportpattayabus.com/

  The bus arrives in Pattaya:

  • At the intercity bus station Jomtien (bus station on the map). Get off there if your hotel is in Jomtien or Pratumnak.
  • Along the way it makes a stop at the Northern Bus Station, also known as Roong Reaung Coach Station (bus station on the map). Get off here if your hotel is in central Pattaya or on the beach and in the Naklua area, also known as Wongamat.

  When you arrive in Pattaya, from the bus stations to your hotel you can get by taxi (from 100 baht) or by local songthaew minibuses "songthaew" (15 baht), and to some hotels even on foot. Read more about getting around in our separate guide: Pattaya transport – taxis, tuk-tuks, routes on the map, and how to use them.

  Another convenient option from Suvarnabhumi is Bell Service buses. Their buses have smaller capacity, but the ticket includes delivery directly to your hotel door in Pattaya for an extra fee.

  • Price: from 216 baht (6.49 USD) + 120 baht delivery to the hotel.
  • Schedule: departures from the airport 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:30, 18:00 (may change, check the website).
  • Where to find: the same area – first floor, exit No. 8, counter with the sign "Pattaya – Huahin".
  • Bell Service official website: belltravelservice.com
  • Booking via 12go.asia: 12go.asia (Bell Service)

U-Tapao Airport (Pattaya): flights, prices, and how to get to the city

Thirty kilometers from Pattaya is U-Tapao International Airport (U-Tapao Airport on the map). It is a mixed military and civil airport, and people call it Pattaya airport. The IATA code for buying tickets to it is UTP.

Very few flights operate to it, and prices are higher than to Bangkok airport. Honestly, it is almost impossible to find regular flights here at reasonable prices, at least we could not. Nevertheless, charter flights arrive here from Russia and other countries as part of tours, and tickets for them can sometimes be bought in open sale.

If you do end up on a flight to U-Tapao, getting from it to Pattaya is quite difficult and will not be cheap. There is no regular transport, only taxis. The price to central Pattaya through apps is from 500 baht. But in practice, you may not get a request accepted in the app at such a price, and you will have to choose a more expensive fare 2-3 times higher.

Also at the airport, the company U-Tapao Airport Limousine operates (well, at least it did), they carry passengers in minivans for 500 baht once the required number of passengers is gathered, so you may have to wait for departure.

Don Mueang Airport: how to get to Pattaya with a transfer, tickets

The old Don Mueang Airport (Don Mueang, IATA code for buying tickets – DMK) specializes in low-cost airline flights and charter international flights. It is good to fly into if you want to get to Pattaya cheaply from cities in Thailand or neighboring countries, but you will have to think a bit about how to get from it to the resort.

Don Mueang is 30 kilometers north of Bangkok and 150 kilometers from Pattaya (Don Mueang on the map). There are no direct bus routes from it, so you will have to go either by taxi from 1,600 baht, 2 hours on the road, or by buses with a transfer via Suvarnabhumi or Bangkok:

• Transfer via Suvarnabhumi is faster since you bypass the terrible Bangkok traffic. A free shuttle bus departs from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi Airport every 30 minutes. But it is free only if you have a boarding pass for departure (not arrival), so you will have to pay 100 baht for it, or take a taxi from 250 baht. Another option is to take city buses No. 554 or No. 555 for only 36 baht, but they take almost an hour and a half. Then at Suvarnabhumi transfer to the bus to Pattaya, as described above.

• Transfer via Bangkok is an option that is generally possible but very troublesome, and it will take almost half a day. First, you need to get to the northern bus station Mo Chit by city buses or commuter trains (red line), which will take almost an hour and a half and from 30 baht (more about Mo Chit and how to get to it).

  From Mo Chit to Pattaya, a large bus runs from 5:00 to 18:00 every hour, cost from 150 baht. There is also a minivan station Mor Chit here, it is across the road from the terminal, crossing via a bridge. Many minivans leave from here to Pattaya on their own schedule, frequently.

By bus

Thailand has a developed bus network of regular buses and tourist transfers by bus and minivan with transfers between all the country's resorts. And it is the cheapest way to travel around the country in terms of price/quality. We advise reading our separate guide about buses in Thailand and how to travel on them.

However, Pattaya has been bypassed by regular bus service, and regular flights here operate only from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Fortunately, there are many tourist flights and transfers (with transfers) with which you can get to Pattaya from Phuket, Samui, Koh Chang island, Phangan, Tao, Hua Hin, and other popular resorts of Thailand.

