Pattaya

Pattaya

Pattaya One of the Popular beach,  and is  tourist destination, renowned all over the world.  have numerous activities. For tourists to choose to relax. accommodation and nightlife. Have  tourists, both Thai and foreign,  Come visit are many. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitore are drawn each year to Pattaya to windsurt, water ski, swim

Pattaya is a popular beach resort on the Gulf of Thailand just 150 km southeast of Bangkok: a mere two hour drive. While Pattaya once had a well deserved reputation for its seedy nightlife, local authorities have, in recent years, improved the quality of the beaches and reinvented the resort, to some degree, as a more family friendly destination. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors are drawn each year to Pattaya to windsurf, water ski, swim, sunbathe, snorkel, sail, or take trips to nearby islands. Other activities include Bungee jumping, cycling, skydiving, go-Karting, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and Paintball (to name only a few!) Golfers, both novice and expert are well catered to as well, with a wide selection of golf courses around Pattaya including the Phoenix, Pattaya Country Club, and the Navy course near Sattahip, which offers 18 holes of golf for around 1,000 baht (around 30 US dollars)! Another major draw for visitors to Pattaya is the wide selection of restaurants serving some of Thailand's freshest seafood. Due to the high number of expatriate foreigners in Pattaya there is also an excellent selection of authentic foreign eateries serving French, Italian, Swiss, German, Hungarian, Scandinavian, English, Indian, Moslem, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine. Drawing such a large number of diverse visitors from across the world, it’s no surprise that Pattaya also boasts an incredible choice of accommodation. Those on a tight budget and those with money to burn are equally able to find rooms to suit their needs. Even those who are turned off by the widespread development along Pattaya’s main beach can find some peaceful beach time at nearby Jomtien beach, just 3 kilometers south, which is a far quieter alternative. Just over one hour from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Pattaya is a lively beach town that draws visitors from around the world. With activities that include a wide array of water sports, golf, shopping, cabaret shows, an elephant village, and a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum (to name only a very few) it’s impossible not to have an action-packed Pattaya holiday. Unless of course its relaxation you crave, in which case there are thousands of beach chairs and umbrellas lining the Pattaya shore, where wandering vendors will cater to your every need: from barbequed shrimp to a foot massage. Pattaya is certainly a Thai beach resort that meets the needs of any visitor on any budget.

Attractions

Khao Phra Tam Nak or Khao Phra Bat

This is a small hill to the south of Pattaya Beach. It is accessible by an asphalt road, which leads up to the hilltop. Khao Pattaya is now the site of the Naval Radio Station where the monument of Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak, the Father of Royal Thai Navy, is situated. A sacred Buddha image is also enshrined on the hilltop. The viewpoint on the hilltop offers a panoramic view of Pattaya City and Pattaya Bay.

Hat Chom Thian

The former paddy fields have turned into a thriving beach. Only 3 km. down Pattaya Beach, Chomthian is highly recommended to those who seek a quieter resort. The 6-kilometer long, largely straight beach is popular with windsurfers and watersports enthusiasts. It is also quieter and more relaxing than Pattaya Beach. Hotels and other accommodation facilities are available along the road that runs parallel to the shore.

Underwater World Pattaya

            A new tourist attraction in town is the largest and most modern ocean aquarium in Asia, boasting a 100-meter-long, 6.4-centimeter-thick acrylic pedestrian tunnel through an underwater environment filled with dozens of marine species.

Located just 200 meters south of Tesco Lotus in South Pattaya, the new theme park covers a total area of 12-rai and is housed in a structure similar to a large circus tent.

The aquarium itself houses more than 4,000 marine animals, comprising more than 200 different species from the region as well as some rare creatures from overseas. Top in the Visitors must-see list is the rare shovelnose ray, a hybrid between a shark and a stingray.

Admission fee for adults is 450 baht and children is 250 baht. Thai adults is 250 baht and children is 150 baht. Open from 9.00 a.m. 6.00 p.m. For more information and booking, call 0 3875 6879  Fax:: 0 3875 6875

Ban Sukhawadee

            A European style mansion by the sea houses a statue of Kuan Yin and other sculptures that express the philosophy of living. Buildings in the compound include The Buddha Dome, a restuarant and sourvenir shop. For more information please call 0 2944 2144 Fax. 0 2944 2145   Website: www.sukhawadee.net  E-mail: info@sukhawadee.net

Pattaya Elephant Village

            Located on Phonpraphanimit Road, which is off of Highway No.3 at Km. 145, the Pattaya Elephant Village showcases daily life of elephants and their masters. It also offers stage shows, which demonstrate how to catch wild elephants, elephants-at-work in the jungle, elephants playing football, a grand war, and elephants' parades. Elephant rides around the village are recommended. The one-hour-long elephant shows are held at 14.30 hrs. Contact the counter in the Tropicana Hotel, Tel: 0 3824 9145-7, 0 3824 9818.

Elephant shows are also operated in other places. Most of them are located on Sukhumvit Road. These include Ban Chang Thai Tel: 0 3870 628-91, Utthayan Chang Tel: 0 38 71 6379, Thin Chang Thai Tel: 0 3875 6516, 0 3875 6577, Suan Chang Tel: 0 3875 6517 and Farm Chang Thai Tel: 0 3823 7825.

Sanctuary of Truth

The compound, which covers an area of more than two rais, is situated by the sea at Laem Ratchawet on Na Klua Road, North Pattaya. Within the compound is a gigantic temple-like structure entirely made of wood that is 105 meters high at the highest point which was constructed to withstand wind and sunshine on the seashore. With exquisite architectural features, the sanctuary was conceived out of the vision that human civilization has been achieved and nurtured by religious and philosophical truths.

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., admission fee is 500 baht with Dolphin Training Shows at 11.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Tel: 0 3822 5407, or visit www.sanctuaryoftruth.com for more information.

Sources : Tourism Authority of Thailand