Pattaya is known for beaches and colorful nightlife that make it a popular side trip to any Thailand destination since it’s only a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bangkok.
But a more aggressive development and promotions program has multiplied its attractions making it a major destination that can make up for a week-long stay and beyond. Ask the Russian expats who only used to frequent this city, they now have businesses with Cyrillic ads to boot.
It’s been six years since my last trip here but it felt like I’ve been away much longer. Pattaya now boasts of new infrastructure, properties and attractions. And I enjoyed both the old and the new stuff.
Near the city center lays the four-region floating market, a traditional Thai market that goes along the genre of shops and souvenir stalls lining the boardwalk above a body of water. Here, locals selling food and agricultural produce make use of rivers and lakes to bring their merchandise to their clients by using canoes.
While the rest were busy with photo opportunities and buying souvenirs, I went on a quest to find my favorite Thai dish that is not served in hotels, Kah-Moo, braised pork knuckles with steamed vegetables siding. I found one canoe serving it. I sat on a bench and watched the lady vendor expertly chop some vegetables, dash it with chili, before serving it. Instantly I knew that local Thai cuisine is alive and well in Pattaya.
During lunch in a restaurant along the boulevard just across the golden sand beaches, we had another sampling of the world-renowned Thai culinary expertise. This time we had familiar dishes like Thai signature fares Tom Yum, shrimp cakes, seafoo curry, Pad Thai and braised vegetables with herbs. With cool breeze wafting from the sea, we couldn’t help but feel sleepy right after filling ourselves.
At the lobby of our hotel, the familiar sound of Thai stringed instruments greeted us. With the infinity pool’s view before us, overlooking the beach, we resolved to get a few winks befoi meeting for dinner and a show.
In Pattaya, it is almost a tradition to watch its signature transvestite cabaret show at Tiffany’s. They say this 36 year-old cabaret show was first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Over 100 performers in dazzling costumes did a musical that delighted the audience from all over.
About a thousand guests watch each of the three daily shows and mingled up close and personal with the transvestites afterwards. The Tiffany’s show is also slated in other parts of Asia and Europe. This year they will be performing at London’s Olympia Exhibition Center.
The night is always young in Pattaya and there’s a whole gamut of choices for guests to have fun. We picked the newest hip bar called Negative 5 Degrees which, as its name suggests, is an enclosed lounge with an artificially cold environment of minus five degrees Celsius. Upon entering the place, we were given coats and served free cocktails in glasses made from ice that we can just throw on a wall after each drink. Those who have had enough of the cold environ wiggled their way to the dance floor and danced the night away.
Morning-after in Pattaya can be devoted to cultural and entertainment trips. The Sanctuary of Truth at Rachvate Cape is a must-see for those who dig culture, fine arts, a deeper understanding of religion, the universe, the Earth and its four elements. At 100 meters tall, comparable to a twenty-storey building, and a span of 2,115 square meters, we toured this majestic showpiece of Thai craftsmanship that was started in 1981 by an artisan and continued by his children after his death. The Sanctuary of Truth is a four hall masterpiece of art fashioned out of teak depicting the Hindu gods and goddesses, the sun, moon, stars, and the planets as they co-exist within the realm of the four elements – earth, wind, water, and fire. It shows the relationship between human beings and the universe by way of art, thus transcending all religions.
I’ve never seen such magnificent hand-carving anywhere else, not even in India or Indonesia. And I could also hardly fathom the painstaking wonders done by those people dedicated to their age-old craft without even thinking of benefitting from their skills commercially.
There, I got acquainted with the Hindu teachings, with the gods, goddesses and sacred animals portraying all emotions. It also showcased how the four elements affect human life, even giving mythical definition to the days of the week.
It may look too artsy to others but the objet’ facets are expansive, inspired by something mystical that is beyond the human imagination. Figure-filled spaces may entail that a person undertake the study of cosmology or Hinduism to fully appreciate the artwork.
A Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum tour dished out scientific oddities, resembling an archive of daily news in reality. There were documents and photos taken by Mr. Ripley himself to support the veracity of his claims. There was original stuff too, like old walking sticks made of whale bone and animal penis. My favorite was a couple in the middle of a walkway, the man bent forward to take a picture of a lady. As I approached him, his camera flashed. Politely, I waited for my turn pass. It took me several seconds before I realize that the couple was life-sized mannequins. Good thing I didn’t create a traffic bottleneck along the walkway.
Before we knew it, it was time to return to Bangkok. So we made mental notes of what to visit when we return. Moved with this journey entire experience, we sincerely admire how private sector and the government of Thailand turned Pattaya into an amazing city and a stand-alone-destination.
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Tags: colorful nightlife, culinary expertise, rivers and lakes, thai cuisine