New Tuk-Tuk Route Scheme in Pattaya, with Old Routes

Every resort usually has public transportation, and Pattaya is no exception. However, from a European tourist’s perspective, it might not be exactly what one is used to seeing back home. In this article, we’ll discuss the local transport and the current tuk-tuk route scheme in Pattaya.

What Is a Tuk-Tuk?

Walking around the city isn’t always convenient, especially if you need to get from a remote area (for example, Jomtien) to the city center. For this, the locals came up with a cheap and efficient public transport option—the songthaew, which all tourists refer to as the tuk-tuk.

Tuk-tuk in Thai means “cheap,” which indeed it often is—riding in one is not that expensive.

A tuk-tuk is basically a pickup truck converted for passenger transport. Many people have likely seen similar designs in photos or videos. A tarpaulin is stretched over the bed, and benches are installed on both sides, able to fit up to 12–15 passengers (depending on the length of the vehicle and the owner’s determination).

How to Use Tuk-Tuks in Pattaya

Before we discuss the specifics, note that there are two types of songthaews in Pattaya—white and blue.

The white ones operate over longer distances, outside the city, and the fare is twice as high (but not within the city, only beyond its limits). The blue ones are the usual city tuk-tuks that run along a route. These songthaews will be parked at their terminal stops, which are easy to identify.

Until what time do tuk-tuks run in Pattaya? Officially, 24 hours a day, but in the evening, catching one on the street, away from a stop, can be tricky because there are so many people wanting a ride.

So here are a few usage rules:

• The vehicle number does not match the route number.
• A tuk-tuk stops anywhere you flag it down, like a taxi.
• The driver might honk at you first when they see you. If you’re ready to ride, just silently hop in (they usually don’t speak much English anyway).
• There are no windows in the “passenger area”; in case of rain, they may lower a plastic cover.
• Have the exact fare ready, so the driver can’t cheat you (sometimes they try).
• To get off, press the buzzer in the “passenger area,” then pay and exit.
• The driver may change routes on their own, in which case you either get off or go along with it.

Tuk-Tuk Fare

What does a ride cost? A blue vehicle by default costs 10 baht, and a white one costs 10 baht within Pattaya, but 20 baht outside its limits.

If a driver insists on a higher fare or tries to kick you out, threaten to file a complaint— the phone number is 1137. First, take a picture of the vehicle or the driver’s info. In 99% of cases, this is enough, but there can always be exceptions.

Tuk-Tuk Route Scheme

Tuk-tuk routes in Pattaya vary in load and popularity, and that’s normal. Below is a Pattaya tuk-tuk map describing the main routes in 2025. You can download the map for free at this link.

Tuk-tuks operate on major tourist streets, and if your hotel is located deeper in the city, it’s quite possible that they don’t run on that street.

Operating Modes

Each vehicle can operate as a standard public songthaew—picking up passengers and taking them along the route—or as a taxi, where the driver asks for a fare higher than the standard ride (around 100 baht). In such a scenario, you have the right to expect direct transport to your destination. But is it worth it? Maybe it’s easier to study the tuk-tuk route scheme and make one or two transfers?

Also, if your destination is just one block past the tuk-tuk’s terminal stop and you ask the driver to go 50 meters further, the taxi mode will be activated immediately, and the price will jump by a factor of 10. So there’s no point in requesting an off-route drop-off for the standard songthaew fare.

Route Descriptions

Now let’s review the tuk-tuks in Pattaya and the routes they follow. The routes are as follows:

• circular (Second Road — Beach Road);
• from Jomtien to Central Pattaya;
• along Naklua Road;
• along South Pattaya Road;
• along Central Pattaya Road;
• along North Pattaya Road;
• along Thepprasit Road;
• along Sukhumvit.

Circular Route

This route, like the others, starts operating early in the morning and ends late at night.

