Where are Naklua and Wong Amat Beach?
You want a calm beach for the children by day and the city a short drive away at night. Then look at Wong Amat Beach in Naklua, the northern part of Pattaya. Naklua lies north of the city centre along Naklua Road in Bang Lamung, Chonburi. The bay runs between the headland of the Sanctuary of Truth and Dara Beach. Hotels often spell it Wongamat.
The area feels different from central Pattaya. Large resorts stand along the beach, with gardens and pools between the towers and the sand. Behind them are quiet residential streets and condos. Small restaurants in Naklua serve fresh seafood at simple tables, a short walk from the big hotels.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, the city's JCI-accredited hospital, is on the Naklua side of town, which reassures families. Central Pattaya, with its shops and nightlife, is a short drive south. Our Pattaya guide covers the whole city and its islands.
Is Wong Amat Beach good for swimming?
Yes. Wong Amat is calmer and quieter than central Pattaya Beach, so it suits an easy swim. The best months are the cool, dry season from mid-October to mid-February. Check the beach flags and watch for jet-skis close to the shore.
Read the flags on the sand each day. Red means the sea is closed to swimmers, and yellow means stay within your depth. Morning is usually the calmest time in the water. From mid-May to mid-October, the rainy season can bring short storms and choppier water. Watch the sky in the afternoon.
For children, the resort pools are the easiest choice in the afternoon. For the clearest water, take a boat to Koh Larn, the island facing Pattaya.
Where should you stay in Naklua and Wong Amat?
The best stays here are Pullman Pattaya Hotel G, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, Cape Dara Resort and Mytt Hotel Pattaya. Pullman suits couples and Centara Grand Mirage suits families. Cape Dara suits a stay with sea views, and Mytt suits a smaller, boutique stay.
Pullman Pattaya Hotel G. On Wong Amat Beach, with 353 rooms and suites, according to Accor. A modern beach hotel for couples and friends.
Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. In Naklua, with 555 rooms and suites, according to Centara. A large resort. Best for families with children.
Cape Dara Resort Pattaya. On Dara Beach at the north end of Pattaya, according to the resort. Best for sea views and a quieter stay, a little apart from the main bay.
Mytt Hotel Pattaya. A smaller hotel in North Pattaya. Best for couples who want a boutique feel close to the beach.
A private villa. A pool villa with staff gives a large family the most space, with a cook and a driver on call. Villa names stay private; we send you the details directly.
For other parts of town, see where to stay in Pattaya for a side-by-side view.
What is the wooden landmark at the end of Naklua?
The Sanctuary of Truth is a huge temple-like building carved entirely from wood, standing by the sea on Pattaya-Naklua Road. Carving work still continues on parts of the building. It is the best-known sight in Naklua and an easy visit from any hotel on Wong Amat.
The museum lists day tickets at ฿500 for adults and night tours at ฿700. Day tours run from 8:20 to 18:00, and night tours from 18:20 to 20:30, according to the museum. It says a visit takes about 2 to 4 hours, including a guided talk of 45 to 60 minutes.
Dress modestly. The museum lends shawls and sarongs against a ฿200 deposit. Visitors must wear a helmet inside, because carving work continues, and drones are not allowed. Go at opening time for the softest light and the fewest people. The night tour is a cooler, calmer way to see the building, and it pairs well with a late dinner in Naklua. Read our Sanctuary of Truth guide for more.
What else can you do around Naklua?
Around Naklua you can eat local seafood, book a spa day, play golf in Chonburi and take a private yacht to Koh Larn. Our advice: mix one active morning with a slow afternoon at the resort, then go out for dinner.
Seafood. Naklua's local restaurants serve fresh fish, prawns and crab cooked Thai style. Moom Aroi in Naklua is one local restaurant we book for you. Go for an early dinner, before the evening crowd.
Spa. The resorts on Wong Amat have their own spas. Book a treatment in the hot middle of the day.
Golf. Chonburi has many courses within easy reach of Naklua. We reserve tee times at the course that suits your game.
Boat days from Naklua. Sail to Koh Larn, the nearest island, where public ferries also call from Bali Hai Pier. A yacht or catamaran with lunch on board is the private way. See our Pattaya yacht charters.
Where to eat and go out near Wong Amat
Near Wong Amat, the best dinners are in the resort restaurants and on beach terraces in Naklua. For beach clubs and rooftops, central Pattaya is a short drive south. Fat Coco, the seafood beach club at A-One hotel in North Pattaya, is close by.
For a rooftop, Horizon on level 34 of Hilton Pattaya serves food from 4 pm to 1 am, according to the hotel. Our guide to beach clubs in Pattaya covers the rest of the coast.
For a late night, licensed entertainment venues in Pattaya, and licensed venues inside hotels, may stay open to 04:00 under Ministerial Regulation No. 3 (B.E. 2566), in force since 15 December 2023. Most bars close earlier. A driver makes late evenings simple, and gets you back to Naklua in comfort.
Naklua or central Pattaya: which suits you?
Choose Naklua for calm, big resorts and family stays. Choose central Pattaya if you want to walk to shops, restaurants and nightlife. Choose Pratumnak Hill for privacy and sea views. All three areas are a short drive from each other, so you can mix them.
- Naklua and Wong Amat: calm beach, large resorts, families and groups.
- Central Pattaya: busy, walkable, close to shopping and nightlife.
- Pratumnak: green hill, quiet coves, couples and long stays.
- Na Jomtien: long beaches and beach clubs in the far south.
How do you get to Wong Amat?
The usual route is a flight into Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok, then a private car to Naklua. Marriott describes Pattaya as about 150 km south-east of Bangkok, a two-hour drive. U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP) is the closest airport and has a private jet terminal.
A chauffeur meets you at arrivals, and we add a private meet-and-assist service we book for you. U-Tapao handles private flights at any hour, with customs and immigration on site, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
Road, air and helicopter options are compared in our Bangkok to Pattaya guide. The Royal Cliff Hotels Group lists a licensed helicopter pad at its Royal Cliff Grand Hotel. From there, a car brings you north to Naklua. If you need a doctor during your stay, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, on Sukhumvit Road on the Naklua side, is JCI-accredited.
Plan your Pattaya stay with Tanner
Tanner plans your Wong Amat stay from landing to the last dinner. One planner holds the right family suite or pool villa and sends a car to meet your flight. We book the yacht day, the tee times and the tables. Our Pattaya staff look after any group size. We also say which rooms look down on the jet-skis. Message us your dates, and the full plan follows.
Example plan. Three days in Naklua. Day one: a car from Suvarnabhumi, about two hours, to a family suite at Centara Grand Mirage. Day two: a morning swim, a yacht to Koh Larn with lunch on board, then seafood at Moom Aroi. Day three: the Sanctuary of Truth at opening time, the spa at midday, and sunset at Horizon on level 34 of Hilton Pattaya.
