Pattaya Districts: Where to Live and Buy Property

What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds

There is no single comprehensive plan currently in force for Pattaya. Zoning is governed by the EEC land-use plan of December 9, 2019, which sets no FAR, no OSR, and no height limits.
No public EEC zoning maps tied to specific parcels exist. That’s why you won’t find phrases like “Jomtien is an orange zone” in this guide — we don’t know that, and we won’t make it up.
Bang Saray, Banglamung Tambon, Takhiantia, and Khao Mai Kaew have never fallen under any adopted comprehensive plan.
New district plans: Banglamung — stage 4 of 8 (stalled since September 2024), Sattahip — stage 3 of 8.
Height near the sea in all coastal areas is restricted by the 2563 (2020) environmental decree: no construction within 20 m of the shore, and no more than 14 m up to 100 m.
Honest risks worth knowing about: three documented wastewater discharge incidents into the sea at Jomtien and Na-Jomtien in 2026, and an official list of chronic flooding hotspots.

Data verified on July 29, 2026.

Where to Live in Pattaya: Where to Start

Choosing a district in Pattaya matters more than choosing a specific unit. It determines what gets built nearby, whether your view will still be there in five years, whether the street floods during the rainy season, and how easy the property will be to resell later.

We broke down eight locations — Jomtien, Pratumnak, Naklua, Nong Prue, Na-Jomtien, Huai Yai, Bang Saray, and Banglamung Tambon — using the same framework: which planning documents govern the area, what’s actually being built nearby, and what risks it carries.

Let’s be upfront about what this guide won’t include. No public zoning maps tied to specific parcels exist for the current development plan, so you won’t see phrases like “Jomtien is an orange zone” here. Nor will there be price growth forecasts — we present documents and project statuses; the buying decision is yours.

How to Read This Guide

Each district is covered in four blocks:

Legal status — which documents govern the area now, and which did before.
What’s nearby — real projects with a confirmed status.
Risks — stated honestly, including what agencies usually stay quiet about.
What it means — the practical takeaway.

Where no data exists, we say “no data available.” That’s not carelessness — it’s the result of checking primary sources.

Two administrative clarifications, without which this guide can be misread:

Jomtien and Pratumnak are not tambons but informal area names. Jomtien is administratively split between the Nong Prue and Na-Jomtien tambons, while Pratumnak lies entirely within Nong Prue. Any legal statement is tied to the tambon and the specific parcel, not to the colloquial name.
Banglamung Tambon ≠ Banglamung District (amphoe). On our site, “district” refers to the tambon.

The overall framework is covered in the series overview article.

Summary: Which District Falls Under Which Plan

Every row in the table below can be linked to directly — each has its own anchor.

Location	In the 2558 (2015) plan?	New plan draft	Stage
Huai Yai	yes	Banglamung	4 of 8
Naklua	yes	Banglamung	4 of 8
Nong Prue (incl. Pratumnak and part of Jomtien)	yes	Banglamung	4 of 8
Nong Pla Lai	yes	Banglamung	4 of 8
Pong	yes	Banglamung	4 of 8
Na-Jomtien (part of Jomtien)	yes	Sattahip	3 of 8
Banglamung Tambon	no	Banglamung	4 of 8
Takhiantia, Khao Mai Kaew	no	Banglamung	4 of 8
Bang Saray	no, never	Sattahip	3 of 8

The now-repealed 2558 (2015) plan covered only six tambons. The rest of the territory, including Bang Saray, developed outside any comprehensive planning framework.

Huai Yai

Legal status. Included in the 2558 (2015) plan as one of Banglamung’s five tambons. Currently governed by the EEC land-use plan. Included in the Banglamung district plan draft (stage 4 of 8). Its EEC zone is undefined — no maps exist. The 2556 (2013) local municipal regulation self-expired on April 2, 2015.

What’s nearby.

EECiti (EEC Capital City) — located right in this tambon. 14,586 rai, with the first phase covering 5,795 rai. The state has purchased 6,167.98 rai for ฿3.96 billion. Development runs 2026–2036, with external services from 2030. Detailed breakdown.
Huai Yai toll station on Motorway M7 — the closest exit to South Pattaya and Jomtien. Operational.
Railway Road drainage, phase 2 — under construction, ฿269.9 million, due January 2, 2027, discharging into the Huai Yai canal.
The Huai Yai sub-basin is one of three basins in the flood-control master plan.

