Pattaya was one of those places that radiated an aura of mystique to travelers such as myself—who first learned about that resort city through tales of debauchery, mayhem, and smut. It was, as suggested by my preconceived notion, a place composed of an organized chaos of neon lights, lavish adult clubs, and endless cabaret shows that lasted through the morning.
Adventure Cometh and Then Some Beyond the Red Lights of Pattaya
“Shit-pit of Asia”, “world’s largest red-light district”, and as brutally described in Alex Garland’s novel The Beach, “was a hell-hole”. If reputation could kill indeed, then Pattaya alone could butcher an army of thousands. After a couple of trips to that place, I realized—just like Mr. Snow—I knew nothing. There was more to Pattaya than scuttlebutts and western sex tourists’ epic sagas of wickedness.
Past the Smokescreen
I looked at everyone inside our van filled with travel writers to try to unmask who among us would venture along the infamous strip of Pattaya’s red-light districts. “That was what all travelers did there anyway,” I told myself. That was during my first trip to Pattaya, and we had just come from Bangkok after covering a wholesome event graced by Thailand’s tourism poster boy, local actor Mario Maurer.
I ticked off the four ladies in our group and gave them a zero percent chance of desiring to experience the infamous side of Pattaya. As I was about to resign to the thought that I would end up as the only one who would do so, I heard our tour guide telling us about the next day’s itinerary: Floating Market, Frost Magical Ice of Siam, Cartoon Network Amazone, Siriporn Orchid Park, Art in Paradise, Mini Siam, Night Market Walking streets, Silverlake Vineyard, a number of cultural shows, and a list of other good-natured and non-grimy activities.
It dawned on me during the rest of my initial journey to Pattaya that it was a place teeming with family-oriented attractions. Not for one second did we catch a glimpse of the infamous red-light section of the city. Not that I minded; it was just that I finally learned that looking past the notorious mask of Pattaya, one could unearth many reasons to enjoy that place in a more wholesome manner.
To cap my first night in Pattaya, I joined my fellow travel writers in watching a popular Thailand sport and form of martial arts, Muay Thai, where the only red colors I saw were from the blood gushing from the noses of the beaten but courageous fighters.
Pattaya Redux – The Adventure Cometh
My second time to Pattaya gifted me with another set of experiences far removed from the sleazy reputation it had amassed through countless chronicles of sex tourists. Firstly, our group was not one, and secondly, our trip sponsors—AirAsia Philippines, KKday (the leading travel experience e-commerce platform in Asia), and Pattaya Sea Adventure—wanted us to experience the different side of Pattaya: its thriving adventure hub.
With leading Asian budget airline AirAsia then serving direct Manila to Bangkok flights, the location of Pattaya even became an appealing side trip from the capital city of Thailand. A mere two-hour drive brought travelers to that seaside town, which was then undergoing a massive facelift from its old flesh-driven character to burgeoning adventure activities catering to the whole family.
What better way to start our first morning than with a short trip to the bayside to view the countless numbers of parasailing chutes out in the skies over the gleaming waters of the Gulf of Thailand? Little did I expect, the people from Pattaya Sea Adventure had arranged for us to try parasailing. I had tried tandem paragliding before in Cavite and at Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, but flying on a chute on my own and being towed by a motorboat was a new experience for me.
We docked our speedboat on a wooden platform in the middle of the sea, where we saw a queue of people advancing in a clockwork motion like cars in an automobile factory, having their parasailing gear strapped to their bodies and into the chutes themselves. In a span of under a few minutes, I found myself lining up and getting ready to fly.
It happened so fast I only heard one of the crew signal to me to “get ready!” and off I flew into the air. During my previous paragliding experiences, my position was seated, so only my legs were left dangling in the air. That time, though, my whole feet hung in the air, so it brought a different type of flying sensation.
I gathered my bearings just in time to see the motorboat below tugging me turn a corner, and I fixed my sight on the countless circling boats below, the other parachutes flying in the air, and the distant skyline of Pattaya.
The parasailing lasted for one circular lap around the platform where we had launched, at a duration of just under three minutes. Fortunately for me, the crew on the platform failed to catch me on my first landing attempt, thus allowing me another lap of flying in the air.
I finally landed back on the parasailing podium on my second attempt, giving me just enough time—around six minutes of winged time—to fully enjoy the parasailing experience.
Sea Walk
Our next activity reminded me of the Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr. film Men of Honor, about a team of 1950s master divers, because the underwater helmet used during that time almost resembled the ones we wore during our subsurface sea walk.
According to my fellow travel writer, Ferdz of En Route, the helmet weighed thirty-five kilograms. It felt heavy at first, but when I went underwater, it felt lighter, and I only encountered a sudden violent pressure in my ear. I managed to reach one hand under the helmet and into my nose to depressurize, and afterward, I felt alright throughout the whole thing, which lasted under twenty minutes.
I had always wondered about that kind of activity, especially after seeing photos of similar sea walks in Boracay, so I was glad to have finally experienced it.
Koh Larn Island
We spent the rest of the day chilling and doing other water activities such as snorkeling, jet-skiing, and even riding a banana boat at Coral Island, locally known as Koh Larn.
Popular among tourists, Koh Larn attracted more than 3,000 people a day, and that number ballooned to 20,000 during the peak season. When we came, the thick beach crowds were obvious, especially when viewed from Buddha Mountain—where a large golden Buddha statue was erected.
After a sumptuous lunch, we headed to the lesser-crowded Hardtien Beach, which was still part of Coral Island. The snorkeling spot was not as impressive as what we had in Palawan and other parts of the Philippines. Travelers spoiled by the pristine beaches of our country would find Coral Island an average destination where one could just chill with friends.
Beyond the Red Lights
I saw a glimpse of the infamous red-light streets of Pattaya. And after experiencing the other facets of that city, I came to see it as just one fragment of a sum of many things that should not hold anyone back from exploring that city so near to Bangkok.
Running out of time, I was not able to visit the Sanctuary of Truth—a majestic work of architecture consisting of a gigantic temple built with hand-hewn wood carvings. I spent our last morning walking along the bay walk as I watched the people frolicking by the beach. I sat on a bench and bought myself an ice-cold Chang beer. Thirsty from the long stroll, I took a hurried gulp, and as I finished the bottle, I wondered about where mischief reigned in that city.
Experiencing Pattaya on two different occasions had me feeling its other vibes, which were far removed from the image it had infamously—and undeservingly—carried through the years. Beyond the red lights, which in themselves were a fascinating subculture already, Pattaya had other absorbing things to offer.
Pattaya Beyond the Red Lights
AirAsia Philippines then flew directly from Manila to Bangkok daily.
