Travel to Pattaya with Kids – May 2012 8


Lewis had just turned 4 when we headed for our first family trip to Thailand.  We had decided to venture to Pattaya with a kid.

I know it’s not a typical family holiday destination, but stay with me. 

We were in the packed car by 5am heading for the airport.  After check-in we made our way upstairs and followed our airport ritual.  We bought a coffee and completed our immigration/customs cards and then Steve and I debated when we should make our way through customs and security.  I like to go early, he would rather wait until the last moment.  Anyway we finally got there with enough time to quickly visit duty free and get Lewis to run about.  Poor Lewis did not have the best flight as he was sick a couple of times; I don’t know if it was excitement (he had been organising his packing for weeks) or an upset stomach.  On the plus side Steve and I got to watch 3 movies each in peace.

At Bangkok airport we were collected by our driver and made the 2 hour drive down to Pattaya.  The roads were amazing.  The 4-5 lane free-way was busy the entire trip, yet the traffic flowed smoothly at about 120km/hr.

In Pattaya with Kids

We arrived at the Grand Centara Mirage Resort at about 6:30pm.  Whilst our check-in went smoothly we had a bit of a rocky start.  We got to our room which was very nice with a lovely view of the pool and sea from the large balcony, however we had booked a roll-away bed for Lewis and this was not set-up and upon looking about the room we were missing a kettle and towels.  I called housekeeping straight away and we headed off for dinner.

Pattaya with Kids

View from our room

As it was our first night in Pattaya and it was already dark, we opted to eat in-house and chose the Italian Restaurant.  This turned out to be a big mistake!   All we wanted was a quick pizza for Lewis and a pasta each for us.  The staff would not leave the table with our order until we had also ordered an entrée (in hindsight we should have got up and left now).  So we ordered the unwanted entrée which took a while to be delivered.  Lewis had already received his pizza.  Then they would not clear the entrée and order our main meals.  We had to start yelling to get action.  So unpleasant!  When we finally returned to our room it had still not been set up.  So more yelling and we finally got action.  We fell asleep hoping the it was going to get better from here.

We woke up the next morning and made our way to breakfast and were seated out on the terrace with the nice breeze cooling us while we ate a leisurely breakfast.  We are now on holiday and things are good.  We went out exploring after breakfast and walked up to Beach Road and past the Dolphin roundabout.  We passed shops, bars, restaurants and day spas.  Whilst the roads were busy it still had a relaxed holiday spot feel.

We then headed back to the hotel for a swim and this was where we spent every afternoon.  The pools at this hotel were amazing and this was why we chose to stay here.  There was a lazy river with waterfalls to pass through (inner tubes provided), 2 large fast slides, 4 children’s slides and a selection of small slides.  Then of course there was the children’s pools, multi-use pool with diving platform and 2 adult only pools.   Oh where to start???

To see more of the great features the Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya offers click HERE.

Pattaya with Kids

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I have to admit we really didn’t do much on this holiday beyond eat, swim and catch a couple of movies on the cable TV.  Oh I did read my book as well.  So so busy we were!

At night we ventured out of the hotel to find a restaurant to eat.  The streets were easy to navigate with the pram – so glad I took it after much debating with myself.  The Thai people are, as always so friendly and especially so with children, even the working girls.  (For those of you who don’t know Pattaya had traditionally been a destination for men looking for a bit of company.  However that is starting to change and Pattaya is now trying to attract the family market.)

During our strolls back to our hotel we got a glimpse of what the night life would become in the wee small hours with the girls having started work, yet it wasn’t over the top and in your face.  All good for a bit of a laugh.

After 6 days of relaxation we checked out and were driven the 2 hours back to Bangkok and to our hotel the Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square.

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About Sally-Ann Brown

I am Sally-Ann the author of Toddlers on Tour. I am a wife and mother who has always had a passion for travel. I love sharing my experiences and lessons learned to help you have a better family holiday or day trip. Read "All About Me" under the "Home" tab to discover my story and what lead me to here.

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