Mermaids Dive Center, Pattaya Diving and Fishing at Bali Hai Pier and the Scandinavia Bar on Soi 13 off Beach Road are among popular fishing boat charter companies. Mermaids adds a touch of the traditional to its trips as it employs an old wooden-hulled fishing trawler. While the boat may be old its equipment is not and it boasts a fish finder, emergency radio and state-of-the-art rods and reels.

For those who like to keep their feet on terra firma while indulging their passion for angling there are several fishing parks within easy travelling distance of Pattaya. Lakes are well-stocked with carp, tilapia and catfish with some weighing in at over 30kgs. The biggest and best fishing lake is at Bang Saray and is around 20kms south on Sukhumvit Road. Anglers who do not want to travel so far could try their luck at the smaller Jomtien Fishing Park which is noted for its Mekong giant catfish.

These exhilarating activities are similar to water-skiing, except that the power boat is replaced by a cable. The higher elevation of the cable allows cable skiers and wakeboarders to perform sharper turns and more leeway to pull off spectacular stunts than conventional water-skiing. Another big advantage of cable generated power is the absence of the high-pitched scream of the boat’s engine.

The cable is also more energy-efficient than a petrol engine and allows Lakeland’s proprietors to offer the sport at competitive prices. The last time that I went it only cost me 300 Baht for two hours of exciting entertainment. Instructors offer tuition to novice cable skiers. Lakeland is open from 10:00 onwards every day. It is located just off Sukhumvit Road, on the southbound route out of Pattaya for Sattahip. Lakeland has no internet website. Additional details at +66 38 232690.

Pattaya is a better option for diving than some of the southern Thai islands as the waters are sheltered and clear enough to enjoy this exhilarating activity all year round. There is plentiful hard and soft coral in the translucent waters and eclectic marine species include turtles, butterfly fish, groupers, angelfish damsels, stingrays and morays.

On the numerous occasions that I have been diving from Pattaya, I have usually used Soi 12 based Seafari as they provide all-inclusive day trips with equipment hire, lunch and hotel pick thrown in. Instructors attached to Seafari are also conversant in languages such as French as well as English and Thai, a useful option if you have friends visiting.

Hat Nuan at Koh Larn island is a personal favourite as vertical pipes rammed with coral provide the perfect backdrop for drift diving. Shark Fin Rock comes a close second with coral, sea fans, turtles and huge rays seemingly everywhere.

This is a water park with several pools with slides and switchback slides that attractive especially to children though for adult visitors, the water park has adrenalin fun facilities in the entertainment center for you, so both you and your children, have something to keep you excited while you are here.

Pattaya water park has a tower reaching over 240 meters with a rotating restaurant and an outside gallery offering fantastic view of the city and the sea and the top of the tower can be reached by a lift or cable car from the beach. I magine after you and your family have finished playing around in the water or the entertainment centre and have dinner or something eat in this fantastic rotating restaurant while viewing the rest of Pattaya.

This is a place where you can relax, swim, have a sunbath or have a Thai messege while you contemplate you will spend an evening as everyone who visits pattaya. Sometimes, people get tired of all the fun you can have in Pattaya and just come here just to relax and swim. So next time, you are in Pattaya, tick it off the list as one of the things to do.

Pattaya Water Park is situated at Jomtien and features enormous sliders and am observation tower housing a revolving restaurant. This is a great place get gain a new perspective of the city as those who climb to the top of this giant structure will be treated to a panoramic view of the whole of Pattaya, neon sign and all.

Pattaya Water Park has a large number of attractions and is specially arranged in order to cater for to the various interests of different kinds of tourists. This is an ideal place to take the kids to enjoy their holidays in Thailand.

In addition to the water-based attractions, there are also a number of other rides such as a Ferris wheel, dodgems and a carousel. All of these attractions cost extra, although they are still reasonably priced compared to what families would expect to pay in Western country.