Risks. EECiti’s horizon is ten years, with external services promised only from 2030. Official investment estimates are inconsistent (฿535 billion versus ฿1.34 trillion).

What it means. This is the strongest infrastructure narrative among our districts — but it’s a long-term bet, not a “everything will change here in a year” story.

Jomtien

Legal status. Not a tambon; split between Nong Prue and Na-Jomtien. Both halves were included in the 2558 (2015) plan. Currently governed by the EEC plan. The draft district plan differs for the two halves: one falls under the Banglamung draft (stage 4 of 8), the other under the Sattahip draft (stage 3 of 8), and the proposed FAR figures differ between them. Its EEC zone is undefined.

Coastal restrictions apply in full: 0–20 m from the shore — construction is banned; up to 100 m — height capped at 14 m, open space of at least 75%, with greenery covering at least 50% of that open space; an EIA is mandatory for condominiums and hotels within 50 m of the shore, regardless of size. Breakdown of the regulations.

What’s nearby.

Beach nourishment, phase 1 — completed: budget over ฿586 million, 3.5 km from Jomtien Chalet to U Jomtien, 640,000 m³ of sand, average width around 50 m, handed over to the city in 2022.
Phase 2 — under construction: run by the Marine Department, 2.85 km from Jomtien Soi 11 to Jomtien Soi 10, widening by 30–50 m in 300 m sections, contractor Nawarat Patanakarn, budget over ฿318 million, due July 13, 2027.
There is no phase 3 — not in any source.
Jomtien Beach Road upgrade and drainage — nearly complete: 3,528 m of drainage pipe at 1.8 m diameter, a 3 km promenade, about 700 parking spaces. Started April 2024, over 90% complete by the end of 2025.
Thepprasit Soi 9 drainage — completed, handed over to the city in April 2026.

Risks — and here we’ll speak plainly.

February 2026: the sea at Jomtien turned black. The Pollution Control Department traced the source to beach-improvement works — the contractor was digging sand pits, letting wastewater settle, and discharging it into the sea instead of pumping it to treatment facilities. A case was opened. The mayor stated that water quality returned to normal on February 3.
July 4, 2026: black wastewater flowed into the sea at Jomtien again after heavy rain. Boat operators say this happens after every downpour.
Jomtien Beach Road is on the official list of chronic flooding hotspots.
The expansion of the Nong Yai treatment plant from 80,000 to 130,000 m³/day is stalled: the last public hearing was in 2022, and there’s no data on financing or a tender in 2025–2026.

What it means. The beach is physically expanding and will be wider by mid-2027. That said, water quality is a real, documented, and unresolved issue. The 14-meter coastal height cap explains why low-rise buildings sit right by the water while towers only start from the second or third row.

Na-Jomtien

Legal status. A tambon of Sattahip district. The only Sattahip tambon that was included in Pattaya’s comprehensive plan — both the 2547 (2004) and 2558 (2015) editions. Currently governed by the EEC plan. Covered by the Sattahip district plan draft, stage 3 of 8 (confirmed by a DPT response dated August 26, 2025). The 2553 (2010) local regulations self-expired on April 2, 2015. Its EEC zone is undefined.

What’s known about the future plan. From the same DPT response: in the medium-density zone ย.3, the proposed FAR is no more than 3.5:1, the maximum building coverage ratio is 70%, permeable surface must be at least 50%, and OSR is not specified. DPT explicitly explained that OSR is intentionally not used, since building coverage and permeability already regulate density.

For comparison, the Banglamung draft sets FAR at 4:1 for the same category — meaning the planned density in Na-Jomtien is lower than in Pattaya proper.

Coastal restrictions apply in full — the 2563 (2020) decree covers all of Sattahip district.

Risks.

