There is no escaping mosquitoes in Pattaya, they are a part of everyday life, a nuisance. The best you can do is to take precautionary measures to avoid being bitten. A mosquito bite can be immensely irritating and there is also the potential risk that a mosquito bite could infect you with one of many mosquito borne disease.
Fortunately Pattaya is not considered a high risk area for mosquito borne diseases, but there are occasionally outbreaks of Dengue fever. Bites from mosquitoes, unless you are unfortunate, will merely be a source of aggravation. When a mosquito bites you it injects saliva through its proboscis, this acts as a anti coagulant and aids the flow of blood, enzymes in the saliva cause an allergenic reaction to the mosquito bites.
You can build up some immunity to this allergic reaction, most long term ex-pats in Pattaya will vouch for this, but newcomers and short stay tourists are more prone to suffering from severe itchiness and in extreme cases blistering and bruising after being bitten by mosquitoes.
Where are mosquitoes in Pattaya?
You will find mosquitoes just about everywhere in Pattaya. Mosquitoes like shade, vegetation and water, and there’s plenty of that in Pattaya.
Mosquitoes take refuge in the shade of gardens, hotel rooms, beer bars, go go bars, restaurants and shopping malls alike. Behind curtains, in the bathroom, on the laundry you hang out to dry, plant pots, behind furniture, under the bed, they seem especially fond of rattan furniture.
Many of the chalet and bungalow style resorts in Pattaya may look nice, set in beautiful tropical gardens with water features, quaint little rooms raised on stilts and surrounded by greenery, but beware these places can be a haven for mosquitoes. The same goes for many open air restaurants set in gardens. Don’t be fooled in to thinking mosquitoes only feed at night, they happily feed throughout the day in any shaded area.
Where to avoid mosquitoes in Pattaya
There are some places in Pattaya where you stand a better chance of not being bitten by mosquitoes, such as air conditioned shopping malls and restaurants. Mosquitoes are subdued by the cold and less likely to feed.
Mosquitoes don’t generally fly very high, so you can avoid them by choosing a high floor at your hotel or condo. Mosquitoes would not usually have reason to fly this high, although, they could be carried up by air currents, or even ride up in the elevator.
How avoid being bitten by mosquitoes in Pattaya
Mosquitoes don’t like wind, if you have a fan in your room, use it, if you don’t then go and buy one. Fans are one of the best defenses against mosquito bites because they prevent the mosquito from landing on you.
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so wear light colored clothes, preferably neutral colors like tan and olive.
wear long sleeved shirts, trousers, and thick socks, not the most comfortable clothing to wear in the Pattaya heat but in the relative cool of the night it’s not so bad, providing your clothes are thick enough the mosquitoes can not bite through them.
Avoid wearing perfumes, colognes, deodorants or anything with a floral smell. Try and shower regularly, mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of sweat, carbon dioxide and lactic acid emitted from your body.
Although largely dismissed by scientists, many people believe there are certain foods which you can eat to avoid mosquito bites. Thais eat a lot of spicy food and in general they don’t seem to bothered by mosquito bites as much as the average westerner, so maybe this is one of the benefits of eating spicy food.
Clear away any thing which can collect water, especially from the garden, back yard, porch and balcony. Any containers or vessels such as plant pots, tin cans, tires, bins, urns and wash basins containing water are a potential breeding area for mosquitoes.
You should check places you might not ordinarily think of, absolutely anywhere water collects. Got a sliding shower door? Check the runner grooves at the bottom of the door. Got a water cooler/dispenser? Check the drip tray, same goes for the drip tray of your crockery drying rack.
Mosquito repellents in Pattaya
There is quite a good selection of mosquito repellents in Pattaya, and they are mainly very effective. Personally, when I go to an open air restaurant or some place where i know the mosquitoes are abundant I use mosquito repellent, just for the peace of mind. Many mosquito repellents in Thailand are natural or contain minimal amounts of DEET. My favourite is Sketolene, other popular mosquito repellents in Pattaya are Autan, Pure Green, Soffell and Pigen mosquito wipes. They are widely available in Pattaya from pharmacies, 7/11, super markets, Family Mart etc.
Despite Pattaya not usually being a high risk area, don’t take mosquitoes lightly. They are after all one of the most dangerous bugs in Thailand.