Dongtan Beach is a lovely spot with pathways through palm groves, yet it’s nearly in the city centre and easily accessible by transport. The beach is overlooked by territories of good hotels and condos, so cleanliness is well maintained. It’s not overly crowded and rather peaceful. At least that’s the impression I get.
Though there are people on the beach. Mainly European retirees. Near Rabbit Resort is traditionally where gay people holiday, it’s a well-known hangout spot for them. Cafés aren’t found everywhere along the beach; in the part adjacent to Jomtien (to the south) there are European-style ones catering to foreigners.
To the north, the beach borders Pratamnak Beach, which also attracts a calm and rather upmarket crowd.
Beach Overview
The beach is 0.6 miles (1 kilometre) long. That’s if you consider it starts from the police station and 7-Eleven, where Jomtien’s Beach Road makes a right angle turn and becomes Thappraya Road, and stretches to the small cape just after Pattaya Park water park.
After the cape begins Pratamnak Beach (which extends about 2,300 feet (700 m) further to some rocks, beyond which it’s impossible to walk along the shore), but the boundary between these two beaches is purely conceptual. Physically, it’s all one beach. On the internet they’re often either confused or merged into one beach.
Dongtan Beach is about 130 feet (40 m) wide at its widest point, with the open sandy area by the sea usually around 65 feet (20 m). A semi-pedestrian path runs along the entire beach. Actually, cars and motorcycles use it too, just not in large numbers. Though fairly often. But it looks like a purely pedestrian zone.
Between the path and the sea, in the part of the beach closer to Jomtien, there’s a palm grove, and along the sand on the beach is a line of casuarina trees. These are tall trees similar to conifers, but with soft “needles”. They drop small prickly cones, and the air beneath them smells slightly of pine.
The entire length of the beach is deliberately clean and tidy. There are buildings with showers and toilets in two places, rubbish bins along the paths, massage on mats, and I even spotted a “free wi-fi” sign in one spot.
Swimming
Almost the entire swimming area along the beach is marked off with buoys, looking from above like a huge 3,000 feet (900 m) long bracket. The part opposite Pattaya Park water park, next to a small cape, has practically no shade or loungers – and no buoys. This is the “wild” part of Dongtan Beach. During high tide, the water entry is rather steep, after a few metres it’s already above waist level.
During low tide, especially at its extreme stage, you need to walk through ankle-deep water for a long time, more than a dozen metres. Strong waves at the end of the season, wind. The seabed is good, without large stones or shells. During the season, the sea is mostly calm. During low tides, from the end of February, especially in the hot season, there’s often strong wind and waves. Swimming at Dongtan during big waves is difficult.
Sunbeds and Shade
There are several zones along the beach. After the 7-Eleven and police station, there’s a car park and a wide palm grove along the beach. Closer to the water grow casuarinas. Between the water and the grove, little free sand remains, just a few metres. Under the casuarinas are dense rows of sun loungers and deck chairs under umbrellas. The first row is almost in the surf.
After 1,150 feet (350 metres), the trees almost disappear and there’s a zone of continuous umbrellas and loungers beneath them, in many rows. Further on is practically a wild beach; closer to the path grow casuarinas, with free sand beneath them where you can sit and lie on your own mats. A bit further, the trees end, there’s a wide strip of sand without shade and a volleyball court. This is opposite the fence of Pattaya Park water park. Beyond is the cape and Pratamnak Beach begins.
Beach Photos
Amenities
There aren’t any large shops on the beach as such; at the border with Jomtien there’s a 7-Eleven, then several European-style cafés catering to foreigners.
At the same place, near the car park, there’s outdoor fitness in the evenings. By the cape, near Pattaya Park, there’s board and windsurfing rental, and a beach volleyball court. Otherwise, standard water activities like jet skis and banana boats. Vendors walk along the beach with stalls selling drinks, coconuts and simple snacks.
The beach’s biggest attraction is Pattaya Park water park and its tower, which offers a breathtaking view of Pattaya. From there you can also descend by zipline straight to the beach.
Further on you can walk along the sea to Pratamnak Beach and then exit onto Soi 5, putting you in the Pratamnak area. Between Thappraya Road and Welcome World Resort & Spa is the “gay quarter”, and near Rabbit Resort the beach is also considered “their” place.
Accommodation
Closest to Jomtien and Thappraya Road are large condo complexes:
- View Talay 7
- Suntalay View Talay 5, where you can rent an apartment long-term.
Roughly in the same area are large hotel complexes:
- Welcome World Beach Resort & Spa
- Avalon Beach Resort Pattaya
In this part, closer to Jomtien, there are also small guesthouses, but deeper in the area, without sea access. The exception is B.B House, which is small but stands right by the path along the beach.
The chain of hotels whose grounds extend to the beach ends with:
- Rabbit Resort
- Pattaya Park Water World Hotel
After the cape there are also hotels and condos, but they’re more related to Pratamnak Beach.
There are no houses for rent right on the beach, at least not at affordable prices; you need to look in the Jomtien area and inland from Dongtan Beach, closer to the city centre. Several expensive seafront villas can be seen at the border of Dongtan and Pratamnak Beach.
How to Find the Beach
Dongtan is located between Pratamnak and Jomtien beaches. I must admit that many call Dongtan Pratamnak Beach and vice versa. There’s no clear boundary between these two beaches; physically all these beaches: Pratamnak, Dongtan, Jomtien – are one shoreline. And it’s straight, without any concavities.
The easiest way to get to Dongtan is from Jomtien – if you walk straight along Beach Road, Dongtan begins after the police station. The spot looks like a sharp right turn of Beach Rd away from the sea, turning into Thappraya Street. But straight ahead, between the police station and 7-Eleven, the path along Dongtan begins.
The other end of the beach is the cape, before which is the long fence of Pattaya Park water park. Beyond the cape is Pratamnak Beach, which Soi 5 of the Pratamnak area leads to. Exiting onto the beach via this street and turning left, within 5 minutes’ walk you’ll reach Dongtan.
You can reach the beach by public transport the same way as to Jomtien. You need to get off at the corner of Thappraya and First Beach Road Jomtien, by the 7-Eleven shop. There, at the beginning of the beach, is a large car park for private vehicles. Further along the beach – on foot, along the path. Though motorcycles and even cars also travel along it from time to time, but only locals. Cycling here is not only possible but very convenient.
