Jomtien

Jomtien (จอมเทียน) is immediately south of Pattaya and is a part of the municipality. Jomtien, like Pattaya, is popular with tourists, but has a significant population of permanent expat retirees and some workers, making it a more sedate alternative.

As with most Thai place and street names written using Latin characters, Jomtien is spelled in a number of ways: road signs usually read Chom Tien or Chom Thian while shops and businesses use Jomtien.

Understand


Jomtien is a quieter suburb of Pattaya where you can find accommodation with an ocean view for less and without constant attention from countless bar girls. It is 10 minutes from South Pattaya on a motorbike taxi over the hill along Thappraya Rd. Thepprasit Rd branches east to merge with Sukhumvit Rd while Thappraya Rd ends at Jomtien Beach where a police box is a local landmark. North of it is Dongtan Beach while Jomtien Beach stretches about 5 km (3 mi) to the southeast.

The beaches in Jomtien are lined with a rather pleasant beach walk shaded by trees in the same style as at Pattaya Beach; there are no beachfront hotels. Unlike at Pattaya Beach the water has not been declared to be hazardous to health. The beaches have sections reserved for swimmers by strings of buoys to keep motorized water sports away. Parasols and beach chairs continue to be a common sight.

The beach is lined mostly with accommodation, shops and restaurants. There is cluster of beer bars near the police box. However, there is a large beer bar complex at Rompho market on Jomtien 2nd Rd which runs parallel with the beach road.

The rather humdrum Wat Mai Hat Krathingthong (วัดใหม่หาดกระทิงทอง) serves the locals' religious needs between Soi 11 and Soi 12 at the beach road.

South of Jomtien beach is the Na Jomtien area which is actually already part of Sattahip and has poorer connections with Pattaya. Many hotels located there confusingly suffix Jomtien to their names. Na Jomtien area has its own beaches and the Ocean Marina Pattaya. Jomtien beach road (officially Jomtien Saineung Rd, i.e. Jomtien First Rd) extends to the north edge of Na Jomtien but public transportation to the area goes via Sukhumvit Rd (Hwy 3).

Jomtien has still many undeveloped plots of land and few tourist attractions while Pattaya and Sattahip have much more. As a result the level of traffic and tour bus numbers are much lower.

Get in
Most buses from Bangkok serve the main Pattaya bus terminal on North Pattaya Rd. Taxis are the easiest option for the onward trip to Jomtien. Songthaews (aka "baht buses", converted pick up trucks with two longitudinal benches in the back) also depart from the bus station and will drop travellers throughout Pattaya and Jomtien for between 20-150 baht depending on the distance travelled. If taking a baht bus it's advisable to know roughly where your intended stop is, as passengers have to push the buzzer to signal the driver to stop.

There used to be two bus terminals in Jomtien. The Soi Chaiyapruek terminal has closed, but the ticket office is still there. The current terminal in Jomtien (near Beach Rd) is the car-park of a small shopping precinct, and a Foodmart Supermarket, opposite Pan-Pan Restaurant. It is a busy junction, arrivals going to Pattaya travel north, and Jomtien to the south. The

If you have very little or no luggage (and don't mind risking your life) motorcycle taxis are plentiful and should cost between 20-100 baht to any destination within Pattaya or Jomtien.

Get around
Jomtien is covered by the Pattaya baht bus network. The baht bus route running in both directions on the beach road is the backbone of Jomtien transportation. In the north the buses turn to Theppraya Road and run to South Pattaya to the intersection of South Pattaya Rd and Pattaya 2nd Rd. Going south some buses loop back at the whim of the driver: some turn back at Chaiyapruek Rd while others push on almost to the end of the 5 km of Jomtien Beach. The fare is 10 baht/person regardless of distance; don't say anything, pay even money and the driver will not complain.

If you are going to Jomtien 2nd Road the best solution may be riding the beach road baht bus to the appropriate soi and then walking the 400 m to the 2nd Rd. Going elsewhere you would need to charter a baht bus with prices starting at 150 baht depending on distance.

Motorbike taxis are available. You can expect to pay 100 baht for a ride to Pattaya. From Beach Road up the soi to 2nd Road a reasonable fare would be 10 baht.

Buy
Thappraya Road has several independent money changers with good rates and a branch of Krungsri Bank with Western Union services on the section from Jomtien Beach to Jomtien 2nd Road. Near the 7-Eleven at the beach corner is a photo shop that provides passport photos as you wait.



Drink
While more subdued than the bar scene in Pattaya, Jomtien has a number of beer bars, a few ordinary bars, and a single go-go bar scattered in the smaller sois off Beach Road or along the main road towards Pattaya. Most of the gay bars and establishments are concentrated within the low-rise Jomtien Complex off Thappraya Road. Prices are generally a little lower than in Pattaya or Bangkok as bars are more reliant on the expat clientèle.



Sleep
There are many guesthouses and apartments/studios up the side streets, the majority being in Soi Watboon, which is alongside The Grand Jomtien Palace Hotel. Expect to pay 750 baht per night in a reasonable guesthouse.

Go next
People looking for more varied and wilder nightlife will head to Pattaya with Walking Street a 10-baht ride away.

Daytime people are likely to take a tour to attractions in Sattahip or Si Racha, or simply take a baht bus to Pattaya.