Pattaya is a beach resort on Thailand’s Eastern Gulf Coast, some 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Pattaya is well known for its go-go and beer bars, although the local government has made some steps to create more family-friendly attractions and activities. Although the sex business is still thriving and sex tourism remains Pattaya’s major source of revenue, the resort also draws local families and visitors from all over the globe. If the sight of big elderly guys hand in hand with young Thai ladies offends you, Pattaya is probably not the place for you.
Local officials’ efforts in recent years have improved the condition of the beaches, but they are still subpar by Thai standards, and overdevelopment has long ago lost some of the area’s natural beauties. However, the abundance of hotels and guest homes, as well as its proximity to the city and airport, make it a popular weekend destination. Pattaya is able to provide a fantastic choice of food alternatives as well as a broad array of things to do for its over five million yearly tourists. Its population is a vibrant mix of cultures and ethnicities from all over the world.
Pattaya controls the majority of the Bang Lamung District’s shoreline (one of the eleven districts that comprise Chonburi Province). This page solely covers Pattaya proper, which includes the districts east of Naklua Beach and Pattaya Beach, as well as the Buddha Hill headland (which is immediately south of Pattaya Beach). Jomtien Beach and the surroundings east of it, including Dongtan Beach, are covered in a separate article. Jomtien’s beaches are more wider and in better condition, and the ambiance is more peaceful and family-oriented than at Pattaya Beach.
THE PRIMARY SIGHTS
Pattaya, which was formerly a fishing village, rose to prominence as an R&R destination during the Vietnam War. It aspires to be a family-friendly beach attraction. In 2007, 14.5 million international visitors visited Thailand.
Golf (19 golf courses within 40 minutes of Pattaya), go-kart racing, and visiting various theme parks and zoos such as the Elephant Village, where daily demonstrations of training techniques and old ceremonial re-enactments are done, are also popular pastimes. Daily exhibitions at the private Sri Racha Tiger Zoo include tigers, crocodiles, and other animals. The Vimantaitalay tourist submarine provides 30-minute underwater rides to observe corals and marine life only a few kilometers offshore. Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Park, located approximately 15 kilometers south of Pattaya, is a 500-acre (2.0 km2) botanical garden and orchid nursery that also hosts cultural events with trained chimps and elephants. The park also houses many tigers and a variety of birds.
Pattaya also has the Million Years Stone Park, Pattaya Crocodile Farm, Pattaya Park Beach Resort Water Park, Funny Land Amusement Park, Siriporn Orchid Farm, Silverlake Winery, Underwater World Pattaya, the Thai Alangkarn Theater Pattaya (cultural show), Bottle Art Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, and Underwater World, an aquarium with a collection of marine species from the Gulf of Khao Pratamnak, also known as Khao Phra Bat, is a small hill located between south Pattaya and Jomtien Beach that offers a panoramic view of the city and its crescent harbor. The hill is topped by Wat Khao Phra Bat, a temple, and the Kromluang Chomphonkhetudomsak statue, who is recognized as the founding father of contemporary Thai navy.
The Cartoon Network Amazone, located near the military base golf course, debuted in late 2014. It’s got a Cartoon Network theme to it. The park is divided into zones where various water slides may be observed. There is also an open-to-the-public wave pool and surfing simulator, as well as the biggest water playground in Southeast Asia, which features two tipping buckets. Later that year, a food court opened, offering a wide range of cuisines from traditional Thai to Italian and Japanese. Small cottages may be rented around the park. Yearly passes are offered for people who want to visit the park often and simply stroll in. Several boutiques and gift shops are currently being built and are expected to be completed by late 2015.
RamaYana, one of Asia’s largest waterparks, inaugurated in May 2016 with a total area of more than 18 hectares (45 acres / 102 Rai). The park, which is planned as a contemporary waterpark built atop an old Asian city, has 21 water slides, some of which are unique1, a 600m long lazy river, a double wave pool with a 150m wide beach, leisure and activity pools, and more. The park, which is situated 20 kilometers south of Pattaya City, near the Big Buddha Mountain (Khao Chi Chan) and adjacent to Silverlake Vineyard, contains natural lakes and islands in and around it, as well as attractions like as a floating market, actual elephants, and a labyrinth. A restaurant serves more than 100 cuisines and provides free food delivery to sun loungers. The park also has a fish bath and massage facilities.
The Sanctuary of Truth is a big wooden building built by the sea near Laem Ratchawet in 1981. It was founded on the premise that religious and philosophical truth are essential to human civilization’s survival.
Mini Siam is a small model town that honors Thailand’s legacy by replicating the most notable structures and historical places, such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Democracy Monument, Bridge over the River Kwai, and Prasat Hin Phimai. Models of the London Tower Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Trevi Fountain are also on show in the “mini-world” area.
Wat Yanasangwararam Woramahawihan is a temple built in 1976 for the current supreme patriarch, Somdet Phra Yanasangwon. A facsimile of the Buddha’s footprint and a massive chedi housing Buddha relics may be found inside the temple site.
Thepprasit Market is Pattaya’s largest and busiest market. On Thepprasit Road, it is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening. It is well-known for selling pets, as well as having numerous Thai food vendors offering local specialties like as fried insects and scorpions, as well as branded apparel, shoes, and electronics.
