If you don't have one already, obtain a map (available free in most hotels or tourist agencies) and familiarize yourself with the layout of the city. It is unbelievably easy to find your way around. There are many free magazines, newspapers and other publications which contain maps and provide plenty of tourist information. They are also good if you are looking for new and interesting places to go.

Pattaya's transport and traffic problems are growing in proportion to its population. Basically, there are no metered taxis in Pattaya and the mobile tourist is left with four options:

Baht Buses
Motorcycle Taxis
Vehicles for Hire
Walking

Baht Buses
In spite of the militancy of some of the drivers, Baht Buses, also called ‘ Baht Taxis' (in Thai ‘ rot song taew ' which literally means ‘car - two rows'), are an efficient and cheap means of getting around. Tourists throughout the world are often advised to negotiate fares beforehand when travelling within a foreign country. This is good advice and is generally true. For travel on a Baht Bus within the confines of Pattaya City , if you know where you are and where you want to go, this is not necessary. In this respect, it is a good idea to quickly familiarize yourself with the routes the buses take. The system is not complicated.

Nevertheless, Baht Buses figure prominently in conversations amongst foreigners, both tourists and expats alike. For many years now, foreign language newspapers have printed letters to the editor from disgruntled foreigners complaining about being ripped off by Baht Bus drivers. Many complaints to the Tourist Police were about the same matter. The problem was the fare for travel within Pattaya was 5 baht per person but foreigners were consistently being charged 10 or 20 baht which many accepted as being the ‘ farang price' as opposed to the ‘Thai price'.

The fare anomaly was finally solved using brilliant Thai ingenuity. Inside each vehicle a sign appeared stating: ‘The regular fare of mini bus in Pattaya is not over 10 baht per person according to the law of enforced by the department of land transport'. The solution was to simply double the fare. However, Pattaya's Baht Taxi drivers, they still charge their Thai passengers only 5 baht.

For people wishing to avoid any problems, simply pay the 10 baht per person. For those who believe there is a principle involved and resent being charged double simply because they are ‘different', it is still possible for farang to get away with paying the 5 baht ‘Thai price' on the Baht Buses. If you want to play this game, read on.

Many local Thais avoid getting on a Baht Bus that does not already have passengers on it - a good indication it is not a good idea. Perhaps the reasoning behind it is that the driver could request a higher fare by saying that he made a special trip for you and taken you somewhere that he had not intended to go.

Make sure that you always carry small change with you, particularly 5 baht coins. This is to help the busy drivers out because you would be surprised just how many drivers do not have change for your 20, 50 or 100 baht notes. If you hand over a 10 baht coin or note, you will definitely not receive any change.

When you reach your destination, press the buzzer as late as possible so that the taxi stops a short distance past where you actually wanted to get off. Pay for your ride by placing the exact fare into the driver's hand. Don't look at him, don't ask how much he wants, don't ask if the fare is correct, don't talk, don't discuss, don't argue, don't barter. Simply hand over the 5 baht, turn around, check for traffic and walk back to your destination. At this point, should he want to discuss the matter with you, he will have to either leave the vehicle or reverse against the flow of traffic. The drivers very rarely do this, especially if there are other passengers in the vehicle. If he does chase you, apologize politely and pay the extra 5 baht. NEVER get into an argument or altercation with the driver.

Avoid boarding the taxis waiting at supermarkets, shopping centres and bus stations, particularly those parked outside Royal Garden , Big C and the Jomtien-bound ones on Second Road outside the school at South Pattaya . Even though they will certainly take you where you want to go, they sometimes charge as if for a private hire. Other times they may wait until they have a full load of passengers. This can take a while. You are better off walking past them and flagging down a taxi already in motion.

For travel on a Baht Bus from Pattaya to Naklua or Jomtien, the fare is 20 baht. To hire a Baht Bus to take you to a destination outside the confines of the Naklua-Pattaya-Jomtien area, it is necessary to negotiate the fare beforehand. The driver will be only too happy to take you, even to wait and bring you back if you wish, so do a bit of haggling up front.
 
