Built around an outspread, arc-shaped bay called Ao Pattaya devoid of hushed foreshores and hammocks is a dumbfounding city is full of vigour with plentiful adventures and attractions to experience. The affluent North Pattaya or Pattaya Neua contrasts the exuberant nightlife in South Pattaya or Pattaya Tai.
1. Big Buddha Temple on Koh Samui, Bang Lamung District.
In the native language, Wat Phra Yai has a Buddha statue standing 40-foot-tall and resides on the north-eastern beach of Bang Rak and also gives a stunning view of the adjacent island, Koh Phangan along with the Bang Rak beach. You’ve to be suitably donned covering your shoulders and legs while going to this temple which has a stairway skirted with Nagas (mythological dragons). Sunday is the busiest day of the week having plentiful Thai and foreigners alike come here to wish for things like health and happiness, offering various donations. Many souvenir, silver and cloth shops are located in the temple ground including places to eat.
2. Tiffany’s Show, Chon Buri
Starting off (in 1974) as performances on a small stage, with only 3 performers, at the south-end coast of Pattaya is the first faithfully transvestite floor show in South East Asia. These commendable performers have more than 28 years of experience delivering an exquisite cabaret to millions of visitors from around the world. Now, having an opulent theatre of 1,000 seating with professional light and sound equipment. More than one hundred skilled performers razzle and dazzle not only the stage but the audience too who is bewildered and come back to watch this spectacular performance.
3. Tawaen Beach and the water sports.
What’s a coast without any water sports? Witness the beautiful 800 metres long Tawaen beach on Koh Larn with atmosphere similar to that of Pattaya Beach. You can lay back and sunbathe or get your butt off the camp beds and get into the sea and ride Jet Skis and banana boats. The only downside this beach has is that it’s too popular and so there’s a lot of footfall. Various water activities include snorkelling, parasailing and sea walking. You can get to this beach via ferries of varying costs and a much faster option of a speedboat. Some tips for the beach are that the food and drinks are steeply priced compared to Pattaya, especially if you want the vendors to waiter them to you.
4. Beach Road of Pattaya.
Spanning from the Pattaya North Traffic Circle, going south till the Walking Street. Driving down from the roundabout, you have the beach to your right with numbered sois (streets branched of the main road) from 1 to 13. Blue pickup trucks can take you across the road for just 10 baht. It’s the perfect ride when it gets hot. Full of life with great bars with live rock music and various forms of visual entertainment. Vendors, food (especially the road-side pancakes) make your day in exploring this extensive road, and if tired there are multiple massage parlours where you can get massages.
5. Walking Street.
The transformation of this street post 6 pm is really something to witness. From a plain street with plentiful vendors and eateries it changes into a neon lit nightlife paradise. It’s known to be one of the best nightlife locations not only in Thailand but in the whole of South-East Asia. Just about all kinds of bars possible are found on this street. An absolute party zone from 6 PM to 2 AM entirely lit and full of life. The place is buzzing every night of the week by the volume of footfall matching the number of venues. Large open air complexes, 20-30 small independent bars, live rock music, you name it. The main attraction seems to be the go-go bars but beyond that there’ s a lot to experience so it’s common to jump from one bar to another while walking down the walking street. Drinks are priced in the mid-range where a pint of beer would cost about 100-120 baht. There are various restaurants here to check out other than the drinking establishments. Cuisines ranging from Thai flavours to Pakistani/Indian food. You get exquisite sea food in the area. So, if you’re in Pattaya, the walking street is a absolute must visit!
6. Zip-line through Thailand’s Rainforests.
Pattaya is not only home to beaches and water activities. You can zip through the beautiful rainforests of Thailand by going up the mountain to Canopy Adventures. Three kilometre in length, these 16 cables span the unscathed rainforest. This is longest cable ride is all of Asia. Enchanting waterfalls, eye-catching jungle foliage, coast lines of the sparkling-white sand and lovely palm trees, all of this is one zip-line ride!
7. Prasat Sut Ja-Tum, Chon Buri.
Translating to Sanctuary of Truth is an architectural wonder inspired by Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. Each of the four corners has a tower with figures from Thai, Cambodian, Indian, and Chinese legends. This Sanctuary was created to with the idea of preservation of Thai culture, this idea was sought by a Thai millionaire by the name, Khun Lek Viriaphant. Concepts behind the sanctuary human civilisation originated from theological and philosophical truths and art. The wooden art is an expression of the beliefs of Eastern philosophy including Buddhist and Indian beliefs. Under construction for over 20 years, this handmade wood-carved building stands 100 metres high. The Sanctuary is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM with cultural dance and martial arts performance show times at 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
8. Art in Paradise.
An expansive art gallery full of fun having a new-fangled approach dissolving the gap between the spectator and the art. Filled with 3-dimensional illustrations printed directly on the walls of the gallery give a spectacular experience. There are over 100 art pieces spanning the gallery with ten themed sections. Optical illusions, wild animals, nature, bygone cultures and classic art redone in witty and colourful renditions. Located on Pattaya 2nd Road, the entrance 20 metres up the road. It’s quite aptly named considering the sheer wonder of what’s been achieved in this wondrous gallery. It’s truly a must visit!
9. Underwater World.
Escape the beaches and go underwater and witness the aquatic life up-close without getting a drop of water on you. 100-metre-long, 6.4-centimetre-thick acrylic wayfarer tunnel is truly a wondrous underwater experience. This expansive aquarium hold over 4,000 marine species, 200 of which are region specific, others being rare animals from around the world such as sharks, stingrays, turtles, starfishes, seahorses, various species of fishes, seaweeds, coloured corals and many other.
10. Jometein Night Market, Jometein Beach.
The last but not the least, the night market on the Jomtein beach road. It offers a selection of Thai street food and Western food at cheap prices. Open every night of the week starting in the evening going on till 10 or 11 PM. You also have an option to find clothing, footwear, wristwear and various Thai trinkets and memorabilia to pick up. Well-lit and loud music can easily draw you towards the market directly opposite a Beach Volleyball court.