Is Pattaya a good place for a family vacation?. Yes, Pattaya is a great place for a family vacation. Are there family friendly hotels in Pattaya?. Yes, Pattaya has more family hotels, resorts and accommodation than you might ever imagine. Is there much to do for families and children in Pattaya?. Yes, that’s why Pattaya is becoming increasingly popular as a family holiday destination.
I’m going to give you a few helpful tips on finding and booking the best family friendly hotel in Pattaya, to suit YOUR needs.
First, let’s alleviate any fears or reservations you might have about taking your family to Pattaya for a vacation or stay.
They say don’t go to Pattaya with children
I say that’s a bit of a sweeping statement, spoken with reference to Pattaya’s nightlife scene. But you’re not taking your children to Pattaya to enjoy the nightlife, are you?. Most of Pattaya’s nightlife is zonal – anything not suitable for children goes on behind closed doors, and it’s easy enough to avoid.
Is Pattaya’s nightlife in your face?. You’re probably worried about what your children are going to see in Pattaya. So, exactly what are they going to see?. You will most likely pass beer bars in most areas of Pattaya, you can’t avoid them really, there will be predominantly male customers sitting at the bar – drinking beer – chatting to the female waitresses – perhaps playing a game like Connect 4 – or enjoying the popular pastime of watching life go by.
At night time on Walking Street, and Soi LK Metro to a lesser extent you’re bound to notice huddles of scantily dressed girls outside go-go bars, holding placards advertising happy hour beer prices inside.
Don’t take your kids to this place in Pattaya: One place which is a little bit in your face, both night and day is Soi 6. When I tell you it is appropriately nicknamed “Soi Sex” you will get the idea. It’s a pretty lewd street.
If I told you Pattaya is not going to be half as bad as what you expected, I really believe that would be your departing thought. I may be a little biased after spending 17 years raising my own children in Pattaya, but I think I’m also qualified to say “Pattaya really is not that bad” and that Pattaya is perfectly suitable for children.
Family Friendly Areas in Pattaya
These areas of Pattaya are recommended for families because they are considered safer or more suitable for families and children, mainly because they are a suitable distance from the nightlife and hustle and bustle of downtown Pattaya.
The areas listed below are the easiest places to find a family friendly hotel. There’s no need to worry about nightlife here, so I will just leave a direct link to HotelsCombined hotels in the area.
Family Hotels in Wongamat & Naklua
Naklua and Wongamat are the most recommended areas for a family vacation in Pattaya. The area is relatively quiet and tranquil yet still has lots of amenities and restaurants. Besides 4 and 5 star beach-front resorts including Pattaya’s showpiece family friendly hotel the Centara Grand Mirage beach resort with it’s own water them park, there is family friendly accommodation in every price range around the Naklua and Wongamat areas.
Click on the link to browse hotels in Naklua.
Click on the link to browse hotels in Wongamat.
Family Hotels in Pratumnak
The Pratumnak area of Pattaya (see image below) is commonly known as the hill, and is basically the hilly area overlooking Pattaya which divides Pattaya and Jomtien. Landmarks in the Pratumnak area include the Buddha On The Hill and Pattaya Viewing Point. The area also boasts Pratumnak Beach, Cosy Beach and Asia (Hu Kwang Bay) Beach. Having no major nightlife zones, this a safe area to book accommodation according to your budget and requirements.
Pratumnak Hill Pattaya.Click on the link to browse hotels in Pratumnak.
Family Hotels in Jomtien & Dongtan Beach
The only thing Jomtien lacks is shopping malls and associated entertainment like cinema and tenpin bowling. What nightlife there is in Jomtien is limited to a sprinkling of shop-house type bars and a couple of beer bar complexes. There’s lots of hotels and guest houses to choose from in Jomtien, 5 kilometers of beach, and Pattaya Water Park is within easy walking distance of Jomtien Beach. Again, you are quite to safe to book any suitable accommodation in Jomtien without having to worry about being close to nightlife zones.
Dongtan Beach: also spelled Dong Tarn, is actually a continuation of Jomtien beach, between Pratumnak and Jomtien. And it’s this stretch of beach which is home to Pattaya Park.
Click on the link to browse hotels near Dontan Beach
Click on the link to browse hotels in Jomtien.
Na Jomtien Family Hotels
Na Jomtien Beach actually stretches a few kilometers between Jomtien and Bang Saray. The Na Jomtien area is home to Cartoon Network Amazone Water Park, Mimosa City of Love and Nong Nooch Gardens among others. There’s some gorgeous beach resorts, a handful of condos, beach bars and restaurants along this stretch of beach. In my opinion this is one of the best maintained beaches in the Pattaya area, water quality is still not great but the beaches are quite lovely. And of course you are well removed from, but conveniently close to Pattaya, making it a perfectly safe family getaway.
Click on the link to browse hotels in Na Jomtien
Family Friendly Hotels for Large Families in Pattaya
I’ve picked out a few hotels more suitable for large families in downtown Pattaya, Wongamat – Naklua, and Jomtien. They all have large family rooms or suites. They have a significant number of good reviews by families, and they are conveniently located.
Hotels for large families in Pattaya
Pattaya Hotels with Kid’s Clubs and Babysitting Services
Kids clubs and babysitting services are great, right?. But are they free – and exactly what do they provide. I put some effort into getting the important information. I emailed the most popular Pattaya hotels with kids clubs and babysitting services to ask what they charge – what’s free – what time they open – what age ranges do they cater for and what activities they provide.
Pattaya Hotels with Kids Clubs and Babysitting Services
Top User Rated Hotels in Pattaya
I used review scores to find a small selection of the best Pattaya family hotels by family review ratings.
Top Rated Family Hotels in Pattaya
Downtown Pattaya Family Friendly Hotels
Downtown Pattaya is the area between North Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road, and including Walking Street. This is where all Pattaya’s main nightlife zones are located. And this is where you might need a little help choosing a family hotel a safe distance from the nightlife spots. With that in mind I’ve hand-picked a selection of hotels and “residence type” accommodation in “family” safe areas.
Just click on the links to view the hotel information and compare prices on HotelsCombined. All the hotels below have a significant number of positive reviews by families with children.
Pattaya family vacation rental homes, condos and apartments
What you might term “alternative accommodation” in the form of privately owned homes and villas, apartments and condos are very abundant in Pattaya. They make a perfect private family retreat, and large multi bedroom villas and homes are sometimes the perfect solution for groups and families with lots of children.
But a word of warning about privately owned vacation rental properties in Pattaya: I haven’t heard of any problems relating to home and villa style accommodation, but if you’re considering an apartment or condo for your family vacation or stay in Pattaya, you need to choose carefully.
The legality of short term (less than 30 days) vacation rental accommodation in Thailand is at the least, a grey area: This could potentially result in you being denied access to the building, or being made to feel a little unwelcome. For anyone looking to rent a condo on a short term basis, the reality is some buildings (meaning the building’s committee and occupants) are more welcoming than others.
Do your research before renting short term: Once (if) you learn the name of the building you can perform a Google search for the name of the building, plus various terms such as – denied access – short term rentals not allowed, and so on.
More helpful resources for your family vacation in Pattaya
First Time in Pattaya Tips & Tricks
Best Rated Things to See and Do in Pattaya