Jomtien Beach , Pattaya , Thailand
The Venue
I left my home in the Washington DC area the Sunday before the event started . I flew into Bangkok ’ s Suvarnabhumi Airport and landed on Tuesday , by way of Istanbul , Turkey , roughly 30 hours after leaving home . I spent a few days exploring the incredible city of Bangkok and then got my Grab ride ( Thailand ’ s version of Uber ) and headed two hours south to Pattaya for the event .
Jomtien Beach , Pattaya , Thailand
Pattaya is known worldwide for many things , and before this event , paintball wasn ’ t one of them . I think this event will change that perception at least in this community . There ’ s the craziness of Walking Street and Beach Road ( Google it if you ’ re curious ) and the insane number of massage shops packed-in three to a block . While this event was technically in Pattaya , it was held in the Jomtien Beach section of Pattaya , about 6 miles ( 10 kilometers ) south of Walking Street .
Jomtien Beach is much more laid back than downtown Pattaya . It ’ s very much a retirement community for Americans , Russians and others . And it was the perfect place to hold an event like this , right on the beach , walking distance to hotels , food and everything else needed to accommodate the 450-plus athletes playing this event .
The Venue
The venue was incredible . Thick , stable turf was laid out right on the beach just 50 feet from the ocean ( or “ sea ” as they say here in Thailand ). The sand had been steamrolled flat and hard which made for the perfect foundation for the turf , helping it hold up incredibly well for the entire three-day event plus practice days leading up to the event .
There were spectator grandstands on three sides of the field , leaving clear sightlines to the beautiful beach and
Bottom Left : Rich Telford , Bottom Center : John Amodea & Amber Wong , Bottom Right : David Guch Top Left : David Guch & Taipop Junsmuit , Top Right : The esteemed dignitaries that helped this event happen .
022 paintball . media magazine Photos this spread by John Amodea