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ACCESSIBILITY: By road 147 km from Bkk by
Highway No.3 about 2.5 hrs drive. Daily coach service from Bangkok
Eastern Bus Terminal. See Useful Calls for phone numbers. By rail, 155
km from Bangkok.
Pattaya's name originated from the march of Phraya Tak (later King
Taksin) and his followers from Ayutthaya to Chanthaburi just before
the fall of the former capital to the Burmese invaders in 1767.
 When
Phraya Tak's army arrived at the vicinity of what is today's Pattaya,
he encountered the troops of Nai Klom who tried to intercept him. But
when the two leaders met face to face, Nai Klom was awed by Phraya
Tak's dignified manner and his army's strict discipline. And he
surrendered without a fight. The place the two armies confronted each
other, was later called Thap Phraya, which means the Army of the
Phraya. This was 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 the
past centuries, Pattaya was a small fishing village almost cut off
from the outside world. But after its beauty was discovered by the
first group of American servicemen from Nakhon Ratchasima in 1961,
sleepy Pattaya became Thailand's premier and most successful beach
resort which annually attracts hundreds of thousands of
pleasure-seeking visitors. Fishermen's huts along the beach were
replaced by a full range of accommodations from super deluxe hotels to
bungalows and mini-pocket guest-houses. Fishing vessels were adapted
to become tourist boats. And the quiet powdery golden beaches are
frequented by swimmers and sunbathers from various parts of the world.
For sun
lovers and water-sports fans, Pattaya's sunny climate provides
ideal conditions for swimming and all other imaginable water
activities, including fishing, boat sailing, speed-boating,
water-scooter riding, water skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and
windsurfing. For those who do not want to get drenched, Pattaya also
has gyms and health clubs for exercise and many kinds of land sports
and games to choose from, such as shooting, car racing, horse riding,
archery, golf, bowling, tennis, go-cart, paintball, etc.
For
shoppers, fashionable boutiques and shops of ready-made garments,
silk, paintings, handicrafts, gemstones, jewelry and trinkets are
centred in the main street of Central and South Pattaya and also in
the luxurious hotels. Prices are fair and all visitors are eagerly
welcome.
 For
gourmets, Pattaya's cookeries offer at reasonable prices a wide
range of superlative fresh seafood and various cuisines -Thai,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Scandinavian,
Mexican, American, Indian, Russian, etc. And for night owls, Pattaya's
lively nightlife caters for every taste. The most brightly colorful
spot is South Pattaya where all kinds of nightly entertainments are
offered.
In short, Pattaya is the place for all. No wonder it has remained
popular among those who come to spend their holidays from far and near
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