Thailand is a little under 12 hours away from Europe, making it the destination of many European holiday goers seeking some tropical weather at affordable prices. Bangkok airport is pretty big with very good connections to other parts of the country.
The Mövenpick Hotel Na Jomtien near Pattaya is a couple of hours away from Suvarnabhumi Airport and this article will hopefully help you decide whether to stay here or not during your next trip to Thailand.
Mövenpick Hotel Na Jomtien Near Pattaya
My destination was Pattaya, south of Bangkok Airport, where I spent a weekend at the local Mövenpick Hotel in Na Jomtien. Pattaya is two hours away from Bangkok Airport by an air-conditioned bus and the operators can arrange hotel drop offs for an extra fee.
If you have the money, you can also take a taxi for about 20-30 euros each way although the bus will only cost three euro and take the same time. I arrived in Pattaya just after sunset and made my way to the Mövenpick straight away using a local Tuktuk.
My Room At The Mövenpick Na Jomtien
My room at the Mövenpick Na Jomtien was on the 26th floor, which in fact was a suite with a jacuzzi, a balcony, a huge double bed, a shower and a mini bar plus a flat screen TV.
I especially loved staying on the balcony, admiring the amazing views over the bay and Pattaya’s skyline in the distance. In the end, I decided to have a cup of the on the balcony, soaking in the sun and the stunning views.
The room was pretty huge, with big floor to ceiling windows, a balcony, a desk to work and of course the mega large bathroom. Although I planned to use the jacuzzi in the bathroom I ended up not using it as there was a large swimming pool downstairs and I saw now point filling the bathtub up.
I quite liked some of the quirky ideas in the bathroom, like the clothes line in the shower which came in handy after I came upstairs from the swimming pool – all wet!
My favourite part of the bathroom was the shower which had a large shower head, pouring the hot water over my body as if it was pouring tropical shower in the rainforest…!
The Cocktail Bar At The Mövenpick Na Jomtien
The cocktail bar at the Mövenpick in Pattaya was amazing, with the bartender creating some amazing drinks in front of my eyes. I had a mango cocktail with some rum and vodka which was absolutely delicious!
Breakfast was served in the third floor club lounge where I had access with my special voucher that also included afternoon tea and the cocktail hour in the evening for 700 baht.
The breakfast was super tasty and the views were absolutely stunning over the sea and the nearby skyscrapers. I had miso soup for breakfast followed by cereals and some danish pastry.
The Swimming Pool At The Mövenpick Na Jomtien
After breakfast I headed down to the swimming pool which was open from 7AM to 9PM. There were lots of locals at the pool and the beach was also just a few meters walk away.
The Mövenpick is also next to the local yacht club and other upmarket hotels in a district called Na Jomtien, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Pattaya by taxi.
There was also a park nearby and some smaller restaurants along the beach, so it was the perfect location for some weekend relaxation.
The Balcony And The Afternoon Tea
Since my room had a balcony I thought it was only fair to have a cup or tea, soaking in the sun and enjoying the panoramic views.
After the tea on the balcony I headed down to the swimming pool again for a bit of fun then came the afternoon tea with cakes and sandwiches.
I then spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, playing in the water and sliding down the slides.
The cocktail hour actually lasted for two hours and included some food and soft drinks as well. I thought it was a pretty good deal especially that the cocktails were pretty much inlimited within those two hours. I had the Henessy cocktail twice and then a Long Island Ice Tea.
Pattaya Nightlife
After sunset I got in a tuktuk and went to check out the nightlife in Pattaya. Downtown Pattaya is full of bars, clubs and other entertainment businesses, mainly catering for the tourists.
It first became famous when the US Gis started coming here to take a break from the Vietnam war and fell in love with the beatiful surroundings.
There is everything here for all interests, be it straight, gay, transvestite and anything in between as long as it is legal.
Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens
Pattaya is also famous for the Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens, which is about 20 minutes by taxi from the Mövenpick Hotel.
Nong Nooch is a private park with access for tourists for 500 baht. Here you will find lots of elephants, tigers, statues and temples as well as a massive outdoor life size dinasour display.
For me the most interesting bits were the huge bugs and dinasours because walking among them I could imagine what it might have been like when they actually inhabited this planet.
The massive Buddhist temple at the center of the park was also quite fascinating with the French garden right next to it.
Tiffany’s Show In Pattaya And The Alcazar
On my last night in Pattaya I visited both of the most famous drag theaters, one of which is the Tiffany’s and the other is the Alcazar.
My personal favourite was Tiffany’s as I could tell people were enjoying themselves and the actors were all fully involved and seemed to love doing it.
In contrast, the Alcazar was half empty and the dancers all seemed tired and bored out of their minds. I did not enjoy the Alcazar at all but the memories from Tiffany’s will stay with me forever!
The next morning, with a heavy heart, I took a bus back to Bangkok Airport and then the train to downtown Bangkok where I spent the next four days. I really enjoyed my stay in Pattaya so if you are planning a business trip to Bangkok make sure you turn it into a holiday by staying in Pattaya for a weekend!
It is only a couple of hours by bus from the airport by direct transportation and the hotels are not extortionate but most of them offer luxury service.