There is a stop on Second Road where drivers pick up tourists. From there, the vehicle heads toward Walking Street. It makes a U-turn near the Dolphin Roundabout where Second Road intersects North Pattaya Road. Then the tuk-tuk heads toward Beach Road and returns to the starting point. On the way back, it turns right before the famous Walking Street.

You can use this route to get to Central Festival Pattaya and other major shopping centers in the very center of town. The full route takes about 20–25 minutes.

On the map, these routes are marked in different colors (green and light blue).

From Jomtien to Central Pattaya

One of the most popular tuk-tuk routes is from Jomtien to the city center. It’s also considered a circular route, but the return trip follows essentially the same path back toward the center. The route starts in southern Jomtien, one of the few instances where the vehicle departs without a full load of passengers, because there aren’t many hotels or tourists at that end point.

The songthaew is supposed to go along the beach, then turn onto Thappraya Road toward the center. After reaching its end, it proceeds along Second Road, makes a U-turn at the Dolphin Roundabout, and travels back in the opposite direction.

On the map, this route is shown in brown.

Along Naklua Road

The stop is located at the beginning of Naklua Soi 22. The route scheme is quite simple: first it goes north, almost to the very end, then back to the Dolphin Roundabout. From there, it can either go back again or make a loop via Beach Road and Second Road.

On the map, this route is marked in yellow.

Along South Pattaya Road

The route starts at Sukhumvit Road, then the vehicle heads toward the sea along South Pattaya Road. At Second Road, it turns right, then turns left near the Dolphin Roundabout until it reaches Beach Road, and returns to the starting point. The final part of the route coincides exactly with the circular route.

On the map, this route is marked in blue.

Along Central Pattaya Road

Its terminal stop, as in the previous case, is at the intersection of Sukhumvit Road and Central Pattaya Road. The scheme is simple: from Sukhumvit to Beach Road, turning left onto Beach Road, and then returning the opposite way along Second Road.

On the map, this route is purple.

Note that on this stretch, vehicles don’t run very frequently—about once every 10–15 minutes. So either stroll at a leisurely pace or be prepared to wait.

Along North Pattaya Road

This route is straightforward: it starts near the “Best” supermarket and ends where it intersects Sukhumvit Road. Sometimes, the vehicle goes onto Beach Road and returns via Second Road. Tuk-tuks here are also infrequent, with a waiting time of about 10–15 minutes.

On the map, this route is shown in dark purple.

Along Thepprasit Road

This is a circular route. It starts on Thappraya Road and ends near the night market. Tuk-tuks rarely run here because it’s not a very popular route.

On the map, this route is dark green.

Along Sukhumvit

On the map, this route is orange.

Note that this is a sort of intercity tuk-tuk, because the route starts in the town of Sattahip (where the market is located) and ends in Si Racha, near Robinson Department Store.

The fare is 20 baht if you start outside Pattaya city limits or if your destination is outside them. Within Pattaya, the fare is 10 baht.

A tip: have exact change ready, so the driver isn’t tempted to “forget” or stir up trouble claiming the fare is higher.

New Routes

The routes listed above are not exactly new anymore, because since 2017 there have been new regulations for songthaew movement. However, that doesn’t stop drivers from trying to earn extra, and not all of them follow the new official routes.

There’s no point in describing them in detail. Below are detailed maps you can study on your own.

So, tuk-tuks in Pattaya are a cheap and convenient mode of transportation accessible even to tourists who don’t speak the language. Knowing the songthaew routes is enough: just a couple of hand signals, and you’re there.

Where Does It Stop in Pratumnak?

Previously, tuk-tuks did not operate in Pratumnak, but starting in 2024, you can now find 10-baht vehicles there. We should note that if the tuk-tuk honks at you, most likely the fare is 10 baht. It’s easy to tell: if it stops so you can just hop in, it’s 10 baht; if the driver asks you where you’re going, that’s a taxi ride.

In the past, you could catch a tuk-tuk on Thappraya Road or near the pier, depending on where your hotel is located.

Don’t forget to share your vacation impressions in the comments, as they help those who have yet to decide where to spend their holiday.