February 18, 2026: residents discovered a drainage pipe emerging onto Na-Jomtien beach and discharging black wastewater. Documented.
There were reports of an arrangement under which Pattaya and the Na-Jomtien municipality share the treatment of 7,500 m³ of wastewater until a dedicated system is completed. ⚠️ The date and current status of this arrangement could not be confirmed.
An anti-erosion scheme using sand barriers has, according to Bangkok Post’s 2022 reporting, been in place since 2020; the first 800 m section south of Na-Jomtien Soi 11 is complete, with full completion expected in 2025. ⚠️ Media reports confuse the naming with “Jomtien” — this data needs re-verification.

What it means. The argument that “this area will stay low-rise” has some basis — but only once the Sattahip plan is adopted, and the timeline for that is unknown. For now, the same regime applies here as everywhere else: the EEC plan without numeric standards, plus the coastal decree.

Pratumnak

Legal status. Not a tambon, but a hill within the boundaries of Nong Prue tambon and within the administrative boundaries of Pattaya city. Included in the 2558 (2015) plan as part of Nong Prue. Currently governed by the EEC plan, under the Banglamung district plan draft (4 of 8). Its EEC zone is undefined.

The key feature here is terrain. This is where the slope regulations of the 2563 (2020) environmental decree apply most strongly:

slope over 35% — construction and renovation are fully prohibited (the 2553/2010 edition set the threshold at 50%, so this is a tightening);
slope 20–35% — only detached houses up to 12 m tall are allowed, with a building footprint of no more than 90 m² on plots of 100 sq. wa or larger, or no more than 70 m² on smaller plots, and permeable open space of at least 70% or 50% respectively;
the coastal strip — no construction within 20 m, and a 14 m height cap up to 100 m.

What’s nearby. May 2026 — a joint survey was conducted ahead of moving overhead power lines underground on South Pattaya Road and Pratumnak Soi 5.

Risks. The one significant risk is the unconfirmed extension of the 2563 (2020) decree past July 24, 2025 (see the “General caveat” section below). If the decree hasn’t been extended, the slope regulations formally don’t apply.

What it means. Pratumnak is structurally protected from dense high-rise development — not by tradition or informal agreement, but by the actual slope and coastal regulations in force. It’s one of the few “nothing will get built here” arguments that’s actually backed by a written document.

Naklua

Legal status. A tambon of Banglamung district. Included in the 2558 (2015) plan. Currently governed by the EEC plan, under the Banglamung district plan draft (4 of 8). Its EEC zone is undefined.

An additional layer: covered by Ministerial Regulation No. 8 of 1976 — within a 200 m strip from the controlled-zone boundary, buildings may be no more than 14 m above road level, with open space of at least 75%. The 2563 (2020) coastal restrictions apply in full.

What’s nearby.

The Naklua sub-basin — one of three basins in the flood master plan (226.47 km², a budget framework of about ฿26 billion, more than 144,000 households).
Resurfacing of Sukhumvit Road between the Naklua and Pattaya-Klang intersections: over 4 km, 26,500 m², ฿21.866 million, contractor Suwalee Co., 200 days, starting after Songkran 2026. This is a resurfacing project, not a road widening.
The “Pattaya 3 – Mum Aroi intersection” flooding hotspot is located in this zone; an automated smart water-management information display is being installed there.

Risks. A chronic flooding hotspot is nearby. The outgoing administration pushed a “Naklua cultural plan” through the council in May 2026 — we were unable to verify the details or budget.

What it means. This is a location with an old, established development character and a double layer of coastal restrictions. The main thing to check for any specific address is flood risk.

Nong Prue

Legal status. A tambon of Banglamung district, the most populous one. Included in the 2558 (2015) plan. Currently governed by the EEC plan, under the Banglamung district plan draft (4 of 8). The 2553 (2010) local regulation self-expired on April 2, 2015. Covered by Ministerial Regulation No. 8 of 1976. Its EEC zone is undefined.

What’s nearby.

