Pattaya is a city on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast known for its beaches. A quiet fishing village as recently as the 1960s, it is now lined with resort hotels, high-rise condominiums, shopping malls, cabaret bars and 24-hour clubs. Nearby, hillside Wat Phra Yai Temple features an 18m-tall golden Buddha. The area also features several designer golf courses, some with views of Pattaya Bay.
Jet skiing and parasailing are popular activities on Pattaya's busy beachfront, which is lined with lounge chairs and umbrellas. Jomtien Beach, to the south, is quieter and popular for windsurfing. Neon-lit Walking Street, which is closed to traffic each night, is packed with go-go bars, discos and massage parlors, while Art in Paradise features 3-D and interactive paintings. To the north, Naklua Bay also has beaches, a village-like vibe and the Sanctuary of Truth, an wood shrine covered with intricate Buddhist and Hindu carvings.

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