A recent article in South China Morning Post about the increasing popularity of Huahin, described the seaside town as offering “sandy beaches and good restaurants, without Pattaya’s sleaze”. Harsh. But fair?
It reignites an
old debate about the relative merits of Huahin and Pattaya, sitting on opposing
shores at the upper end of the Gulf of Thailand. Before I wade into this debate, let’s set
some parameters. Let’s weigh the merits of both towns as a long weekend or
vacation retreat for Bangkok residents. And
let’s assume we are talking about the main towns and their immediate surrounds.
Your Huahin experience would be very different if you were based in Cha Am or
Pranburi. Likewise, you will form a very different view of Pattaya, if you are
staying in Jomtien.
We will start
with the effort required to get there. Granted, it depends on which part of
Bangkok you live in. But Pattaya wins this criterion handily. There are two highway options from Bangkok to
Pattaya, with no real bottlenecks until you hit Pattaya itself. Whereas the journey
to Huahin for most people means taking your chances with the perpetual
construction zone of Rama II.
Traveling
from my home to Jomtien take 90 minutes, door to door. Nowadays it is a
comfortable, no-stress drive the entire way.
By contrast, Huahin is a lottery. On a recent trip, it took 2 hours 45 minutes
for the drive there, but a tortuous 5 hours on the return.
Most would
agree that the usual atmosphere of each town is completely different. And here
we must assume that post-pandemic life returns to something like earlier days.
With no international tourists, parts of Pattaya are like a ghost town today.
Huahin always enjoyed a stronger mix of local tourists, as well as a settled
group of foreign retirees. The town has weathered the economic storm much
better.
Pattaya at
its core is dedicated to foreign tourists. Despite having a decidedly average
beach, it offers all the attractions and distractions holidaymakers expect: boat
trips, amusement parks, restaurants and bars, night markets and more
adult forms of entertainment. Most of it is invented – there is no historical link
to the local area. But… many tourists love it.
Pattaya’s reputation for sleaze is deserved. There was always a
thriving sex industry, prior to covid. While not everyone objects to the
industry’s presence, the organised crime and other undesirable elements of
humanity that accompany the industry are a major inhibitor to Thai visitors.
Bangkok residents are more likely to visit beaches and islands surrounding
Pattaya. In these areas, you have zero exposure to Pattaya’s wild side.
Whereas Pattaya has grown into a city, Huahin remains a town. It is
easy to navigate by car or on foot. It has a very laidback vibe. You don’t go
to Huahin to visit attractions – you go to hang out. Even if you go for a
weekend by yourself or just with immediate family, you will always find friends
and acquaintances from Bangkok visiting too.
With more well-heeled Bangkokians preferring Huahin, as well as a more permanent
group of foreign retirees, the Huahin food scene has outpaced Pattaya for diversity
and quality. There are plenty of good places to eat around Pattaya, but few of
them are special. In Huahin, you are more likely to find unique experiences: food
prepared with innovation, with greater care taken with the quality of
ingredients and a subtlety of flavours. And the setting in Huahin is more
likely to be memorable, with older buildings being retained for their charm,
often located right on the beachfront.
If you need to keep children entertained, Pattaya probably has the
edge. Assuming everything reopens, you have farms, underwater world, dolphin
shows, aquatic parks and more. Keep in mind all these experiences will require
forking about plenty of cash for entry tickets, photos and add-ons.
We can debate passionately over Huahin or Pattaya, but we Bangkok
residents are fortunate to have the choice, for the times we want to escape
Bangkok and get closer to the ocean.
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