Where buses arrive and depart in Pattaya

• Northern Bus Station North Pattaya Station or Roong Reaung Coach Station (station on the map). This is the main station; most state and branded long-distance regular buses arrive here.
• Southern Jomtien Station or Roong Reuang Coach Jomtien or also known as Bus 389 Office (station on the map). Buses only to/from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
• T-Tour bus station (station on the map). Located near the pier and Walking Street, very convenient if you are staying in central Pattaya or need to get to Koh Larn. Here buses only to/from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
• Nakhonchai bus station (station on the map). This is the station of the carrier that operates flights to neighboring provinces, as well as north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. These are passing flights from Rayong, and they make a stop here. Check the schedule and information on the website https://www.nakhonchaiair.com/

But these are only the stations that we know and have personally used. Small carriers have their own departure and arrival points, so when buying tickets, check the arrival point, this is important! For example, once we arrived from Aranyaprathet (the border with Cambodia) on a "branded" minivan simply at some site in a field a few kilometers from the city. Ideally, choose tourist transfers with delivery to the hotel or at least to the hotel area.

If you arrive at a station rather than a transfer to the hotel, you can get to your holiday spot by taxi (prices through apps from 100 baht) or by minibuses (from 15 baht). We told you how to use all this and what routes exist in a separate guide about Pattaya transport.

Where to buy bus tickets and schedules

Unfortunately, there is no single online booking system (at least we do not know of one) for bus tickets that unites ALL ROUTES. But quite a few popular flights are now collected and available for search and booking on aggregators:

• Website 12go.asia - a reliable search engine; tickets can be paid with a foreign card or you can make a booking and pay at cash desks in Thai stores.
• Website Trip.com – accepts Russian cards, but there is no bus schedule as such; there are transfers, including group ones like buses.
• Website busonlineticket – another reliable local aggregator, but you can only pay online with a non-Russian card.

In practice, it is much easier to buy tickets on the spot at travel agencies or bus station ticket offices; we almost always do it this way. Yes, you may have to overpay a little, but the price usually includes delivery from the hotel by minivan. But all this, of course, depends on the destination, because in some cities there are simply no travel agencies where you can buy them, and then you have to go to the station or buy online.

And here are the guides for popular destinations:

How to get from Bangkok to Pattaya by bus and minivan

Regular buses and minivans from Bangkok depart from two stations:

• Eastern Terminal of Bangkok Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal. It is located almost in the center on Sukhumvit road, next to the Ekkamai BTS station.

  Buses depart at least every hour from 05:00 to 23:00. Ticket from 148 baht + 20 for luggage.

• Northern Bus Terminal Mo Chit. It is located near the Mochit BTS station.

  Buses depart from 05:00 to 18:00 every hour. Cost from 158 baht.

  Across the road from Mo Chit (crossing via a pedestrian bridge) is the Mochit minivan station; minivans leave from it on their own schedule or when full.

There is no need to buy tickets in advance; buy them before departure. You can check the schedule and price on the carrier's website http://www.pattayabus.com

There are also minivans from various private companies that depart from tourist areas of the city, most often from Khao San Road. But it does not work like you come and buy a ticket on the spot; it is different: you need to buy a ticket at a travel agency the day before, and they will pick you up from the hotel or tell you where to go for departure.

How to get from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to Pattaya

There are no direct buses to Pattaya. But there are passing buses from the company https://www.nakhonchaiair.com/ to Rayong; they pass through Pattaya.

Another option is to go by train or bus with a transfer in Bangkok. This route is quite possible to do without an overnight stay in Bangkok.

How to get from Hua Hin to Pattaya

There used to be direct Bell Travel buses, but now they are unavailable. They may be restored; you can check the schedule on the carrier's website https://www.belltravelservice.com/.

Another carrier is https://rrcticket.com/. Tickets are currently available, once a day, travel time 6 hours, price 535 baht.

If there are no direct ones, then go with a transfer via Bangkok or the airport. This route is easy to do during the day without stopping in Bangkok, but the trip will take the whole day, so start early in the morning.

From Koh Chang, Koh Mak, and Koh Kood to Pattaya

From the islands of Koh Chang, Koh Mak, and Koh Kood, the easiest way to get to Pattaya is to buy a ready-made transfer – exactly the same as from Pattaya to Koh Chang, only in the opposite direction. It is sold at travel agencies on the islands themselves, as well as online at 12go.asia. The cost starts from 650 baht (19.54 USD), and the journey, from experience, takes 6–10 hours including all transfers and the ferry.

The transportation is carried out by Suvarnabhumi Burapha, 35 Group Pattaya, and Boonsiri Ferry. The price usually includes a transfer from your hotel on the island and drop-off either directly at the hotel in Pattaya or at a central point (the company's office). Check the conditions with the specific carrier. This is much easier than doing your own transfers via Trat or Chanthaburi.

