The last two days were spent in Pattaya a small beach town a few hours from Bangkok (well, we were actually in Jomtien, just east of Pattaya). Mark and Petak drove down Wednesday morning, and Mag and I took the bus to join them later that afternoon.
I was a little hesitant to go to Pattaya again. Manop and I spent a night there last November, and it was perhaps my least favorite place in all of Thailand. The beach was very crowded (mostly European tourists) and the water was dirty.
This time, however, I actually had a great time. It appears that the town has been working hard to improve its image. They are building a wide brick walkway along the beach and have planted hundreds of trees. The chairs and umbrellas for rent are still there, but it seemed to me that the people renting the chairs were trying a lot harder to keep things clean. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone sweeping a beach, or smoothing out the sand.
It also helped that we were there on a Wednesday during the rainy season. In any case, I surprisingly had a relaxing time there, and hope to go back again sometime.
I wouldn't have figured Europeans on the beaches in Thailand. What part(s) of Europe?
Glad to know that there has been some renovating, remodeling, dressing up, of Pattaya, so you could enjoy it the second time around.
Love you!