Pattaya Thailand Sightseeing

Can Thailand's city by the sea shake off its "shabby sister" image and claw back its rightful place as one of Asia's top family destinations. A special Travel and Style report on these two pages suggests that although there is still a lot of water to run under the bridge, this resort city is currently taking steps in the right direction.

Like the man said, "they don't have Pattaya to kick around anymore." Thailand's city of shame has, like the great Phoenix, risen from the ashes and emerged as a family destination full of fun, sun and good value. But we are here to tell you brother, it wasn't easy. The rehabilitation of this city by the sea involved the cleansing of the soul, as well as the body.

The body has been the easier part, and the rewards more tangible: Despite cries of foul and graft over licenses, a spanking new pier is a picturesque addition to South Beach, as well as facilitating easy access for tourist and dive boats servicing outlying islands. The waterfront road and its pavements have been painfully - wheels grind slowly in this part of the world - ripped up and relaid to accommodate sewerage works, while the same is happening to the parallel arterial road; treatment plants have been installed, the beach will be extended with new sand and the TAT recently allocated 10 million baht to finance environmental programmer.
  


Hoteliers have embarked on a "spring cleaning" campaign that included not only their immediate grounds, but nearby beach fronts too. More than 40 hotels, associations and organizations also combined to finance the Pattaya Carnival on January 14 and 15, and to raise money to send a delegation to this year's prestigious International Tourism Bourse in Berlin, where they can promote the city. So far, so good.

The beer bars, their hospitable hostesses and the worst of their excesses - the root cause of the shame heaped on the city - have systematically been curtailed and contained, resulting in them grouping in defined locations. Their premises have been replaced with shops, shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment centers, such as the Ripleys Believe it or Not complex, which opened in January. The latter has turned into a magically popular source of fun and entertainment for visitors of all ages.

It is in matters of the soul, however, that the fundamental metamorphosis of Pattaya is taking place, and it is this which counts if the city is to regain its preeminence as the region's premier resort destination, and lose it tarnished image.

For the most, one does not have to feel abashed, degraded or insulted to walk the streets of Pattaya any more. Families can comfortably stroll along the palm-fronted promenade where the only goods for sale will be a veritable treasure's chest of clothes, trinkets and knickknacks. This does not mean that the night life does not exist, it does, and it would be foolish to pretend otherwise. What Pattaya is doing now is to present the positive changes to the world, and to promote the infinite variety Pattaya can offer the legitimate tourist. Now it's a question of marketing, for news of changes would not be worth the price of a beer if it were not spread around.

Pattaya needs to be presented for what it is, not for what it is so widely perceived to be. "We must market it differently, it is the resort city of Pattaya, it has sports, fun and activities. People are surprised that there is so much to see and do here," says Alois Fassbind, Executive Vice President of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort. "We reached the bottom last year, it should be up from here," he says, "Pattaya is a place of sun and fun, this is the message we must get to the people, but we must be honest about it."

Another leading hotelier agrees. "We are a city by the sea, we are not like Phuket, which is more leisure-orientated."

Fassbind says that the resort should also target its clientele better - in these changing times, he believes these should be active people, those who prefer activities more than spending their time lazing in the sun.


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