Pattaya (Thai: พัทยา,) is an internationally known seaside resort. It is located in the district (Amphoe) Bang Lamung of the Province of Chonburi in the eastern part of Centralhailand.

Pattaya officially had 98,992 inhabitants in 2006. In 2007 the population rose to 104,318 people registered with the main residence in the city.

Shops are open until late in the evening seven days a week. The majority of the shops are privately owned small shops or market stalls, which have been competing with large branch chains and shopping centers for several years. Numerous new shopping centers have emerged in recent years, as well as jewelry shops and shops for factory sales.

The composition is typical of large shopping centers in Thailand: supermarket, restaurants (mostly international fast food and restaurant chains) and "food marts" ("Food Center" or "Food Courts"), which are very popular with Thais. In addition, small shops that are rented to small operators.

The largest shopping centers in Pattaya are: the Central Festival Pattaya Beach, Beach Road opened in early 2009; Central Center Pattaya (until the beginning of 2009 Central Festival), Pattaya Second Road-a shopping center with a BigC supermarket in the center with SF-Cinema-City cinema complex; Bigc Extra supermarket, Pattaya Central Road; Mike Shopping Mall, Beach Road; Royal Garden Plaza, Beach Road-three-story shopping center with a "Ripley's Believe it or not!" Museum and an SF multiplex cinema center; Tesco Lotus, Pattaya North Road and Theepprasit Road (Jomtien) and Big C, South Pattaya Road.

Since July 23, 1993, the English -language newspaper Pattaya Mail, edited by the Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd. In 2002, due to great demand, the editors decided to launch a German -language version of this newspaper (Pattaya Blatt) with a circulation between 4,000 and 5000 copies. Also worth mentioning is the 14-day German-language free newspaper of the Farang. [13]

There is also a local radio station on FM (VHF), which mostly sends in Thai in English.

There are local messages and programs in Thai, English and German on local cable television.