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Pattaya Attraction
Beach
Pattaya's main attraction is its long curving
beach. At the north end, the Dusit Resort occupies a small promontory.
Beyond the Dusit is a series of small bays, each with its own hotel. At
the southern end, a hill rises and extends well into the sea. At the top
of the hill is a temple with a large seated Buddha at the crown. There's
a good view of all of Pattaya bay from the temple.
Beyond the hill, south of Pattaya, is Jomtien
beach, another long stretch of beach. The beach is slightly deeper than
Pattaya, and the section just south of the hill is very popular with
Thais. There are many sections here where you can rent a beach chair and
order food and drinks from staff serving that section. Numerous vendors
also pass by offering fruit, ice cream
The
Million Years Stone Park And Pattaya Crocodile Farm
Beautifully landscaped grounds which include rock gardens, plant
fossils over a million years old, 200 year old Thai style bonsai trees,
and a collection of rare albino bears, elephants and horses, and
crocodiles. Animal performances and crocodile round-ups every day.
Open 9:00a.m-6:00p.m. Call (038) 249347-9.
Elephant Village
The national symbol of Thailand, these amazing animals have been part of
Thai culture for centuries. Demonstrations of training methods and
ancient ceremonial re-enactments plus entertaining performances and wild
elephant round-ups daily between 2:30 and 4:00.
Elephant rides are available 4 times daily:
Price Bt 800. Longer treks including lunch: Bt 1,500.
Located Between Phanarak Park and the Siam Country Club Golf Course.
Pattaya Park Beach Resort and Amusement Park
A large resort hotel located in Jomtien with a secluded beach area. A
large tower 240 meters high contains three revolving restaurants on
different floors which give magnificent views of the area. The "cable
jump" is an adrenaline pumping 170 meter high slide line ride. Secondary
thrill seekers take the cable car ride!
Funny Land Amusement
Park Swing Vikings Ship, Samba Tower, Slalom Roller Caster,
Family Swinger, Demolition Derby, Musical Carousel and a Monorail to
speed you around the resort.
Pattaya Water Park
Gigantic water sliders, Jacuzzi, whirlpools and a large pool for
children. Located adjacent to the Pattaya Park Hotel. Tel.: (038)
251201-8, 364110-20.
Sriracha Tiger Zoo
The zoo consists of more than 200 Bengal tigers and 100,000
crocodiles. It also provides many activities and shows which include
crocodile wrestling (women) and elephants playing basketball. Make some
new friends with the camels, deers, wallabies, elephants, Peruvian
guinea pigs, ostriches and especially the baby tigers which were born in
the zoo. Opening times: Daily 09.30am - 06.00pm.
The
Bottle Art Museum
 This
unusual museum houses an extensive collection of more than 300 glass
bottles containing churches, temples, palaces, and ships, delighting
visitors of all nationalities. Created by Dutch sculptor, Mr. Peter
Bedelais who hand crafted the various intricate parts and assembled them
in varying glass bottles with different shapes.
Open daily from 9:00a.m - 8:00p.m.
Enquiries: Bottle Art 79/15 Mu 10, Sukhumvit Road. Tel. / Fax.
(038)422957.
Suan Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
Need somewhere to take the family, or just enjoy doing something
different? Nong Nooch, is a beautifully landscaped, recreational park.
The entire area covers around 500 acres and houses a botanical garden,
waterfall, orchid nurseries and a cactus garden. You can also go
canoeing on the lake and see the elephant show. The Arts Centre has
presentations of Thai traditional dance (3 times a day), marital arts,
and cockfighting daily. You can stay overnight accommodation in
cottages, traditional Thai houses and bungalows.
About 15 kms. from South Pattaya.
Mini Siam
 Located
near Pattaya Klang, this miniature city with more than 100 models on a
scale of 1:25, has replicas of 80 sacred places and important historical
sites around Thailand. Models include the Temple of the Emerald Buddha,
the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Golden Stupa and Pimai Khmer
Sanctuary. There are also models of the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of
Liberty, London's Tower Bridge, and the Trevi Fountain.
