Thailand has long been at the top of the list of the best vacation spots. Among its resorts there are outsiders and leaders, but Pattaya will not yield to anyone in the first positions, it has long been in the hearts of millions of tourists. However, the history of Pattaya for many remains a mystery, a mystery sealed with seven seals.
First of all, the world of entertainment and leisure opens to guests. Acquaintance with monuments of history or culture takes place mainly outside the resort. Meanwhile, the history of Pattaya, albeit very short, keeps many interesting events, reminiscent of the tale of the famous Cinderella. The small village of fishermen and their families is becoming the world's leading resort in record time.
From the origins to the stars
For European historians, Pattaya has never been an object of study, so it is difficult to find scholarly works in Russian or English dedicated to this city. The date of the resort's founding is well known, but people settled in these places long before the arrival of guests from the West.
There are legends that the place was called "Thap Praia", which can be translated as "Praia Army". It is clear that such a toponym could appear only after military events and the victory of one army over another. The modern name has nothing to do with the war, on the contrary, it is translated very peacefully - it mentions the wind, which heralds the beginning of the rainy season. In the first half of the twentieth century, the settlement is still a small village in the Chonburi region.
Many young historians claim that American tourists discovered Pattaya as a resort, but this is not entirely correct. Long before the arrival of guests from across the ocean, wealthy Thais were lying on the warm shores. Moreover, many of them prudently built cottages and villas in the village, and then every weekend they went on a country voyage, closer to nature, the sea, the beach.
American version
According to this version, American soldiers were involved in the founding of the new resort; even the exact date of the resort's foundation is known - June 2, 1959. Having had a week's rest, the military set off along the coast in search of a secluded, quiet corner. They liked Pattaya so much that they spent all their leave here. True, they say that then everything was better - both the beach is wider and the sea is cleaner.
The stories of the first American tourists about the heavenly place quickly spread throughout the military base, the number of tourists increased significantly. The rich Thais did not fail to take advantage of this, they began to develop infrastructure, this process does not stop even now, and the civilians of many countries have joined the American soldiers.
