This past weekend we made a trip down to Pattaya. Pattaya is a beach town located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Pattaya is a popular beach resort – attracting over 4 million visitors a year. It is located just over 2 hours outside of Bangkok.
The history of Pattaya is intertwined with U.S. military entanglement in Southeast Asia:
Pattaya was a small fishing village until the 1960s. Then, during the Vietnam War, American servicemen stationed at nearby U-Tapao or other U.S. bases in Thailand began visiting Pattaya. One story, unverified by a reliable source, has it that it all started when a group of 500 American soldiers stationed at the military base in Korat were driven to Pattaya on 29 June 1959 for a week of rest and relaxation (R&R). They rented several houses at the south end of the beach from a prominent Thai, Lord Sunthorn. Despite their short stay, the GIs had a great time and raved about the place. The word spread among other American soldiers stationed in the region and Pattaya quickly became a hot alternative to Bangkok.
Pattaya soon became known for its x-rated nightlife. The most prominent area for go-go bars and hourly hotels is the Pattaya city “Walking Street.”
Other areas of the city have gone a long way to cleaning up Pattaya’s image and the beach front is lined with large, family friendly resorts. During our stay I visited both the walking street and a large family oriented resort and I can say that a Pattaya is a very interesting place indeed.
While I had spent most of our year in Thailand skillfully avoiding Pattaya – I was pleasantly surprised by our resort and the clear water. Although there are better beaches in Thailand – Pattaya isn’t a bad choice for a short visit on a long weekend. It is actually possible to avoid the red light district and have a really great time.
Will Travel with Toddlers 