Chon Buri The Nearest Seaside Retreat
Chonburi, Bangkok's nearest seaside town, is located on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, only 80 kilometers from Bangkok. The area boasts abundant natural resources, which are highlighted by delightful beaches, local colors, traditions, delicacies and fresh seafood. This is a popular resort among Bangkokians who seek the nearest escape from hectic weekly schedules as Chon Buri has something for everyone. In addition, Chon Buri is the center of the Eastern Seaboard Development Project, with its industrial parks and fishing villages.

Pattaya - A Travelers Paradise

Pattaya is nestled along a picturesque bay on the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand, roughly 170 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. From a fishing village in the 1960's, Pattaya has emerged as the favorite Southeast Asian vacation center. A fascinating escape where tourists, holiday makers and vacationers from around the world unfold an incomparable array of possibilities to unwind during an exotic holiday beach vacation.

Unlike other beach resorts, where natural surroundings are used as magnets to attract tourists, Pattaya makes an all-out attempt to provide the best of everything. Here, everything means everything a tourist can imagine while on holiday: recreation, entertainment, sports, sightseeing and fun. To put it simply, Pattaya is a paradise for everyone, as it has a variety of attractions suitable for all types of visitors. This is the place where you can fill your day, from dusk to dawn, with endless activities, or you may choose to do nothing at all and relax.

You can check all accommodations including prices, transportation, activities, etc. here, Pattaya Hotels.

The Past

Pattaya's name was originated from the march of Phraya Tak (later known as King Taksin the Great) and his followers from Ayutthaya to Chanthaburi just before the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom to the Burmese invaders in 1767.

When Phraya Tak's army arrived in the vicinity of what is Pattaya today, he encountered the troops of Nai Klom who tried to intercept him. When the two leaders met face to face, Nai Klom was awed by Phraya Tak's dignified manner and his army's strict discipline, thereby surrendering without a fight. The place where the two armies confronted each other was later called Thap Phraya, which means the Army of the Phraya. This was later 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 centuries, Pattaya was a small fishing village almost cut off from the outside world. But a big change occurred on 29 April 1961 when the first group of about 100 American servicemen who would join the Vietnam War arrived in Pattaya for relaxation. Soon, sleepy Pattaya became Thailand's premier and most successful beach resort, which annually attracts hundreds of thousands of pleasure-seeking visitors. A full range of accommodations from super deluxe hotels to bungalows and mini-pocket guesthouses replaced fishermens huts along the beach. Fishing vessels were adapted to become tourist boats and swimmers and sunbathers from various parts of the world frequented the quiet powdery golden beaches. Places of nighttime entertainment have also sprung up and are popular among international tourists.

The Present

Pattaya currently integrates the delights of a 1st class beach resort, city-like dining, shopping and night entertainment facilities with more than 300 assorted hotels, thousands of shops, restaurants and bars. In addition, there are an array of sports and recreational activities including beaches, golf courses, tennis courts, go-kart, gyms for working out, weight lifting and Thai-boxing gear. Pattaya offers a broad range of things to do. During the day, one may enjoy riding elephants or driving humble automatic mini-bikes, monstrous motorcycles, or even monster multicolored convertible Jeeps. Others go for shooting firearms, scuba diving and surfing, deep-sea fishing, speed boats, scooters, water-skiing, parasailing, or aerial sports such as gliding ultra-lights and flying motor-propelled gliders. On the other hand, at night, there are restaurants, bars, theaters, cabaret shows, night clubs, bowling halls, billiard & snooker clubs, discos, sauna & massage parlors, not to cite its absolutely incredible shopping which is available non-stop both day-and-night.

Pattaya Facts

This exotic beach resort welcomes approximately 5 million visitors a year. The friendly and hospitable Thai nature boosts its promotion, frequently bringing back the repeat visitors and constantly increasing the number of newcomers.

Pattaya city is located on the eastern coast of the country at latitude 13 N and longitude 101 E in the area of Chon Buri province. It is 147 kilometers from Bangkok and lies parallel to Sukhumvit Road on its east and the coastline on its west. Pattaya occupies an area of 208.1 sq. km. that is divided into 53.44 sq. kilometers of land and 154.66 sq. kilometers of islands and sea. Its coastline is 15 kilometers long.

Pattaya has a plain on the coast with some high mountains to the south. The area on the east slopes down towards the sea on the west.

Pattaya is an incredible destination in Thailand, located on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand in Chonburi region, about 147 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Occupying an area of about 208 square kilometers, Pattaya is much favored tourist spot among the westerners including Americans and Europeans.

Hence, Pattaya is visited by people from all around the globe, as the place has got its own magnificence and hence sure to enchant you with nonstop activities. With awe-inspiring natural beauty, warm climate throughout the year and beautiful beaches, ancient shrines, world-famous hospitality, and sumptuous cuisines, Pattaya has everything to spend an enjoyable vacation.

Once a typical fishing village, Pattaya boasts of many factors that attract people towards this enthralling place and few of them are: Alangkarn Theatre: featuring the presentation of Thai culture from every aspects of life i.e, they present programs other than the standard Thai traditional dances; Cabaret Shows, which includes daily three shows with an extra one on Saturdays.

Horseshoe Point Club, which enables travelers for horse riding for all states of knack and dressage, cross-country jumping and polo; Mini Siam, a marvelous place of minuscule models of dazzling Thai architecture such as Democracy Monument, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bridge over the River Kwai, Prasat Hin Phimai; the paintball ground enable the players huge compounds along with the administration with protection dress and masks for safety; and Bamrung Sport Club, providing instructions and conveniences for water sports such as windsurfing, para-motor, para gliding and sailing.

Pattaya Elephant Village, which offers the display of daily life of the elephant and its masters, the village also provides stage shows which exhibit the capturing of wild elephants, elephants at work in jungle, playing football, grand war as well as the elephant's parade; the Bhira International Circuit, where you can spectacle international two wheeler and four wheeler races. If interested opportunities are available for the enthusiasts to ride all around the exigent circuit.

The Lakeland Water Cable Ski, providing cable ski equipments to ski on the freshwater lake; Pattaya Kart Speedway: with vast areas of several segments; K.R. Go-kart Grandprix, an international standard tract for racing offering performance grand prix racing karts; Jungle Bungee Jump, the only company which takes accident insurance for the players.

The Pattaya Park, with a huge water park which has a tower enabled with revolving restaurant as well as giant sliders in the water park; the World Dog Centre with excess of 250 diverse species of dogs as well as provide stage shows daily with well-trained police dogs four times a day; Underwater World Pattaya, which is one of the largest aquariums in Asia with pedestrian tunnel underwater to enjoy the environment with different species of marine life.

There are services of accommodation ranging from luxury villas with private beaches to bay side hotels as well bungalows, to reasonable priced hotels and guest house. Choice is left to you while villas rental in Pattaya is needed for luxury or for reasonable priced hotels.

An additional feature must be added to this magnificent destination is the food and pleasure enjoyed by the food, its taste cannot be beaten by any resorts in this region of the world presenting numerous restaurants with different choicest to taste and to enjoy. Pattaya makes it a choice for the active travelers as the destination is one among the oldest diving centre in this region of Asia.

Quite often the travelers find it difficult to get the desired villa or villa next to the destination while the seasonal time. It has become an authentic problem for the visitors to the town avoiding it for the season and missing the beauty of the entire occasion.