Pattaya Railway Station sits in this tambon. It was planned to host a high-speed rail station and the northern terminus of the “green” monorail line. Today, the high-speed rail station has neither a contractor nor a timeline — the contract terminates on October 1, 2026. Situation breakdown.
The purple monorail line Thappraya – South Pattaya – Nong Prue, 11.44 km: only a 2024 route decision and a feasibility study exist so far.
Pattaya’s central urban zone — the main basin in the flood master plan.
The “Crab Claw” — South Pattaya’s trunk drainage system: pipes about 3.6 m in diameter at a depth of 6 m, one branch along Khao Ta Lo Road, another along Sukhumvit Soi 69, with a main line under South Pattaya Road discharging into the South Pattaya canal. Designed for 130 mm of rainfall per hour. Construction time: 3–4 years. Not yet started.
Railway Road drainage, phase 2 — under construction, addressing the Khao Ta Lo hotspot.
A Thammasat University campus (on the Nong Prue and Pong side) — announced in April 2022, with no confirmed construction activity in 2025–2026.

Risks.

Three of the five officially recognized chronic flooding hotspots are here or nearby: Khao Ta Lo, South Pattaya / Sukhumvit, and Pattaya 3 – Mum Aroi.
⚠️ Sources contradict each other on the “Crab Claw” funding: Pattaya Mail (April 27, 2026) writes that the project still needs Cabinet approval, while the mayor (May 18, 2026) describes around ฿3 billion as already approved. We’re not asserting either version.
Transport promises (high-speed rail, monorail) have already failed to materialize twice here.

What it means. Nong Prue is the epicenter of both the city’s problems and its solutions. It’s the district that calls for the most caution: the specific address matters here more than the location’s name.

Bang Saray

Legal status. A tambon of Sattahip district. Not included in the 2558 (2015) plan, and has never fallen under any adopted comprehensive plan — confirmed by a DPT response. Currently governed by the EEC plan. Covered by the Sattahip district plan draft, stage 3 of 8 — one stage behind Banglamung. Its EEC zone is undefined.

The 2020 draft is designated as “วางและจัดทำ” — creating a plan from scratch, not updating an existing one. DPT stated outright that the part of Sattahip outside Pattaya’s plan “ยังไม่เคยมีการวางผังเมืองมาก่อน” (has never had a town plan before).

Coastal restrictions apply — the 2563 (2020) decree covers all of Sattahip district, including Bang Saray.

What’s nearby. No coastal or infrastructure projects specific to Bang Saray were found. The closest are Motorway M7 with its U-Tapao toll station, U-Tapao airport, and the EECa promotion zone.

Risks. Planning uncertainty. Adoption of the Sattahip plan will be the first-ever zoning of this territory, and it could either permit or restrict what’s currently unregulated in any formal sense.

What it means. Here’s an honest, valuable point you won’t find in marketing descriptions: Bang Saray has developed for decades outside any town-planning framework. The only layer of regulation here is the coastal environmental decree. That’s what gives the area its low-rise, low-density character — and it’s also the source of uncertainty about the future.

Banglamung Tambon

Legal status. Not included in the 2558 (2015) plan — only Nong Pla Lai, Naklua, Pong, Nong Prue, and Huai Yai were part of Pattaya’s plan. Currently governed by the EEC plan. Included in the Banglamung district plan draft (4 of 8). Covered by Ministerial Regulation No. 8 of 1976: within 200 m of the zone boundary, height is capped at 14 m. No separate local regulation could be found; the general layer of interim regulations self-expired on April 2, 2015. Its EEC zone is undefined.

What’s nearby. No major projects specific to Banglamung Tambon were found. The area is affected by district-wide factors: Motorway M7, the upcoming district plan, and the coastal decree.

What it means. This is a case where the honest answer is: “there are no publicly known plans specific to this area.” You need to assess the specific parcel — distance to the sea, slope, access, and flood risk.

One Caveat That Applies to All Coastal Districts

The validity period of the 2563 (2020) environmental decree, set out in clause 21, expired on July 24, 2025.

The ASA registry (updated November 20, 2025) records an extension through July 24, 2027.
The ONEP page — the primary source — as of July 29, 2026, shows only the 2563 (2020) edition, with no mention of an extension.
The primary extension act, along with its name and reference details, could not be located.

So for all the coastal restrictions — the 20 meters, 100 meters, 14 meters, the 75% open-space requirement, and the slope rules — the accurate statement is this: according to the ASA registry, the decree is in force; we were unable to confirm this from the primary source; the status should be checked as of the date of any specific transaction.

