Hi all! I’ve been reading for a while now and found so much information here, it’s unreal! Thank you all so much. I have a few questions though. We’ll be visiting Thailand in a few months and we’re creating a rough itinerary. Pattaya stood out as a very popular place with a gay district so I thought it would be nice to spend a few days there, as it’s close to Bangkok and has beaches. Then I read some horror stories online and I figured it would be wise to directly ask other gay men. Is Jomtien (and Pattaya as a whole) suitable for a couple? Is it safe as a whole? Is Dongtan Beach nice? Can you go to Supertown and have fun without taking a guy home? I know it’s like paradise for single guys, but is it also okay for a couple? I saw temples, restaurants, waterparks, boat trips to nearby islands, tiger parks, elephant parks - all amazing stuff. Is it realistically possible to avoid the crazy parts and enjoy all the rest? Please say yes lol! Thanks a lot!

2 hours ago, BadBuddy said:

 Is Jomtien (and Pattaya as a whole) suitable for a couple? Is it safe as a whole? Is Dongtan Beach nice? Can you go to Supertown and have fun without taking a guy home? I know it’s like paradise for single guys, but is it also okay for a couple? I saw temples, restaurants, waterparks, boat trips to nearby islands, tiger parks, elephant parks - all amazing stuff. Is it realistically possible to avoid the crazy parts and enjoy all the rest? Please say yes lol! Thanks a lot!

YES

now, what couple we are talking about ? you and your boyfriend or you and your girlfriend?  In either case  Pattaya is suitable  but way of operating may be bit different if you are with girl or guy.

Safe, absolutely yes, just don't be stupid like some tourist parading in heavy gold chains inviting trouble.

Dongtan beach is Ok, better than Pattaya beach. it's easy to take day trip to nearby Koh Larn island and there you have even better beaches not no mention water that is clear and more wet  that one in Pattaya.

You can have fun in Supertown, boys will know where short time rooms are if that's what you mean.

For touristy stuff Sanctuary of Truth temple and Noong Noch  tropical gardens are a must .

My partner and I started basing out trips to Thailand in the Jomtien Complex two years before Covid. We like being in an area which is obviously gay and where our presence not unusual....not that we've ever had problems anywhere in Thailand, from Chiang Rai to Krabi.

We like our hotel (The Agate) where the staff treat us like old friends.  The rooms are clean and simple with excellent beds and bathrooms. Two swimming-pools . We like being able to access the beach easily- about seven minutes walk- though neither of us sit or swim there, preferring  to  stroll along the esplanade. In the evening it can have an almost Mediterranean vibe. 

We like the restaurants and recommend Dick's and Sandbar.  If you prefer European cuisine, there are classy establishments in or just outside the Compex.

We enjoy our evening trips to the malls in Pattaya; the baht bus takes twenty or thirty minutes in the evening. We prefer a taxi back; 300/400 baht.

We wouldn't change. We miss the thrill of the old Boyztown but the Complex is often lively and invariably has plenty of handsome guys around. We don't use the bars but  we like to be able to walk through and chat and engage with the staff. A host of massage places. The hotel is always quiet and this is very important to us .

Safe? in my twenty-five years experience, all of Thailand is safe, though I was once threatened by a pack of soi dogs in Chiang Mai. I love dogs so they allowed me to get away safely!

The beach? Mmmm...if you've been to places like the Caribbean , it isn't  a paradise; I habitually, pre-Thailand, stayed in Grenada and it sure ain't that! But it is  clean and there is a gay area where you can order food and drink. Better, in my view, than Pattaya's but not as good as Krabi.

So yes; if like us , you prefer quiet nights and are prepared to make that journey to Boyztown for the scene, and other parts of Pattaya for the malls like the impressive T20 with its one hundred and six  restaurants (literally). I believe you'll be happy in the Compex. .

26 minutes ago, Londoner said:

We enjoy our evening trips to the malls in Pattaya; the baht bus takes twenty or thirty minutes in the evening. We prefer a taxi back; 300/400 baht.

 

I'd suggest you download the Grab app for taxies. It's the same as Uber in other countries. 

Thank you all for the replies! For the record, since someone asked, we’re both guys. It looks like Pattaya will stay in the plan then. We found a beachfront resort in Jomtien, very close to the gay beach actually, looks pretty cool. As for Supertown, I didn’t mean fun as in sex, more like drinking and enjoying the vibes! I watched some videos on youtube and it looks like there are many places in Supertown where you can just sit and drink/eat. Hot guys walking about are a great bonus  When it comes to the touristy stuff, the Sanctuary of Truth, the Noong Noch gardens, the elephant sanctuary, the boat trip to Koh Larn are mentioned everywhere and we’ll definitely check them out. Are there any other day trips you would recommend? Preferably within a one hour radius. Thanks again!

Viharn Sien or Viharna Sien not far from Noong Noch Gardens

read about it here :

https://www.gayguides.com/topic/12542-terracotta-warriors-visit-bangkok/#comment-136925

and you can read my own report from there here ( page 2 day 7 of trip report):

https://www.gayguides.com/topic/12561-chasing-dreams-and-illusions-report-of-august-2019-trip/page/2/

 

11 hours ago, BadBuddy said:

Are there any other day trips you would recommend?

Interested in Buddhism? The Big Buddha temple, with its magnificent view over Pattaya, is only twenty minutes from Jomtien by taxi. It is special place for us because it is where we were given our partnership blessing by the Abbot.

Further away (about an hour) is  the temple and retirement home for monks  called Khao Chi Chan. It has a museum with interesting Buddhist and Chinese artefacts . You can see the face of the Buddha etched into the mountain from miles away.