How to get from Phuket to Pattaya

The only direct bus flight Phuket-Pattaya is operated by Sawadee Tour, travel time from 17 hours, ticket from 1,205 baht. The bus is a night bus, departing at 15:00 from Phuket Town bus station, arriving in Pattaya the next day after 08:00 at the company's bus station on Pattaya 3rd road in the northern part (station on the map). Buy tickets on aggregator websites or at the station ticket office; we have not seen them at travel agencies.

The other options are to go with a transfer, best of all via Bangkok. Buses to Bangkok cost from 800 baht, then transfer to Pattaya as described above. But check the arrival point in Bangkok when buying tickets, since some buses arrive at the Southern Station Sai Tai Mai, and some in the tourist area of Khao San (these are more convenient).

By train

Thailand has a decent railway system connecting the main cities. But Pattaya has almost been bypassed by rail service. Only a commuter train from Bangkok comes here, and it is very slow with an extremely inconvenient schedule. But it is the cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Pattaya or back – only 32 baht!

In general, to get to Pattaya by train from Chiang Mai, Lopburi, Ayutthaya, Surat Thani, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore, you need to aim for a trip to Bangkok and then transfer to faster buses or a taxi instead of riding for many hours on this commuter train.

Everything you need to know about Thailand trains and how to use them, read in our separate guide at the link, and here is what you need to know about the train specifically to Pattaya:

Between Bangkok and Pattaya runs a slow commuter train No. 283/284 like our electric train (see photo above), and on weekends a high-speed No. 997/No. 998. Here is the schedule and price:

On weekdays only these (32 baht):

• Bangkok (Hua Lamphong)-Pattaya, train No. 283: departure 06:55, arrival 10:34
• Pattaya-Bangkok (Hua Lamphong), train No. 284: departure 14:20, arrival 18:15

On weekends only the fast tourist train (170 baht):

• Bangkok (Hua Lamphong)-Pattaya, train No. 997: departure 06:45, arrival 09:13
• Pattaya-Bangkok (Hua Lamphong), train No. 998: departure 16:26, arrival 18:55

The schedule may change, so check it before each trip. You can do this on the websites http://www.railway.co.th/Home/Index (by direction) or https://ttsview.railway.co.th/v3/ (by train number or station).

Although it is stated that the slow train takes 4 hours, when we rode it, in reality it took almost 6 hours. Conveniently, it makes stops along the way, and you can get off or board it in central Bangkok in the area of Sukhumvit or Pratunam. And it starts from the old station Hua Lamphong in Chinatown. These are all popular and convenient tourist areas of Bangkok.

In Pattaya the train makes two stops: at the railway station (see the station on the map) and at the Pattaya Tai Train Station stop (see Pattaya Tai Train Station on the map). They are located quite far from the center (both stations are marked on the map). To get from them to the center, you will have to use a taxi or motorbike taxi, or take local public transport Baht Bus (songthaew) from 30 baht, which wait for train passengers.

There is no point in buying or booking tickets in advance when departing from Pattaya: just come to the station thirty minutes before departure, buy a ticket, and go (sales open 30 minutes before train departure). If you depart from the Pattaya Tai Train Station stop (there is no ticket office there), you can simply enter the car and pay the conductor on the train while moving.

By ferry

A few years ago, it was possible to get to Pattaya by high-speed ferry from Hua Hin, but it was canceled. Now the only regular service is with Koh Larn island, which is effectively part of the Pattaya resort and is often visited by tourists as a day trip.

The fare is 40 baht (1.2 USD), travel time 40 minutes. Besides the slow ferry, from the same pier and from the beaches there are speedboats for 150-300 baht/person, which get you to the island in 15-20 minutes, but they run without a schedule and only when they have enough passengers.

If you need to get to Pattaya from the more distant islands in the Gulf of Siam – Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui – it is best to use a ready-made transfer from local transport companies, which includes all transfers from point to point. There are several options here:

• Lomprayah company. High-speed catamarans with a transfer to the Khao San Road area in Bangkok, then by taxi or bus to Pattaya. Schedule and tickets at https://www.lomprayah.com/.
• Boonsiri company. They have transfers from all the islands directly to Pattaya. Schedule and tickets https://boonsiriferry.com/
• On your own by ferry to the mainland (Surat Thani or Chumphon), and from there by bus or train with a transfer via Bangkok to Pattaya. But this is more for traveling around than for getting from point "A" to point "B".

Tickets for all these transfers are sold at street agencies at the resorts, or you can buy them online on the websites at the link above, as well as on the aggregator 12go.asia. None of the sites accepts Russian cards, but on 12go you can make a booking and pay in cash at the checkouts of local stores.

Bus and train schedules to Pattaya