Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand

In the 1960s Pattaya was a quiet fishing village. Today it has changed drastically and has become a popular tourist destination with many resort hotels, high-rise condos, and many beautiful beaches.

Satchatham Temple or The Sanctuary of Truth is a wooden temple by the sea. It was designed by Lek Wiriyapan, the founder of the Ancient City of Samu Prakan Province in 1981. This temple is entirely built of wood with wonderful wood dwellings and woodcarvings. The artwork and woodcarvings reflect the intellect and spirit of Eastern civilization and its art. The temple received the Outstanding Tourist Attraction Award in 2008.

Mini Siam will delight you with miniature replicas of important places and historical sites from all around the globe. Kasem Kasemkiartisakul had the idea to build it in 1986 and all of the replicas are at the ratio of 1:25 of the originals. On display here you can see the Phra Sri Rattanasasadarm Temple, the Victory Monument, the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Phraram 9 Bridge, and the Phimai Stone Sanctuary. There are also miniatures of famous European and American sites like the Eiffel Tower, the Tower Bridge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Statue of Liberty, and the Grand Canyon.

Visit the amazing Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, where you can see exotic and unusual items from all over the world. The displays are divided into 10 individual themes among them such oddities like horses with three legs and a replica of the Titanic made out of a million matchsticks. The museum also offers the Motion Master Theater with flight simulator technology.

Right in the heart of South Pattaya is the Wat Chai Mongkhon Temple, dating from 1937. It has a prayer hall with a Chinnarat Buddha image and Chai Mongkhon Buddha image from the Sukhothai Period, aged over 350 years. There is also the Hall of 3-era Buddha, a pagoda built of ores from Ko Lan and a prayer hall that is home to a large Buddha with a lap spaning 49 inches and is 160 inches high. The hall has lovely mural paintings.

A museum popular with tourists is the Anek Kusala Sala which displays over 300 amazing pieces of Chinese artwork like bronze and brass statues that depict historical figures as well as Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist deities. It was founded by Sanga Kulkobkiat, a Thai national, who grew up in China. The museum was intended as a friendship-building project between the two countries. The first floor is home to Chinese immortals, from Pangu, the cosmic giant, to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The second-floor terrace has larger-than-life-sized statues of Shaolin monks in different martial arts poses. There is also a collection of daily life statues – a fortune teller, dressmaker, liquor seller – upon which visitors place 1B coins.

Wang Sam Sien Monument is located on the way to the Big Buddha on Pratumnak Hill. You are welcomed by a white statue of Guanyin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy.

Near the statue is a large metal bell, just like the one in the Royal Palace in Beijing, China. It is like a small museum with many Chinese items like 24 lovely paintings that tell stories from Chinese folklore. There is also a small restaurant on the premises.

Pratumnak Hill is located at the border of South Pattaya and Jomtien. At the top of the hill, you can get a panoramic view overlooking the crescent bay of Pattaya. It is a spot popular with tourists especially at sunset and at night when the city is all lit up. Here you will find a giant Buddha statue, the monument of Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak, the founding father of the modern Thai Navy, and the Thai Navy’s radio station. At the foot of the hill is a public park.

Sriracha Tiger Zoo has the largest number of Bengal tigers, bred successfully by the farm. There are some other animals too like crocodiles, ostriches, single-hump camels, kangaroos, and an aviary of exotic birds. They offer exciting shows such as Crocodile Wrestling, Kenya Aerobics, Amazing Circus, and Pig Racing. It is home to more than 200 tigers living in a lovely natural environment about 30 km from Pattaya. Other things that draw tourists are a Scorpion Queen with poisonous scorpions on her presence and the Crocodile Egg Breaking Festival from May to August.

Visit the gentle giants at the Elephant Village. It is run by a private company on a non-profit making basis. The proceeds go toward feeding and taking care of the elephants. All the elephants have a haven to live their lives in peace. The village was opened in 1973 as a sanctuary for former working elephants. These elephants due to illness or injury can no longer do the heavy work required of them in the jungles of Thailand. There are also elephant rides available. You can walk about and see the elephants going about their daily lives in a natural environment. Tourists enjoy the elephant shows which offer them a look into the lives of the elephants but none of the animals are ill-treated or abused. They do what comes naturally to them.

A 15-minute drive from Pattaya will take you to the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm.

Here you’ll find thousands of crocodiles, both saltwater and freshwater living in shady and natural surroundings. There is the giant catfish, the biggest freshwater fish in the world weighing up to 500 kg. A shoal of snakehead fish of the Amazon River. There is an albino bear and other albino animals among them tigers, horses, cows, and crocodiles. Birds such as Eastern Sarus Cranes, emus, cassowaries, and more than 20 ostriches.

Visit the lovely, landscaped park Nong Nooch Garden. It has been set up like a theme park and offers daily cultural shows. There are individual-themed gardens, restaurants, and accommodations as well. You can stroll through the grounds and see a 17th-century French garden, Stonehenge, or a European Renaissance garden. You can walk about or rent a bike to see so much more. In the orchid nurseries are over 670 native species and hybrids. It is the largest collection in the country.

For an exciting and different kind of art gallery head for Art in Paradise. This art gallery has three-dimensional paintings that are interactive. There are stunning images that make you think animals are coming right at you, you can take pictures of you and your friends smashing through walls or balancing over waterfalls and so much more. The gallery has more than 100 individual art pieces in then themed sections. The idea here is to have lots of fun and take plenty of fascinating pictures.

Wang Saen Suk Hell Garden features religious sculptures, large and small ghastly figures that display the suffering and punishment after death if in life you did bad deeds. It was created by the Venerable Phothisatto Foundation to remind people to keep high moral standards and faith in the Lord Buddha’s law of cause and effect. On the other side, the Land of Buddhism features the Lord Buddha at birth. There is a literature zone that features Phra Abhai Mani, the masterpiece story of Soonthorn Phu, a great poet in the reign of Rattanakosin. There are also figures of deities in other religions.

Khao Sam Muk is a small hill. At the foot of the hill is the holy shrine of Chao Mae Sam Muk. This is the place locals visit to commemorate the legend of lovers who ended their lives tragically after vowing their eternal love for each other in the 18th century. The shrine is accessible by mountain road. At the top, you get a panoramic view over the Ang Sila, Laem Thaen, and Bang Saen Bays. This is one of the best spots to watch the sunset. The area is also home to many wild monkeys and there is a lovely cactus garden.

Bangsaen Institute of Marine Science (BIMS) is a part of Burapha University. It is a marine science institute and museum. The museum is divided into three sections – Marine Aquarium, Marine Science Museum, and Marine Science Laboratories. There is a breeding pond and an aquarium with a large collection of fish, crustaceans, and marine plants mostly from Thailand. There are also exhibitions of fishery tools in the exhibition hall.