Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Pattaya

geography Maturity 7-9

Pattaya is a big city.

Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
It sits by the sea. It is in Thailand. The sun is very hot there. Many people visit the beach. Do you like the beach?

42 words

Pattaya is a big city in Thailand.

Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
It sits by the sea. The city is near Bangkok.
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg

It has many long beaches. One beach is called Pattaya Beach. It is near the city center.

The weather is very hot. It can be rainy too. Heavy rain can cause floods. This makes the roads wet.

A hill sits near the water. People go there to see the view. There is a temple on top.

Many people visit the city. They like to see the ocean. It is a busy place to be.

108 words

Pattaya is a large city in eastern Thailand.

Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
It sits on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The city is southeast of Bangkok. It is part of a big area called Greater Pattaya. This area has many people living and working there.
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg

The weather is tropical. It has three main seasons. It is hot and dry from December to February. It is hot and humid in March and April. From May to November, it is hot and rainy. Heavy rain can cause big floods. In 2021, water reached two metres deep on some roads.

Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg

Pattaya has many beautiful beaches. Pattaya Beach is the main one. It runs for about 2.7 km along the coast.

Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
There are also islands in the sea nearby. One island is called Ko Lan.

Phra Tamnak Hill is also a special place. It sits on the south side of the city. There is a temple called Wat Phra Yai on top. People go there to see the views.

Pattaya buddha.jpg
Pattaya buddha.jpg
You can also find large buildings and many hotels here.

198 words

Pattaya is a large city in eastern Thailand.

Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
It sits on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The city is located southeast of Bangkok. It is part of a big area called Greater Pattaya. This area includes the Bang Lamung district. It is also part of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area. This metropolitan area has about 1,000,000 people living in it.
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg

The city has a tropical climate with three seasons. From December to February, it is hot and dry. March and April are hot and humid. From May to November, it is hot and rainy. The heavy rain can cause big floods. In August 2021, rain caused some roads to be under two metres of water.

Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
This was the worst flood in ten years. The city also works hard to manage its waste. It produces about 450 tonnes of solid waste every day.

Long ago, Pattaya was just a small fishing village.

Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
Its name comes from an old story about an army. A leader named Phraya Tak marched through the area. He met a local leader named Nai Klom. The name Phatthaya means the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast. Tourism began to grow during the Vietnam War. American servicemen arrived for rest and relaxation. By 1978, the Thai government gave Pattaya city status.
A crew member of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) relaxes while on shore leave - DPLA - 9ae4503fb33c536fc7225f16c9be6a61.jpg
A crew member of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) relaxes while on shore leave - DPLA - 9ae4503fb33c536fc7225f16c9be6a61.jpg

There are many interesting places to see in the city. You can visit the Sanctuary of Truth, which is made entirely of wood. Phra Tamnak Hill is another famous spot on the south side. It has a temple called Wat Phra Yai on top.

Pattaya buddha.jpg
Pattaya buddha.jpg
People like to go there for the views. The city also has many hotels and large buildings. In 2015, there were 136,000 hotel rooms available. The city has a population of about 351,391 people.
Hilton Pattaya Pool dusk view 201801.jpg
Hilton Pattaya Pool dusk view 201801.jpg

Pattaya is famous for its beautiful coastline and islands.

Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya Beach is the main beach and is 2.7 km long. The city uses a special plan to fix beach erosion. They use sand from Ko Rang Kwian to make the beach wider. There are also islands in the sea nearby. These include Ko Lan, Ko Sak, and Ko Krok.
Pattaya sunset-KayEss-1.jpeg
Pattaya sunset-KayEss-1.jpeg
Many people from other countries live here too. Some come to retire, and there is even a large Indian community.

433 words

Pattaya is a major urban center in Eastern Thailand.

Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
It serves as the second-largest city in Chonburi province. It is also the eighth-largest city in the entire country. The city sits on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is located southeast of the capital, Bangkok. Pattaya is a central part of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area. This conurbation is the third-largest metropolitan area in Thailand. It includes the urban areas of Chonburi, Si Racha, and Pattaya. The total population of this metropolitan area is 999,092 people.

The city's administrative structure is quite specific. Pattaya City is a special local government organization area. It exists within the Bang Lamung district. The city covers the tambons of Nong Prue and Na Klua. It also includes parts of Huai Yai and Nong Pla Lai. Because it has grown into all adjacent sub-districts, it is often called "Greater Pattaya." This urban area is part of the industrial Eastern Seaboard zone. This zone also includes Si Racha, Laem Chabang, and Chonburi. The municipality itself has a population of 119,532 residents. However, the larger Greater Pattaya area has 351,391 people.

