The Monsoon City
A writing about my sojourn to the coastal city of Pattaya in Thailand
Ever since international tourism has attained the status of industry, some Asian countries are catching up fast with the West in luring the tourists from far and wide, Thailand being a front runner in the race because of its unique Buddhist culture, sacred Buddha Hill, reddish brown and white sandy beaches, lush green tropical rain forests and a liberal society. It has almost edged out France in the race which to date is the leading tourist hub in the world. Thailand with thirty plus islands boasts of two well developed coastal cities, Phuket and Pattaya that are bestowed with natural beauty and dozens of sandy beaches. Pattaya, a premier resort on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, has an edge over the former, its closest rival in the country, as it is reached by car in less than two hours from the capital Bangkok. To reach Phuket from Bangkok you need almost the same time by air.
The history of Pattaya, a small fishing village until 1960s, is quite interesting. It came to prominence when the US servicemen started arriving here for rest during the Vietnam War and it gradually transformed in to a popular beach resort. Pattaya in local language is the name of the wind blowing from southwest to northeast at the beginning of the rainy season, also known as the ‘southwest monsoon wind’. Local population mostly consists of Thai-Chinese ancestry. Situated nearly 175 km south east of the capital on motorway H-7, Pattaya’s relaxing tropical ambience offers every ingredient for memorable holidays. The landscape starts changing for the better as one approaches the coastal city, and expansive Thai planes with green rice fields give way to undulated tract of land blanketed by thick rain forests. Pattaya is situated on a hilly terrain. A few miles short of Pattaya, one passes by highly industrialized Eastern Seaboard zone and a sign reading ‘New Detroit’ points towards the area where motor vehicle assembly and manufacturing plants are located, speaking of country’s growing industrialization.
Pattaya was badly ravaged by the 2004 tsunami that swept through Southeast Asia but it was a pleasant surprise to see it restored to a more beautiful place than its previous self, with an enviable road network, multiple flyovers and a number of high rise buildings. There are over four hundred hotels to cater for the needs of ever growing number of overseas tourists in this city of one hundred thousand registered residents. The number of visitors to the town exceeds 200000 at any given time. Thai authorities claim Pattaya to be a ‘family oriented seaside destination’. How? I do not know. Reaching Pattaya we headed straight to the recently constructed boat station but it was no match to the Duck Bay on Loc Lomand in Scotland or the boat station on the Windermere Lake in the UK Lake District. It was well designed and elaborate with piers extending deep in to the Gulf of Thailand but it was disgustingly dirty and disorganized and the lavatories, though with paid entry, were stinking with water logged floors and toilet tissues missing. Information kiosks did not have English speaking staff and communication was more of a farce. One was at a total loss as to where he needed to go to catch a boat for the trip to the nearby island named Koh Larn.
Koh in Thai language means an island. Koh Larn, 2 km in width and 4 km in length is the treasure chest of natural tropical beauty embellished by white sandy beaches. It is very scarcely populated with only 1000 permanent residents and blessed with a school and a small medical facility. The number of hotels is fairly large and tourists stay there to have a feel of the island life and enjoy water sports like snorkelling, para-gliding, jet skiing, speed boating etcetera. Koh Larn, just seven km apart from the mainland, can be reached by a ferry or a speed boat, tourists choosing the sea craft according to their requirements. We preferred a ferry as we wanted to enjoy the seascape and browse the archipelago falling on our way. Sailing by a speed craft may be exhilarating but it reduces the travel time giving little allowance for enjoyment.
Koh Larn has a mountainous terrain covered by vegetation and it is maintaining the flavour of an island, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. This tropical hideaway has a few narrow roads winding through the woodland but the only transport plying in the island is motor cycle taxis and a limited number of three wheelers. The jungle is infested with monkeys and a variety of fauna. It is adorned with half a dozen beaches, all inhabited by tourists. The beautifully designed and impressive landing pier is a place from where one can have a panoramic view of the white sandy beach with rows and rows of beach chairs shaded by colourful umbrellas. Holiday makers are seen engaged in different water sports. The sea water, with different shades of green depending on its depth, is so clear that one can see the sand and rock at the bottom. The locals in the island live double lives. There is a protracted tourist season due to the uniformity of the climate and a brief stint when the tourists are not around and that is when the islanders catch the essence of the area. The economy of the island is solely dependant on the tourists and there are scores of stalls on the beach selling souvenirs, food items and sport kits but the place badly lacks cleanliness. The public toilets stigmatize the lovely place and the less said about them the better. They surely need improvement in this area.
Pattaya has many tourist attractions; Mini Siam, Walking Street, Floating Market, Bottle Art museum, Crocodile Farm etcetera but Mini Siam and Walking Street attract more visitors than the rest. Mini Siam, built in 1986 with a ratio of 1:25 of the originals, is a miniature village depicting the cultural heritage of the country. It has dozens of replicas of famous monuments and historical sites including the Thai Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bridge on the River Kwai and a number of monuments from the West. Modurodam in the Netherlands and Torquey Model Village in South Devon, UK are two miniature sites replicating the originals with a ratio of 1:6 and 1:12 respectively. They are all interesting places where one can see the world in one location in the manicured gardens housing these sites.
Walking Street, famous for its vibrant night life, has a number of bars, discos, cabaret floors, ethnic and sea food restaurants and Thai trade mark, the world famous massage parlors. Fried bugs and scorpions are local delicacies that repel us from the food stalls. These food items were also prepared and sold by China market food vendors in Bangkok and it was more of a nauseating sight for people like us. Halal food is generally difficult to find in Thailand but some international fast food chains do serve food that complies with our religious requirements. All in all the famous Walking Street is a place worth visiting and the plus point is that it is a vehicle free zone. Having had a busy day out in the coastal city and the nearby island resort of Larn it was a happy journey back ‘home’. That is what we called Bangkok while in Thailand.
The writer is a Dental Surgeon and can be reached at: dsq006@gmail.com
Written by Dr. Shahid Qayyum
Published by Alisha Khuram
