Pattaya-Chonburi metropolitan area (เขตนครพัทยา-ชลบุรี) is a conurbanation in
Chonburi Province of
Thailand. It comprises Pattaya City, 7 town municipalities, and 23 township municipalities in 6 districts with 1,003,839 registered inhabitants as of 2009. Similar to Bangkok, the accuracy of official figures is not exactly known and the actual population is believed to be around 1.5 million due to uncounted of foreign laborers and an increasingly growing expatriate population.
Pattaya-Chonburi is one of the most urbanized areas in Thailand aside from Bangkok. The
Eastern Seaboard of Thailand is not only a prime tourist destination but also it is increasingly being developed to meet the needs of Thailand's trade infrastructure. The city's expatriate population is considered one of the largest in Southeast Asia. Chonburi, a short way up north, is less diverse in its economy but has been a stable commercial center of the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. The city relies on the large market in the province and is also one of Thailand's largest district outisde of Bangkok.
Further south of the Pattaya-Chonburi region is Rayong district, which is slowly being industrialized. Questions have arisen whether these sub-communities which are gradually connecting into one should be included with the metropolitan area. The number of housing projects along this coast might be compared to those in Bangkok. Currently, the Korat-Chonburi-Bangkok urban triangle is home to more than 20 million Thais, and by 2020, the Bangkok-Chonburi region is expected to be the official home of the same amount.
Administrative Division
Economy
Pattaya City, Laem Chabang, Sri Racha, Bang Saen, and Chonburi are the centers of economic development in the metropolitan area. The major sectors of are the tourist and industrial sectors.
Transportation
The metropolitan area served by many modes of transportaion.
Rail
The railway line from Bangkok is split from main line at
Chachoengsao Junction in
Chachoengsao Province and passes through the metropolitan and terminus at the portal town of Sattahip. There are two junction in this line,
Si Racha Junction is located in
Si Racha for a branch line to Laem Chabang Seaport, and
Khao Chi Chan Junction which is for Mab Ta Phut branch line that served an industrial estate town of
Mab Ta Phut,
Rayong Province.
Road
Highways in the metropolitan area are well developed, such as
Highway No.3 (
Sukhumvit Road) and the New Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway (Highway no.7).1952
Air
Pattaya served by 2 international airports. It located about 150 km from
Suvarnabhumi Airport and 45 km from
U-Tapao International Airport.
See also
