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Chon Buri (Pattaya is in Chon Buri) The Nearest
Seaside Retreat - Chonburi, Bangkoks nearest seaside
town, is located on the eastern coast of the Gulf of
Thailand, only 80 kilometers from Bangkok. The area
boasts abundant natural resources, which are highlighted
by delightful beaches, local colors, traditions, delicacies
and fresh seafood. This is a popular resort among Bangkokians
who seek the nearest escape from hectic weekly schedules
as Chon Buri has something for everyone. In addition,
Chon Buri is the center of the Eastern Seaboard Development
Project, with its industrial parks and fishing villages.
Pattaya A Travelers Paradise
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.
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.
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 and snooker
clubs, discos, sauna and massage parlors, not to
cite its absolutely incredible shopping which is
available non-stop both day-and-night.
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.
Administration
Pattaya City has been administered under a
special autonomous system since 1978. It has a
status comparable to that of a municipality and
is administered separately by the mayor of
Pattaya City, who is responsible for making
policies, organizing public services, and
supervising all employees of Pattaya City
Administration.
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Pattaya >> Information
Chonburi General Information
