Pattaya can be a fine place to hang out for a quiet retreat as long as you stay away from the tourist areas. Rent a bicycle or bike and go riding along the Machapran reservoir area, it has golf ranges and lakeside parks.
There’s the “Sanctuary of Truth” in Nakua (Northern part of Pattaya). It is a beautiful, huge wooden edifice full of hand-carved statues and decorations: http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com/
There are quite a few tourist-friendly attractions, “Harbor Mall” on Pattaya Klang has an ice-rink, climbing gym, trampoline park, roller rink and other family-friendly venues:
http://www.harbor.co.th/index.php
The “Cartoon Channel Amazone Waterpark:
https://www.cartoonnetworkamazone.com/
and the “Ramayana Waterpark”:
https://www.ramayanawaterpark.com/ are a few waterparks in the area
Pattaya has a few parks, such as Chaloem Phrakiat Park on Pratumnak Hill. Pattaya City Park on Soi Chaiyapruenk 2 is a small park located off a quiet soi:
Good place for a picnic.
Take the ferry to Koh Larn, it has clean beaches, is relatively uncrowded and is quiet and laid back for a stay.
Stay in Si Racha which is a few kilometers north, a 40-minute bus ride or an hour or so bus ride from Ekkamai Terminal in BKK.
The beach front is uncrowded and the nightclubs are mostly Japanese Karaoke bars. It has a few nice restaurants including a Taiwanese that’s my favorite and staying there is good for peace and quiet. Go to Koh Si Chang which is a tiny island nearby for a quiet, relaxed time: