Pattaya's reputation costs money; the city itself mostly doesn't. Free hill temples, a public viewpoint over the whole bay, 10 THB baht buses and market kitchens where a plate runs 40–60 THB make three days here cheaper than one day in Bangkok.
The 18 m gilded Big Buddha sits atop Pratamnak Hill behind a naga staircase of forty-odd steps. Open roughly 07:00–20:00 with no admission and no ticket booth; the upper terrace looks straight down over Pattaya Bay and Bali Hai Pier.
Naklua's shaded seafront park sits beside the working pier where trawlers unload their catch. Entry is free, concrete benches face the boats across the bay, and the ring of vendor huts sells grilled squid and som tam from about 40 THB.
Pattaya's oldest working temple, on Pattaya Tai a block from the beach, opens 06:00–18:00 with no ticket. Monks chant from around 17:00, the ubosot murals are original, and a quiet cluster of stupas sits behind the main hall away from the traffic.
The public terrace on Khao Pratamnak gives the classic panorama over the 4 km beach crescent and the islands beyond. Open 24 hours with no fee, no turnstile and a free car park; sunset light hits the bay from roughly 18:15 year-round.
Jomtien's everyday market runs from morning until late with rows of cook-to-order stalls: pad kra pao at 50 THB, boat noodles 40 THB, grilled pork skewers 10 THB each. Plastic-stool seating, Thai-language menus and almost no tourist markup.
The long inland road between Pattaya Tai and Pattaya Klang is lined with carts and shophouse kitchens feeding residents rather than tourists — khao man gai 45 THB, isaan grilled chicken with sticky rice 60 THB, iced Thai tea 25 THB.
The covered market beside Big C Extra mixes clothing aisles with a food yard. Coconut ice cream in a husk runs 30 THB, mango sticky rice 60 THB, fried chicken 20 THB a piece, and it stays open daily from mid-afternoon until about 23:00.
Pattaya's biggest weekend market fills a warehouse-sized lot on Thepprasit Road every Friday to Sunday, roughly 17:00–23:00. Entry is free; the food aisle runs from 20 THB pork skewers to a whole grilled sea bass for around 150 THB.
A 109 m Buddha outlined in gold leaf on a sheer limestone face, laser-cut into the cliff in 1996 for Rama IX's golden jubilee. The viewing lawn and reflecting pond open 06:00–18:00 with free admission; only the shuttle cart costs anything.
A working vineyard on the road below Buddha Mountain, free to enter and walk. Rows of vines run down to the reservoir, the café pours fresh grape juice for about 60 THB, and the cheapest lunch plates start near 120 THB in a setting that looks far pricier.
A royal temple complex spread over lakes, a Chinese pavilion and a hilltop chedi holding a Buddha relic. Admission is free, the grounds open 08:00–17:00, and the site is large enough that two hours of walking covers barely half of it.
Jomtien's 6 km strip faces west, so the sun drops straight into the water; sitting on the sand costs nothing and a rented chair runs 50 THB. The night market at Soi Jomtien 12 opens around 17:00 with 40 THB noodles and 15 THB roti.