Pattaya means the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast at the beginning of the rainy season. In the old days, Pattaya was only a small fishing village on the gulf of Thailand. But after its beauty was discovered by the first group of American servicemen from Nakhon Ratchasima in 1961, sleepy Pattaya became Thailand’s premier and most successful beach resort which annually attracts hundreds of thousand of pleasure-seeking visitors. Fishermen’s huts along the beach were replaced by a full range of accommodations from super deluxe hotels to bungalows and mini- pocket guesthouses. Fishing vessels were adapted to become tourist boats. And the quiet powdery golden beaches are frequented by swimmers and sunbathers from various parts of the world.