Hard to believe but Pattaya was once a sleepy village. All that began to change in the late 1950s when several trucks loads of American GIs arrived here seeking some rest and relaxation from their duties in the Vietnam War.

And more servicemen followed them and then came, not surprisingly the prostitutes, pimps, pill pushers and pornography purveyors. They set up shop as more U.S. servicemen discovered that Pattaya was the place to party. Today the original strip where it all began still exists but the sleepy village has expanded into a metropolis of hotels, resorts, and theme parks and caters not only to footloose males looking for companionship but to families looking for their annual beach vacation.

This amazing resort area now welcomes five million visitors annually and they must like it because many are repeat visitors. Pattaya has become Asia’s major playground. It has the life and brashness of Bangkok with the major plus that it is on the beach. Laid back and quiet, it isn’t. There is the occasional oasis for solitude but Pattaya is brimming with activity around the clock. It is open in all seasons with every kind of attraction.

The area is comprised of three separate bays. In the center is PattayaBeach, where it all began and everything still happens there. To the north is NakluaBay, quietest of the trio and to the south with its string of oceanfront high rises is JomtienBeach famous for its windsurfing.

Pattaya has a large expatriate community. Those we have spoken to love living here, not because of the seedy side of life that surrounds them, but because of the infrastructure that tourism has created. They turned a blind eye to the sex business and enjoy wonderful medical services, great shopping and quality restaurants. 

Pattaya and its environs enjoy three seasons: It’s hot and humid from March to May, hot with the addition of lots of rain from June to October and cooler and clearer from November to February.

New hotels, homes, and stores are being built everywhere. Many believe that there will be a major invasion in the next few years when roads and bridges linking Thailand to China are completed. The hope here is that the Chinese will come by the bus load further boasting the local economy.