Bad Night in Pattaya History Thailand Nightlife Lady

Who is responsible for turning a small fishing village in Pattaya Thailand history, into a paradise for single men? You will also see raw uncensored nightlife on Beach Rd, Soi 6 and Walking St.  Which two other countries are responsible for the dark bad night in Pattaya?

Pattaya City or City of Sin. They say men are never the same once they come to Pattaya. The place is notorious for girls and seedy nightlife. But, why?  Let’s learn how 2 of the most powerful countries in the world, helped become what it is today.

Let’s go back to the period around 1700 to 1900. Beaches were the attraction in Pattaya and they only really attracted the fishermen.  Nothing changed .  From 1700 to 1900 Nothing had changed for about 300 years .

The mid to late 1950’s saw the first regular visitors from Bangkok start to venture down to Pattaya – braving rough roads and journeys that could take more than 8 hours. These visitors started to realize that Pattaya had plenty to offer in terms of crystal clear, clean waters and diving opportunities.

Rumor has it, that it all kicked off began when a group of 500 American soldiers stationed at the military base in Nakhon Ratchasima were driven to Pattaya on June 1959 for a week of R&R. They rented several houses at the south end of the beach from a wealthy Thai, Lord.  Despite their short stay, the soldiers had a great time (you know what I mean) and raved about the place. The word spread among other American soldiers stationed in the region and Pattaya quickly became a hot alternative to Bangkok.

US soldiers kept returning to the same place – the area that would now be classed as Walking Street. This can be known as one dark, Bad Night in Pattaya History Thailand Nightlife

As the number of GIs started to increased, the village of Pattaya started to grow and become increasingly focused on catering for the GIs needs.

As number of people stated to increase during the 1970s larger hotels started popping up. This Hard Rock Hotel was one of the first landmark hotels here called The Merlin. Now it’s grown to the one and only hard rock hotel in Thailand. This was a pivoting time when Thai people realized this wasn’t a place just for American Soldiers.

By 1997, Pattaya had gained a reputation as an unspoilt haven and European visitor numbers were increasing rapidly. But sadly the city had obtained an image that was somewhat tarnished by sleaze.

The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw Russians  arrive along with efforts to improve the city’s image. It’s started when Thailand and Russian entered an a visa-free travel agreement between the two countries for periods of up to 30 days.

King Rama V made an effort to bridge connections with the super power, Russia.  King Rama V’s son graduated from a military academy in Russia. Also Thai ceremonial military uniforms resemble the Russian ones of the Tsar’s Guard regiments. Did you know Russian composer wrote the music for the previous Thai national anthem? (now the Royal anthem) and that King Rama V visited St. Petersburg on his European tour.

With the increasing amount of, Russians, coming to Pattaya, in the 1990s. The city was starting to closely resemble what we know today. Now this is why all these Russians bars are popping up.

So next time someone mentions nightlife in Pattaya. You can perhaps thank the Russians and American influence for that.  Let me know your thoughts.

As for the seedy nightlife- It saddens me that places like Pattaya in Thailand become famous for its illegal businesses.  Even the prime minister views them as a major embarrassment for Thailand.