DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

UCLG ASPAC will have its 2nd Regional Congress in Pattaya, Thailand, 15-18 July 2008, generously hosted by National Municipal League of Thailand (NMLT) with selected theme “Sustainable Cities and Local Governments for a Sustainable World”.

Pattaya in brief…

Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand (12°55′39″N, 100°52′31″ECoordinates: 12°55′39″N, 100°52′31″E), about 165 km southeast of Bangkok in the province of Chon Buri. It is one of the largest centers of tourism in Thailand, with some 5 million visitors arriving in 2004. Tourists visit Pattaya for many reasons including luxury hotels, beautiful beaches, friendly people, excellent shopping, reasonable prices and a wide variety of nearby tourist attractions.

The city had 101,378 registered inhabitants in 2007. This figure excludes the large number of Thais who work in Pattaya but remain registered in their hometowns, and many long-term expatriate visitors.

Pattaya was simply a small fishing village until it was discovered as a beach resort by Bangkok residents in the 1960s. Soon thereafter, American servicemen from the U.S. Air Force base at U-Tapao in neighbouring Rayong province began using the area for "rest and recreation" (R&R). When the Americans left following the end of the Vietnam War, the city fell into a crisis.

However, modern mass tourism brought a new lease of life to Pattaya. In recent years the City has pushed hard to clean up its image and family-focussed entertainment is increasingly available.

In 2005, more than 35,000 hotel rooms were available in Pattaya. Pattaya has seen a large increase in family tourism in recent years, thanks to efforts to present a more wholesome image. Pattaya is an especially popular vacation destination for families from Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Pattaya also has a large international expatriate population and many services meet international standards.

The rapid growth of tourism brought about many negative consequences. These problems seemed beyond the capabilities of the Central Government. In 1976, the Pattaya City Act was passed by the Thai legislature, making Pattaya a self-administrating municipality governed by a Council-manager government. However, many argue that this administration system has drawbacks (for example, the mayor may disagree with the city manager). Critics have recommended abolishing the system. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattaya)