Pattaya is 147 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, and faces the Gulf of Thailand. Pattaya is Asia's premier beach resort, and caters with equal appeal to Pattaya's relaxing tropical ambience is synonymous with every ingredient for memorable holidays.

Theme and amusement parks, offbeat museums and lush botanical gardens offer numerous forms of leisure activities and cultural entertainment for all family members. And after dark, Pattaya offers all the allure and magic of a truly vibrant nightlife with a spectacular variety of restaurants, night clubs, bars, discotheques, cocktail lounges and cabarets. Pattaya can be brash, bold and beautiful, and offers everything an authentic international beach resort can.

Pattaya also provides plenty of on land recreation, a number of excellent 18-hole golf clubs, while other sporting options include tennis, horse-back riding, go-kart racing, shooting, archery, bowling, snooker...the list goes on. There is even a motor racing track. True to its city status, Pattaya, unlike other beach resorts, shows no slackening of pace after sundown. South Pattaya, popularly referred to as "The Strip", is packed with all kinds of restaurants, bars, discos, and shops. If South Pattaya is a trifle overwhelming, those seeking quieter opportunities for shopping, dining and evening entertainment will not be disappointed. Such has been the development of the resort in recent years that full amenities are now to be found throughout Pattaya which extends well inland from the bay.

Shopping possibilities are as varied as Pattaya's other attractions. Souvenirs, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, ready-to-wear and custom-tailored clothing, paintings and more are all to be found along "The Strip" and increasingly at smart shops and department stores throughout the resort.

Pattaya Elephant Village Is on the road to Siam Country Club Golf Courses. The village shows elephant displaying forestry skills, playing football and re-enactment of the war elephant parade. The village also demonstrates how wild elephants were captured in the northeastern part of Thailand.

Nong Nooch
covers an area of some 500 acres about 15 kilometers from South Pattaya. It is a Thai-village-style park. The entire area is beautifully landscaped, with orchid nursery and other botanical gardens. There are also cultural and traditional performances and an elephant show.

Koh Lan
45 minutes offshore by tourist boat or 15 minutes by speed boat, is the largest of Pattaya's islands. Major attractions include viewing coral reefs from glass bottomed boats, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, skiing and parasailing. There are many seafood restaurants on the island's main beaches. Deep sea fishing can be arranged to Koh Lan's neighboring islands such as Koh Khrok and Koh Sak.

Beyond Koh Lan another 40 minutes sail is Koh Phai (island) currently under the care of the Royal Navy. It has beautiful deserted beaches. Visitors are not allowed to stay overnight. All the nearby islands are easy to get to and charters can be arranged through the hotels or tour companies or by negotiating a price direct with the boat owners. Boat charters cost 700-1,500 baht per day depending on high or low season and the size of the boat.