Pattaya (พัทยา) was a simple fishing village until it was discovered as a beach resort by Bangkok residents in the 1960s. Located just 1.5 hours outside Bangkok and with a city population of just over 100 thousand people it ranks as one the smallest tourist cities in Thailand. Nowadays, the city counts more than 5.4 million tourists per year.
Dubbed as hedonistic by some because of the island’s prurient associations, Phuket remains a dream vacation destination. Thailand’s largest island is about the same size of Singapore and has a reputation that bypasses its island status. It has been named Tha-Laang or Junk Ceylon in Western translations. Its present name comes from the Malay word “bukit” which means hill. In turns both cosmopolitan and exotic, Phuket is home to 315 thousand people, mostly of Chinese or Malay ancestry.
Phi Phi Island is also known as Ko Phi Phi Don, part of the Phi Phi Islands between Phuket and mainland Krabi in the south of Thailand. Phi Phi Don is the largest and only permanent populated island of the six Phi Phi Islands group. The island is truly a tropical getaway with white sandy beaches, palm trees and turquoise waters.The island is surrounded by the Andaman Sea. Another well know island is Ko Phi Phi Leh.
Hua Hin is a small beach resort which is located about 125 miles southwest of Bangkok. It is located on the west coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The city has a population of 60 thousand people and is home to the summer palace of the King of Thailand. Due to this fact there is high security with lots of cops. It is also a popular getaway for people from Bangkok.
