Jomtien, Thailand - Chiang Mai with a Beach?

I'm writing a blog post to share what I think is the best kept secret in Thailand. I've lived all over starting in Phuket, then Koh Tao, Koh Lanta, Chiang Mai and have spent significant time in the other popular spots including Bangkok, Koh Samui, etc. 

But there's a new favorite city for me that I've been living in now for the past 3 years. I'm a bit shocked how undiscovered it is as it's just an amazing value, has all the amenities and infrastructure people are looking for, and is a great base for digital nomads year round as the weather is always good, and there's no burning season where the air quality gets bad. I'm talking about Jomtien, Thailand which is a cozy beach down just 2 hours from Bangkok and 30 minutes past Pattaya. 

Location and Infrastructure: 

The best thing about living in Jomtien is the location. We're an easy 1.5 hour drive from Bangkok International Airport (BKK - Suvarnabhumi) and a 30 minute taxi from UTP - Rayong Airport. BKK can cost as little as $5 to get to if you take the airport bus, and only $45 by taxi. UTP is an only a $10 ride using Bolt, Grab or InDrive. 

Being close to Pattaya also gives you access to 3 malls, including Terminal 21 and Central Mall, so you have access to things like the official DJI Store, Apple Stores, Decathlon, Uniqlo and shopping for whatever you may need. 

You have a ton of great restaurants, bars, and it's also great for a big night out if you have friends visiting who want a Las Vegas Nightlife like experience. 

Quiet Beach Vibes: 

Even though we're an easy 20 baht (60 cent) Songthaew shared taxi away from Pattaya, or an easy $3 Bolt (Uber) Jomtien itself is actually really quiet, chill, and family friendly. There's no big night life scene here, and with the exception of a few streets with bars which can be easily avoided, 97% of Jomtien is just a sleepy beach town with night markets, cafes, and ocean breezes. 

It only gets busy on weekends and holidays when locals and expats from Bangkok come. So I tend to stay near my condo or at home during those days and enjoy literally empty cafes M-F when they're not here. 

Most restaurants and cafes make all of their money on Saturdays and Sundays, so the rest of the week, things are really quiet and chill, exactly what I'm looking for at this stage in my life. 

My Favorite Co-Working Friendly Coffee Shops:

All of these have good wifi, decent coffee, and are great offices of the day to bring your laptop. I honestly just go to the three closest ones and rotate, but once in a while it's worth the trip out to change it up.

Anya - Great beach front cafe/bar/restaurant in Jomtien with beautiful views and sea breeze. Fast WIFI, good coffee, a bit expensive, but worth it.

Matha's Spoon - Recently remodeled in 2026, beautiful cafe with sea and pool views in front of Nature Part Resort. Good service. Food is okay. Decent WIFI. Drinks are too sweet. But coffee is good.

Good Morning Katfé - Great Hipster / Japandi Styled Specialty coffee shop. Great coffee, fast wifi, indoors with Air Conditioning. 

Clubhouse Beach Cafe - Located inside Lumpini Park Beach Condos by the Pool, this place has great views of both the front pool and the beach. 

8presso Cafe - A great indoor/outdoor coffee shop right on the beach. 

Nitan Coffee's Tale - A bit far away on 2nd road, but a massive coffee shop and cafe with a large bean and craft beer selection. Worth visiting at least once. 

Novelty Cafe - Great indoor coffee shop that is cowering friendly and has a lot of space. Quiet and never busy, great for digital nomads. 

Livins Coffee - Cool design, but a bit too hipster for me and tiny tables, makes it hard to work from. But great coffee and pastries. 

Casa Myka - Gorgeous Greek Island vibes, great coffee, but very limited seating. 

The Best Chill Cafes and Lounges

Leave the laptop at home, but these are great places to go hang out for the day, watch the sunset, read a book, or just enjoy a bit of luxury at an affordable price as long as you watch what you order.

Glass House Boho - Beautiful Bohemian Style beach restaurant, decent food, worth spending a day at. A great place to bring a book or watch the sunsets with a coconut.

Cave Beach Club - A bit more modern and directly next door to Glass House, check out both and see which one feels your vibe more.

ZAMA Skybar - The hottest, newest spot in Jomtien. Gives Tulum vibes with amazing decor and views. Expensive food and drinks for the area, but worth going to for a sunset and night out. 

The Oxygen Beachfront Oasis - Large "beach club" style restaurant, gets busy on weekends buy very chill and quiet on weekdays when the wealthy Bangkok families aren't in town. 

The Lunar Beach House - Modern indoor out door cafe just next to Oxygen. 

The Forest by The Sky - Another beautiful cafe with decent food on the same street as Lunar and Oxygen, it's worth checking out all the restaurants on that strip. 

Capybara Coffee  - If you've always wanted to pet and play with real life capybaras, this is the cafe for you! No need to go all the way to Japan for this experience! 

