Pattaya Versus Angeles City: Which Is Better?

Pattaya, Thailand and Angeles City, Philippines are similar in many ways but also have very distinct differences. On the whole, most people prefer Pattaya but Angeles City also has its own group of loyalists. I must say at the outset, however, that although I have visited Angeles City, I have lived in Pattaya for the last four years so I am probably a bit biased.

One of the most striking differences relates to the size of the two cities. Pattaya is bigger and more populous by far, and it is easier to get lost in the crowd here. Angeles City, on the other hand, is only a fraction of the size and it is not uncommon to run into the same people over and over. To me, Pattaya definitely has the advantage in this category as I prefer a larger and more diverse city.

Another category in which Pattaya certainly wins is in food quality. Thai food is definitely better than Filipino food, and I would venture to say that not many people would argue this point. There are an abundance of quality Thai food restaurants in Pattaya, which makes it easy for guys like me who don’t like to cook. Thai food is very spicy and jumps off the pallet, whereas I find Filipino food rather bland and unexciting. For this reason, when I am in Angeles City, I usually eat most of my meals in European restaurants.

Pattaya is also much safer for foreigners, in my opinion. I’ve lived here for four years and have never had anyone tried to rob me. On the other hand, I was in Angeles city for three weeks and had a taxi driver and his accomplice attempt to lure me to a remote location in order to rob me. He actually put his hand in my pocket in order to extract my money, but luckily I didn’t let him get anything from me. I was lucky, but this left a very bad taste in my mouth towards Angeles city.

Another hugely important negative factor (for me, anyway) for Angeles is pollution and air quality. In the Philippines, emissions equipment is not required on vehicles like it is in Thailand. Therefore, all the motorbikes and cars on the roads spew thick white smoke and toxins into the air. When you are riding or walking in a street that is packed with vehicles, the toxic smoke is thick enough to irritate you your eyes and throat.

I realize some people are not as sensitive to this as others, but it was a major factor for me when I was in Angeles. I actually developed a bad eye infection that did not heal until I left the country, and it required a hospital visit because it was so serious. Obviously, this is not the norm and the chances of it happening to you are unlikely, but it is another factor to keep in mind when comparing Angeles with Pattaya.

In Pattaya, only buses and very old vehicles generally give off lots of exhaust because the emissions equipment keeps in check. But even in Pattaya, I sometimes wear a facial mask while riding my motorbike, especially when my immune system is weak, although this is not common for most people here.

The cost of living in both cities is relatively the same. Angeles city might be a bit cheaper, but not by much. I have discussed the cost of living with a couple of different ex-pats who live in Angeles city in order to compare notes on this, and we all agreed that the differences in costs are negligible.

Although there are some people who will obviously disagree with me, I would obviously cast my vote strongly in favor of Pattaya if I had to choose between the two cities for either a vacation or as a location to live as an ex-pat.

Do you agree or disagree with my opinion?