Pattaya, host city for 14th ASEAN Summit, related summits

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-10 13:48

The second phase of the 14th ASEAN Summit and related summits will be held on April 10-12 in Pattaya, the renowned resort city in Thailand's central Chon Buri province.

The 14th ASEAN summit has been postponed from the originally planned December 2008 to the new dates of two phases in late February and April respectively this year. The first phase was held from Feb. 27 to March 2 in the central resort town of Hua Hinin Thailand's Prachuab Khirikhan.

Pattaya is nestled along a bay on the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand, roughly 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. From a fishing village for centuries, Pattaya emerged as the relaxation center for US forces during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and has gained its international reputation as Thailand's premier and most successful beach resort.

With a coastline of 15 kilometers, Pattaya now welcomes approximately 5 million visitors a year.

The place was once called Thap Phraya, literally meaning the Army of the Phraya Tak, later known as King Taksin the Great. The name was changed to Phatthaya, which happens to mean the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast at the beginning of the rainy season, and simplified to Pattaya later.

Pattaya currently integrates the delights of a world-known beach resort, city-like dining, shopping and night entertainment facilities with more than 300 assorted hotels, thousands of shops, restaurants and bars. In addition, there are an array of sports and recreational activities including beaches, golf courses, riding elephants, scuba diving and surfing, and deep-sea fishing.