Open daily 7a.m. - 10 p.m. Call 038 421628, 424232
Ripley's Believe it
or not Museum
Over 250 unique objects. Individually themed galleries feature
hundreds of unbelievable and weird exhibits like a mask made from human
skin and an African Voodoo doll.
Ripley's Motion Master Panorama Theat
Features a high tech experience for both mind and body. Giant screen
projection, dynamic motion seating and full digital surround sound
system guaranteed to thrill both mind and body.
Ripley's Laser Trek
The high tech version of Paintball. Fully computerized laser gun,
vests and an environment where targets shoot back! Come alone, or with a
group. Up to 26 players can play simultaneously.
The Big Buddha Image
A major image of the Buddha, plus a Hindu Buddha, and seven
smaller Buddha images representing each day of the week, are featured in
a park like setting near the Royal Cliff Hotel and Beach Resort and
other tourist facilities just south of the downtown area of Pattaya. In
an area called "Buddha Hill", a high knoll where a large Buddha image is
displayed, and which also is home to the Pattaya Fitness Park, visitors
will find a memorable tourism site in which to stop and spend some time,
and get a taste of Thai culture and some remarkable views of the Pattaya
area. .
Radio Broadcasting
Station and Transmission Tower
The Royal Thai Navy's radio broadcasting station and
transmission tower is just a short distance from the Big Buddha image,
and is also on Buddha Hill. It provides a vantage point for a panoramic
view of the almost the entire Pattaya area, past Naklua, across open
water, and in the far northern horizon, the shipping port of Laem
Chabang. The tower is on the highest point of ground in the Pattaya
area, and visitation to the area, though not to the tower itself, are
permitted.
Pattaya Fitness Park.
On Pratumnak Road, just as one approaches the top of the hill, is the
area known as the Pattaya Fitness Park, where many athletes, weight
lifters, and others seeking healthy exercise work out to keep in shape
or get in shape. The park provides a good view of much of the Pattaya
area, as well as an opportunity to see athletes work to keep their
bodies in good shape.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
Near Sri Racha, about 30 kilometers fromPattaya, Khao Kheow Open Zoo is
a huge zoo with animals in a natural setting, including bears,
elephants, buffalo, snakes, monkeys, deer and many other interesting
wild animals free to roam. It also has a large aviary through which
visitors may walk, in which more than 100 species of birds are found.
Night safaris are offered through the zoo area by tram. (See Sports
Attractions web page)
Pattaya Water Park and
Tower
Located between the main downtown area of Pattaya and the
popular Jomtien Beach, the Pattaya Water Park features water slides,
pools, whirlpools, and other watersport amusement activities. Allied
with it is the tower, featuring housing accommodations, a revolving
floor where you can enjoy a drink as the floor revolves, carrying you
for a full circle view of the Pattaya area. A restaurant with a large
choice of foods is also available. An aerial car (tramway) carries
passengers from the tower to the water park's ground level.
Mini-Siam and Mini World
Located on Sukhumvit Road, the area's major highway, in
North Pattaya, Thai heritage is displayed in miniature with more than
100 models of objects and historical sites throughout Thailand,
including features from the Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Rattanakosin
periods of Thai history. Modern Thai structures are also presented in
miniature.
Wat Yan Sangwararam
A large temple complex under the patronage of the King, the
temple features modern Thai architecture combined with a truly rural,
relaxed setting. Courses in meditation are offered daily for laymen, at
a site not far off Sukhumvit Road, about ten km south of Pattaya. The
site includes five temples, wildlife breeding, conservation programs, a
school and a hospital. Nearby is a Chinese-style building called "Wihan
Sian" housing antiques and art objects from China.
