What to See:

Animals & zoos 

    * Underwater World Pattaya, 22/22 Moo 11 Sukhumvit Road (15 minutes from town centre); tel. +66-38756879. Aquarium full of tropical creatures. Open 09:00-18:00, last admission 17:30, feeding times 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00.

    * Institute of Marine Science Aquarium & Museum, Burapha University, 169 Long-Hard Bangsaen Road, Bangsaen; tel. +66-38391671 /3 is open 08:30-16:00 (feeding time 14:30), except public holidays (open 08:30-17:00, feeding times 10:30 + 14:30) and Mondays (closed).

    * Oasis Seaworld, Paknam, Laemsing, Chanthaburi - full day guided trips including 45 minutes swimming with dolphins - available via travel agencies.

 There are two submarines (yellow ones, of course!) with tour operators in Pattaya:

     * Hynix of the Sea - main ticket office at the Second Road end of Tipp Plaza (near Soi 10); tel. +66-38711059 /60

    * Vimantaitalay contact any Pattaya travel agency; or tel. +66-38415234

Elephant shows & trekking offered by several operators, most located on Sukhumvit Road. These include Ban Chang Thai tel. +66-3870628 /91, Utthayan Chang tel. +66-38716379, Thin Chang Thai tel. +66-38756516 / +66-38756577, Suan Chang tel. +66-38756517, Farm Chang Thai tel. +66-38237825.

    * Elephant Village, 54/1 Moo 2, Tambol Nong Prue; tel+fax. +66-38249818, +66-38249853  offers shows, elephant trekking and jungle tours (including a four-day/three-night tour in Phrae Province).

    * Monkey Training Centre, Soi Chaiyaphruk (off Highway #3) tel. +66-38756367 / +66-38756570. Features monkeys trained to harvest coconuts and undertake other tasks. Also stages cockfighting (a traditional Thai blood sport) and a snake show. Open daily, shows 09:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 17:00.

    * International Snake Show, Sukhumvit Road (39/4 Moo 5 - near the junction with North Pattaya Road) tel. +66-38731586 / snake_show@hotmail.com

    * Khao Kheow Open Zoo (35 km north of Pattaya) tel. +66-38298270. A huge zoo with about 8000 animals of 300 species. Open daily - 08:00-18:00, Night Safari 19:00-20:00.

    * Sriracha Tiger Zoo, 341 Moo 3, Nongkham, Si Racha (30 minutes from town centre); tel. +66-38296556 A zoo with various shows.

Gardens

    * Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, 163 Sukhumvit Road (15 minutes east of town centre); tel. +66-38429321]. Beautiful gardens with waterfalls, elephant shows, "Cultural Extravaganza" performances 4 times a day, restaurants etc. - enough to fill an entire day.

·        Saithip Butterfly Garden, 79/5 Moo 11 Bangpra-Khaokheow Road, Bangpra Sriracha; tel. +66-99365339. Open 08:00-17:00.

Museums

    * Bottle Art Museum, 79/15 Moo 9, Sukhumvit Road, Nongpler; tel. +66-38422957, +66-38415783. More than 300 miniatures in bottles, open 08:00-20:00.

    * Open Eyes, 2nd floor of Pattaya Bazaar, 266/52-53 North Pattaya Road; tel. +66-38362077. "The Great Experience Behind The Magical", a lot of technological magic and illusion shows. Open 15:00-23:00; show time 15:00-23:00; Spy Zone show time 15:00-22:00.

    * Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum (tel. +66-38710294 /8) is located on the third floor of Royal Garden Plaza. Access from both Second Road (you can't miss this side - there's a large aeroplane protruding from the upper floors) and from Beach Road. At the same location there's also a "Haunted Experience" show, a 4D movie theatre and "Infinity Maze" game. Open daily 11:00-23:00.

Sacred places

    * Buddha Hill (between Thappraya Road and Phratamnak Road; 5-10 minutes by songthaew) is one of the highest points in Pattaya. At the summit is the biggest Buddha statue in Pattaya, and nearby is a beautiful Chinese-style sacred area dedicated to Confucius and Lao-zi. The next hill, just across the Phratamnak Road, has the best Pattaya Bay coastline viewpoint and is also worth a visit, especially for sunset.

    * Sanctuary of Truth, 206/2 Moo 5, Soi 12, Naklua Road, Naklua; tel. +66-38225407 / +66-38367229. An unfinished project, but worth a visit even now. The main attraction is a huge ancient-style wooden temple; nearby is a small dolphinarium with dolphin shows at 11:30 and 15:30.

Theme parks

    * Gems Gallery, 555 Moo 6, North Pattaya Road; tel. +66-38371222. One of several "World's Biggest" jewelry stores, this one also has a theme park.

    * Million Years Stone Park & Pattaya Crocodile Farm (15 minute drive from central Pattaya). Features an exotic zoo, and crocodile, fire-swallowing and magic shows, as well as the garden and stone park. Open 08:00-18:30.

     * Mini Siam is located on Sukhumvit Road, surrounded by Soi 33, and features miniature replicas of iconic structures from Thailand and all over the world.