The History of Pattaya and the First Farangs

Once just another quiet fishing village on the coast, Pattaya only really started to develop into the International seaside resort it is today in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. American servicemen, based in Thailand during the Vietnam War, flooded here from their nearby Utapao Air Force base in Rayong province to relax and have a good time.

Originally named “ Tap Praya,” Pattaya also became a favourite destination for rich Thais from Bangkok in the early sixties.

Because of its rapid expansion, it was officially named a city by the government in 1978 (an anniversary which is celebrated every year in the city). Today it is the most popular seaside destination in all of South East Asia, with an estimated 1.5 million tourists visiting each year.

The very first westerners to visit Pattaya were a dozen American soldiers in June 1959, who arrived in four transport trucks for a spell of R&R (rest and recreation) from their base in Nakhon Ratchasima.

They hired houses on the beach, and stayed for a week. When they returned to their base they enthused to the rest of the troops about Pattaya, saying what a good time they’d had and how friendly the residents were towards them.

Word spread quickly, and Pattaya soon became an R&R favourite with more and more troops. The city grew very quickly, with everything, it seemed, geared towards the Americans and their dollars. Hotels, shops, restaurants and bars sprung up everywhere during the decade after those first dozen men drove into town.

Although Pattaya hit a slump after the end of the Vietnam War when all the GI’s returned to the States, it soon picked up again with an influx of European tourism. The eighties and nineties were a real boom-time for Pattaya.

Although the Andaman Coast was becoming more popular with Europeans and Americans, Pattaya was gaining a real reputation as a party town with Russians, Eastern Europeans, North Africans and Arabs.

Many westerners started to open bars and restaurants in the early eighties to cater for the tourist trade. Had it not been for some of these early investors, Pattaya may not have swelled to the size it is today, or its reputation spread around the world the way it has.

With the new Suvarnabhumi Airport only an hour’s drive from Pattaya, a new spate of construction is underway to cater for more tourists. So the city continues to grow, and probably will do for some time to come.

Related Story - Brief history about Pattaya

Reader's comments:

Add comment: Added by: Confirmation code: Enter the numbers below exactly as you see it.   myPattaya.com is not responsible for the comments above. Please let us know if you find the comment abusive and we will delete it ASAP.