Pattaya is one of those places that have an exotic ring to it, and people who’ve gone there are gushing about the experience, with equal parts pristine beaches, modern hotels, and a tropical adventure to write home about. It’s a nice place to visit, and definitely nice to stay in for the long haul as well. It has the right mixture that would keep you wanting to go back to Pattaya time and again. Its part of the province of Chonburi, and Bangkok is around one hundred sixty five km away.

History and Geography

Up until the sixties, Pattaya was simply a local fishing village before it became a tourist destination. However, Bangkok residents began flocking to Pattaya in droves as word spread about its superb beaches. The USAF servicemen in the area who used the place as a rest and recreation site during the Vietnam War led to the growth of the area. After the war, tourism became the main growth factor in the city, and this led to modern developments, with Pattaya becoming a full-fledged city in 1976. Recent times have brought the area to another level of tourism, becoming more family-oriented especially among the westerners looking for a tropical vacation site.

There are nice beaches to go to in Pattaya, with Pattaya beach being the most prominent due to its close proximity to the city center. Hotels, restaurants, bars, and other modern establishments has been one of the main strengths of this area, with visitors not having to give up the amenities they’ve come to expect during their stay. Jomtien Beach is the second beach area in Pattaya, and plenty of family vacationers choose this site, as do water sports fans. It’s a residential area, and many bungalows are up for rent for use by vacationers. The beach also has the largest resort in the island, Ambassador City Jomtien, with over four thousand rooms to accommodate guests with.

Pattaya Economy

With regard to Pattaya’s economy, the backbone in current times would be the tourism industry, which keeps the city alive, with many businesses counting on the traffic of visitors throughout the year. Tourist sites would include the golf courses surrounding the area, and some other more traditional tourist attractions highlighting the rich history of the city. Underwater trips in a civilian submarine are also available in the city, which is a great hit with tourists.

Shopping is also quickly becoming a Pattaya trademark, with many retail stores doing good business in the area, and letting their establishments grow bigger and bigger, even reaching the point of evolving into hypermarkets. The mall in this city would include Central Festival, a complete mall establishment with cinema complex. The Royal Garden Plaza also includes a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum within its building complex, along with international fast food chains serving familiar offerings to diners.

Expatriate Advantages

Expatriates settling in to live in Pattaya for good have several key advantages that tip the scales in their favor. One would be the health care system in the city, with costs much lower than that in Bangkok for bills on medical or dental services. Bangkok gets much of the limelight for medical tourism, but still, it’s nice to know that Pattaya has a nice medical infrastructure on hand. There is also an expatriate community in the city to cater to the growing number of retirees from other countries here. There are even Rotary Clubs, a Masonic lodge, and international schools located in the city. To help protect the expatriates in this city, the government has also put up a Tourist Police special division in the city’s police department, specifically to handle cases involving expatriates and visitors. International-standard services are also available in Pattaya, ranging from the multinational food chains to retail stores put up by international brands in the shopping malls in the locality.

Investment in Pattaya

The city of Pattaya is receptive when it comes to investments in the city, especially when it comes to real estate properties and land developments. Several big projects are currently underway in the city, and this has caused a bit of an oversupply situation in the city in the real estate market. As evidence of the expected growth in the city, there are plans to put up a casino in the area of Jomtein. Luxury condos and villas make up the higher end of the market in Pattaya.

For foreigners in Pattaya, the investment route wouldn’t be as straightforward a process as it would be in other countries. The purchasing process wouldn’t be as simple compared to buying a house somewhere in India, which has foreign investment-friendly laws. It’s a smart move however for those who want to grab the opportunity to own or invest in land in Pattaya. With thousands of foreigners coming in to settle in Pattaya for good, the demand for housing is secure.

The growth of the market of Thailand as a whole is also third greatest in Asia, and foreign companies wanting to set up operations in Southeast Asia are putting their bases in Thailand due to the ideal mix of cost, quality, and availability. Shrewd investments in the property market in Thailand could yield an average profit in the region of twenty-five percent. Tax rates for investors are also set at zero, with others at low rates. The stage is also set for Thailand to boost its growth factor, and the facilities are being upgraded to deal with this expected increase in demand better. Not only is the real estate market being boosted in growth in Pattaya and Thailand in general, the economy is also growing to match the size of Thailand, and economic growth is among the highest. The smart money in Pattaya would be going for rental properties, leasing it to tourists on short term stays in the area, and with the increasing number of tourists, you can have your property give you returns from the revenue gained from rent.