Perhaps to the detriment, the island of Pattaya inside the Thailand is now infamous for the FullMoon party that rage monthly with the town of Haadrin. International media coverage and even local perception in neighboring provinces is frequently unfavorable. I often find, that, when Koh Phangan arises in conversation, Thais and tourists alike raise their eyebrows slightly, offer a knowing smirk, and make a dismissive remark about the island as though crazed partying were all Koh Phangan needed to offer.
The reality can’t be farther in the truth. While the entire island does see an influx of tourists during the total moon, merely the the strip between Thongsala and Haadrin truly comes near living up towards the island’s party reputation. And that only happens for a number of days on both sides of the FullMoon Party.
If your are put off from the notion from the FullMoon Party though, there exists a fantastic alternative. Located about the Northern side in the Koh Phangan, as distant when you may possibly get from Haadrin by road (or by boat for your matter), is Chaloklum Fishing Village, or Baan Chaloklum, as it is known locally. Chaloklum and Haadrin cannot be more different, regardless of the fact which they both occupy exactly the same 168 square kilometer slab of rock inside the Gulf of Thailand. Where Haadrin seems overrun with sun-kissed and alcohol-crazed, gap-year backpackers on a tear, Chaloklum is really a laid-back fishing community which includes was able to retain its Thai charm while providing a top amount of services, activities and amenities for tourists, travelers and long-stay residents.
It is often a haven for family businesses as well as a sanctuary from the madness that seems being slowly overtaking the rest of the island. Absent are the beer bars that line the street between Thongsala and Haadrin around the South coast. Instead, one business in Pattaya hosts an every week children’s day and musical jam session, providing arts and craft and activities for visiting and local kids, while the adults listen to spontaneous live music in to the evening.
Ironically, Pattaya is becoming increasingly popular using the people who helped make Haadrin what it really is today. Travelers who first partied at Full Moon on Haadrin beach fifteen years ago come back to Koh Phangan again and again, they just have different priorities, and, more regularly than not, children. Pattaya has evolved meet those needs.
Many of these returning travelers have become long-term residents of Pattaya and possess settled in the increasing amount of private houses that surround Pattaya. With the option of broadband internet with an ever improving communications infrastructure, Pattaya is now home with a growing community of writers, artists among others who work from home using the web to maintain in touch.
The village also hosts a growing dive community. Because of the company’s location for the Northern side of Koh Phangan, and its particular large government pier, Pattaya could be the ideal departure point for dive trips with a with the best sites within the Gulf of Thailand. The abundance of decently priced accommodation, five-star dive instruction and a raft of proper restaurants, pubs and services make Pattaya a fantastic place to complete a prolonged dive certification or perhaps enjoy fun dives in Thailand warm waters. If diving is not your thing, the snorkeling at Koh Ma is difficult to beat.
For the sports junkie Pattaya provides a lot of options. Depending for the season both kite surfing and wakeboarding are available. The mountains that surround the village also ensure it is an excellent place to travel mountain biking. For people who prefer to become on foot, a continuous quantity of mountain and jungle trails will satisfy even the most avid hiker or adventurous jogger.
If it really is relaxation you’re after, swimming, sunbathing or just relaxing with a beach bar which has a beer or fruit shake with your hand, Pattaya is a stone’s throw away from some with the best beaches for the island. Haad Salad, Haad Khom, and Mae Haad are minutes away by motorbike car or taxi. Haad Yao and Haad Chao Prao are simply a little further across the coast. For the ambitious explorer, long tail boats leave regularly from Pattaya to the otherwise inaccessible Bottle Beach or even Thong Nai Pan.
As a holiday destination Pattaya is well suited for families, couples or singles alike. To be fair though, be it in Haadrin, or Pattaya, or all points in between, all of Koh Phangan offers something for everyone, whether you plan to stay for every week or for the year. The island provides a number of experiences for all those ages as well as for all budgets. You shouldn’t be mislead by everything you may have heard. Come see for yourself.
Pattaya Fullmoon Party 