Thursday, September 27, 2007

Pattaya Shopping Malls


Air-conditioned malls, superstores and supermarkets are thriving in Pattaya, making it simple for most tourists to find products like those they would encounter back home. Top of the list is Royal Garden Plaza (Beach Road, between Soi Post Office and Soi Pattayaland 1): a gleaming upscale mall with three floors of trendy boutique clothes shops, chain stores alongside chemists and fast food outlets.
Nearby, Mike's Shopping Mall (Beach Road between Sois 11 and 12) is a rather run-down retail labyrinth, featuring shops, a department store, and lots of bazaar stalls selling fabrics, cheap shirts, shoes, belts and souvenirs. Coming soon to an area opposite is 'The Avenue'(Second Road, opposite Soi 11), a swanky street currently being constructed and that's destined to be lined with upmarket boutiques. See 'Malls, Superstore and Supermarkets'for a comprehensive rundown of Pattaya's big league shopping, and where to find it.

What to buy and where to buy in Pattaya Beach


For souvenirs, beach essentials and tack, hit the beachfront stalls which line the southern stretch of Beach Road (south of Central Pattaya Road). Open all day and late into the night, goods here reflect a diverse array of enthusiasms: fake football shirts, surf shorts, bikinis, flick-knives, ethnic crafts, Buddha statues, rude T-shirts, hardcore porn DVDs, stun guns, and even samurai swords.
Here and along nearby Sois, the space not taken up by beer bars, restaurants, banks and convenience stores, is filled by travel shops, tattoo parlours and tailors. Usually loitering with let-me-sell-you-a-cheap-suit intent is a savvy Thai or Indian male vendor with a canny gift for guessing where you hail from and greeting you in your native idiom: “Alright mate!', “G'day!'etc, etc. If you decide to get measured up, go for at least two fittings and don't confuse good price with a good quality end-product.

Everything you need to know about Naklua & Wong Amat


The northernmost tip of Pattaya Second Road, where it meets North Pattaya Road, marks the end of Pattaya Bay and the start of the area known as Naklua. To reach it, just head north from the distinctive dolphin roundabout.
The name means 'salt fields', in reference to the predominant occupation of the area before the rise of tourism 'salt farming.
Today, it still has the air of a village, with some old houses, narrow streets, traditional noodle shops, temples, a fishing pier, and many locals. Slowly that is changing, however, with many condominium blocks now in the area, and lots of hotels and restaurants too.
The area's most distinctive features are definitely its small intimate beaches, including Wong Amat and Naklua Beach, as well as the outdoor architectural museum, the Sanctuary of Truth. With Pattaya largely dedicated to single travellers and couples on package tours, Naklua makes a great alternative for families.

Greater Pattaya City


Greater Pattaya City boasts an abundance of clean, sandy beaches. These are ideal places for simply relaxing on a deckchair or swimming through clear blue waters. However each also has its own unique flavour and appeal. Some like Jomtien Beach are perfect for watersports, while others like Naklua and Wong Amat are serenely quiet, perfect for those seeking solitude.
And then there’s Pattaya Beach. Buzzing and vibrant, this incredibly famous and enduringly popular stretch is a whole different story: a cosmopolitan seafront in which it’s possible to enjoy all of the above, plus pretty much every modern convenience and luxury known to man. World-class shopping, restaurants, clubs, bars and hotels in addition to sun, sand and sea - Pattaya truly has it all!
Discover all you need to know about each beach in these seperate area guides.