Pattaya Happy Birth day 40 years.

Four decades ago,a sleepy fishing village slumbered in the tropical heat,blissfully unaware that events unfolding in neighboring lands would forever alter its future,landscape and reputation for years to come.War raging in Vietnamhttp://www.vietnamwar.com/, and spilling over into the adjoining territories of Laos and Cambodia had necessitated the need for US Militaryhttp://www.usmilitary.com/chiefs to locate suitable sites for friendly air bases to accomodate the fleet of massive B-52 bombers thought to be able to pound the enemy into submission.One such site on the Thai Eastern seaboard near the Naval Port of Sattahip was selected and U-Tapao Air force base was established.As an ideal transit point,U-tapao and the nearby villages of Bann Saray and Pattaya could also be utilized for war weary GI's on R&R,another acronym that actually entailed more Rockin' and Rolling' than rest and recreation.This was the year 1968 (with some researchers claimimg the exact date to be the 29th of June) when the first men arrived,and have since continued to arrive by the planeload.As seen throughout history,all the services and vices that flock to service large groups of homesick,cash flush,testosterone fuelled young( and old) men now flooded the area.

Legend of Pattaya City has it that Phraya(Governor)Takhttp://dit.dru.ac.th/home/012/king_e.html ,who later became King Taksin the Great of Thonburi,broke out of the Burmese besieged(then)capital of Ayutthaya with 1,000 of his followers in 1767.With the Burmese in hot pursuit,he marched east towards Prachinburi and then turned south towards Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand.When he reached the small fishing village of Naklua,he encountered a local Chieftain Nai Klom with 10,000 warriors who luckily recognized Phraya Tak's virtues and united with him rather than fight.Together they marched south again via Jom-Thian(Jomtien),Sattahip and then Chantaburi where Phraya Tak rebuilt his forces in preparation to re-conquer Central Thailand.The road connecting South Pattaya and Jomtien is still know as "Thappraya(Army of Phraya/Governor) Road ".So,that was a Pattaya Cityhttp://www.pattayaspot.com/

Regard,

Mr.Peter Boonplok

Manager of Suphaphat Group and Travelling