Jomtien and Na Jomtien: what is actually on the water in south Pattaya

Jomtien is searched for more often than Pattaya itself — and almost always as a hotel district. On the map, though, it is two different places: the Jomtien beach strip with the hotels, and Na Jomtien further south, where every wind school in the bay and the marina sit along one kilometre of sand. About twenty minutes of taxi separate them. Below: what is where on the water, and how to get here.

• Three places that go by one name
• How to arrive from the airport and from Bangkok
• What leaves straight from Jomtien beach
• Na Jomtien: boards, wind and hourly rates
• Ocean Marina: charters and the day catamaran
• What time of day to go out

Jomtien, Na Jomtien and Ocean Marina are three different places

Jomtien beach is the long strip just south of Pratamnak hill, with hotels along Jomtien Beach Road. People stay here, and here they board the dive speedboat that leaves straight off the sand. Everything else on the water starts elsewhere.

Na Jomtien is a separate settlement roughly twenty minutes further south down Sukhumvit. It is there, on the Na Jomtien and Na Chom Thian sois, that the beach clubs with boards stand: paddleboards, windsurf, kite and wing-foil. The wind arrives here after midday — which is exactly why the schools grew up on this stretch.

Further south still, at kilometre 157 of Sukhumvit, is Ocean Marina Yacht Club: private yachts and sailing catamarans, a shared day catamaran and sunset charters. Formally this is Sattahip rather than Pattaya, but the marina's operators usually include a hotel pick-up within Pattaya in the rate.

How do you get to Jomtien?

The direct bus from Suvarnabhumi airport to Jomtien bus station runs with the carrier Roong Reuang Coach every hour from 06:00 to 22:00, takes about two hours, and a seat starts at ฿151 (≈ $4). The last departure at 22:00 comes with a caveat: it sets you down at Pattaya bus station rather than in Jomtien.

The same carrier runs from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya bus station from ฿130 (≈ $3.6), also about two hours. From Bangkok the coaches leave Ekkamai, Mochit and Bangna. Tip: if you are staying on Jomtien Beach Road, riding to Jomtien bus station works out cheaper overall than going to Pattaya and doubling back south.

What leaves straight from Jomtien beach?

One boat — but with the shortest run in the destination. The Real Divers dive day starts at the centre on Soi Welcome at 08:45, and the speedboat leaves Jomtien beach at 09:15 — fifty metres away, with no walk through the crowd on Bali Hai pier. The near islands are twelve minutes out, the far ones twenty-five.

Two dives with your own gear are ฿2,700 (≈ $75), with rental gear ฿3,000 (≈ $83); three dives are ฿3,200 (≈ $89) and ฿3,500 (≈ $97). No more than ten divers are on board, four to a dive leader, with lunch and drinks in the price. The coral sites lie off Koh Larn, Koh Sak and Koh Krok; the wrecks HTMS Khram, Kood and Mataphon sit at 22–30 metres and are Advanced only. A hotel transfer within Pattaya and Jomtien adds ฿600 (≈ $17).

Na Jomtien: wind, boards and hourly rates

Amara Watersports — a paddleboard for ฿300 an hour

The club on Soi Na Jomtien 14 has stood on this sand since 1978, and it is run by Amara — formerly Thailand's windsurfer at the 1980 Olympics and a Windsurfer class world champion. The price list fits on one page: a board is ฿300 (≈ $8) an hour or ฿2,500 (≈ $69) for ten hours, and an instructor hour is ฿500 (≈ $14).

There are no membership fees, and showers, changing rooms and the rigging area come with the rental. If the wind does come up, the same rack hands out windsurf kit from ฿500 (≈ $14) an hour and a Hobie Wave catamaran for ฿1,000 (≈ $28).

Clubloongchat — five disciplines from one rack

The neighbouring club on Soi Na Chom Thian 14 is run by one family in its third generation and teaches all five at once: windsurf, wing-foil, kite, sailing a Hobie catamaran and SUP. Lessons are one-on-one. An hour of windsurfing is ฿900 (≈ $25), a day course ฿2,000 (≈ $55), wing control ฿1,200 (≈ $33) and kite ฿1,700 (≈ $47).

Blue Lagoon — kite and wing-foil on flat water

A Kiteboarding Asia lesson at the Blue Lagoon is ฿3,500 (≈ $97) per person for two hours: theory and safety, kite or wing control in the shallows, first water starts and a debrief. Groups run to four, the instructor is IKO-certified, and the radio helmet and all the gear are included. The school names November to March as the main wind season.

Ocean Marina: charters and the day catamaran

Two fundamentally different formats leave the marina. The first is a seat on a shared trip: the 73-foot catamaran Serenity runs 09:30 to 16:30 at ฿2,700 (≈ $75) per person in low season and ฿3,250 (≈ $90) in high, for up to 45 guests. Hotel transfer within Pattaya, the Thai buffet, the marina fee and island entry are inside the rate.

The second is the whole boat. A yacht with a skipper is ฿25,000 (≈ $692) for four hours and up to ten guests; the 41-foot Sea Lord is ฿19,000 (≈ $526) for the morning block and twelve; the sailing Lagoon 440 Marry Merry is ฿39,000 (≈ $1,080) for four hours and up to twenty guests. On both Pattaya Yacht Charters boats, 7% VAT and a ฿200 (≈ $6) guest pass per person sit on top of the boat price.

What time of day should you go out?

At Na Jomtien the day splits in half. In the morning the bay here is flat — that is the window for a paddleboard and for anyone paddling along the shore. After midday the sea breeze arrives, paddling turns into work, and everything that put five schools in a row on this beach begins.