| Pattaya (sometime spelled "Pataya" or "Phattaya") | | | | jewelry stores have sprung up like mushrooms, |
| Pattaya lies around 150km to the southeast of | | | | which have helped in increasing the length of stay |
| Bangkok, Thailand. This is Less than 2 hours by | | | | of visitors to the city. |
| road, and stretches for some 15km along the | | | | Pattaya's main attractions are its beaches. Pattaya |
| Eastern Seaboard. Thailand 's Largest resort, it | | | | Beach stretches out along the central city close |
| shares the coast with traditional a fishing villages, | | | | to shopping, hotels and bars. The section of beach |
| other resorts such as Bang Saen and Rayong, | | | | from Central Road (Pattaya Klang) south to the |
| new industrial centers, the town of Chonburi and | | | | harbor is adjacent to the core of Pattaya's |
| Sriracha, and the port and naval base of Sattahip. | | | | abundant nightlife area, hence it is less |
| Pattaya in the past was just a little fishing village. | | | | family-oriented than the North Pattaya, Na Klua |
| Until 1960s, American servicemen form the U.S. | | | | and Jomtien beaches. |
| Air Force base at Utapao in neighbouring Rayong | | | | Pattaya is now a city in its own right, with its own |
| Province began using the area for "Rest and | | | | mayor and its own administration. This is not all |
| Recreation" (R&R) , causing a huge boom in | | | | due to tourism. The government development |
| entertainment business. When the Americans left | | | | programmed for the Eastern Seaboard has |
| following the end of the Vietnam War, the city fell | | | | transformed the region, and this rapid industrial |
| into a crisis. However, modern mass tourism | | | | and commercial expansion has led to many |
| brought a new life to Pattaya. The city is | | | | expatriates coming to live in the area. There is a |
| considered heaven or hell on the Earth, depending | | | | new deep-sea port at Laem Chabang, 20 km |
| on how you look at it. | | | | north of Pattaya with a vast industrial estate, and |
| More than 35,000 hotels' rooms were available in | | | | another development zone at Map Ta Phut near |
| Pattaya. It is an eapecially popular vacation | | | | Rayong to the south. Pattaya city is well located |
| destination for families from Russia, Eastern | | | | to be a major business centre serving these two |
| Europe, Scandinavia and other countries. It also a | | | | giant industrial communities. There are five |
| large international expatriate population and many | | | | international schools and four international hospital |
| services meet international standards In recent | | | | in the area. |
| years, new shopping malls, outlet stores and | | | | |