It was back in the 1960's when I first heard of Pattaya, it was all about a seaside R&R (rest and relaxation)spot in Thailand packed full of bars with hot and cold ruining Thai girls. The Vietnam War was rocking on and we were the American GI rockers and to keep us rocking the military set it up so during our one year tour we got two separate R&R's. Myself I picked Hong Kong and on the second one to Singapore.
While my hut mate, Swartz, a sex starved 20 year old from Jersey took both of his in Pattaya. Guess the Jersey shore didn't do much to prepare Swartz for what he found, both times, upon his return he needed treatment by the medics for what they diagnosed as over exertion. He jokingly would talk about his treatment saying the medics said if it had been any other appendage he did that much damage to - it would have been casted. My last memory of him, after recovering from his last Pattaya trip, was his endless goings on about how Thailand changed his life and figuring out ways to get back.
Not sure if Swartz ever made it back . Lost track of him after Nam but over the past 8 years I've retracted my steps and my quest took me to Pattaya and that's how I got thinking of Swartz.
Ka damn, 43 years since Swartz made his last visit to what is now billed as the international Thai sea side resort city of Pattaya. Pattaya is no longer a sleepy little fishing
village where a bunch of bars popped up by the beach to entertai
n the visiting American GI's. These guys, mostly young had been away from the fun things in life now had a week to make up for lost time and forget all the crap going on back in Nam. So I’m guessing it was a pretty rough and tumble place, where as now it's a fully fledged international resort. You’ll see a diversified international group of visitors from Russia, Japan, Chinese, and Europeans’ of all nationalities though no GI"s but the place still maintains its American flavor, 60’s rock music blaring out of the beer bars, its own Hard Rock Café and resort, Holiday Inn, 7/11, A&W, a couple of US pizza chains and Star bucks.In parts of Pattaya as you see in my photos, international resort or whatever, its still back to back beer bars stuffed full off friendly and sexy hostesses. Though as Mr. Dillon said "the times they are a changing" in area like walking street the girls and beer bars are still the norm while the city is trying hard at upgrading its offering in other areas.
For Example I stayed at the Sabi Wing at a reasonable forty something dollars a night, including a full breakfast, and a balcony overlooking the pool. It’s located on soi 2 and about a 10 minute walk from the beach. Out of my week I spent a couple nights out bar hopping but it was easy for me to avoid all the craziness on the nights I stayed out of the bars.
As just about anywhere in Pattaya you can spend a lot on meals but also inexpensive, street side bar-b-q can be had for less than a buck or inexpensive restaurants are available where you can get by for $3.00-6.00 a meal. In the restaurants they offer so many international based menus it hard at times to find Thai food.
While Pattaya beach is a long way from your “Adventures in Paradise” tropical beach you may have fantasized about. Though you’ve still got your basic swaying palm trees, golden sand – well later in day, maybe not so golden, surf lapping at the shore - but watch out for those power boats breaking through it. Of course always that beautiful tropical Thai sun and 10 bazillion beach umbrellas lording over sling canvas beach chairs, renting out for 20 or 30 baht a setting, for your beach going lounging.
Most your bodily needs can be met by wondering food and beverage vendors, pedaling everything from peeled and cut up mangos, packed in film covered Styrofoam trays, sea food, sodas, water, beer, coffee and so on. Oh ya and then there are the sun tan lotion appliers. Yup that’s right, no oily fingers here, anyway for the lounging beach goers, there are people for that. You see them walking around with judges of lotion for sale by the application. An example of this was a bald guy just up from me that I think had one on retainer. Every time I looked up from my book he was getting a new anti-sun lube job.
Pattaya has become a retirement haven for farang (Thai slang for foreigner) and I would say it looks like more fun than Miami for us old guys and at about half the price. Though cost wise, a few years ago when the baht was yielding 46 to one dollar instead of the 33 now, it was even a better deal. However, it still looks as if you can find a pretty nice furnished place to rent for six to seven hundred dollars a month.
The beach is comprised of a narrow sliver of sand backed up to a low retaining wall with lines up to a paved walk way adjacent to Beach road with shops filling the opposite side. The beach is broken up into north, central and south areas. I was staying in the north part which is pretty tame, while from central on down to the infamous Walking Street can get pretty crazy. In the central area as you look down the so’s off of Beach road you’ll see a loads of bars but once you get to the south on Walking Street that’s all it is. Open air affairs overflowing with all shapes and sizes of Thai girls – cooing “welcome, please come in” and now, after all these years I have a better understanding of Swartz’s affliction.
