For a long time everyone thought Pattaya began and ended with the walking strip, which is nothing but one bar after the other jostling for space. But over the years this destination has been cleaning up its act and adding other attractions to its portfolio. Nestled along a picturesque bay on the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand, Pattaya is roughly 170 kilometers southeast of Bangkok and worth a visit.
Some time ago I came up with the theory that it would be possible to live comfortably in Pattaya for 1000 Baht per day. In order to test it, since 1 January 2003 I have kept records of every baht I have spent, where I spent it and what I spent it on. Now, after two full years, it is possible to analyze the records to either confirm my theory or put it to rest. If you are a retired millionaire or someone for whom money is no object, don’t read on. What follows will only be of interest to the 99% of us with limited resources.
If you pick up a tourist brochure, or look at a website, or even talk with one of the expatriates who live there, you’ll keep stumbling on the phrase “paradise” used to describe Pattaya. On arrival the casual observer may be a little mystified by this. The beach is rubbish, the whole town is concrete and there’s sleaze on a truly dumbfounding scale. Koh Phi Phi this ain’t. Yet the town has the highest concentration of expatriates outside Bangkok and sees two million visitors every year (second only to Phuket). So what draws people to this seaside resort town, just to the southeast of Bangkok?
Pattaya lies 150 kilometres to the southeast of Bangkok, less than two hours by road, and stretches for some 15 kilometres along the Eastern Seaboard. Thailands’s largest resort, shares the coast with traditional fishing villages, other resorts such as Bang Saen and Rayong, new industrial centres, the towns of Chonburi and Sriracha, and the port and naval base of Sattahip. Pattaya beach is a palm-fringed, sandy bay with a view of coral islands on the hoizon. Nearby are other cliffs and other bays, while inland, the region is rich in agricultural products including sugar cane, tapioca, rubber and fruit trees.
The woman in the green-cloth militar shirt was busy playing pool on her computer. I approached her small both on the Laos/Thai border and coughed slightly. She looked up briefly to inspect my visa, pushed it back into my hand, and went back to a tricky shot on her eight ball. Welcome to Laos.
Pattaya has been in the throes of a building boom not seen anywhere on the planet since Harry Truman decided to level Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a matching pair of atomic bombs to make way for a series of American fast-food franchises and car dealerships.
(19)
(1)
(10)
(3)
(2)
(15)
(13)
(39)
