Chiang Mai or Pattaya: which is more worth it?
These two places are completely different. If you have time, you can visit both! 😂
Alright, let's get serious. If your goal is to experience more fresh activities, have something different every day, you like fast-paced, intense travel itineraries, and you've already been to Hainan for the beach, I recommend Chiang Mai.
If you prefer to just chill, experience Thai culture, sleep in while on vacation, love hanging out at the hotel, and enjoy shopping, I recommend Pattaya.
Chiang Mai's infrastructure isn't as good as Pattaya's; for the same price, Pattaya's hotels are higher quality. Because Chiang Mai isn't as bustling, it's either the Old City or Nimman Road. The Old City is empty at night, and Nimman Road is noisy because it's under the flight path. Even the bustling Nimman Road doesn't compare to downtown Pattaya.
Food in Chiang Mai is cheaper, but the high-rated spots on Google Maps are mostly roadside stalls. If you want higher-end dining, there aren't as many options as in Pattaya. Internet-famous spots like the Chiang Mai University back gate night market actually have fewer stalls than the night market at your own university. You can walk from end to end in 10 minutes, and the variety is limited. The places everyone recommends are just the best of a mediocre bunch.
However, the activities are still great. Elephant sanctuary and Sticky Waterfalls for one day, jungle ziplining for another, and Grandma's Cooking School (which I didn't get to try). These are all different types of activities and are very fun. Wake up at 8 or 9 AM, return to the hotel at 4 or 5 PM, eat, get a massage, then stroll through a night market—it's very fulfilling.
As for Pattaya, it's mostly island hopping to Koh Larn or Koh Samet. At most, you can check out an elephant sanctuary, but there aren't many other interesting activities.
But Pattaya is livelier, with higher quality and more choices for food and accommodation. If you stay near Pattaya Beach, any random night market next to your hotel beats Chiang Mai's. (The salmon bread at the breakfast buffet was super delicious! I ate it every day! p4) The nightlife is extremely rich; at night, the whole city shows you what "vibrant and decadent" really means, and then it's empty during the day 😂 If you have a very regular schedule, like to eat breakfast, and enjoy going out during the day, you might not be used to it.
The sea at Koh Larn is just "NPC" level. If you haven't been to other islands, compared to Hainan, other than being much cheaper, everything else is much worse. Maybe it's because I went during the rainy season, but the sea view didn't feel as good as Kota Kinabalu, let alone Semporna. If you're a friend from the south near Hainan, you might as well choose Hainan, because it's not that much cheaper. There aren't any decent resort hotels on the island; there are no hotels where you can step directly into the sea from your room. Plus, there's only one 7-Eleven at the pier, far from the beach, so going out for a late-night snack isn't realistic. The overall infrastructure is poor. You can go play for a bit and then return to Pattaya to chill. I chose Sea Sand Sun Resort and Villas (p5-7), which was okay. The rooms are all standalone villas with strong privacy, a private beach, and it's not far from the city. You can go up there to do some activities and then return to Pattaya to chill.
Side note: For those tired of Thai food, you can try a Pattaya BBQ buffet. Cute Pig Korean BBQ is a Korean BBQ buffet (p6). Next door is มูมมามสุกี้ (Gufuxing Hot Pot) (p7). The two restaurants are right next to each other and the taste is decent. Just remember to use QuePai to get a queue number in advance (p8). It's very popular, and because there's no time limit, the queue moves very slowly. I was number 27 for the BBQ and waited for two hours.