I visited Phuket long before I ever set foot in Pattaya. I asked a couple of the girls in Patong, and they just said it was the same.
Last trip, I tried Pattaya for a month. It's fairly large, compared to Patong Beach, but it's easy to get around on the Baht buses. It's easier to find somewhat cheaper hotels in Pattaya. As for the girls? I found the friendliest girls in Bangkok, followed by Pattaya, and then Phuket. YMMV.
Rex
