Day Trips in Pattaya

There are many great things to do and see in Pattaya such as wonderful Thai restaurants like Ruen Thai, great shopping malls, cinemas, markets, beaches, golf courses, water sports, the list is almost endless.

If you want to go a little more off the beaten track then there are plenty of authentic Thai surprises that are excellent to visit including temples, wats, shows and museums.

In this blog we look at a few of the typically Thai attractions that you must consider to visit on a day trip out in Pattaya. Two of the more interesting examples are Naowarat Textile Museum and Naowarat Woodcraft Museum.

Naowarat Textile & Woodcraft Museums

Narawat has been displaying Thai crafts for over twenty years. In particular it is concerned with Thai textiles and fabrics from all over the kingdom. The museum exhibits over one thousand pieces some of them over eighty years old.

Each region has its own distinctive patterns and colours, the past being very different to the present.

As well as the generous collection of fabrics there are over 500 examples of hand crafted wood carvings from Thailand and further afield.

Big Buddha

Officially known as Wat Phra Yai Temple, Big Buddha sits high up on Pratumnak Hill between Pattaya and Jomtien. The huge Buddha is 18 metres high and is the largest of its kind in the area.

Wat Phra Yai was built in the 1940’s when Pattaya was a mere fishing village and before the American invasion during the Vietnam War. The complex offers much more than just the massive Buddha with many other statues and halls to either pray or marvel at.

The wat is a particularly great place for 360 degree views of Pattaya, Pattaya Bay and the mountains to the north and east.

Sanctuary of Truth

Located in north Pattaya is the amazing Sanctuary of Truth that is an exceptionally unique building the likes you will never see anywhere else in the world.

The Sanctuary of Truth is made entirely of wood, and all the carvings are hand made. Built twenty years ago the construction is still ongoing at you can see the talented woodcarvers working when you visit.

A hundred meters high the building is not a temple but commands an awesome sight being right on the cliff above the ocean. The architecture is inspired by both Hindu and Buddhist legend and traditions.

Millionaire philanthropist Khun Lek Viriyaphant wanted to preserve Thai culture and tradition and commissioned the building. He also was behind the Erawan museum and the scaled down city of Muang Boran.

These great attractions are splendid for a day trip out in Pattaya, they are a little different than Pattaya’s normal tourist attractions but that is their beauty. You can always go to the beach another time, the surf and the sand will still be there.