ThailandHua hin or Pattaya, what to choose for vacation
Pattaya is unprecedented popular resort in Thailand, but not the only. Being on the same coast of the Gulf of Thailand's Royal resort of Hua hin is an excellent alternative to the noisy and filthy Pattaya, especially if you are looking for a more relaxed and quiet place and the best beaches. Here's how a more objective comparison of resorts that will help you quickly determine the choice:
Seasons and weather
Both resorts are year-round, and there is almost always (with the exception of the happening from time to time of unpredictable weather conditions) clear, warm weather. Even in the rainy season at both resorts you can comfortably relax and sunbathe, because the rains are short.
Resort/month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Pattaya Hua hin * best time to visit;
appropriate time to visit;
not a recommended time to visitBeaches
The beaches of Pattaya are considered to be one of the worst among all the beach resorts of Thailand. Indeed, the city beach of Pattaya wants to be much more clean, well groomed and uncrowded. But what can you do, because it is the most popular resort and also a very large city.
Hua hin also boasts a lovely clean, uncrowded and wide beaches, giving a head start in some points pettiskirt beaches. Even in urban areas they are much better than Pattaya, to say nothing of areas outside of the city. And like warm water, like in Hua hin, probably not anywhere else in Thailand.
Read more about beaches in Pattaya here, about the beaches of Hua hin here.
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Hua Hin Beach
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Urban beach Pattaya
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Attractions & sightseeing
This issue is not all clear. On the one hand, in Pattaya and close to the sights quite a bit (Bangkok and Ayuthaya not count, they are far away), while in Hua hin and its surroundings have quite a lot of interesting places. On the other hand, in Pattaya offers a lot of cheap group tours to all corners of Thailand and even into neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, including in Russian. Nothing can be found in Hua hin. Excursions there is, of course, also sold but not as many and not as cheap. And it is almost impossible to find guides in Russian, at least not yet.
Read more about attractions in Pattaya here, about the attractions of Hua hin here.
The Wat Huay Mongkol, the statue in 3D
View photos in 3D
Buddha hill in Pattaya
Entertainment
Pattaya – the capital of entertainment, especially for adults. Hua hin is also something that is, and even your neighborhood with the girls and bars, but the scale is much more modest. In the evenings in Hua hin there is always somewhere to go, but still young and active after a week stay can become boring.
Fun on Walking Street in Pattaya
One of the main attractions of Hua hin night market
Infrastructure
In both areas the infrastructure is well developed, and none of these resorts will not lack in anything. However, Pattaya is more a major city, thus the choice of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, shops and entertainment here a lot more. What else is good in Thailand almost everyone here is translated into Russian language menu in the restaurants, descriptions of excursions, service in the Russian language, etc. Here you can feel confident entirely without knowledge of foreign languages. Hua hin in the Russian language yet a rarity.
Shopping
Objectively, in Pattaya city for shopping much more than in Hua hin. There are a huge number of large shopping centers (in Hua hin just a couple of them, and they are much less Pattaya), many markets and several supermarkets. In Hua hin you Souvenirs and gifts will remain, but opportunities are much smaller.
Russian language
As we mentioned, Pattaya is much more comfortable for those who don't know any languages besides his native Russian. Here for many years home to a large Russian-speaking community, there is a whole Russian district, TV and radio in Russian.
How to get
The difficulty with that alone to get on one or the other resort on arrival at Bangkok airport there is no accomplished. Budget on the bus ride here and there, just as with the comfort of a taxi. Pattaya, however, is much closer to the airport and the fare to her below. And the overall number of vehicles coming to Pattaya, much more will have to wait for the bus departure at a fixed time, as in Hua hin.
To Pattaya by bus can be reached in less than an hour by bus from 134 baht (see currency of Thailand, the exchange rate) or taxi from 1100 baht. Read more how to get to Pattaya from the airport here.
In Hua hin can be reached in 3-4 hours by a direct bus for 305 baht taxi ride from 3000 baht. Cheaper to get a minivan through Bangkok. Read more about how to get to Hua hin from Bangkok airport here.
