Pattaya Theme Parks
By Crystal Wilde
Water parks are great for entertaining the kids
Pattaya is the theme park capital of Thailand and, if you were so inclined, you could visit a different one every day of the week. Whether your stomach could handle of the sticky sweets and sickly rides is another matter, but Pattaya certainly knows how to keep both the young and young-at-heart entertained. There is something on offer here for the entire family, so check out our pick of the best or have a look at our three-day Pattaya itinerary.
Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm
The Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm sits in 40-acres of stunning natural garden. Gigantic stones surround 200-year-old bonsai trees - which are a lot bigger that the type you might be used to - and the on-site zoo allows visitors to see crocodiles in their natural surroundings.
This park is popular with people of all ages so is a good place to take a break from the beach while keeping both granny and the kids happy. It is only a short drive (15 minutes) from central Pattaya on Chaiyaphonwithi Road. There are scheduled magic and fire-swallowing shows seven times throughout the day. The surroundings are located with beautiful flower and rock gardens, and other rare animals, including albino horses and bears are also kept at the zoo.
Pattaya Water Park and Tower
This is a great one for those not wanting to stand around overheating in the sun all day. The water park and beach resort is located between Jomthien Beach and South Pattaya and has a whole host of fun attractions. There are whirlpools, rapids and waterslides for the thrill-seekers, as well as shallow pools suitable for children and more nervous swimmers.
There is also an on-site fast food restaurant and the beach is right on your doorstep. The tower, which has no less than 55 floors, is where visitors will find the widest selection of food and the revolving floor offers some stunning, panoramic views of Pattaya City and Jomtien Bay.
Visitors can also take part in various challenging activities up here or take the hair-raising Sky Shuttle or Tower Jump. For those who cannot get enough of Pattaya Park, there are also over 700 luxury rooms here in the Tower wing and the main building. All have either views of the ocean or the mountains and come with all the usual mod-cons.
Mini Siam
Mini Siam can be found near Pattaya Klang on Sukhumvit Road. It is a theme park that has proved popular with people of all ages with its displays of Thai heritage in miniature form. The model is the third largest of its type in the world and is really quite an impressive spectacle. Visitors can view Thai civilization and culture from ancient times to the present day as well as perfect mini replicas of important buildings from Thailand and the rest of the globe.
Pattaya is also good for seeing elephant shows
Thai buildings and monuments represented here include the bridge over the River Kwai, Democracy Monument, Prasat Hin Phimai and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Other world sites include London’s Tower Bridge, Paris’s Eiffel Tower and America’s Statue of Liberty. The latter section is known as ‘Miniworld’.
Pattaya Park Funny Land
Part of Pattaya Water Park and Tower, Funny Land is located in Jomtien Beach. Here visitors will find white-knuckle roller coasters as well as other rides, such as flying bikes, the Galleon, the Scrambler, Tower Shot and Wave Swinger. There is also fast food available here and various fairground games. The Tower Shot is famous in Pattaya and the first ride of its kind in the area. There is also a monorail to help you get around the park.
Three Kingdoms Theme Park
The Three Kingdoms Theme Park is located in Banglamung and is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Pattaya. It is one-of-a-kind and unlike any other of Pattaya’s amusement parks, as the central theme revolves around the Romance of the Three Kings – a well-known, historical Chinese story.
The land-area of the park is huge and colourful wall paintings adorn the interior. The architecture of the park’s buildings is also stunning, making the Three Kingdoms theme park one of the prettiest in Pattaya. The style is a mixture of both Thai and Chinese and other forms of art depict characters and scenes from well-known stories and Buddha relics.
The park was created as a gift to the new world and serves to entertain many foreign tourists as well as native travellers. It is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle and relax in a serene and shady atmosphere.
Elephant Village
In Elephant Village visitors can enjoy daily demonstrations of their training methods as well as re-enactments of ancient ceremonies.
Sri Racha Tiger Zoo
Located in the heart of Pattaya, Sri Racha Tiger Zoo lays claim to around 10,000 crocodiles as well as 200 tigers. It has one of the largest croc populations in the world and puts on daily animal shows for the tourists. You can even feed baby tigers from bottles and hold small alligators.
The zoo has, however, recently received criticism for putting on circus-like shows where tigers jump through rings of fire, walk on a double tightropes or ride on the back of horses. This, therefore, might be one to consider carefully if you are concerned about the animals’ welfare.
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden can be found just 15kms south of Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road. The 500-acre site contains an orchid nursery and botanical gardens where shows with trained elephants and chimpanzees are put on for tourists. The land was originally purchased in 1954 for a fruit plantation but the owners decided to turn it into a conservation project. It was opened to the public in 1980 and is a very beautiful and tranquil place.
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