In the boonies, sure, but it's well understood by LOCALS that the Pattaya area includes Naklua, Jomtien, and the dark side.
If you're suggesting the original article ONLY meant central Pattaya, that's ridiculous.
That would be like thinking when they listed Medellin that they only meant downtown Medellin which isn't a place expats would want to live in at all. Of course when a city is mentioned the greater metro area is implied.