Pattaya City is 147 kms south of Bangkok and with the opening of the motorway from Bangkok is less than a two hour drive. It has gained the title of "The Rivera of Thailand" annually attracting hundreds of thousands of fun loving tourists from all over the world making it one Thailand's major beach resorts.

Pattaya started life as a sleepy fishing village almost cut of from the outside world. The impact of the Vietnam war was to change all of that . On the 29th April 1961 five trucks of war weary American servicemen rolled into Pattaya to rent some houses at the southern end of the beach. This bunch were to stay for just a week. As soon as they returned to base, at Nakorn Ratchasima, word spread about the sights and delights of Pattaya. The beach resort of Pattaya , a bi-product of that crazy Indochina war was born.

As the fighting continued in neighbouring Vietnam troops would return from the frontline for R&R. They drank at Nipa Lodge as it was the only bar in town but by the late '70 things were beginning to buzz. fishermen's hut along the beach were replaced with accommodation ranging from deluxe hotels to small guest houses. Fishing vessels were transformed in tourist boats It attracted visitors from all over the world that just wanted to party, which in turn lead to wilder and wilder things. Bangkokians who had come down looking for peaceful weekend shied away the party animals turned up the noise. The words Party and Pattaya danced together. Then nobody seemed to care about the image of sleaze and pollution of beaches as long as they had a good time.

Around Pattaya BeachThat was then but in the immortal words of Bob Dylan "The times they are a changin'." Pattaya is about to experience a re-birth, rising like a phoenix out the fire. Pattaya City now has a water treatment plant located at the old Naklua Market that will be able to handle all of effluent waste and nothing will be pumped into the sea. As the water becomes cleaner the quality of marine life will improve and it is Pattaya's hope for the millenium that once again Dolphin will be swimming of the coast. That will be the clear sign that once again it is truly safe to swim in the Bay and the current trend for families to come back to Pattaya will grow.