Thailand's complete scuba diving information source: dive centres, dive courses, dive equipment, dive sites

Facilities in and around Pattaya

How to get there
It’s possible to access the Pattaya area by air, road and rail; air or road are... Read more...

Where to eat
While the majority of Pattaya’s hotels have good restaurants, the general trend is... Read more...

Dive facilities
While the diving is divided into two main areas, the operators are based in Pattaya and... Read more...

Dive trips
Dive trips are scheduled on a daily basis and are particularly popular during the... Read more...

Dive courses
PADI and NAUI recreational and IANTD diving courses are offered in a variety of... Read more...

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How to get there

It’s possible to access the Pattaya area by air, road and rail; air or road are the better options.

By air: Pattaya is best served by Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Journey time to central Pattaya by road is between one-two hours. The three main carriers are:
Bangkok Airways: Within Thailand, Tel. 1771; from outside Thailand, Tel. +66 (0)2 265 5555.
Nok Air: Within Thailand, Tel. 1318; from outside Thailand,
Tel. +66 (0)2 900 9955.
Thai Airways International: Tel. +66 (0)2 356 1111. There is also an airport at U-Tapao served by Bangkok Airways.

By bus: Air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok every 30 minutes from the Eastern Bus Terminal. The journey takes just under three hours. From Pattaya bus terminal to the city centre and Jomtien, take one of the local taxi-buses from the terminal. For more information contact Bangkok Eastern Bus Terminal:
Tel. +66 (0)2 391 2504, (0)2 391 4900.

Where to eat

While the majority of Pattaya’s hotels have good restaurants, the general trend is to eat out. Locals claim that it’s possible to eat in a different restaurant every night of the year and still miss some!

The range of eateries is vast; all the well known fast food establishments have premises here. There’s also a good selection of economical restaurants with plenty of Pizza parlours, steak houses, brasseries, bistros and bakeries.

Upmarket restaurants are also countless, with menus from virtually every country in the world. Local fare is also well represented with specialities including extravagant lobster dishes and hot and spicy dry curries, originating from Laos. A similar scenario exists along Jomtien Beach.

For more information and insight on where and what to eat, see Pocket Guide FOOD Thailand − launching first quarter of 2010 − and its online version, www.foodguidethailand.com

Dive facilities

While the diving is divided into two main areas, the operators are based in Pattaya and Jomtien, and there’s a variety to choose from. Services range from small booking kiosks in the street up to multi-lingual 5-Star facilities and training centres. A few of the more established centres maintain a healthy retail selection.

Dive trips

Dive trips are scheduled on a daily basis and are particularly popular during the weekends, when you will see a quite a few dive boats heading out to sea.

Trips are all-day affairs which depart in the morning and return in the late afternoon, they include transfers to and from the dive boat, two dives and lunch onboard. For the trips to the southern sites divers are transferred to the fishing village of Samaesan by local bus where they join the dive boats at one of the jetties. There are also occasional overnight trips to the sites around Koh Chang.

Dive courses

PADI and NAUI recreational and IANTD diving courses are offered in a variety of languages. Prices can vary between agencies and individual operators. Diving Internships, where individuals get the chance to go from complete beginner to the professional level of diving Instructor or Divemaster over a defined period of time, are big news in Pattaya.

These all-in packages can include all training, materials, equipment and accommodation. Aside from the recreational dive training, technical training is a big thing here. There is also an Association of Scuba Service Engineers and Technicians (ASSET) training centre in Jomtien for those wishing to become dive industry technicians, or increase their current level of qualification.

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For more information on Pattaya contact Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel. +66 (0)38 427667.

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