Thailand is a country of smiles!

It so happened that Thailand was the first foreign country where I went to relax with a friend. Perhaps the best country to relax with friends, be it one person or noisy company, you will not find. No, you can certainly return, saying that Turkey is better. I won't argue. To each his own. But Thailand definitely deserves attention from large and small companies who want to have a pleasant, interesting and informative time. And time (time of year), which is important, does not play any role. Summer, autumn, winter, spring. You can safely go to Thailand in any of the listed seasons. You might ask, what about the rainy season? It's raining, my God. It rains for 20 minutes, everything dries after 5 minutes.

Two more undeniable advantages of traveling to Thailand are the language and cheapness of everything.
Such prices as in Thailand, you will not see anywhere else! Prices are ugly low! :
Do you speak English? Forget about English once and for all. You will never need it in Thailand. 100%. Communicate with Thais in Russian. They understand everything perfectly.

Pattaya.
I draw your attention to the correct pronunciation of the name of the city: Pattaya (emphasis on me)! Only one way or another.

I never regretted that Pattaya was the first Thai city. Although it is a resort, but still a city. There is absolutely everything: mobile carts with food (makashnitsa), beer bars (everywhere and always), massage parlors (almost at every step), huge shopping centers (Central Festival, Royal Garden Plaza, Mike Shopping Mall), etc.

People.
Smiles! Smiles everywhere and always! Thais are so friendly and friendly that you wonder as soon as they do not get tired of everyone and always smile. Try walking through our rough city streets and smiling at someone. Only a finger at the temple will be twisted or sent away, and this is at best. Thais will always come to the rescue and tell you, so it is their business.

However, there is one peculiarity when dealing with Thais: they do not like being shouted at. No one likes to have their voice raised. But it's different with Thais. They just fall into a stupor and stop understanding / displaying anything. After that, talking to a Thai is meaningless.

O Eda
Contrary to popular belief, makashnits can be! Checked! The percentage of poisoning that in makashnitsya, that in cafes / eateries / bars / pubs the same! Therefore, you can safely order soups, side dishes and other dishes from makashnitsa. It's delicious! I recommend it!

I really enjoyed the food at the Central Festival. Large and very tasty portions. Interesting payment system: go to the checkout, throw the desired amount of money on the card (350 baht for two will be enough with your head), choose your favorite cafe, order a dish and pay with a card. If there is money on the card - go to the cash register - there they will be returned to you. And you can not return them when the next time you come here to eat just throw on the same card a new amount.

Cockroaches, grasshoppers and other animals once tried not dared. According to those who tried this delicacy - not disgusting, crunchy, spices there are all sorts, like "Knorr cube". It's up to you to eat or not.

Where to swim
In Pattaya itself, there are two places to swim: the pool at your hotel (one or two, who are lucky) and the city beach, which runs along the entire berg line of Pattaya.

Pros and cons of the city beach

Pros:
proximity of location (relative to the 1st and 2nd beach lines)
- few people (early in the morning, at 6.00-7.00)
- bars/cafes across the road

Cons:
- dirty water (similar to Lake Shartash, if you were in Yekaterinburg)
- passing by dealers of ice cream, fruit and all sorts of utensils (although they do not interfere / bother, but still ...)
- paid rent of a sunbed and an umbrella (100 baht per person; if you lie on your towel, then free)
- a lot of people (day, hours at 14.00-18.00)

However, there is another wonderful place that I highly recommend you visit, and more than once! This is Koh Lan Island. Although guidebooks write that it is small (4 km long, 2 km wide), but tourists will have enough.

There are six equipped beaches (3 large and 3 small), with developed infrastructure, and several wild beaches, without any benefits of civilizations. I'll tell you about the three beaches I've been to.

Tawaen Beach. The largest and noisiest beach of the island. Popular among Chinese (!) and Thai tourists. Lots of shops, cafes, souvenir shops. But! Very crowded and crowded.

Samae Beach. Clean, clear water. White sand. European and Russian tourists predominate. There are few children, so you will not notice the annoying child running. In general, people in moderation. Coffee shops and souvenir shops for Russian tourists are enough. My favorite!

Tien (Tien) Beach. Quiet and calm beach. It's a bit like a little cove. However, the service there is more expensive (compared to other beaches).

To get to a particular beach, upon arrival on the island, you need to use the services of local minibuses - Song Teo (30-40 baht) - or moto-bike taxi (40-50 baht). The cost of a trip, especially on a motorcycle, can vary. That's how you deal with the driver.

How to get to Koh Lan

Three options for your choice: ferry, boat, speedboat.

ferry
Ferries depart from Bali High Pier every hour. Working hours are 6.30am to 18.00pm. On Koh Lan, ferries arrive at the main pier of Naban Pier Island or Tawaen Beach. The last ferries leave the island at 17.30 and 18.30 p.m. Don’t miss your departure time or you’ll have to spend the night on the island! Extreme, but still...! The cost of a one-way trip is 30 baht. Travel time is 60 minutes.

boat
The size of the boat is slightly smaller than the ferry, but a little faster. It also departs from the city pier Bali High Pier as the boat is filled with people. If I'm not mistaken, they drop off passengers on every island. The boat stops about 500 meters to the shore, where you will need to get on a motor boat and already swim to the island. And all the same actions, only in reverse order, you will need to do to sail off the island. The time of arrival and departure will tell you before you board the boat on the city pier. The cost of the trip (in both smtorons) 150 baht. Travel time is 40 minutes.

Speedboat
Speed, speed and speed again! Unforgettable feeling! Leaving the beach near the city pier. The capacity of the boat is approximately 10-15 people. The cost of the entire trip, do not lie, 4000 baht (per boat). Expensive, you say. It's really expensive. But what it is good for: the boat will take you to the island you want to get to, and will wait only for you until you swim in plenty / do not catch fire; well, do not forget about the speed! This baby will take you in a matter of tens of minutes to the island and back.

And a collection of books and articles will not be enough to get a full picture of Pattaya. But it will definitely catch your attention. And every tourist will find here for himself a holiday to his liking, for every taste and purse!