Travel Eye on Pattaya (Thailand)

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Overview:

Pattaya, a former fishing village and favourite haunt of American GI's during the 1960's, has come a long way in the last few years. While still retaining an element of unrestrained hedonism, the old and outdated image of girly-bars and raucous nightlife, is changing.

Families, groups and business travellers are being lured with with extensive sports facilities, daytrips, island tours, wildlife and amusement parks, offbeat museums and lush botanical gardens, providing a variety of leisure attractions and entertainment for everyone.

Travelling around Pattaya is easy. Lots of minibuses run around the Beach Road and Pattaya 2nd Road in a circuit. Fares are 5 Baht per person per ride. These cabs stop quickly at the wave of a hand. One hops on and may often share the cab with other riders. It costs only about a dollar to get from one end of town to the other.

Situated on a bay, with a curving coastline that comes alive at night with twinkling lights of hotels and condominiums and the neon signs of bars, shops, restaurants, and businesses, Pattaya offers lots to do.

Tours, excursions to islands, fishing, sports activities, odd museums, windsurfing, bowling, snooker, golf, shopping or simply enjoying the beach. It's a tough choice!!

Most visitors to this resort are middle-aged-plus Western males, travelling alone or in small organised tour groups. Some younger lads also make their way to the town to play the field and participate in beer-and-boy's-own "fun". Any couples and families tend to spend a large part of their time in the sheltered environment of their hotels.

The accommodation here is mainly large hotels ranging from simple, neat establishments to upmarket choices, there are basic guesthouses also available. Impromptu couples are much in evidence, particularly at the smaller and lower-grade properties. The better options for a beach holiday tend to be at the periphery of the resort and beyond.

Locality:

Pattaya is on the east coast of the Bight of Bangkok off the Gulf of Thailand. (95 mls SE of Bangkok and its international airport). It is situated on a wide, West-facing bay, with virtually flat land stretching over 10 miles inland.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

The main resort beach is a long, reasonably pleasant affair of coarse sand backed by a tree-lined promenade, but it does not fit the image of a cliched tropical beach.

There are several large, modern shopping centres and department stores. There are numerous small, open-sided local shops offer local souvenirs and fake designer goods and also some handicraft stalls. abound.

During the daytime there is a surprisingly large and varied range of activities, including most water sports, go-karting, paint-ball games, game fishing, horse riding, golf, tennis, fitness centres, bowling, an elephant village, national parks and a zoo.

The nightlife here has everything imaginable, and much that isn't. Even the more mundane options for an evening out often come heavily laced with seedier elements. A surprising number of bars and restaurants have private air-conditioned rooms for massage purposes. Those seeking more traditional live music and cultural shows are best sticking to hotel-based entertainments.