14 hours ago, vinapu said:

Viharn Sien or Viharna Sien not far from Noong Noch Gardens

read about it here :

https://www.gayguides.com/topic/12542-terracotta-warriors-visit-bangkok/#comment-136925

and you can read my own report from there here ( page 2 day 7 of trip report):

https://www.gayguides.com/topic/12561-chasing-dreams-and-illusions-report-of-august-2019-trip/page/2/

 

Thanks a lot! I read your whole report actually, all pages, it was so interesting and spicy  I mean wow, the things a guy can do in Thailand lol! Will definitely visit Viharn Sien, it’s exactly the type of trips we’re after.

5 hours ago, Londoner said:

Interested in Buddhism? The Big Buddha temple, with its magnificent view over Pattaya, is only twenty minutes from Jomtien by taxi. It is special place for us because it is where we were given our partnership blessing by the Abbot.

Further away (about an hour) is  the temple and retirement home for monks  called Khao Chi Chan. It has a museum with interesting Buddhist and Chinese artefacts . You can see the face of the Buddha etched into the mountain from miles away.

Very much actually! We were looking for partnership rituals in Bangkok, it would be amazing to do a blessing in Pattaya too. I know the saying goes that if the two of you perform a ritual together, you’ll be together in the next life too! Both temples look amazing. Did you need to reserve a blessing from the Abbot before you went? 

In fact, we've had two " events" there. One was when my sister died and I missed the funeral because I was in Jomtien.  P arranged for the Abbot to provide a  service for us, culminating in the presentation  of a silken thread to put around my wrist. An ancient ritual. It serves as a reminder of a lost loved one. I gave it to my niece when I was home.

P is Thai  and a devout Buddhist who did his stint as a monk when he was twenty. He made the arrangements. I suspect that the Abbot would be happy to help you.  He spoke good English and  talked  very kindly to me after the ceremony. Of course, it would be expected that you make a gift to the temple. Our blessing was to be the first stage of our wedding  in Pattaya, which sadly didn't happen owing to bureaucratic complexities.  And so it remains out only formal recognition.  P thinks it is enough.

2 hours ago, BadBuddy said:

Thanks a lot! I read your whole report actually, all pages, it was so interesting and spicy  I mean wow, the things a guy can do in Thailand lol! Will definitely visit Viharn Sien, it’s exactly the type of trips we’re after.

glad you liked it. I posted several trip reports over years, you may glance them over to get some travel ideas in Thailand and nearby countries . Click on avatar , them 'see my activity ' and then 'topics" , you will see few there

Khao Chi Chan

Legend siam

Art in paradise pattaya

Mini siam

Million years stone park

Frost magical ice siam

The Bolt taxi app is better, 100 Baht to the big shopping centres/malls from Jomtien. On Dongtan beach you can look for the sections with Rainbow flags flying in front of them, but all areas are welcoming. I have been living in Pattaya for almost fourteen years and I have always felt safe, the Thai people are always smiling and polite and welcoming. I am sure you will enjoy your time here.

41 minutes ago, Ruthrieston said:

The Bolt taxi app is better, 100 Baht to the big shopping centres/malls from Jomtien.

I had forgotten about Bolt. I just checked my last months in Pattaya and have used bolt almost daily. Grab I only used for food. 

Thank you all for the suggestions, I wrote everything down. Pattaya definitely has a lot to offer!

On 10/4/2025 at 11:19 AM, iendo said:

I had forgotten about Bolt. I just checked my last months in Pattaya and have used bolt almost daily. Grab I only used for food. 

The problem with Bolt, unlike Grab, is that one can't send pictures of one's location to the driver. This was the case in February this year. Grab's navigation tool is far more superior in my opinion and it helps that one can send a picture of a landmark where one is waiting at or a selfie with the landmark in the background to the driver through the app. Moreover, I can use the same app without tweaking in eight countries in the region.

Hi again! I just wanted to thank you all for the great suggestions Pattaya has been really amazing so far, I mean Thailand is something else! The food, the beaches, Koh Larn, Khao Chi Chan, Nong Nooch, The Sanctuary of Truth, and so on, just wow! And of course Jomtien Complex, we went there every night and drank with everyone, very very fun nights! Especially I think it was Gus Bar where we went basically every time, except once when we went to Boyztown to see a show in X-Boys. Definitely more expensive to drink freely there haha but it was worth it. Anyway, thank you again for everything, one night to go and then we’re off to Bangkok tomorrow. Bye all!

On 10/14/2025 at 1:06 AM, mauRICE said:

The problem with Bolt, unlike Grab, is that one can't send pictures of one's location to the driver...

Yes you can, maybe you've got an older version of the App.

Goto to "Chat with driver" option,  and you've got the ability to take and send a photo. Press the camera icon to the left of the message box.

3 hours ago, BjornAgain said:

Yes you can, maybe you've got an older version of the App.

Goto to "Chat with driver" option,  and you've got the ability to take and send a photo. Press the camera icon to the left of the message box.

Thanks for the heads up. The "send a photo" feature wasn't available when I last used the app in February 2026, as I mentioned in my post. I had also confirmed this with the driver at the time. This is a welcome development.

1 hour ago, mauRICE said:

 when I last used the app in February 2026, 

I don't want to be rude but  find it hard to believe. Chances are you started festivities already with gin and tonic ( 100 % of gin and 0% of tonic)

30 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I don't want to be rude but  find it hard to believe. Chances are you started festivities already with gin and tonic ( 100 % of gin and 0% of tonic)

I meant that I last used the Bolt app in February 2025. I've been making plans to go away in February 2026 and maybe that's why I typed 2026. Thanks for pointing it out.

On 12/24/2025 at 11:36 AM, mauRICE said:

that's why I typed 2026. Thanks for pointing it out.

He works on his own future calendar, doesn't need anyone confusing yours with his 😉