Naklua: living in north Pattaya

Naklua is a tambon of Bang Lamung District that lies entirely inside Pattaya City, and even the island of Ko Lan is one of its villages. On land it starts just north of North Pattaya, where Naklua Road continues north from the Dolphin Roundabout. The name is the usual English spelling of Na Kluea, which means salt farm.

It is one of the older parts of this coast, with its own market and a fishing community around Lan Pho, and the Bang Lamung district office is in Na Kluea, on Sukhumvit Road. In 2017 the tambon had 7 villages and about 49,000 residents.

Day to day, Naklua feels more like a Thai town than a resort strip. Lan Pho in Naklua combines a shady public park with a fresh seafood market where stalls cook what you buy. It is open every day from 08:00 to 18:00, though hours can change, so check before you go.

Pattaya City also holds a yearly walk-and-eat festival around Naklua Market; watch the city's announcements for the dates.

South of Naklua, North Pattaya Road is the city's busiest link to Sukhumvit Road. Terminal 21 Pattaya stands at the Dolphin Roundabout, Central Marina is on Second Road, and the air-conditioned bus terminal for Bangkok services is on North Pattaya Road. Wong Phrachan Beach, at the north end of Pattaya Beach, is a favourite with swimmers.

Many condo buildings close to this end of town are in Central Pattaya; The Trust Condo Central Pattaya, for example, is about 0.5 km from that bus terminal. See our Central Pattaya guide for them.