Pattaya City
:
Pattaya (Thai: ?????, RTGS: Phatthaya) is a city in Thailand, located
on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand (12°55'39?N, 100°52'31?ECoordinates:
12°55'39?N, 100°52'31?E), about 165 km southeast of Bangkok
in the province of Chon Buri. It is one of the largest centers of
tourism in Thailand, with some 5 million visitors arriving in 2004.
Tourists visit Pattaya for many reasons including luxury hotels,
beautiful beaches, friendly people, excellent shopping, reasonable
prices and a wide variety of nearby tourist attractions. Others
come for the world renowned nightlife and prostitution.
The city had 98,414 registered inhabitants in 2004. This figure
excludes the large number of Thais who work in Pattaya but remain
registered in their hometowns, and many long-term expatriate visitors.
History :
Pattaya was simply a small fishing village until it was discovered
as a beach resort by Bangkok residents in the 1960s. Soon thereafter,
American servicemen from the U.S. Air Force base at U-Tapao in neighbouring
Rayong province began using the area for "rest and recreation"
(R&R), causing a huge boom in prostitution. When the Americans
left following the end of the Vietnam War, the city fell into a
crisis. However, modern mass tourism, particularly Sex tourism from
Europe and America brought a new lease of life to Pattaya. In recent
years the City has pushed hard to clean up its image and family-focussed
entertainment is increasingly available, however the core-sex industry
has ensured that Pattaya retains its position as one of the World's
largest red light districts.
In 2005, more than 35,000 hotel rooms were available in Pattaya.
Pattaya has seen a large increase in family tourism in recent years,
thanks to efforts to present a more wholesome image. Pattaya is
an especially popular vacation destination for families from Russia,
Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Pattaya also has a large international
expatriate population and many services meet international standards.
The rapid growth of tourism brought about many negative consequences,
such as petty crime and prostitution. These problems seemed beyond
the capabilities of the Central Government. In 1976, the Pattaya
City Act was passed by the Thai legislature, making Pattaya a self-administrating
municipality governed by a Council-manager government. However,
many argue that this administration system has drawbacks (for example,
the mayor may disagree with the city manager). Critics have recommended
abolishing the system.
|
