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Pattaya

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Thais enjoying Pattaya beach at sunset

Pattaya (Template:Lang-th Phatthaya) is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand (12°55′39″N 100°52′31″E / 12.92750°N 100.87528°E / 12.92750; 100.87528), about 165 km southeast of Bangkok in the province of Chon Buri. It is one of the largest centers of tourism in Thailand, with some 5 million visitors arriving in 2004.

The city had 95,000 registered inhabitants in 2004; however, this figure does not include Thais who remain registered in their hometowns or the large expatriate population which when added up creates a metro rivaling Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima.

History

Pattaya was simply a small fishing village until the rich of Bangkok discovered it as a beach resort in the 1960s. Soon thereafter, American servicemen from the U. S. Air Force base at Utapao in Rayong province began using the area for "rest and recreation" (R&R). The city grew quickly, mostly due to bars and other nightlife aimed at the GIs. When the Americans left following the end of the Vietnam War, the city fell into a crisis. However, the rise of mass tourism from Europe brought new life to Pattaya.

In 2005, more than 35,000 hotel rooms were available in Pattaya. Despite its reputation as being largely a destination for sex tourism, Pattaya has seen a large increase in family tourism in recent years, thanks to efforts to present a more wholesome image. Pattaya is an especially popular vacation destination for families from Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Pattaya also has a large international expatriate population, due to the low cost of living as well as the significant modern infrastructure, which includes hospitals, shopping malls, supermarkets, and fast food outlets.

Administration

The rapid growth of tourism brought about many negative consequences, such as petty crimes and prostitution. These problems seemed to be out of the central governments's ability to handle. In 1976, the Pattaya City Act was passed by the Thai legislature, making Pattaya a self-administrating municipality governed by a Council-manager government. However, many argue that this administration system has some drawbacks (for example, the mayor disagreeing with the city manager), and critics have recommended abolishing the system.

Recreation

Pattaya Beach

Pattaya's main attraction are its beaches. Pattaya Beach is situated along the central city in close proximity to shopping, hotels and bars. The over-abundance of jet-skis and speedboats has contributed towards the pollution of the water along Pattaya Beach. The section of beach from Central Road (Pattaya Klang) south to the harbor is directly adjacent to the core of Pattaya's abundant nightlife area. Therefore, it is less family-oriented than North Pattaya, Na Klua and Jomtien Beach.

Jomtien Beach

Jomtien Beach is divided from the main part of Pattaya by Buddha Hill, just south of the city. In contrast to Pattaya Beach, Jomtien is a popular spot for family vacationers and watersports enthusiasts. Jomtien is essentially a residential area with beachside hotels, bungalow complexes, condominiums and restaurants. A wide array of watersport activities can be found, including jet-skis, para-sailing and scuba diving.

Jomtien's most visible landmark is the 56-story Pattaya Park tower, part of the Pattaya Park entertainment complex which also features a water park, roller coaster, monorail and children's activities. This may soon be overshadowed by the proposed residential 91-floor Ocean 1 ("O1") Tower [1]. The Jomtien district is already home to one of the largest resorts in Asia, the 4000+ room Ambassador City Jomtien.

Ko Lan

Ko Lan is a small island situated 7.5 km west Pattaya. Ko Lan is accessible by speedboat and ferry. The ferry departs hourly, and is a 45-minute ride costing just 20 Baht each way. Speedboats are more expensive, but can reach the island in less than 15 minutes. Ko Lan has several beaches, which are known for their cleanliness, relaxing atmosphere, soft white sand and crystal-clear water.

Sports, tourist sites

Other activities include golfing at one of the area's many golf courses, go-cart racing, visiting the construction site of an elaborate private wooden temple known as Sanctuary of Truth, and different theme parks and zoos such as Mini Siam, and Elephant Village.

The private Sri Racha Tiger Zoo features several hundred tigers and thousands of alligators as well as some other animals; it has often been criticized for the animals' living conditions. [1] A worker was killed by a tiger in 2004 [2] and the zoo saw a major outbreak of the bird flu among the tigers later in the same year. [3]

The Vimantaitalay tourist submarine takes customers underwater to see corals and marine life just a few kilometers offshore.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden has one of Asia's best maintained botanical gardens and lively cultural shows.

Shopping

In recent years, new shopping malls, outlet stores and jewelry stores have opened up, which has helped in increasing the length of stay of visitors to the city. Among the shopping malls are:

Nightlife

Pattaya beer bars along the waterfront

Pattaya is renowned for its nightlife, some of which revolves around the sex oriented industry. Hundreds of beer bars, go go bars, restaurants and clubs line the busy streets, and are bustling with activity 365 days a year. Boyztown area is famous for its gay go-go clubs and bars which draw gay men from all over the world.

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) matches aimed at the tourists can be seen from many of the open-air beer bars along Beach Road and the highly popular Walking Street, which is beside Boyztown.

Pattaya also has a large number of massage parlors.

Pattaya is known for its cabaret revues featuring kathoeys (male-to-female transsexuals), with Alcazar and Tiffany's being the largest and most elaborate.

Climate

Pattaya enjoys a tropical wet and dry climate, which is divided into the following seasons: Warm and Dry (November to February), Hot and Humid (March to May), and Hot and Rainy (June to October). The most comfortable time of year coinsides with the peak tourist season, which is on and around Christmas and New Year.

Crime

Petty crimes such as picking pockets are an occasional problem in and around the major tourist areas, such as Jomtien Beach and Pattaya Beach. To help curb this problem, a special Tourist Police division was established to aid foreign tourists (farangs) who have been scammed or robbed.

In 1975, a string of apparently related murders of western tourists occurred around Pattaya, now believed to be committed by the Frenchman Charles Sobhraj.

For several years, Pattaya has served as a hideway for foreigners with connections to organized crime, and dozens have been murdered in gang-related disputes.[4]

The authorities are increasingly cracking down on paedophiles who formerly flocked to Boyztown, and a number of high profile arrests of wanted sexual predators have been made in recent years.

Pattaya, along with the rest of Thailand, is known for its abundance of pirated DVD movies, music CDs and software. Such vendors can be found anywhere along main tourist areas, having their own booths or simply approaching customers in bars, beaches and restaurants.

See also

References

  1. ^ Sri Racha Tiger Zoo at www.world66.com.
  2. ^ The Nation, "100 tourists see tigers maul zoo worker", May 1, 2004.
  3. ^ The Nation, SRI RACHA TIGER ZOO: 60 more may be culled, October 29, 2004.
  4. ^ The Nation, Costa del Crime", November 7, 2005.
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