The solution is to look for a hotel that you can afford first. One that you can reserve on the Internet. There are many hotel reservation agencies online that can help you with that. But make sure those agencies are based in Thailand so you know you are getting the best rates. Better yet look for a company that provides a best price guarantee. Book the rooms for a few days only. Because you don't want to reserve a room for too long of a time and get stuck throughout the remainder of your vacation time in Pattaya if the room turns out to be in horrible condition.
So once you arrive in Pattaya you will not have to worry about finding a place to sleep for the night. Then you can set out in the morning to find a cheaper hotel or guesthouse that fits your budget accordingly. Best thing of all is you can see how the room looks physically before you hand over your hard earned money. Since you are there you can also haggle with the hotel to see if they can offer you a special room rate or deal.