Pattaya is a popular tourist city located southeast of Bangkok along the Eastern seaboard of the Gulf of Thailand. With recent developments, it’s grown to become the 2nd most visited city in Thailand, after Bangkok, and is known mainly as being a resort town. Today, there are over one million people who live in and around Pattaya and it attracts tens of millions of visitors every year. Despite the tourist attraction that it has grown into, the origins of Pattaya are far from the city that you’ll see today.
Pattaya began as a simple fishing village because of its location along the gulf. It was the main industry here, and all residents were local fishers or maintaining the quiet village life around the region. Pattaya has always had significant ties to the army. The area was named based on one of the earlier wars that occurred here. The original name of “Thap Phraya” meaning army of Phraya was later changed to Pattaya, after one of the principal winds that blow here.
The name is the first influence of the army on the region. The second influence is rumored to have led to the initial boom of the region. Several army bases from the US were set up around the Pattaya region during times of the Vietnam war. The story goes that a few of the soldiers ventured to Pattaya looking for an escape and relaxation from the war. After returning to the base and sharing the amazing stories of the beauty of the bay, it became a frequent destination for others.
The major boom of Pattaya began in the years following the Vietnam war. It was at this time that significant investments were made to develop Pattaya into the resort city that we see today. A lot of development, and even in recent years, is focused on increasing accessibility to the region. An airport, seaports, railways, and highways are just a few of the ongoing developments to increase the amount of traffic that can flow to and from Pattaya from other major cities in Thailand. As mobility increased to the area, so have the developments.
Pattaya is now a major city with many modern buildings and attractions. Countless resorts have opened and are continuing to be developed as tourism increases to Pattaya. The central hub of the Pattaya region is Pattaya City. The overall goal of the projects around Pattaya is to develop it into a family-friendly destination.
One of the major attractions to Pattaya is the beach. Pattaya has some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. The main beach, Pattaya Beach is a short distance from the city center, but you can also discover more secluded beaches including Naklua Beach and Jomtien Beach. There are also several islands located just off of the Pattaya shore that can be accessed via long boats.
Current tourist attraction projects include water parks, boxing gyms, cultural venues, and other activities to promote diversity. Pattaya is rapidly developing to support the growing popularity and tourism to the region. It’s already become a top destination in Thailand, and many would say is just the beginning.
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