Diving Thailand

Pattaya was a sleepy fishing village until the early 1960s when the first American servicemen arrived to take a rest from Vietnam War. This was the beginning of the change for Pattaya which has quickly grown into a popular beach resort and now attracts over 4 million visitors a year. Fishermen's huts along the beach were soon replaced by hotels and retail stores. Pattaya now boasts Asia's largest beachfront shopping mall, the Central Festival.Pattaya offers endless possibilities when it comes to shopping, sightseeing, dining, accommodation and entertainment. It has outgrown its image as a seedy beach town to a destination for a wider audience, whether couples, families, business travellers, or even musicians. Only 147km from Bangkok, it is the closest of Thailand's major beach resorts to the capital city.