Pattaya: ATV or Buggy Beginner Tour with Lunch & Pickup

4.71

(147 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to laugh so much trying to squeeze into the helmet. The gear felt heavier than I thought, but once we got onto the practice track near that banana plantation (which smelled kind of sweet and earthy), it all made sense. Our guide, Lek, grinned as he showed us how to handle the ATV—he kept saying “mai pen rai” every time someone stalled out. It’s hard not to relax when everyone around you is just in it for the fun.

The actual 28km off-road course was bumpier than any road I’ve ever been on—mud splashing up, bits of red dust everywhere, and sometimes you’d catch a whiff of wet grass after a turn. At one point we stopped for water and I realized how quiet it gets out there, except for birds and someone’s distant laughter. Lek pointed out some fruit trees I couldn’t name (I tried repeating the Thai word; he laughed politely). It was hot but not unbearable—just enough to make you appreciate the breeze when you picked up speed.

Lunch after felt like a reward. I went for the beef burger (surprisingly juicy) and grabbed too many fries while chatting with a couple from Chiang Mai who’d never done this either. There were showers if you wanted them—I did, because my arms were basically dust by then. The whole thing felt less like a tour and more like hanging out with people who don’t care if you get muddy or mess up your Thai pronunciation. I still think about that weirdly peaceful moment in the middle of nowhere before we revved up again.