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Chonburi (Thai
ชลบุรี) is a
province (changwat) of
Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise)
Chachoengsao,
Chanthaburi and
Rayong. To the west is the
Gulf of Thailand.
The province is located at the Bight of Bangkok, the northern end of the Gulf
of Thailand. A mountain range stretches from the north-west to the south-east of
the province, while the fertile plains of the north were long used for farming.
Until the
1950s
Pattaya was a small fishing village, but during the
Vietnam war the American troops had a base nearby, and Pattaya became a
popular
R&R location. The city grew quickly and became the prime tourist location in
Thailand.
The 20th
International Scout Jamboree, put on by the
World Organization of the Scout Movement, drew 30,000 teenaged
Scouts to a naval base near the village of
Sattahip, where activities included world issue awareness, a showcase of
Thai science & technology, obstacle course-style competitions between nations,
and an epic game of cricket (the Aussies won).
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