Pattaya neighborhoods for wintering: Jomtien, Pratumnak or Wongamat - where to rent a condo for 1-3 months
Which part of Pattaya to choose if you are spending the winter here for the first time: we compare Jomtien, Pratumnak and Wongamat by beaches, noise, condo prices and getting around.
Pattaya neighborhoods for a winter stay come down to three things: what kind of beach you want, how much noise you can live with and how often you plan to go to other parts of town. In short: Jomtien is a long beach with everything at hand, Pratumnak is a quiet green hill between two beaches, and Wongamat is the calm north with high-rises and higher prices. Below we break down each area so that on day three of your winter you don't feel like packing up and moving.
First, timing. From November to February Pattaya is dry, the sea is calm and the city runs at full capacity. Decent condos for 1-3 months start getting snapped up in October, so pick your area in advance, not on the spot with a suitcase in hand.
Jomtien: a long beach and life without a bike
1. Beach - about 6 kilometers along Jomtien Beach Road. There is room even in January, and the bay is not packed with pleasure boats the way it is downtown.
2. Amenities - cafés, massage and a 7-Eleven on every corner, a night market by the beach and the big Thepprasit market on weekends. Russian is heard everywhere, and menus in Russian are common.
3. Transport - songthaew pickups run along the beachfront to the center, so you can easily live here without a bike.
4. Downsides - the area is big and mixed. Buildings on Thappraya Road sit on a noisy street, the beachfront is crowded in the evenings, and in winter, when the wind picks up, kitesurfers take over the water. A quiet beach at sunrise is not what Jomtien promises.
One-bedroom condos in Jomtien in our catalog start at 13,000 baht, usually around 15,000-16,000. Sea-view units in beachfront towers go for 40,000-60,000. For a family with kids, take a look at a one-bedroom in Grande Caribbean with a lagoon pool and water slides for 20,000 baht: you won't get the kids out of the water, and that's good news.
Pratumnak: a quiet hill for those who came to live, not to party
1. Location - a hill between central Pattaya and Jomtien. Walking Street is a couple of kilometers away, Jomtien the same, and at night you hear cicadas, not karaoke.
2. Beaches - small and cozy: Cosy Beach and little coves under the cliffs. Great for swimming, but you won't get five-kilometer walks along the water.
3. Atmosphere - lots of greenery, low-rise condos of about 8 floors, a viewpoint over the bay and the Big Buddha temple on the neighboring hilltop. People who have wintered here once tend to come back year after year.
4. Downsides - a hill is a hill. Walking up in the heat is no fun, and songthaews rarely go up. Without a bike or a Bolt or Grab taxi it gets dull.
Pratumnak is the most affordable of the three: one-bedrooms in the catalog start at 12,000 baht, usually around 15,000. For example, a one-bedroom in Aurora Pratumnak 300 meters from Cosy Beach for 14,500 baht, with a pool and gym in the building.
Wongamat: the calm north with a view of the bay
1. Beach - Wongamat is in the north of the city, in the Naklua area. The beach is shorter than Jomtien's, surrounded mostly by residential complexes and hotels, and quiet in the evenings.
2. Amenities - Terminal 21 and Central Marina malls are nearby, plus the Naklua fish market with seafood straight off the boats. At the northern edge stands the Sanctuary of Truth, a huge wooden temple under construction since 1981.
3. Housing - high-rises with rooftop pools and bay views. Looks impressive, costs accordingly.
4. Downsides - Jomtien is about 12 kilometers away across the whole center, which takes half an hour or more at rush hour. If you plan to head south every day, it gets old fast.
Wongamat is the priciest of the three: one-bedrooms in the catalog start at 15,000 baht, usually 19,000-20,000. A good example is a one-bedroom in Riviera Wongamat Beach by the beach: 22,000 baht a month on a six-month lease.
What to check in any area before you pay
1. The listed price is almost always for a long lease, a year or six months. For 1-3 months in high season owners ask more, so confirm the price for your dates before buying tickets. We collected the numbers on extra costs and bills in our breakdown of how much it costs to rent an apartment in Pattaya for a month.
2. Look not only at the apartment but at the street in the evening. A quiet lane at noon can easily turn into a bar with live music by ten at night.
3. Check the air conditioner. January days hit +30, and an AC that roars like a jet taking off will ruin the whole winter.
4. Ask what is within walking distance: a 7-Eleven, a pharmacy, a fruit stall. In Pratumnak and Wongamat this decides how many times a day you start the bike.
Getting around between areas
Whichever area you choose, sooner or later you'll want to visit the next one: the market in Jomtien, sunset on Pratumnak, Terminal 21 up north. For a winter stay the most convenient option is a bike for the whole period: a Honda Click 125 for 3,000 baht a month works out to about 100 baht a day, cheaper than one taxi ride across town. By law you need a license with category A and an international driving permit: without them you get fined at checkpoints, and insurance won't pay after an accident. No license? Choose Jomtien, where you can walk everywhere or take a songthaew.
Cheat sheet
1. I want a long beach, markets and life without a bike - Jomtien.
2. I want quiet, greenery and I'm fine riding a bike - Pratumnak.
3. I want a high-rise with a view, the calm north, and the budget allows - Wongamat.
All condos with prices and photos are in the housing rental catalog. Message right from the listing and confirm the price for your dates before the best options for the season are gone.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to write.