Pattaya City in Thailand is working hard in a bid to attract visitors with a new image, as a place for families, an international convention center and a place for world-class events.

We still maintain its entertainment venues and night-life, but we've tried to balance those with new initiatives, said Pattaya City Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome.

Pattaya has run its management information system since 2005, with a backbone infrastructure network and now it is in the process of connecting a fiber optic network throughout the city, covering an area of 55 square kilometers and integrating all 18 involved organizations in Pattaya.

As part of Pattaya City's security policy, Itthiphol said the City has improved its existing traffic information system by hooking it up to the wireless network. The computer system controls the traffic at all 22 intersections on Sukhumvit road in Pattaya City.

We position Pattaya as a 24-hour secure beach and an international beach for tourists, so we have started several initiatives, apart from the CCTV and traffic control system improvement, the mayor said, adding that the city would establish a special force called Thap Pa Ya 2310 to keep Pattaya safe and secure around the clock.

The mayor stated that Pattaya City uses the GIS system for sea security and it had plans to use GIS and GPS for a taxation map, locating foreign laborers and unregistered citizens or those who often move their workplaces.

The FTTH would also enable Pattaya to offer public health services via the hospitals, both public and private, as well as an information service for foreign tourists in Thailand, together with collaboration with the Immigration Department.

Over the New Year holiday, the 1Mbps Wi-Fi Internet access was provided free for tourists, and the mayor noted that users were downloading large video and multimedia files.

Today, there is the database of Pattaya City, and the plan was to develop it into a one-stop service by integrating all the related divisions.