Hi there, welcome to the forum!
The distance between Bangkok and Pattaya is about 149 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 2 to 3 hours, depending on the traffic encountered during that day.
1. Reaching Pattaya by Flight from Bangkok
The nearest airport to Pattaya is the Utapao International Airport. It is located about 40 kilometres away from Pattaya. The airport also receives international flights from China, Malaysia and Singapore. However, journey duration for many flights exceed the road travel journey from Bangkok to Pattaya and hence air journey is not that recommended. You would pay more and in a sense, you have to wait longer because there's a stopover in Phuket. With road journey, if you do not take any stopovers, you can reach Pattaya in a shorter time. But for your convenience, I'd still post some flights here from Bangkok to Utapao International Airport.
Flights from Bangkok to Utapao International Airport (Bangkok Airways)
| Airline and Number | Departure Time (Bangkok) | Arrival Time (Phuket) - Layover Time | Departure Time (Phuket) | Arrival Time (Utapao) | Fare |
| PG0924 | 12:30 | 13:55 - 1 hour & 15 minutes | 15:10 | 16:50 | ฿ 11,695 |
| PG0129 | 8:30 | 9:35 - 1 hour & 35 minutes | 11:10 | 12:25 | ฿ 14,625 |
| PG0123 | 8:10 | 9:15 - 1 hour & 55 minutes | 11:10 | 12:25 | ฿ 14,843 |
| PG283 | 9:10 | 10:35 - 4 hours & 35 minutes | 15:10 | 16:50 | ฿ 6,020 |
| PG275 | 10:00 | 11:25 - 3 hours & 45 minutes | 15:10 | 16:50 | ฿ 6,020 |
As you can see, flights from Bangkok to the Utapao International Airport are quite expensive. While the cheaper flights are between ฿ 6,020 to ฿ 6,800, there's a long layover at the Phuket International Airport. There are layovers that are not that long, less than two hours, but these flights cost quite a lot ranging from ฿ 11,695 to ฿ 14,850. And still, the flight duration in total is more than by road journey.
At the Utapao International Airport, there are plenty of transfer counters that can book you a ticket for a bus to Pattaya. A shared mini van costs ฿ 250 per person and can seat up to six persons. If you'd like, you can also hire a taxi to take you to Pattaya, but the cost is higher at about ฿ 400 to ฿ 600 for a one-way trip.
2. Reaching Pattaya by Bus from Bangkok
There are three main bus terminals in Bangkok and all these terminals have buses directly plying to Pattaya. Fares are very minimal and you can reach Pattaya in about two to three hours. Bus frequency is also good but they don't really have fixed schedules. For your convenience, here are the details about these bus terminals in Bangkok:
Different Bus Stations in Bangkok with Buses Plying to Pattaya
| Bus Terminal Name | Address | First Bus | Last Bus | Frequency |
| Eastern Bus Terminal | Khwaeng Phra Khanong, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand | 5:00 | 23:00 | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Northern Bus Terminal | No. 2 Kamphaeng Phet Road, Lat Yao, Khet Chatuchak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10900, Thailand | 4:30 | 22:00 | 30 to 40 minutes |
| New Southern Bus Terminal | Bangkok, Phetchaburi 10170, Thailand | 8:00 | 16:00 | Every few hours |
These are all the bus stations in Bangkok which have buses going to Pattaya. The most preferred terminals are the first two, the Eastern Bus Terminal, also known as the Ekamai Bus Terminal, and the Northern Bus Terminal, also known as the Morchit 2 Bus Terminal. Fares range from ฿ 108 to ฿ 150 so it is very cheap. These buses also stop at the Bangna Bus Stop so you can reach that bus station too. But if you would like to choose your seat, then it's better to choose one from the first two bus stations. These buses would drop you off directly at the Pattaya Bus Terminal, which is about 4.7 kilometres away from Pattaya Beach.
3. Reaching Pattaya by Train from Bangkok
At present, there is only one direct train from Bangkok to Pattaya. Journey duration is around four hours and there is only one class of seat on the train, which is third class. However, the fare is very minimal and you can enjoy the views along the way. Here are some information about the train journey:
Direct Train from Bangkok to Pattaya
| Train Type and Number | Departure Station - Time | Arrival Station - Time | Fare (Third Class Only) |
| Ordinary Train No. 283 | Hua Lamphong Railway Station - 6:55 | Pattaya Railway Station - 10:34 | ฿ 31 |
The Pattaya Railway Station is about 5.2 kilometres away from the Beach Road. There is also one train going back to Bangkok from Pattaya, if ever you need to reach back Bangkok from it.
4. Reaching Pattaya by Hired Taxi from Bangkok
Since the distance between the two is not that huge, you can also opt to just hire a taxi from Bangkok to take you to Pattaya. Smaller taxis cost around ฿ 1,200 to ฿ 2,000. Bigger taxis, like an Innova or Xylo, cost around ฿ 1,600 to ฿ 4,000. These rates are for one-way trips only though.
I hope this helps you!
