Back then...

Here's a non-TAT shot of Pattaya Bay taken in 1952. Not a whole lot going on. Unappealing scrubland tends to hog the view. The extreme city wasn't yet even a twinkle in a Thai hooker's - or American G.I.'s - eye. Just a few fishing families eking out a living.

http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...psbdef3f73.jpg

And just so Smiles doesn't feel left out, here's a shot of Hua Hin taken in the 1930s. As you can see, positively congested compared with Pattaya. It had been favoured as a royal retreat for some time, especially during the reign of Rama VI (1910-1925). The little plane buzzing along aptly heralds what was to be the most important single factor - air travel - in transforming Thailand from a destination for a few wealthy and hardy travellers with time on their hands to one of the prime places for mass tourism in the latter decades of the 20th century.

http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...psd99cb60d.jpg

Where exactly do you think the Pattaya pic was taken?
Is it at the viewpoint, with the Navy memorial on the left of the pic?
Or lower down on what is now the main road?

That old Pattaya pic and more can be found here.

http://www.pattaya-funtown.com/old_patt ... ideos.html

I took both pictures from a wonderful thread of images of Siam/Thailand from the 1860s up to about the 1980s (156 pages and counting!) on a website which, though seemingly as comprehensive in its coverage of Thailand as Thaivisa, is one I confess I had not heard of until recently.

http://teakdoor.com/famous-threads/3997 ... hread.html