Buddha Mountain
An immense gold outline of an immense Buddha image is on view
as part of a small park. From the roadside and from the park, a visitor
may view the huge outline of Buddha in the scarred rock face of a
mountainside not far from Wat Yan Sangwararam is known as Khao Chee
Chan. The site is a short distance from the Wat, along narrow roads, but
draws large crowds of onlookers and worshippers. A recently paved road
running between Sukhumvit Road and Highway 331, which leaves Sukhumvit
Road across from Na Jomtien Soi 44, also goes directly past the site. No
descriptive sign (at least in English) was noted at this soi. There is a
descriptive sign at the entrance to this soi off Highway 331. As the
recently published magazine, "Pattaya, Thailand: Fun City by the Sea"
describes it, "Breathtaking in size and brilliant under the glimmer
of its gold outline, this site is certainly something to see and
photograph and even stand in awe of."
Koh Larn
The "big island" less than an hour away from downtown
Pattaya, with seemingly hundreds of boats offering rides out each
morning and returning in the afternoon, Koh Larn is one of the major
tourist attractions of the Pattaya area. "Go to Island?" is the cry of
dozens of employees and hawkers trying to persuade tourists to choose
their particular boat for the day's adventures, which starts with a 45
minute boat ride to the island in large boats (faster in the speed
boats). Most frequently, small boats just take the passengers to the
larger boats anchored off shore, so the passenger should inquire as to
the type of boat which will actually be used for the long trip. Boats
leave directly from the shoreline along Downtown Pattaya's Beach Road,
and from the marina pier which juts out from the shore just north of the
area now known as The Walking Street.
The Walking Street
At 7 p.m. each evening, the area of the Pattaya Beach
Road extending along the seashore past the South Pattaya Road is set
aside as "The Walking Street", and most motor vehicles are prohibited
from using that area until later in the evening. Shops line both sides
of the Walking Street, offering all forms of entertainment, shows, food,
clothing, trinkets, souvenirs, handicrafts, wood carvings, lacquerware
and silverware, gold and silver, jewelry, and many other items of
interest to many tourists. This street remains a Walking Street until
approximately midnight, after which vehicles are permitted to travel on
the street. The street is well lit, heavily traveled, and many "hawkers"
try to lure pedestrians into their bar, business or entertainment
establishment. The Simon Cabaret is located about halfway down the area
once widely known as "The Strip" or "The Golden Mile." Now it is most
commonly referred to as The Walking Street.
Ripley's World of
Entertainment: Ripley's
"Believe It or Not" Museum
its Motion Master cinema theatre and Ripley's Laser
Trek combine to offer a wide range of entertainment for all members of
the family and for persons of all ages. All are found on the Third Floor
of Pattaya's most prominent downtown shopping center, the Royal Garden
Plaza. The "Believe It or Not" Museum is based on similar museums
Ripley's established in the United States following the world-wide
success of its weekly "comic" feature, "Believe It or Not! by Ripley",
carried by thousands of newspapers weekly for many years. The Motion
Master puts you through an amusement park-like ride while you watch a
thrilling motion pictures tied in to the movements of your seat, and the
Ripley's Laser Trek offers simulated combat with computerized laser
"guns", vests, and an indoor area with targets. The laser trek
experience gives the participants the opportunity for combat against
each other, or singly. Virtual reality games for adults and children are
also available. All are found on the third floor of the Royal Garden
Plaza Shopping Center, near the rear of the center (nearest Pattaya
Second Road). The main entrance to the shopping plaza is from Pattaya
Beach Road between Soi Post Office and Soi Pattayaland 1.
Bumper Cars
Royal Garden Plaza Shopping Center's third floor also
offers an entertainment venue featuring bumper cars.
Panarak Park
A well stocked fishing pond with fishing gear available
for use by visitors is found at Panarak Park, 5 km from Sukhumvit on the
road leading to Siam Country Club. The park also offers bungalow
accommodations, a restaurant, jogging and cycling paths, boating and
water-cycling. The Tourism Authority of Thailand claims it gives
"up-country" experience for those who choose to stay overnight there.
Helicopter tours
for sightseeing: One local Thai company offers helicopter service on
request, including helicopter tours for sightseeing throughout the
Pattaya area at relatively moderate cost, for individuals or small
groups. There are no regularly scheduled tours at this time.
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