Whenever the name "PATTAYA" arises in conversation, it's automatically sex, beer and luvlies, but there is really more to the place than that, if your prepared to look around, some nice places from patts all the way to sattahip on the coastal road.
Here's an article from Orlando Barton of inspirepattaya.com tells you more:A sleepy little fishing village … where?
If you’ve ever met any old-timers in Pattaya, it’s interesting to hear them talk about “the old days”. My Uncle was in the US Air Force stationed at Utapao Air Base just south of Pattaya during the Vietnam Conflict. I’ve got old 35mm slides from 1968 showing people riding horses on a pristine, natural and deserted Pattaya Beach.
Google “Pattaya” and read dozens of descriptions of this place. Most have two things in common. All of them mention Walking Street and the sex business. Most of them mention the fact Pattaya was once a “sleepy little fishing village”. For those of us who live her, it is hard to imagine.
For us Johnny-come-lately’s, Pattaya appears to have sprung forth from the ground a fully-functioning seaside tourist-infested madhouse. It’s like someone took some “Las Vegas Seeds” and planted them here by the sea. We assume Pattaya was always here glowing in the dark … one big neon distraction.
The story this week’s picture tells is where you might find that sleepy little fishing village now. It is taken from the pier in Bang Sare, a 15-20 minute drive from Pattaya. Visit the villages between Jomtien and Sattahip like Bang Sare and Ban Amphur, and you’ll get the full-on fishing village experience.
Ban Amphur is a few kilometers south of the Ambassador City Complex and is easily spotted by its distinctive double jetty jutting out into the Gulf of Thailand. Every day boats stream in between the jetties ready to unload their fish, squid and crabs. This is where you’ll find giant waterfront Thai-style seafood restaurants like Preecha, Sri Nuan and Tree @ Sea. Thai people have known about this village for years. Now some tour operators are taking visitors to experience the “Ban Amphur Seafood District”.
Further south is a little bit larger and less sleepy fishing village of Bang Sare. Thai families flock here on weekends to fall asleep under the coconut palms, visit the picturesque temple and gorge themselves on fresh-off-the-boat seafood.
Early one morning I arrived at the massive concrete pier to take some pictures. As I walked between the boats I could smell khao tom cooking and hear fishermen singing and laughing as they either rigged up for a day at sea or battened down after a night of squid fishing. It was like being in a 3D-360 degree fishing village movie.
I marveled at the colorful fishing boats like a little boy, snapping dozens of pictures … time standing still.
If it’s a sleepy fishing village you want drive south away from the neon lights. It’s still here. It’s still Thailand.
Orlando Barton