Things to Do in Gulf of Thailand

Thailand’s answer to Barcelona’s La Sagrada Família cathedral, the Sanctuary of Truth (Prasat Sut Ja-Tum) was begun in 1981 and is scheduled for completion around 2050. The wooden structure is a whopping 345 feet tall (105 meters tall), hand-carved by artisans using traditional techniques, and full of Hindu and Buddhist sculptures.

Talu Island (Koh Talu) is a privately-owned island in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s around a 30-minute boat ride from the mainland town of Bangsaphan, and approximately three hours from Hua Hin. The island is a popular day trip due to its pristine beaches lined with palm trees, crystal-clear waters, and tropical wilderness inland.

Koh Talu’s shallow waters are ideal for snorkeling, and it’s the closest place to Hua Hin for scuba diving, with reasonable depths and good visibility. Further inland, a wild tropical rainforest covers the landscape of the island, with some fantastic opportunities for trekking. There is only one resort on the island, and it offers activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, and sailing in addition to beach and garden bungalow accommodation.

Talu Island is also home to a sea turtle conservation programme, where turtle eggs are harvested and nurtured before being released into the ocean when they’re nine months old.

Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks - or Hin Yai/Hin Ta - are rocky outcrops on Lamai Beach. Often photographed and commented on, the rocks bear an uncanny resemblance to male and female genitalia.

The rocks are set on a lovely stretch of beach, and create tranquil rock pools when the tide is in.

The 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) stretch of sand known as Pattaya Beach ranks among the area's liveliest beaches. The crescent-shaped coast remains lively day and night, with the party atmosphere of the bars and restaurants of Beach Road to one side and a host of water sports—wind surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, or banana boating—to the other. The popular beach also serves as a departure point for diving expeditions to Pattaya's offshore coral islands.

Apart from the beaches, Koh Samui’s most distinctive attraction is the golden Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai) visible above the red-tiled rooftops on the island’s north coast. The 40-foot (12-meter) Buddha statue can be seen from several miles away—even from a plane—and the site is an active place of worship.

At the Pattaya Floating Market, traditional thatched huts perched on stilts over the water house vendors selling handicrafts, Thai street food, and souvenirs from around the country. The market’s four areas represent the culture and architecture of Thailand’s four main regions: north, northeast, central, and south.

Occupying 10 acres (40,000 square meters) fifteen minutes outside of Hua Hin, Black Mountain Water Park opened in 2011 and has already become one of the most popular regional attractions. Large, clean and staffed with professionally trained lifeguards, the waterpark features all the crowdpleasers, including Thailand’s biggest wave pool, lazy river, zero entry pool, children’s pool and a 56-foot (17-meter) tall tower with 9 water slides.

Changing rooms and lockers are offered free of charge. An on-site restaurant serves a variety of Thai and international dishes, and park-goers will also find snack and ice cream kiosks located throughout the waterpark.

Home to miniature replicas of both top Thailand sights and global landmarks, Mini Siam is a family-friendly Pattaya attraction. Travel through Thai history on the Mini Siam side, where you’ll see to-scale versions of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Bridge on the River Kwai, and then admire the Eiffel Tower in Mini Europe.

Head to the beachside Pattaya Water Park to cool off from the hot Thai sun. The classic water park features everything you need for a day of fun in the sun, including a lazy river, wading pool for toddlers, water slides, a whirlpool, and private beach access for swimming in the Gulf of Thailand.

Home to a collection of more than 2,000 teddy bears spread across 13 different themed zones, the Pattaya Teddy Bear Museum (also known as Teddy Island) is exactly what it sounds like. Unlike at traditional toy museums, though, where exhibits are kept behind glass, here visitors are free to pose with the bears. There’s a well-equipped gift store, too.

Deep in Koh Samui’s jungle-clad hills is the Secret Buddha Garden (Magic Garden), where a waterfall tumbles past stone sculptures of the Buddha. The oasis was created by local durian farmer Nim Thongsuk, whose tomb sits among the carvings of Buddhist spirits, musicians, and animals.

Nobody goes to Pattaya for the snow, but Frost Magical Ice of Siam, a wintry theme park kept at a temperature of 14°F (-10°C), features plenty of ice. Inside the chilled dome, enjoy ice carvings themed around the Arctic, an ice bar, an ice slide, and even an ice tuk-tuk. Outdoors, view white-sand sculptures inspired by Thai culture.

Sometimes known as Ripley’s World, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Pattaya combines seven distinct attractions. The classic Ripley’s “Odditorium,” with 10 galleries of bizarre exhibits, is the star of the show. But you can also enjoy waxworks, two spectacular mazes, a haunted house, a shooting ride, and a “9D” multisensory moving cinema.

Big, bold, and glitzy, with an exterior modeled on the Roman Colosseum and plenty of marble, the Colosseum is one of Pattaya’s top cabaret venues. Transgender performers deliver a family-friendly show three times a night in one of the city’s largest theaters, with a lounge bar. Costumes are fabulous, and the lighting is spectacular.