Pattaya

Pattaya is a coastal town catering to the budget segment of the tourists. It has many sightseeing points to make you excited. To reach Pattaya, you may take a bus or a flight from Bangkok. It is 147 km from Bangkok and takes roughly 3 hours from Bangkok to Pattaya by bus. 2 days are enough to cover entire Pattaya. You will find many day tours that cover the city or take you to coral islands with adventure sports included. You may hire a motorbike to take the city tour without booking a day tour.

Following are some important things to do in the 2 days that you will spend in Pattaya:

Pattaya Beach

This is the main beach of Pattaya that stretches along the coast of the entire city. It has a pier, a harbour and a long stretch where you may swim or laze by. The famous walking street runs along this beach.

Sanctuary of Truth

This is a uniquely beautiful temple cum museum, based on Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. The temple is made entirely of different types of wood with images of Gods carved out of wood itself. The exterior as well as interior architecture is magnificent with heavily carved pillars, roofs and walls. You will find the statue of Lord Brahma and Lord Ganesha at the entrance. We could identify a statue of Goddess Durga also.

The entire building is parted into sections where each section is dedicated to different aspects of eastern religious concepts and beliefs. Western part has representations of the four elements of  earth, water, fire, wind and the trinity of Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The Northern part has Buddhist Guanyin and displays some carvings related to emancipation. The Eastern part has displays of familial structure. The Southern part has astronomical representation of the Sun, the Moon and other planets. In order to be respectful towards the beliefs, you are required to wear clothes that cover your knees and shoulders. Please bear this in mind before visiting.

Walking Street

The walking street is where the party is. The night life of Pattaya is centered around this place. This street is a stretch of discos, clubs, bars, hotels with blaring music, dancers and live bands performing. You have some Mua Thai and boxing rings which conduct bouts during the evenings. This is the fun place. It might appear little seedy to some people because of several activities. The beach is just at one end of the street. So, you may choose what you wish to do while you are here.  

Alcazar Cabaret Show

It is Thailand’s most popular cabaret. It is a dance performance where colourfully dressed performers including transgenders, popularly called ladyboys, perform. This is nearby the walking street. The entry tickets cost around 600THB.

Tiger Park

This is a unique experience. A tiger park is a place where tigers are reared in captivity. The ticket price is high and varies depending on the size of the tiger you are visiting. We first thought it would be a zoo like place where we get to see the tigers. But, here you get to play with the tigers and get some pictures clicked. Yes! You can touch the beautiful creatures. The most fun part is spending time with the cubs. All this is done under the supervision of the trainers. You may also visit the adult tigers or other cubs in cages.

Unfortunately, to allow you this experience the animals are sedated. We did not know of this when we went there. This makes you a little uncomfortable about the ethical value of the whole experience. It was thrilling, fun, unique but also left us guilty afterwards knowing that the animals were sedated. The entry fee of the place varies according to the age and size of the tiger. The entry fee is 450THB(₹1125) for adults and 250THB for children. After that you need to pay additional fees depending on the rate of the tigers you want to visit. This will range from ₹3000-5000. There is a souvenir shop selling caps, toys and other memorabilia of the tiger kingdom.

Underwater Kingdom

This was our first experience of a underwater museum for water organisms. It is huge aquarium where many sea creatures including sharks are present. It will take about 30-40 minutes to explore the aquarium. The aquarium has glass tunnels through which you make your way while enjoying the different fishes and other sea creatures in their habitat. The fees is 500THB (₹1250) for adults and 300THB for children.

Art in Paradise (3D Museum)

This is an illusion museum. There are many paintings and structures in 3D along with some trick displays. Entry ticket costs around 400 THB (₹1000) for adult and 200 THB for children. It stays open till 10:30 PM, so you may come here at last. You require about 1 hour to cover the entire place. You will be able to click pictures in such a way that the images will appear lifelike. Taking photos at every point may increase your duration to around 1.5 hours. It is quite a bit of fun here. There are some wonderful exhibits specially the waterfall, pit and Angkor Wat display room. You will definitely enjoy your time here.

Mini Siam

Mini Siam is a unique park with all the famous architectures of the world in their miniature form. It has an entrance fee of 300THB (₹750) but makes for a wonderful visit. Well, this is your chance to see the monuments of the  world without visiting them in person. It is a beautiful theme park. It takes bit of a time exploring it and getting some pictures. Visit it during the dusk. One thing is for sure, your camera memory will get full after visiting this place. There is the night market just beside the park.

Floating Market

A market where things are sold on boats or by the sides and you shop while floating on the boat. You do not necessarily need to buy anything, this just for an experience. It is not very enjoyable and if you must choose, you may skip this part to accommodate some other place.

View point

Every coastal town or city has several viewpoints. Pattaya has one, too. Situated a little higher on the hill. You get an amazing view of the Gulf of Thailand and the coastal area. You may visit this place during evenings to enjoy a bit more. It is a must visit place.

Coral Island

There are day tours from Pattaya to Coral Islands. There is no need to book through the travel agencies. You may visit the Pattaya beach side and get it booked from one of the operators directly. This is the island visit tour where you get to do a lot of activities like parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, banana rides, jet boats etc. Lunch may or may not be included in your tour according to the price.

First you are taken by a speed boat to parasail. The take off and landing pad is at a vessel far off the coast. you take a short run and there you go flying in the sky. It is a liberating experience although not much is visible from the bird’s eye point. Next, you will be taken to a big boat where you will be given these heavy oxygen masks and will be dropped into the sea. So, keep an extra pair of clothes because you are going to get all wet here. It is scary and many people opt out but it is safe and once you overcome the initial fear of drowning, it will be fun. You get to see and touch the corals and many colourful fishes that surround you.

Your next stop will be the coral island where you get to do banana rides and speed jet ride. It is a fun experience as the activities are thrilling and you get to enjoy a lot by the clear white sand beaches. It may be very crowded in the peak season.

Thai Massage

This is a major attraction of Thailand. Something that lures every tourist while in Thailand. There are different versions of it:  traditional, oil and foot. You may choose any one that you may like. While in Pattaya it is definite that you will be walking a lot and the foot massage is a must. We are quite fond of it. It is a great experience. Do not be shy and just go for it! Your body will be relaxed and you feel lighter due to the release of tension in the muscles. Maybe, next time, you will visit Thailand only to get a massage.