Boots
Boots brings the familiar British high-street chemist to Pattaya, and for many UK and European visitors it's the first place they head for health and beauty basics. Run in Thailand as a joint venture with Central Group, it's a close cousin of Watsons — a bright, air-conditioned drugstore heavy on skincare, cosmetics and toiletries, with a pharmacy counter in the larger branches. On the shelves you'll find shampoo and shower gel, sunscreen and after-sun, mosquito repellent, toothpaste and deodorant, plasters and first aid, contact-lens solution, sanitary products and condoms, vitamins and supplements, plus a big beauty range spanning Boots' own labels (No7, Soltan, Botanics) alongside Thai, Korean and Western brands. The pharmacy counters handle over-the-counter and many prescription medicines, with a pharmacist to advise. In Pattaya you'll find Boots mainly in the malls — Central Festival on the beachfront, Terminal 21 and others — including this central branch near Beach Road; opening hours track the host mall, broadly late morning to 10 or 11pm. Prices are fixed and labelled, an Advantage Card earns points, and there are regular multi-buy promotions. The practical differences from Watsons are small: Boots leans a little more toward pharmacy and own-brand skincare, Watsons a little more toward mass-market cosmetics, and which is handier usually comes down to whichever mall you're standing in. For serious illness or a specific drug, a dedicated or hospital pharmacy may carry more.