Motorcycle taxis's
These are easily recognizable as the drivers wear a coloured vest with a number and sometimes the address of his/her home base written on the back. They cost more than the Baht Buses as they offer an express door-to-door service. The minimum charge is 20 baht , but always settle on a price before you start. Because this is the least safe means of transport, if you are not motorcycle-friendly, use it only as a last resort. Many accidents and near-accidents involve motorcycles so ensure you are provided with a safety helmet and ensure that it is clean.

Vehicles for Hire
There is an abundance of cars, pick-ups and motorcycles of all description and sizes for rent in Pattaya. If you disregard STRONG advice not to drive any vehicle in Thailand then shop around for the best deal, but make sure you have a valid International Driver's License obtained outside of Thailand and take out solid, watertight insurance. You may be asked to leave your passport with the rental agency as a security measure. Never do this! Make a photocopy if necessary, but never hand over your passport to anyone except a uniformed police officer or other legitimate Thai authorities. If the owner refuses to rent you a vehicle without your passport as security, find one who will. Check the vehicle (with the owner/hirer) for any marks, dents or scratches before parting with your money. Check the fuel gauge as, in most cases, the vehicle will have to be returned with a full fuel tank.

On average, 2.3 people per day are killed in traffic accidents in Pattaya so, before you decide whether to drive or not, sit for five minutes and watch the traffic mayhem in the streets of Pattaya. It can be a very sobering experience. You may be excused for thinking that many road users appear to have no fear of death. They seem to think that they will live forever and nothing could ever happen to them.

Whether you consider yourself to be a good driver or not, Thai statistics correctly point out that foreigners are involved in a disproportionately high number of reported accidents in Thailand . The obvious conclusion is that foreign drivers are ignorant of the road rules and therefore present a danger, not only to themselves but to the good, law-abiding, skilled Thai road users.

Should you be in charge of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident, any accident, it is likely to be your fault. Why? Because it is assumed your driver training has been inadequate and you have displayed contempt for the road rules of this remarkable country. The police can withhold your passport until you settle with the owners of any other vehicles involved. If your visa subsequently expires, you have an added ‘overstay' problem and can be jailed. Injured parties will expect to be paid the costs of medical treatment plus substantial compensation. The cost of repairs, medical treatment and/or legal representation will be astronomical.

One final point about travelling in cars and buses: If you are not the driver, never sit where you have an uninterrupted view of the road ahead. It brings to mind the guy proclaiming, “I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandmother - not screaming in terror like the passengers in her car!”

Walking
Walking around Pattaya is an adventure. It also helps to have eyes in the back of your head. Walking is great exercise and you get to see more of the finer points of the place but Pattaya has a temporary shortfall of pedestrian-exclusive footpaths. Due to continuous and applauded efforts to beautify and upgrade the bountiful charms of this quality city, walkways where they do exist, are often uneven, potted or loaded with obstacles for the unwary. Be patient and careful.

Avoid standing on any of the thousands of drain covers throughout the city. Although they are being replaced at an enviable rate, the metal in some of the older ones may be corroded or the concrete may have deteriorated leaving them unsafe when weight is applied. Your 45kg Thai girlfriend may experience no problem but the cover may give way under a 100kg plus farang frame. Jagged steel and concrete makes a mess of human flesh. There is no ‘public liability' here so, should you injure yourself falling through a drain, your medical bills are your problem. For litigious-happy American readers, if you think you will be able to sue anybody for damages, think again.

Whenever forced to walk along the edge of a road, make it a point to always walk against the flow of traffic. Not always foolproof, but it does allow you to anticipate potential problems and affords time to take evasive action if necessary. More importantly, it provides the opportunity to look directly into the homicidal eyes of the mad motorcyclist just before he sends you to oblivion.

In England and Australia , a pedestrian crossing means the pedestrian has right-of-way and vehicles must stop. In some countries, however, pedestrian crossings are only there because, once the men marking the centre line and other lanes had finished, there were several gallons of paint left over. Rather than waste it, one of them got the idea of painting zebra crossings across the road just like the pictures in foreign magazines. You could find yourself severely dead if you believe that any vehicle will stop for you at a pedestrian/zebra crossing.