copyright 2006 :: Areca
Lodge pattaya. All Right Reserved.
History
In fact only 40 years ago
Pattaya as we know it today, didn't
even exist. On the stretch of coast between Sriracha and
Sattahip, there were only a small number of fishing
villages and in Pattaya bay itself, there were just a few fishing families who
had settled here because of the calm waters and
the safety of the bay, protected headlands to the North and South and by
mountains behind. Their nearest neighbors lived just around
the headland to the north, where, in the old days salt used to be produced
(Naa-Klua = salt fields) but where there were
now mainly fishing families. People traveled
about by foot or by bullock carts because, except of the main road from Bangkok
to Sattahip, only a few dirt roads and tracks existed.
Location
Nevertheless, the bay and nearby islands provided good, safe fishing and
more and more families came here to settle down, Gradually a village developed.
At first was know as Tupphraya the general name for the area which dated back to
the time when Pharaya Taksin (Duke Taksin) camped near here with the followers
he had gathered to help free Thailand from the Burmese (Tupphraya - the Pharaya'
- army)
The pace of life was slow and it seemed as if
Pattaya would remain an out-of-the-way place
forever. Even up to 30 years ago there
were only a few buses serving the 100
or more families who lived here and visitors
from elsewhere were few and far between. But things were destined to change and
as usual, it was a war (the Vietnam War) which changed them. The U.S.A. sent
soldiers to build the air base at U Tapao and many of these took to spending
their leisure time and money in Pattaya.
The beaches were clean in
those days and the sea breezes made it
pleasant and cool. People in the surrounding areas were quick to spot the
business opportunities and bars guesthouses begun to spring up. The
fisher - folk probably resented this intrusion, but it provided
a good market for their catches and they soon got on the bandwagon
by offering fishing trips to Koh Larn for about 50 Baht per head.
Gradually, visitors from Bangkok also begun to use the resort at weekends,
although the trip was a tiring 3 to 4 hours on the two-lane
road.
Later the US Military based in
Thailand begun to use Pattaya for rest and recreation
(R&R) and bigger hotels and entertainment places (including the oldest
profession of them all) were built to cater for them. Thus the' 60s and'
70s saw the most rapid change and
development. In 1964 in view of its new importance, Pattata was raised
to the status of a village and in 1979,
elevated to that of a Teasban Nakhon (Municipality), responsible now for its own
administration.
Today Pattaya is Thailand's
premier beach resort and attracts annually more than
a million tourists from all over the
world. Pattaya provides high standard
hotels, restaurants, sports, entertainment and shopping facilities. The
resort is Thailand's most important diving
center and the east coast is also a paradise for golfers.
copyright 2006 :: Areca
Lodge Pattaya. All Right Reserved.
Mango
Thai
name:
Ma-muang
Scientific name: Mangifera indica
L.
Season:
March to June
Those who know mangos only from
the varieties found in places like Hawaii, Mexico
or the West Indies may think they have
discovered a new fruit in the light-colored, delicately flavored
mangos that turn up on Thai markets between March and June. More
than a dozen different kinds are grown, many of them hybrids
developed in Thailand. They have become so
popular among mango connoisseurs in neighboring countries that nearly 3 million
kilograms (6.6 million lbs.) are exported annually.
Sweet Tamarind
Thai name:
Makham wan
Scientific name: Tamarindus indica
L.
Season:
December to March
Rambutan
Thai
name:
Ngo
Scientific name: Nephelium lappaceum
L.
Season:
May to September
The fruit is, as the name
suggests , a sweet variety of a fruit
generally associated with an acid taste. After
being peeled it is generally eaten fresh ,
though boiled in water it also makes a refreshing juice. Other, more sour
varieties of tamarind are used in various cooked dishes for flavoring.
Ruby red and covered with fine green - tipped hairs, the rambutan is one of the
most attractive Thai fruits and also one of the most
delicious when eaten at the peak of ripeness between May and September when it
is most plentiful. Thai rambutans are noted for their sweetness and
considerable quantities are exported both fresh and canned; the main growing
areas are Chanthaburi and southern provinces such as Surat Thani.
Woven silk, the culture that expresses the relationship between Thai people and
nature. For we know how to use raw material that available in nature to create
famous handicraft, without affecting the environment.
The most important thing in caring
silk worms is mulberry, which is the only
food source. We grow mulberry very well, exuberantly
for the silk worms. We begin from the small ovals of
butterflies, until the silk worms grow up and old enough just to make their
cocoon. Then we produce the silk from it.
We create art works
from the material that nature creates to the
world. By the natural way, non-toxic from chemical, the wisdom from generation
to generation.