Pattaya Beach is changing. Some things, of course, remain the same, including the famous nightlife, where Walking Street is teeming with crowds every evening after dark.

The street is full of stilt walkers, magicians, street musicians, contortionists, "hello" girls and touts from countless bars, wandering tourists and Chinese tour groups dutifully following rolled-up umbrellas and flags on sticks, blinded by the neon lights and noise.

In some open-fronted bars, loud rock bands play, in others tourist-friendly Muay Thai fights take place, and vendors offer grilled meat, snacks and fresh fruit at their stalls.

During the day, the city presents a completely different picture, and the beach, which elegantly hugs the bay of Pattaya, is proof of how things have improved in recent years.

A decree by the Thai government has drastically reduced the once endless rows of sun loungers on the beach. Now, one can comfortably stroll along the beach or lie in the sand without being forced to rent a lounger for the day.

In addition, increased action was taken against unscrupulous jet ski operators whose fraudulent activities had plagued Pattaya beach and other Thai beach areas for years.

There is now an official, manned stand in the middle of the beach where holidaymakers can settle disputes about alleged damage to jet skis – operators who claim that renters have damaged their vehicles and demand excessive repair costs are a well-known problem.

Now the odds are more in favor of the tourists than in favor of those who want to exploit them.

Pattaya offers plenty of daytime entertainment – ​​the beaches of Pattaya Bay and Jomtien, the day-trip island of Koh Larn with its array of seafood restaurants and clean beaches, zoos and aquariums, high-end shopping malls such as Central Festival, and the extraordinary Sanctuary of Truth, a 100-meter-high temple by the sea, built entirely of intricately carved wood and under construction for more than 30 years.

There are also excellent hotels, with large hotel chains now having a widespread presence in the city. Accor recently took over the management of the former Dusit D2 Baraquda Hotel, which is now part of the MGallery Collection as Hotel Baraquda Pattaya.

It's located just one block from the beach, near the main entertainment district, and features a rooftop bar with fantastic views over Pattaya, where DJs and acoustic music perform three times a week. Accor also operates the family-friendly Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort, whose swimming pool boasts a remarkable mini water park and a climbing wall.

Pattaya is definitely changing – and for the better.