Pattaya has quite a bit to do during the day but a lot less options for mongering than Bangkok because the massage scene here is passable. Great idea to rest up and break up your day with sports and shopping and then start your night early at happy hour.

SPORTS: A lot of places around to take a scuba diving course or fishing trip. Many of the boats will clean the fish for you and barbecue it on the spot. There are a lot of gyms in Pattaya but I still have not found one that is modern and reasonable. I tried the gym on Beach Road but there is no AC and the Royal Garden Resort has a nice gym but you have to drop 500 baht a day..Ouch. You can also jog on the sidewalk in front of Pattaya Beach.

SHOPPING: Does not have the same shopping as Bangkok but has plenty of malls. The malls at BIG C and Royal Garden Plaza has plenty of stores and both have great food courts. Book stores with books regarding mongering and Thailand are all over Pattaya..try Asia Books and Bookazine. Good idea to purchase the Pattaya Night Map from Groovy Guide Maps. There are plenty of vendors on beach road selling copied DVD's and CD's, along with t-shirts.

TAILORS: Pattaya tailors are the best. Try George's on Beach Road near the Arab area and Romeo's on Walking Street. Romeo's is better for buying one top notch suit...usually will set you back about 4,000 baht each. George's will sell you 2 Light Cashemere suits for 5,300 baht and they sell great knock-off Versace silk shirts. The prices here are 1/3 of the prices in Bangkok. None of my suits have deteriorated or fell apart. The suits with better silk blends will cost you a little more.

Kho Lahn Island: You can purchase a package deal for 400 baht to have a boat take you to the local island and they serve you lunch. Better to take the ferry that leaves from the peer at a much cheaper price or have a speed boat take you for the day for 1,500 baht. You can take up to 7 pooying in the speedboat. The beaches at the island are much nicer than Pattaya and the vendors will bring out a menu to order food. The water is clear and warm.

JOMTIEN BEACH:Just a short baht bus ride to the South of Pattaya is Jomtien Beach. This place is a whole different world. Much cheaper accomodation and food here because many Thais frequent this place. Many beach front cottage-hotels for about 700 baht ($17). The Palm Beach Hotel has a private balcony overlooking the beach and is closed off to vehicle traffic. The Grand Jomtien ( a large, nice hotel) has rates as low as 900 baht with breakfast for two. Beach chairs line the beaches and are rented for about 20 baht a day. It is so damn cool to have people come up to you with fresh durian, beer, steamed crab and shrimp, and other goodies for such a cheap price. Had a lady give me a manicure and a massage in my chair for about 100 baht ($2.50). GF got a henna tatoo for about 150 baht as well (last about 2 weeks). Place is very quiet and has some lovely ladyboys laying out (played a game with gf called 'guess who's the katoey'). There are several beer bar complexes here but on a smaller scale. The only drawback is that a lot of older German men love to take their young, Thai boyfriends here to enjoy the day...kind of gross. Great day trip to take your tiruk and pure paradise on the beach..very quiet.
You can also rent jet skis and banana boats here.

Blazers, it has been a long time (5 years) since I have been to Pattaya, but Jomtien you are describing reminds me of a place where the raw sewage would run into the ocean from the canals. Haven't had a chance to be back (that is changing in June) but Jomtien sounds exactly like the place I remember sans sewage.

I would not recommend swimming here....just sitting at the beach is good enough. Jet skis are risky enough but you should be OK as long as you dont wipe out.