Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pattaya
POP 215,888
Synonymous with sex tourism, Pattaya is unapologetic about its bread-and-butter in-
dustry. Go-go clubs, massage parlours and girlie bars occupy block after block of the
central city, making Bangkok's red-light districts look small and provincial. But walking
the same streets as the stiletto-wearing ladyboys are ever-increasing numbers of Russian
tourists and Chinese tour groups. More than anything, Pattaya today is a schizophrenic
experience: part package holiday destination; part prostitution central.
During the day, the city is slightly less seedy as the beach gets crowded out and jet skis
and speed boats bounce across the waves. A fair few Thais, too, have adopted Pattaya as
a weekend getaway, drawn by the excellent seafood and lower prices than elsewhere on
the eastern seaboard. But not even the most enthusiatic Pattaya promoter could claim that
the city has changed too much from its original incarnation as an anything-goes sin city
for GIs on R & R from the Vietnam War.
The city is built around
Ao Pattaya
, a wide crescent-shaped bay that was one of Thail-
and's first beach resorts in the 1960s. The surrounding area is now Thailand's manufac-
turing base, transforming the bay from fishing area and swimming pool into an industrial
port. Some provincial Thais still swim here but we don't think you should as the water is
dirty. The oceanfront promenade does, however, provide a scenic stroll under shady trees
and a lovely coastal view.
Optimists claim that Hat Jomtien, south of the centre, is a family-friendly scene. True,
there are fewer girlie bars and the beach is nicer, but Jomtien is about two decades away
from being retro and there's a preponderance of mediocre hotels and restaurants. North
Pattaya (Pattaya Neua) is fashioning itself as a mini-Bangkok with modern condo towers
and respectable corporate hotels. North of the city is
Naklua
, which is glossier than Jom-
tien and a little more promising for Pattaya's alternative tourists.
