BEACH RESORT EVOLUTION - IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING

This research concerns the development of contemporary beach resorts as they evolve from natural beaches to become cities by the sea. Despite many positive aspects to this process, as resorts urbanize, increasing negative effects of development tend to have an impact on the resort quality, with implications for tourists, residents, managements, developers, and governments. Pattaya, Thailand, is one beach resort that has experienced many of the problems typical of this form of development. Analysis of this case reveals some of the underlying causes for the failures of beach resort development. A tentative pattern of beach resort evolution is presented.