Pattaya sea and drinking water issues - any expats having issues?

Hi, i am currently doing my homework before coming to Pattaya for 2-3 months and possibly longer, and I'm hearing that sea water is very polluted and not suitable for swimming and that even the bottled water for drinking isn't all that clean.
I was really looking forward to the beach life and going for swims, but I'm happy to make a exception on that, but if finding clean water to drink is going to be a problem to the point that i can't trust bottled water, then i would have to cancel Pattaya all together and maybe even Thailand for that matter.

However i know many expats live there which means there's either easy solutions or maybe the issues I'm reading is somewhat exadurated, so I'm hoping there's expats currently living in Pattaya who can shed some light on this and share some ino.

any information provided will be very appreciated, thanks in advance
-@SCF0086

Maybe you shouldn't believe everything you hear or read. Do you think there are bottled drinking water in stores in Pattaya that differs from other places in Thailand? Every supermarket or convenience store in Thailand sells exactly same brands and every brand cleans their water using exactly same method. Why would the water along the beach in Pattaya be more polluted than the rest of the beaches around the Siam gulf? Please tell. Jomtien Beach and Dongtan Beach are more popular than Pattaya Beach and much longer.

If you "know many expats" living here, and this info comes from them,maybe you should change friends.

@Leeds forever! I'm not sure if you read my post correctly, i was not making a statement, i was asking questions based on what i have been reading online. All the information is what i found online, there is numerous news articles warning tourists to stay out the water in Pattaya beach and Jomtien, due to excessive waste water being released into the waters with video evidence of a particular incident couple of years ago, but i keep reading the same thing from tourists on the internet that word of mouth is to stay out of the water. I also see many youtubers walking around on the beach but i see no one swimming in the water.   

I have no idea what the water quality is in rest of Thailand, as i said I'm just doing some research

@SCF0086

I noticed too that there are not many swimmers in Pattaya -- but the general trend I am seeing is Thais as a whole are not much into swimming or surfing.   Have you seen youtube videos of properties and when they show the pool there is almost no one using it?  It is different say in the States where there are lots of people in pool.

My hypothesis is locals having grown there with summer temps year-round has no cultural urgency to really swim.  Many of them may not even know how to swim in the first place.   We tend to take for granted stuff given to us.   Compared to here in US, where we have a window of 6 months to use the pool and 3 months to use the beaches and you can see why. 

@SCF0086
I noticed too that there are not many swimmers in Pattaya -- but the general trend I am seeing is Thais as a whole are not much into swimming or surfing.  Have you seen youtube videos of properties and when they show the pool there is almost no one using it? It is different say in the States where there are lots of people in pool.
My hypothesis is locals having grown there with summer temps year-round has no cultural urgency to really swim. Many of them may not even know how to swim in the first place.  We tend to take for granted stuff given to us.  Compared to here in US, where we have a window of 6 months to use the pool and 3 months to use the beaches and you can see why.
-@Bigrad Wolf

Most tourists and locals incl.expats prefers Jomtien Beach, Dongtan Beach (in Jomtien) and also Cosy Beach next to Pratumnak. Serious swimmers (or families) don't spend any time in Pattaya. Just take the Baht-bus from the corner of South Pattaya Rd and Pattaya Second Rd (the corner closest to the school). Cost: ฿10.

Thanks for the response, Jomtien is where i decided im staying,  but ill see what the prices are like.  Not huge swimmer but was looking for a quick daily dip in the morning to start the day. See how it goes

@Bigrad Wolf that makes sense, as after having put up with a cold rainy winter, all of a sudden going to the beach for a swim seems like a great idea.  Its like not getting laid for 9 month of the year and really looking forward to getting laid as to getting laid everyday where its no longer that exciting.

Thanks for the response, Jomtien is where i decided im staying, but ill see what the prices are like. Not huge swimmer but was looking for a quick daily dip in the morning to start the day. See how it goes
-@SCF0086

You don't need the beach for a morning dip if the place where you're staying has a swimmingpool.

@Bigrad Wolf that makes sense, as after having put up with a cold rainy winter, all of a sudden going to the beach for a swim seems like a great idea. Its like not getting laid for 9 month of the year and really looking forward to getting laid as to getting laid everyday where its no longer that exciting.
-@SCF0086

ROFL  That's one way to put it. 

@SCF0086 - Suggestion:  charter a boat or take the ferry to Koh Larn and swim there for the cool beaches experience.  Lots of different beaches, clean, and they make for a fun day excursion.  You can go snorkeling, swimming, jumping waves, riding wave runners, or just hang out under an umbrella, with the occasional dip in the ocean.  The beaches there are much nicer and interesgting than in Pattaya.  For everyday swimming I'll side with Leeds Forever! and roll with a swimming pool.

There's no shortage or difficulty in finding drinking water.  There are a bazillion convenience stores everywhere you go where you can buy drinking water under many different brands and price ranges.

As an aside:  if you're concerned about the water, food, etc. I'd suggest that you get your vaccines before heading to Thailand (e.g. hepatitis shots series).  Beyond that it's no different than any other resort in any country of the world.  Bottled water if you're concerned, good luck with salads and fruit, and otherwise focus instead on enjoying yourself.  Cheers!

@SCF0086 - Suggestion: charter a boat or take the ferry to Koh Larn and swim there for the cool beaches experience. Lots of different beaches, clean, and they make for a fun day excursion. You can go snorkeling, swimming, jumping waves, riding wave runners, or just hang out under an umbrella, with the occasional dip in the ocean. The beaches there are much nicer and interesgting than in Pattaya. For everyday swimming I'll side with Leeds Forever! and roll with a swimming pool.
There's no shortage or difficulty in finding drinking water. There are a bazillion convenience stores everywhere you go where you can buy drinking water under many different brands and price ranges.

As an aside: if you're concerned about the water, food, etc. I'd suggest that you get your vaccines before heading to Thailand (e.g. hepatitis shots series). Beyond that it's no different than any other resort in any country of the world. Bottled water if you're concerned, good luck with salads and fruit, and otherwise focus instead on enjoying yourself. Cheers!
-@pr3d4t0r

Lots of beaches? Really? Have you even been on Koh Larn? 90% of tourists going there picks the closest beach to the pier. Koh Larn is a tourist trap,nothing else.

@Leeds forever! 100% in agreement.  Nevertheless, the beaches are nice and varied.  Not bad for a day long excursion, and the water is cleaner than by the mainland.  Nothing wrong with tourist traps if you're only passing through!