‘The
south-west wind’
It means the "south-west monsoon wind"
and is properly pronounced "Patti-yah" not
"Patt-eye-yah". This destination is approximately 150km from Bangkok and has become 1 of the more popular beaches in the
world. There are more than one million of travellers enjoying Pattaya's tourist attractions each year, and this number keeps growing. Though its spicy
nightlife is criticised, Pattaya has satisfied travellers' needs in a way that few
other places can match.
Pattaya's main beach stretches over 4 km's,
starting at the Amari Orchid Resort, the 'quiet
end', and ending at South Pattaya "strip"
in a lively shopping area where there are most of the discos
and nightlife. Jomtien, a longer beach, an ideal place for water sport lovers, is a short drive away towards the south.
Pattaya is easily reached by car from Bangkok. It is
in just over 2 hours using a good long highway, and this can avoid the expense of air connections. Utapao Airport, constructed to handle B52's during the Vietnam
War, is the airport in Pattaya that can accept long haul charter aircraft such as 747's with ease. The airport is about 45 minutes drive from the centre of Pattaya.
The resort-city enjoys the sunshine throughout the year, and
suffers few of the extreme weather conditions that can ruin holidays
elsewhere. The cost of similar hotels in Pattaya is mostly cheaper than Phuket and Samui, which makes
it good value for money. Pattaya has a wide selection of water and
land-based sporting activities, great eating outlets,
good entertainment spots, and a number of recreation facilities. Nobody will get bored staying in Pattaya.
One last aspect add to the appeal - a number of offshore islands
with deserted beaches, that makes it possible to merge 'Robinson Crusoe' activities with all the enjoyment of a beach
resort. A short taxi ride away will bring you into all the pleasures of the Thai
countryside, and many excursions to tourist attractions are widely provided,
as well as trips to Bangkok, which can be done in a day. |