Pattaya Water Park is located at 345 Jomtien Beach, Pattaya City, Cholburi 20150 Thailand. For more information, call +66 038 251201-8 or +66 038 364110-20 or send an email to reservation@pattayapark.com

Featuring powedery white sand, clear blue water and colourful coral, Koh Laan is the perfect piece of paradise that so many travellers come to Thailand in search of. This is an ideal place for swimming, snorkelling and even scuba diving. A number of water sports companies can be fund near Pattaya Beach and offer to hire out equipment to visitors.

There are a number of small, cosy restaurants lining the main beach on Koh Laan, making it possible to simply lay here lazily in the sun all day, soaking up the atmosphere. Those who are feeling a bit lively can hire a jet-ski and zip around the island, while parasailing is also a great way to view the island and surrounding area.

The best thing about chilling out on Koh Laan during he day is that when the sun sets the bright lights of Pattaya beckon and visitors will be able to spend the evening dancing the night away in one of Pattaya’s vibrant nightclubs.

In addition to speedboats, ferries complete the journey between Pattaya Beach and Koh Laan at regular intervals, and the journey takes just 40 minutes. Ferries run from 06:30 to 18:00 and the trip costs just 20 Baht. The tiny islets of Koh Saak and Koh Krok are also just a short boat ride away from Koh Laan and are also good places to explore on a diving or snorkelling trip.

The man, who has been identified as 40-year-old Poliakov Oleg, was said to have been diving by the coral off the coast of Bang Lamung when the gruesome incident happened.

He is believed to have been about 300 metres from the shore, outside of the dive zone and towards Koh Larn, when he was caught in the boat’s propellers.

The boat driver, who has since been arrested for reckless driving, was transporting a group of Chinese tourists to the island of Koh Larn in his privately-owned boast when he ran into the Russian. He said he did not see the man swimming with his friends.

My sympathies go out to the friends and family of this man who ended his holiday in such tragic circumstances. I think this incident must be a lesson to us all, divers and boat drivers alike, that when it comes to the water around Pattaya, nobody rules the waves.

Deputy Mayor Wirawat Khakhai told reporters that the scientist’s “weather mobile” determined that the fog was formed by cold area from northern Thailand that blew over the area and then converged with humid warmer currents from the Kingdom’s south. As the fog was a few degrees cooler then the air it was moving into it became a good deal denser than usually appears in the region during this time of the year.

Alarm has been raised about the quality of air around Pattaya for some time with readings of 280 microns/sqm of dust particles being recorded during particularly dry spells. Any reading more than 120 is considered unhealthy for breathing. Air pollution has been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses and conditions.

And this year anyone is more than welcome to join in and get the brilliant experience of lining up against some Thailand’s best international athletes.

Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WATH) has introduced lots of young people to the sport and the very best will get the chance to test themselves on Jomtien Beach from November 22 – 24.

Many Thai and Farrang have trophies won at WATH windsurfing events this year and with the very same equipment which they use on the weekend to have fun.

Even if you just want to turn up and watch, there’s sure to be enough splash and spectacle to keep the most harden landlubber entertained. Click HERE for more information.

The “Land of Smiles” has long enjoyed the reputation being one of Asia’s most appealing diving destinations, if not the globe’s. Divers extol the resort’s temperate blue waters with an abundant variety of coral and marine life, while taking advantage of the relative low prices, and enjoying the warm and world-famous hospitality.

Unfortunately, Pattaya’s popularity as an international vacation destination has seen some waters having become dirty, due to pollution, and coral reefs were damaged by ignorant divers. As a result divers preferred visiting other destinations to dive. Phuket, destinations along the coast of Krabi and Koh Samui are now much more favoured among the scuba diving enthusiasts. 

However, divers looking for something different can explore the wrecks of the huge Bremen and the Hardeep, both ships dating back to World War II. The wreck diving playground, not far away from Sattahip, is easily reachable from Pattaya.

Koh Samui diving guide