Pattaya City is 147 kms
south of Bangkok and with the opening of the motorway from
Bangkok is less than a two hour drive. It has gained the title
of "The Rivera of Thailand" annually attracting
hundreds of thousands of fun loving tourists from all over
the world making it one Thailand's major beach resorts.
Pattaya started life as a sleepy fishing
village almost cut of from the outside world. The impact of
the Vietnam war was to change all of that . On the 29th April
1961 five trucks of war weary American servicemen rolled into
Pattaya to rent some houses at the southern end of the beach.
This bunch were to stay for just a week. As soon as they returned
to base, at Nakorn Ratchasima, word spread about the sights
and delights of Pattaya. The beach resort of Pattaya , a bi-product
of that crazy Indochina war was born.
As the fighting continued
in neighbouring Vietnam troops would return from the frontline
for R&R. They drank at Nipa Lodge as it was the only bar
in town but by the late '70 things were beginning to buzz.
fishermen's hut along the beach were replaced with accommodation
ranging from deluxe hotels to small guest houses. Fishing
vessels were transformed in tourist boats It attracted visitors
from all over the world that just wanted to party, which in
turn lead to wilder and wilder things. Bangkokians who had
come down looking for peaceful weekend shied away the party
animals turned up the noise. The words Party and Pattaya danced
together. Then nobody seemed to care about the image of sleaze
and pollution of beaches as long as they had a good time.
That was then but in the immortal words
of Bob Dylan "The times they are a changin'." Pattaya
is about to experience a re-birth, rising like a phoenix out
the fire. Pattaya City now has a water treatment plant located
at the old Naklua Market that will be able to handle all of
effluent waste and nothing will be pumped into the sea. As
the water becomes cleaner the quality of marine life will
improve and it is Pattaya's hope for the millenium that once
again Dolphin will be swimming of the coast. That will be
the clear sign that once again it is truly safe to swim in
the Bay and the current trend for families to come back to
Pattaya will grow.
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