Jomtien Beach Road

After a quiet September and October, Jomtien Beach Road is starting to get busier. The Russian tourists are arriving in volume, and the weekend Thai visitors from Bangkok are taking up the parking spaces off Jomtien Beach Road.

The weather was a little rainy for a couple of weeks in the last month or so during the quiet season, but the sun is once more out again, the businesses are dusting down and cleaning up their store fronts, and Jomtien Beach is back on the list of top destination spots in Thailand. 

If you decide to visit Pattaya or Jomtien. Drive safely, drink responsibly and enjoy your stay.

Welcome.

Jomtien Beach Fishing Boats

Every day, particularly towards the Southern end of Jomtien beach the Thai fishermen gather to sort through their nets, refuel and prepare their boats around 4 pm in the afternoon. They're night fishermen so they set off towards the horizon and many can often be seen from afar throughout the night, by the neon lights they use to attract the squid.

Even during stormy weather the fishermen are to be found at work. They have been seen to scuttle back to safety at three in the morning in order to avoid a particularly savage storm, but invariably the Jomtien fishermen and women can be found coming towards shore between 7 and 8 am. 

During this time locals gather to buy fresh fish, crab and squid. If you really feel like eating al fresco there's a steamer available in some spots to eat the delicious seafood straight from the Gulf of Thailand. The boats above are mainly crab and fish as they do not have the booms that support the neon lights for squid fishing, and they somewhat smaller.

If  you do decide to sample Jomtien Beach seafood fresh from the sea don't feel shy to barter( in a friendly manner or you wont succeed) or just wait a little while to see what price the locals are paying. The word for a kilo is 'lo'. 

Lo nung is one Kilo, Kreung lo is half a kilo and Song lo is two kilos.

Jomtien Beach

Jomtien Beach (and Jomtien Beach Road) runs roughly from North to South, though if you like a more accurate picture, the beach runs on a a slight diagonal stretching North West to South East (or vice versa). It's about 3 Kilometres long and is a classic golden sandy beach with waters that have relatively safe currents. Safety swimming areas are provided at regular intervals with buoys and ropes used to create large rectangular sections to provide protection for weak swimmers.

Roughly speaking Jomtien beach starts around Thap Phraya at the top and goes all the way to Chomtien (alternative spelling) soi 19 for all your short or long stay, living, swimming, beach activities, bars, shops and restaurant needs. The North end of Jomtien beach is the busiest area as it is closest to Pattaya. The southern end is more quiet with increased local Thais and less Westerners present, though it still has good hotels and seafood restaurants available along with 7-Eleven or FamilyMart convenience stores.

At the Northern end there are more bars to be found, including Thai girly bars and a solitary though quite enjoyable Go-Go Bar. Other bars can still be found along the way to the southern end of Jomtien beach road, although this diminishes into more regular bars and restaurants with a more distinct Thai clientèle at the very end.

Jomtien beach is a growing favourite with Russian tourists. Some of the businesses are Russian or Ukrainian owned, and have Russian Cyrillic signs to communicate to their target market. The Russians are generally a pleasant and well mannered people, out to enjoy their yearly vacation like anyone else.

There are many activities to do on Jomtien beach including Windsurfing, Kitesurfing (or Kiteboarding), Paragliding, Jet Skis and Parasailing. The beach is not always pristine if the tides, weather and winds are not in its favour, but generally speaking Jomtien beach is a reliable destination for swimming and beach activities  In some ways, it's like a slightly shabby but charming Mediterranean beach town from the 70's. It has an energy all of its own that comes with being a bit more laid back and relaxing than the top beach destinations in Thailand. It feels like there's a connection between the locals and tourists that seems natural and harmonic, with small street vendors and plush hotels appreciating the business and not so pressuring for sales as more crowded Thai destinations often are.