4 of us (mid 20's) will be in bangkok mid march and am on the fence about going to pattaya for a full day. we've heard mixed reviews (sleazy vs. fun) about the beach. looking to go just for the experience i guess. shopping, eating, going to the tiffany show and maybe the elephant village for the jungle trek..and maybe Ko Lan island.

how long is the bus ride from bangkok to pattaya? and would the weather be amazing enough to go to a beach area to enjoy?

so the question is: pattaya or no beach at all..??

thank you.

Pattaya by bus is around two hours. For four people, you might look at a private transfer (Image Limousine, AAC, etc.) It will probably still be more expensive than the bus, but you can set your own schedule.

It sounds like you're not planning on spending the night, and if so, that would severely limit your schedule. Most boats to Koh Larn leave in the early morning - like 8:00 a.m. I'm sure you could find a speedboat to take you there later, but then the place will be packed. I went past it on a dive boat in December, and the island looks over-run.

There are elephant rides at Pattaya, but there's no jungle. As for the Tiffany show, you can see Calypso in Bangkok, and for me, if you've seen one lady-boy show, you've seen them all.

If you really want some beach time, then go to Pattaya, but don't plan anything else. Head down to Jomtien, plant yourself on Dongtan beach, and the shopping and food will come to you. The beach stalls start to close around 5:00 pm so you can stick around for dinner or head back to Bangkok.

Stay at least one night and catch the Tiffinay Show - it is great fun.

Just wanted to add another idea since you're interested in visiting an island near Pattaya.

Koh Larn is too crowded with tourists and full of touts and the corals are long gone. Try chartering a speedboat and buy supplies(drinks, food etc) and head off to Koh Phai. Once there just look for a nice deserted beach and enjoy. Weather should be blistering hot during the day and usually there's a nice breeze for March.

Another alternative to Koh Larn, if you're going on a weekday, is Haad Nang Ram, about 45 minutes past Pattaya. There's some really good snorkeling here, and a few food stalls near the entrance that will deliver to you on the beach. On weekdays it's deserted, but on weekends there can be a lot of Thais.

However, in this case, you really will need to rent a van or other transportation, which you might as well take for the day to get you from Bangkok and back.