Pattaya - Thailand’s capital of fun is a popular resort on the North Gulf Coast of Eastern Thailand, 150 km south-east of Bangkok. Once a sleepy fishing town, Pattaya first boomed as an R & R spot during the Vietnam War and has been a popular tourism destination ever since. Currently, Pattaya is booming and the opening of the Suvarnabhumi Airport has made visiting easier than ever. Pattaya is popular not only as a beach resort and for its entertainment, nightlife and shopping, but also for the broad selection of recreational activities it caters for, from golf and horseback riding to bungee jumping, karting and shooting - not to mention a wide variety of watersports such as scuba diving, jet-skiing, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and kite surfing. Pattaya, unlike other beach resorts, shows no respite after sundown, Pattaya’s nightlife is unique and fascinating with Walking Street, South Pattaya in the centre of it all. This is the most popular place to go amongst tourists and expats here you will find many go go bars, beer bars, discos, street entertainers and the odd ladyboy. Food is another one of the highlights of any trip to Pattaya. From giant prawns to spicy som tam salad, there is every imaginable cuisine here. Cajun, Chinese, Indian, Italian, English, French, Vietnamese, German, Russian and many more. Today Pattaya attracts annually more then a million tourists from all over the world. Pattaya provides high standard hotels, restaurants, sports, entertainment and shopping. It really has it all and a whole lot more.

With a wealth of international restaurants offering delicious food. Pattaya is truly the crossroads of cuisine in Asia. French, Mexican, German, ltalian, Indian, Chinese, Scandinavian, Korean, Japanese and of course, Thai plus many other varieties of restaurant are located within the city. For most visitors to Pattaya the experience of new and interesting dishes is an exciting alternative to the traditional foods available at home. However, along with wonderful Thai dishes, one should sample the culinary delights available from other countries. Try “Kimji” a type of Korean spicy salad or maybe “sizzling Fajitas” a popular Mexican dish. Also, why not take this opportunity to find new ways of cooking traditional ingredients… there are now several cooking schools around the city where for a nominal fee you can learn to cook local dishes as well as go shopping to local markets and buy the ingredients you will need. Local specialities include: Tom Yam Gung (spicy prawn soup), Gaeng Kiewan (green spicy curry). If you like your food “hot” then try some of the food served from the vast number of vending carts across the city. At these you can sample such delicacies as: Som Tam (spicy salad) or Hoy Tord (fried mussels or oysters with egg) and the amazing variety of seafood.

Nightlife Guide As you would expect from one of the most exciting vacation destinations in the world. Pattaya offers the visitor a kaleidoscope of entertainment possibilities. Live music & be enjoyed at several clubs around the city. These venues provide the visitor with wonderful atmosphere, cold beer & cocktails & the opportunity to see artists from various parts of the world playing a wide selection of popular & new music. There are also a number of traditional nightclubs in the city. These nightspots also offer live entertainment… the live music is usually performed by Thai singers & bands with regular interludes where the resident DJ will play a selection of dance/house or other forms of music. For visitors who like to sit back & watch a truly spectacular show, check out Alcazar & Tiffany’s located on 2nd Road, Pattaya. These are the lady-boy shows, where the singers perform in a vast array of costumes & sing their way through songs in several languages. A little outside Pattaya you will find the Alangkarn Extravaganza. A show which features animals, pyrotechnics, acrobats etc. Alangkarn is now creating itself as one of the “must see” shows for visitors.

Songkran - Wet, Wet, Wet Back in 1996 on a hot sunny day in April whilst leaving my hotel in Pattaya I was a victim of a horrendous attack. As I merrily bowled down Pattaya Klang heading to purchase a copy of the Bangkok Post a stealth pick up truck containing the Thai ‘A ‘team launched an all out aqua attack with multi bucket launchers, pump action water hoses and automatic water pistols.... in fact any water vessels bigger than an egg cup, add to this the phantom flour flinger and his cluster bombs of mixed ice and tiger balm came raining down on me.... Gave me no chance to defend myself and left me spluttering on the pavement like a demented sea lion. Why you may ask.... well the answer is Songkran the Thai new year, veiled thinly as the water spirit festival. Although i had visited Thailand on many occasions previously, it was my first Songkran and it had slipped my mind it was the thirteenth.... so picking my drowned carcass up wearing a false grin like when Jeremy Beadle appears.... I hastily returned to my hotel reception who were not to pleased as I traipsed through the 5 star mezzanine floor with two cleaners following me like a bride walking down the aisle. (See the guide for more...)