Central Pattaya Shopping Mall Guide - Pattaya, Thailand

Spanning seven retail levels between Beach Road and Pattaya Second Road, Central Pattaya stands as the city's largest beachfront shopping complex, directly integrated with the coastal promenade and the Hilton Pattaya hotel.

Opening in 2009 under its original name, CentralFestival Pattaya Beach, the multi-storey centre encompasses more than 200,000 square metres of commercial floor space. Inside, air-conditioned concourses house international high-street retailers, electronics outlets, banks, a supermarket, and dozens of restaurants. Beyond retail and entertainment, the building functions as a practical, cool thoroughfare for pedestrians, using escalators to bridge the steep incline between Beach Road at sea level and Pattaya Second Road.

Most visitors spend two to three hours here, taking refuge from the midday tropical heat, browsing the shops, having lunch, or catching an evening film. Whether you want a quick meal at the basement food court or dinner overlooking the bay from an upper terrace, the complex provides a reliable, modern base right in the centre of the waterfront.

What's There

The complex arranges its retail, dining, and leisure facilities across seven main trading levels, running from the basement up to Level 6:

• Basement and Ground Floor: The lower level contains Tops Food Hall (formerly Central Food Hall), a large supermarket stocked with domestic items and imported British and European groceries. Adjacent food courts, including Food Park and Beach Eats, serve quick Thai dishes and noodle bowls from counter stalls. Pharmacies, mobile network branches, and currency exchange booths also operate here.
• Ground Floor to Level 3: These floors form the main fashion and electronics area. High-street brands including Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo occupy large units alongside surfwear shops, footwear retailers, and luggage specialists. Level 3 concentrates on consumer electronics and IT goods, while Central Department Store anchors this wing across multiple floors.
• Level 4: This level is dedicated to daily services and wellness, featuring Thai bank branches, opticians, dental and aesthetic clinics, hair salons, and family activity spaces.
• Levels 5 and 6: Casual and sit-down dining options cluster on these upper floors, featuring Japanese sushi bars, Korean barbecue, hotpot restaurants, and Thai seafood chains. Several restaurants on Level 5 maintain outdoor terrace seating overlooking Pattaya Bay.
• Level 6 Entertainment: Alongside dining, the top floor houses the 10-screen SFX Cinema complex, which shows major international films in English with Thai subtitles, as well as the SF Strike Bowl bowling alley and games arcades.
• Beachfront Plaza: Outside, fronting Beach Road, the sunken open-air courtyard hosts rotating evening food stalls, craft markets, and seasonal community events.

Getting There and Logistics

Central Pattaya spans the block between Beach Road and Pattaya Second Road (Sai Song) in central Pattaya, roughly midway between the Dolphin Roundabout and Walking Street. Entrances face both thoroughfares, making arrival straightforward from either side.

The most practical public transport is the dark blue songthaew (baht bus) network, which runs a continuous one-way loop south down Beach Road and north up Second Road. Hail a passing vehicle, step onto the rear bench, and ring the overhead buzzer to signal your stop outside either mall entrance. The flat fare is 10 THB (around £0.23) per person on this central circuit, payable directly to the driver at the front window upon stepping out. Keep 10-baht coins or 20-baht notes handy, as drivers rarely have change for large banknotes. Ride-hailing apps including Bolt and Grab also operate widely; motorbike taxi fares from South or Central Pattaya typically cost 40 THB to 80 THB (£0.90 to £1.80), while four-seater cars run around 100 THB to 150 THB (£2.30 to £3.40). Drivers arriving by private car or scooter can use the multi-storey car park entered via Second Road, which accommodates around 2,000 vehicles.

At the time of writing, the centre opens from 11:00 to 22:00 Monday to Thursday, and 11:00 to 23:00 Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. Major retailers and table-service restaurants accept international Visa and Mastercard, though individual stalls in the basement Food Park require a prepaid card loaded with cash at the counter. Any unspent balance must be refunded at the counter on the day of purchase. Beach Road traffic slows considerably after 17:00, so approaching on foot or via Second Road saves substantial time during the evening rush.

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