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THE
NORTH I CENTRAL
&
EAST
COAST I THE
NORTHEAST I THE
SOUTH |
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 Pattaya
is
nestled
along
a
picturesque
bay
on
the
East
Coast
of
the
Gulf
of
Thailand,
roughly
170
kilometers
southeast
of
Bangkok.
From
a
fishing
village
in
the
1960’s,
Pattaya
has
emerged
as
the
favorite
Southeast
Asian
vacation
center.
A
fascinating
escape
where
tourists,
holiday
makers
and
vacationers
from
around
the
world
unfold
an
incomparable
array
of
possibilities
to
unwind
during
an
exotic
holiday
beach
vacation.
Unlike
other
beach
resorts,
where
natural
surroundings
are
used
as
magnets
to
attract
tourists,
Pattaya
makes
an
all-out
attempt
to
provide
the
best
of
everything.
Here,
everything
means
everything
a
tourist
can
imagine
while
on
holiday:
recreation,
entertainment,
sports,
sightseeing
and
fun.
To
put
it
simply,
Pattaya
is a
paradise
for
everyone,
as
it
has
a
variety
of
attractions
suitable
for
all
types
of
visitors.
This
is
the
place
where
you
can
fill
your
day,
from
dusk
to
dawn,
with
endless
activities,
or
you
may
choose
to
do
nothing
at
all
and
relax. |
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The
Past
Pattaya’s
name
was
originated
from
the
march
of
Phraya
Tak
(later
known
as
King
Taksin
the
Great)
and
his
followers
from
Ayutthaya
to
Chanthaburi
just
before
the
fall
of
the
Ayutthaya
Kingdom
to
the
Burmese
invaders
in
1767.
When
Phraya
Tak’s
army
arrived
in
the
vicinity
of
what
is
Pattaya
today,
he
encountered
the
troops
of
Nai
Klom
who
tried
to
intercept
him.
When
the
two
leaders
met
face
to
face,
Nai
Klom
was
awed
by
Phraya
Tak’s
dignified
manner
and
his
army’s
strict
discipline,
thereby
surrendering
without
a
fight.
The
place
where
the
two
armies
confronted
each
other
was
later
called
Thap
Phraya,
which
means
the
Army
of
the
Phraya.
This
was
later
changed
to
Phatthaya,
which
happens
to
mean
the
wind
blowing
from
the
southwest
to
the
northeast
at
the
beginning
of
the
rainy
season.
Today
the
spelling
of
the
name
has
been
simplified
to
Pattaya.
For
centuries,
Pattaya
was
a
small
fishing
village
almost
cut
off
from
the
outside
world.
But
a
big
change
occurred
on
29
April
1961
when
the
first
group
of
about
100
American
servicemen
who
would
join
the
Vietnam
War
arrived
in
Pattaya
for
relaxation.
Soon,
sleepy
Pattaya
became
Thailand’s
premier
and
most
successful
beach
resort,
which
annually
attracts
hundreds
of
thousands
of
pleasure-seeking
visitors.
A
full
range
of
accommodations
from
super
deluxe
hotels
to
bungalows
and
mini-pocket
guesthouses
replaced
fishermens
huts
along
the
beach.
Fishing
vessels
were
adapted
to
become
tourist
boats
and
swimmers
and
sunbathers
from
various
parts
of
the
world
frequented
the
quiet
powdery
golden
beaches.
Places
of
nighttime
entertainment
have
also
sprung
up
and
are
popular
among
international
tourists. |
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The
Present
Pattaya
currently
integrates
the
delights
of a
1st
class
beach
resort,
city-like
dining,
shopping
and
night
entertainment
facilities
with
more
than
300
assorted
hotels,
thousands
of
shops,
restaurants
and
bars.
In
addition,
there
are
an
array
of
sports
and
recreational
activities
including
beaches,
golf
courses,
tennis
courts,
go-kart,
gyms
for
working
out,
weight
lifting
and
Thai-boxing
gear.
Pattaya
offers
a
broad
range
of
things
to
do.
During
the
day,
one
may
enjoy
riding
elephants
or
driving
humble
automatic
mini-bikes,
monstrous
motorcycles,
or
even
monster
multicolored
convertible
Jeeps.
Others
go
for
shooting
firearms,
scuba
diving
and
surfing,
deep-sea
fishing,
speed
boats,
scooters,
water-skiing,
parasailing,
or
aerial
sports
such
as
gliding
ultra-lights
and
flying
motor-propelled
gliders.
On
the
other
hand,
at
night,
there
are
restaurants,
bars,
theaters,
cabaret
shows,
night
clubs,
bowling
halls,
billiard
&
snooker
clubs,
discos,
sauna
&
massage
parlors,
not
to
cite
its
absolutely
incredible
shopping
which
is
available
non-stop
both
day-and-night. |
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Pattaya
Facts
This
exotic
beach
resort
welcomes
approximately
5
million
visitors
a
year.
The
friendly
and
hospitable
Thai
nature
boosts
its
promotion,
frequently
bringing
back
the
repeat
visitors
and
constantly
increasing
the
number
of
newcomers.
Pattaya
city
is
located
on
the
eastern
coast
of
the
country
at
latitude
13 N
and
longitude
101
E in
the
area
of
Chon
Buri
province.
It
is
147
kilometers
from
Bangkok
and
lies
parallel
to
Sukhumvit
Road
on
its
east
and
the
coastline
on
its
west.
Pattaya
occupies
an
area
of
208.1
sq.
km.
that
is
divided
into
53.44
sq.
kilometers
of
land
and
154.66
sq.
kilometers
of
islands
and
sea.
Its
coastline
is
15
kilometers
long.
Pattaya
has
a
plain
on
the
coast
with
some
high
mountains
to
the
south.
The
area
on
the
east
slopes
down
towards
the
sea
on
the
west. |
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