What This Means for Buyers

1. Check the parcel, not the district. Without public EEC zoning maps, a location’s name tells you almost nothing about its legal regime. What matters is: the tambon, distance to the shoreline, slope, permit status, and the flooding history at that specific address.

2. Flooding is a measurable factor. The official list of chronic hotspots: Khao Ta Lo, South Pattaya / Sukhumvit, Pattaya 3 – Mum Aroi, Thepprasit Soi 9, and Jomtien Beach Road. The outgoing administration claimed the number of flood-prone spots had dropped from 24 to 3 major and 9 minor ones — this is the city’s own self-assessment, not independent data.

3. Water quality at Jomtien is a risk you should know about before buying, not after. Three documented incidents in 2026 alone. The treatment plant expansion has been stalled since 2022.

4. Planning uncertainty exists everywhere. Neither Banglamung nor Sattahip has an adopted district plan. This isn’t a disaster scenario, but it’s not “stable for the next 20 years” either.

5. The low-rise character of some districts has a documented explanation — the slopes in Pratumnak, the coastal height cap, and the absence of a plan in Bang Saray. That’s more reliable than a developer’s promise.

If you’d like a breakdown of a specific address — with distance to the shore, slope, flooding history, and permit status — that’s covered by our “Property and Document Check” service. You can browse the districts on our district map, compare residential projects in our catalog, and see terrain and building density from above in our drone footage section.

Sources

ประกาศ กพอ. แผนผังการใช้ประโยชน์ในที่ดิน EEC พ.ศ. 2562 — Royal Gazette เล่ม 136 ตอนพิเศษ 301 ง, December 9, 2019. PDF
กฎกระทรวงให้ใช้บังคับผังเมืองรวมเมืองพัทยา พ.ศ. 2558 (repealed) — เล่ม 132 ตอนที่ 26 ก, April 2, 2015. PDF
ประกาศ ทส. บางละมุง–สัตหีบ พ.ศ. 2563 — เล่ม 137 ตอนพิเศษ 170 ง, July 24, 2020. PDF
กฎกระทรวง ฉบับที่ 8 (พ.ศ. 2519) — เล่ม 93 ตอนที่ 87, June 29, 1976. PDF
DPT response on the status and standards of the Sattahip plan, August 26, 2025. info.dpt.go.th
DPT response confirming the absence of a comprehensive plan in Sattahip, June 1, 2011. info.dpt.go.th
Draft ผังเมืองรวมเมืองบางละมุง, 2565 (2022) public disclosure edition. Project website
ASA registry of environmental protection zones. asa.or.th/ma-epz · ONEP: epa.onep.go.th
Khaosod English, “Jomtien Sea turns black after wastewater discharge”, February 3, 2026. Link
Bangkok Post, “Drainage contractor discharged black water into Jomtien sea”, 2026. Link
Khaosod English, “Black wastewater flows into sea at Jomtien Beach after heavy rain”, July 4, 2026. Link
The Pattaya News, “Residents alarmed by mysterious drainage pipe emerging on Na Jomtien beach”, February 18, 2026. Link
Pattaya Mail, “Pattaya flood solution moves forward…”, April 27, 2026. Link
The Pattaya News, “Pattaya Mayor inspects progress of Smart Water Management System”, May 18, 2026. Link
Pattaya Mail, “Jomtien beach sand replenishment phase 2… 318 million baht”, November 19, 2025. Link
The Pattaya News, on the resurfacing of Sukhumvit Road, March 20, 2026. Link
The Pattaya News, on the underground cabling project on Pratumnak Soi 5 and South Pattaya Road, May 2, 2026. Link

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Data verified on July 29, 2026.

Pattaya Districts: Where to Live and What to Buy — A Guide to Eight Locations

What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds

Where to Live in Pattaya: Where to Start

How to Read This Guide

Summary: Which District Falls Under Which Plan

Huai Yai

Jomtien

Na-Jomtien

Pratumnak

Naklua

Nong Prue

Bang Saray

Banglamung Tambon

One Caveat That Applies to All Coastal Districts

What This Means for Buyers

Other Articles in This Series

Sources