Pattaya City Hall.jpg
Pattaya City Hall.jpg

The history of the name Pattaya is tied to an old military march. Before 1767, Phraya Tak led an army from Ayutthaya toward Chanthaburi. During this march, he encountered the troops of a local leader named Nai Klom. Nai Klom was impressed by the discipline of Phraya Tak's army. He surrendered without a fight and joined the forces. The place where they met was called "Thap Phraya." This name means "the army of the Phraya." Later, the name changed to Phatthaya. This term refers to the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast at the start of the rainy season.

For a long time, Pattaya was a small fishing village.

Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
Its transformation into a tourist destination began during the Vietnam War. American servicemen arrived for rest and relaxation. One group from a base in Korat arrived on June 29, 1959. They rented houses at the south end of the beach. This area is now known as "the Strip." Their presence helped spread fame for the area by word of mouth.
A crew member of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) relaxes while on shore leave - DPLA - 9ae4503fb33c536fc7225f16c9be6a61.jpg
A crew member of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) relaxes while on shore leave - DPLA - 9ae4503fb33c536fc7225f16c9be6a61.jpg
The Thai government granted Pattaya city status on November 29, 1978. It also became a special governed city at that time.

The geography of the coastline is a major feature of the city.

Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach is the main beachfront. It runs about 2.7 km long. It stretches from Pattaya Nuea in the north to Pattaya Tai in the south. The beach has faced serious issues with coastal erosion. In some places, the width dropped to only two or three meters. To fix this, a 429 million baht restoration scheme began in 2018. The city uses imported sand from Ko Rang Kwian to widen the beach. The goal is to increase the width to 50 meters.
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg

Several landmarks and natural features define the local landscape. Phra Tamnak Hill sits on the south side of the city. It is popular for its viewpoints and the Wat Phra Yai temple.

Pattaya buddha.jpg
Pattaya buddha.jpg
The Sanctuary of Truth is another unique site. Businessman Lek Viriyaphan began building it in 1981. The structure is entirely made of wood and remains unfinished.
Santuaryoftruth2.jpg
Santuaryoftruth2.jpg
Offshore, there are several groups of islands. The "near islands" include Ko Lan, Ko Sak, and Ko Krok. The "far islands" include Ko Phai, Ko Man Wichai, Ko Hu Chang, and Ko Klung Badan.
US Navy 020528-N-0401E-003 Cobra Gold - amphibious landing.jpg
US Navy 020528-N-0401E-003 Cobra Gold - amphibious landing.jpg

The climate in Pattaya is tropical with a wet and dry cycle. The year is divided into three distinct seasons. From December to February, the weather is hot and dry. March and April are characterized by hot and humid conditions. From May to November, the season is hot and rainy. This rainy season can lead to significant flooding. In August 2021, torrential rain caused major flooding. Some roads were under two metres of water. This was the worst flood the city had seen in a decade.

Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg

Managing a large city brings many modern challenges. Pattaya produces about 450 tonnes of solid waste every day. The city spends over 300 million baht annually on waste disposal. There is also a complex demographic landscape. Many people work in the city but are registered in other towns. There are many migrant workers and long-term expatriates. Many foreigners over age 50 live there as retirees. The city also has a large Indian community that speaks Tamil.

Pattaya at Night - panoramio.jpg
Pattaya at Night - panoramio.jpg

790 words
🖼️ Images & Media (21)
File:Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
Pattaya Beach 1964.jpg
File:A crew member of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) relaxes while on shore leave - DPLA - 9ae4503fb33c536fc7225f16c9be6a61.jpg
A crew member of the battleship USS NEW...
File:Pattaya, Walking Street at night, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya, Walking Street at night, Thailand.jpg
File:Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
Pattaya Beach, Beach Road, Thailand.jpg
File:Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
Pattaya beach on a sunny day in june 2017.jpg
File:US Navy 020528-N-0401E-003 Cobra Gold - amphibious landing.jpg
US Navy 020528-N-0401E-003 Cobra Gold -...
File:Pattaya sunset-KayEss-1.jpeg
Pattaya sunset-KayEss-1.jpeg
File:Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
Flooded street of Pattaya.jpg
File:Hilton Pattaya Pool dusk view 201801.jpg
Hilton Pattaya Pool dusk view 201801.jpg
File:Pattaya-11.jpg
Pattaya-11.jpg
File:Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
Pattaya in daytime June 2017.jpg
File:Central Pattaya, Thailand at night in 2017.jpg
Central Pattaya, Thailand at night in 2017.jpg

+ 9 more

Up Next
🗺️
Hat Yai
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.