Name The name
Pattaya evolved from the march of
Phraya Tak (later
King Taksin) and his army from
Ayutthaya to
Chanthaburi, which took place before the fall of the former capital to
Burmese invaders in 1767. When his army arrived in the vicinity of what is now Pattaya, Phraya Tak encountered the troops of a local leader named Nai Klom, who tried to intercept him. When the two met face to face, Nai Klom was impressed by Phraya Tak's dignified manner and his army's strict discipline. He surrendered without a fight and joined his forces. The place the armies confronted each other was thereafter known as "Thap Phraya", which means the "army of the Phraya". Thap Phraya was later changed to
Phatthaya, which means 'the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast at the beginning of the rainy season'.
Growth on Pattaya Beach, 1987 Following World War II, entrepreneur Parinya Chawalitthamrong saw the potential of investing in Pattaya and donated some land to the governing administration. Pattaya City Hall would later be constructed on this land. A fishing village until the 1960s, tourism began during the
Vietnam War, when American servicemen began arriving on
R&R (rest and relaxation). One large group who arrived from a base in
Korat on 29 June 1959 and rented houses from Phraya Sunthorn at the south end of the beach, on what is now known as the "Strip", are credited with recommending Pattaya, whose fame spread by
word of mouth. On 29 November 1978, Pattaya was granted city status by the Thai government. In 1981, businessman
Lek Viriyaphan began constructing on the Sanctuary of Truth which remains unfinished and is entirely made out of wood.
21st century In 2004, Nirun Wattanasartsaton became the first democratically elected mayor. In the 2008 mayoral election,
Itthiphol Khunpluem became Pattaya's mayor. As mayor, Itthiphol approved construction on
the Waterfront Suites and Residence condominium near the Bali Hai pier, which became controversial. His approval later led to his arrest in 2023 over corruption. Following the 2014 coup, the
National Council for Peace and Order appointed two mayors until in 2018 when the Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha appointed
Sontaya Kunplome, brother of Itthiphol, as mayor. Mayor Sontaya went on to form the Rao Rak Pattaya party which won the
2022 mayoral election led by
Poramet Ngampichet, who has served as mayor ever since. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, Pattaya's economy suffered greatly due to travel restrictions restricting tourism. From the 2010s through to the 2020s, Pattaya attempted to shift public perception of it being a sex-city to a more family-friendly location. Bars which were friendly towards pedophiles in
Sunee plaza were closed, and the amount of gogo bars on Walking Street declined. However, a 2023 documentary by
Deutsche Welle, which has been banned in Thailand, resurrected concerns around Pattaya's sex industry and its association with child prostitution. The documentary is around a German tourist who is claimed to have paid ฿1 million to return to Germany and escape charges. The claims resulted in PM
Srettha Thavisin launching an investigation headed by
Surachate Hapkarn. The documentary has been described by local media as having the potential of hurting Pattaya's industry which has been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Pattaya has frequently suffered from flooding, especially during the
monsoon season. Torrential rain on 27 August 2021 left many important roads under water, with water reaching up to two metres deep in some areas. Pattaya City officials called the August flooding as the worst flood for Pattaya in a decade. On 4 November 2023, Pattaya was awarded the Integrity and Transparency Assessment award for the highest development category. The award was presented by the
National Anti-Corruption Commission to Poramet at
Government House in Bangkok. == Climate ==