Pattaya has downsides, but the upsides are many. PATTAYA, Thailand – There’s so much more to Pattaya than permanent road repairs, rip-off gogo clubs and grumbling old expats. This week Agoda, the digital travel platform, awarded Pattaya the distinction of being the best location in Thailand for “microtourism”: the latest term for overnight refreshing gems with a real punch. You could enjoy mega fun sunbathing on the beach in the morning and visiting Nong Nooch Gardens in the afternoon, still having time for a fresh seafood dinner and a decent transvestite show. After a really good sleep in a value-for-money hotel, you then return to Bangkok (or wherever) by inexpensive coach. A cultural shift for real in just 24 hours. Not only that. Agoda in the past has awarded Pattaya the top prize for providing the best Songkran festivities, offering the most flavorful street food in the country and harvesting the most popular filming locations under Thailand’s soft power initiative. Agoda apparently expends a lot of energy actually reading their customers’ reports on hotels, restaurants and facilities. Separately, a Pattaya beach cleanup achieved the prestigious International Standard Award ISO 13009, whilst the International Festivals and Exhibitions Association awarded Pattaya a top prize for hosting the most spectacular fireworks display. Twice as a matter of fact. The Royal Thai Police was so impressed by the availability of so many languages in Pattaya that their awards committee gave a special prize to the city for communication skills. When it comes to property, Pattaya has no equal. Asia Pacific International Property ruled that Grand Centre Point Space Pattaya offered a unique hospitality experience to be treasured. Pattaya features annually in the Property Guru Thailand Awards, said to be the most sought-after real estate industry awards program. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Jomtien Hospital won the WSO Angels Award Status for early health screening and customized medical interventions. Of course, there have been unfriendly awards too. A sea captains’ organization pointed out that more tankers have run aground at Koh Larn, near Pattaya, than at any other location in Asia. A Facebook survey claimed that the Pattaya to Rayong road is the most dangerous in Thailand. The travel magazine Holiday said Pattaya was one of the “dirtiest” resorts in the world, although it did admit that most hotels did provide a free fruit bowl in your bedroom. The British popular press has variously classified Pattaya as a prostitutes’ paradise, the modern Sodom and a police state with short-time rooms. The Gay Alliance in New York denounced Pattaya as the worst place on earth for a same sex wedding if you wanted a monogamous vacation. The T-shirt reminds us that Good Boys Go To Heaven whilst Bad Boys Go To Pattaya. But as Thais love to say, “It’s Up To You!”