My Favorite Restaurants

There are so many places to eat around Jomtien and Pattaya that I can't name them all, and honestly most of the time I just enjoy the local hole in the wall spots or ordering off of Grab Food for delivery, but here are some of my favorites that stand out.

MAYs Pattaya - Best "nice" Thai restaurant in town. Great place to go for special occasions or when you have friends or family in town visiting. 

Joomlay - The beachside Thai restaurant that locals go whenever they come from Bangkok or out of town, busy on weekends but great place to eat, reasonable prices as well. 

Daisy D's Saloon - If you ever miss America, this place brings you right back home to TGIF Fridays meets Red Robins, meets Cheesecake Factory and Denny's in one. 

Qulture Lounge - Beautifully designed Black-American owned restaurant with amazing southern style American food. Great for breakfast or brunch.

Shintake Restaurant - Authentic Japanese restaurant with reasonably priced ramen. They also have a full selection of sushi and other Japanese food. 

Gold Monkey Café & Bar - British Pub food with daily specials. Don't miss the Sunday Roast, it's so big I take half of it home. Live music after 6pm most days as well. 

Peine Cafe & Bistro -  Great little indoor restaurant, good food and comfortable western style vibes and menu. An easy recommendation for lunch if you're not sure what you're in the mood for.

Tsunami Sushi Buffet - Amazing all you can eat Japanese food, sushi and sashimi. 

AKN Steak - Extremely well priced "western style" thai owned restaurant with pork chops and potatoes for the same price as Thai food. 

Ivushka - Great and cheap Eastern European food, BBQ meats, and salads.

Madam Pahtehh - Michelin guide mentioned Vietnamese restaurant. The beef pho is great. 

Lucky Suki - All you can eat Japanese hot pot with decent beef and fair prices. 

La Cucina - Inside the Andaz Resort this Michelin mentioned Italian restaurant is legit and tastes as good as taverna's inside Italy itself! Pricey but worth the visit! 

Night and Food Markets 

There are actually multiple night markets in Jomtien, and it's a great place to shop and walk around, eat, or shop for cheap clothes, souvenirs. 

Jomtien Night Market - The most popular touristy night market, right on the beach, the one with the windmill. Great for food and walking around. 

Thepprasit Night Market - The biggest and best night market in the city. Local vibes but still tourist friendly. Amazing food and shopping. 

Hao Dong City Fresh Market - Very local Thai food and night market. Go here if you want an authentic experience, low prices and to get away from tourists. 

ตลาดสาม ต. (หนองจับเต่า) - Small and so local there isn't even an English name for it. But it's a great market to visit if you have a motorbike as it's a beautiful ride to the Buddha Face Mountain on the same road. 

Bang Saray Night Market - A bit far but worth visiting if you want a truly local experience and something different. 

Day/Weekend Trips

Koh Larn (Tawaen Beach Pier)  - Just 45 minutes away by boat, there are ferries leaving every hour from Pattaya pier for 50 thb ($1.50) you can also take a speed boat for a bit more. If you're looking for clear blue water to swim in, white sand beaches, this is what I wish Chiang Mai had. 

Koh Larn (Naban Port) - This is the other side of Koh Larn that most tourists never visit as there isn't a beach directly there. But it's a great place to spend a night or two if you want the island to yourself when the last ferry leaves at 6pm and takes all the day trippers away.

Siri Charoenwat Forest Plantation - Not just here specifically, but this entire road it's on is a beautiful get away from the beach/city. Hire a motorcycle for the day and enjoy yourself. 

Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park - Scenic views and nature trails. 

Ko Samet - Tropical island near Jomtien, worth a weekend trip.

Koh Chang - One of the best islands in all of Thailand as it's still undiscovered by most and not yet overtouristed, while still having lots of amazing restaurants, places to stay and infrastructure. Go for 3-4 nights. 

Koh Kood - Maybe the most beautiful place in all of Thailand. Hard to reach but so is paradise. 

Why I Love Jomtien

It's not the best beach in Thailand, not the biggest best city life, it's just a great mix of everything at very low prices. Inflation hasn't hit here like in Phuket, Koh Samui or Bangkok. Here you can still get a beautiful beach front condo with a pool for affordable prices. 

The biggest catch and downside is that you need to sign a 1 year contract most places and set up your own internet. But it's easy to use as a home base, and build your community from here. It reminds me of Chiang Mai when I first arrived in 2013 as there was no community there then, but people passing through once in a while. Prices are actually the same as then as well. 

It's a great home base that I think if more people discovered it, it could be a great full time base to live in, and travel from as right now the only thing it's missing is a full time community aside from the retirees and Russian families. I've kept this place a secret for long enough. Check it out if you've been dreaming of a place like Chiang Mai, but with a beach. Jomtien, Thailand may be it. 

-Johnny FD