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Perched over the Gulf of Thailand, the eastern Chonburi Province is the area surrounding the beach resort town of Pattaya. Originally a mere smattering of small towns like Bang Pla Soi, Bang Phra, and Bang Sai, today the region enjoys heavy investment in not only Pattaya but also the country’s main port Laem Chabang, transportation infrastructure at the Suvarnabhumi airport, and the main highway between Bangkok and Pattaya.

Pattaya is the Chonburi Province’s biggest tourist draw with its sandy beaches, numerous bars and hotels, major shopping, and other attractions like the Wat Chai Mongkon temple. Further off the beaten path lies Bangsaen Beach, the site of a local legend of two lovers, Saen and Sammut, who flung themselves off a mountain when they were not permitted to marry each other. The region is liveliest during the Songkran Festival in April when several local festivals like the Chonburi Annual Festival and the Wan Lai Festival add to the national festivities.

The motorway from Bangkok to Pattaya is well developed. Travellers who rent a car can reach the waterfront in about two hours. There are also several buses travelling between the two cities every day, and taxis from Bangkok can be hired.

The province’s name derives from the Sanskrit words “jala” and “puri”, meaning “city of water”. The area has been populated since the Ayutthaya period, which ran from the 14th to the 18th centuries, but was only officially designated a region by King Rama V, about one hundred years after the end of the Ayutthaya.