Below are your main options for getting around Pattaya, there are safe options and not so safe options, much depends on how brave you are feeling, at the best of times getting around Pattaya can be a little fraught with danger.
Getting around Pattaya by Baht Bus
Baht buses are probably the cheapest and safest way of getting around Pattaya. Blue colored Baht Buses cover West Pattaya, by West i mean west of the main Sukhumvit highway, the road which brings you from Bangkok and the Airport. The Baht Buses have routes covering Jomtien, Central Pattaya and North Pattaya. If you find you are not going where you want to go, it is best to get off and pay the fare, then get on another Baht bus heading in the direction you wish to go. They usually have circular routes around Pattaya, such as Beach Road through Second Road etc. Currently the fare is about ten Baht per person. If you want to hire the Baht bus to take you to a particular destination you must first agree upon a price with the driver to avoid any confusion or possible dis-agreement. Should you have a dispute with a Baht Bus driver, which is not unknown, providing you are sure you are right it is best just walk away.
If you need to travel a short distance on the Highway you will see white Baht Buses which operate generally only on the Highway. On the Eastern side of the Highway, namely East Pattaya you will find red Baht buses, although these do not cover all the roads in that area and are more scarce than in West Pattaya.
Getting around Pattaya by Motorcycle Taxi
This has to be the scariest mode of transport, but very efficient as they can cut through the usually busy traffic. Motorcycle Taxis operate from Stands or Ranks. They are not hard to find, especially around Central Pattaya, there seems to be a stand on every street corner, this usually consists of a simple thrown together shelter or even just a few seats against a wall. Or you can simply flag one down, you can spot them easily, they wear sleeveless jackets, usually red, green or yellow and advertising some establishment such as a hotel or bar on the back. They will usually charge per distance traveled, a short trip will usually cost you twenty Baht. Again it is best to set the price before you get on. By law you are obliged to wear a crash helmet which the taxi rider should provide for you. One note, be careful and don’t be afraid to ask them to slow down, you can tell them “cha cha” which means slow down, and remember to tuck your knees in when they are going between traffic.
Getting around Pattaya by Meter Taxis
A quite recent addition to Pattaya is the Meter Taxi, more often than not a ‘Toyota Corolla’ usually colored green and yellow or red and blue. These are not very common but usually they can be found outside the larger central shopping malls.
Grab Taxi App
The Grab Taxi App lets you book a taxi anywhere in Pattaya, to anywhere else in Pattaya. It’s easy to use, it’s safe, it really does work well, and the app tells you the estimated fare. You can read more about the app and download it to any mobile device from here.
Getting around Pattaya by Shanks’s Pony
You can always walk, but you will find yourself walking in the road or street more often than not due to the congested pavements or the simple lack of a pavement or walkway which make getting around pattaya on foot so difficult. The pavements are usually hogged by food vendors and souvenir stalls who rent or don’t rent a pitch. Be wary of trip hazards such as raised or sunken paving stones, be especially wary of missing manhole and drain covers. Negotiating with a pram or wheelchair is especially difficult and aggravating due to the very high kerbs and electrical posts etc which seem to plonked right in the middle of the walkways. Invariably there are ramps to help you up the kerbs but unfortunately these are usually a poor afterthought.
Related post: Getting To Pattaya