Pattaya (20-23 Jul 12)

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After the peaceful but poignant mountains of Kanchanaburi, my next stop would prove to be a harsh contrast. A quick overnight transit back in Bangkok later, and I next headed to Pattaya, the simultaneously luxurious and kitszchy/ sleazy beach resort town some two hours south of Bangkok, where I met up with two other friends who also made the trip. I understand Pattaya's development traces back to the sixties when it started out as an R&R spot for the American GIs fighting the Vietnam War. It has since absolutely boomed into a kaleidoscopic mix of fancy beachfront hotels, shopping malls and restaurants, and redlight girlie bars and nightclubs, all with tourist-oriented prices to match. Pattaya Beach itself has suffered severe coastal erosion over the past few decades, so what remains today is at best a 10-metre wide beach at normal tide (and much narrower at high tide!), nevertheless jam-packed with deck chairs, incessant touts and (unfortunately) the usual beach rubbish. The city is certainly not for the most conservative-minded people, as retired falang(Caucasians) hand-in-hand with their younger Thai femmes is the most common sight, somewhat bizarrely alongside unsuspecting holidaying families with children!

I spent most of the time really just chilling over meals, lazing around (we had a pool at the hotel!) and doing the pub/ club crawl with the mates at night, so I'm sorry to report I don't have many particularly cultural/ scenic photos for you. Not that Pattaya has that many of such sights to begin with, but I'll throw in a few that I'd taken from a previous visit just to give you a more complete picture.

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