Prior to actually going to Thailand, I spent every free hour searching and searching about the country I’m about to visit. I read travel blogs, looked for places that I want to go. When I have decided the itinerary, I made an in-depth research of those places on my list.
I was even afraid that the excitement and magic will be lost when I’m on the place itself, with all the research I am doing. So two weeks before my trip, I stopped reading blogs. All I did was check the weather and the exchange rates.
What I’m most afraid of is getting scammed, as nearly all the travel blogs I have read mentioned the possbile scams you might encounter, or the scams they have experienced themselves. But when I was there, it wasn’t that bad, at all.
But yeah, we did get scammed. Once. Haha.
Anyway, our itinerary, as I’ve mentioned in the last blog post was: 1 and a half day Pattaya, day trip to Ayutthaya, and the rest in Bangkok.
In this post, I will be talking about Pattaya!
Picture heavy post under the cut!
Pattaya isn’t where we wanted to go. We actually planned to visit Chiang Mai because there’s a huge Elephant Jungle Sanctuary there but due to time constraints, we didn’t push through the plan. Good thing though: the sanctuary in Chiang Mai has a camp in Pattaya.
How to get there?
My friends and I decided that upon reaching Thailand, we’ll head straight to Pattaya. It was easy and hassle-free as there are buses plying from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya.
The airport is full of signages to guide you. If I remember correctly, the ticketing counter was on the 2nd level, which is an escalator down from the arrival area of the airport. It’s on the left-most area of the 2nd level, near the first doorway and the foodcourt.
The Roong Reuang Coach from the airport to Pattaya costs 120 baht per person. If I am not mistaken, the tickets are sold an hour before the departure; if you want to leave the airport at 12:00nn, you should have already bought your ticket by 11:00a.m.
If you get hungry while waiting for your bus to Pattaya, there’s a food court on the left of the ticketing counter. There are plenty of seats in the airport, although most of the time it’s full and there are a lot of people as the area is where some of the tour groups gather. Outside the airport, public buses and taxis are waiting as well.
A staff from the ticketing counter will call on the passengers 10 to 15 minutes before the boarding time so pay attention.
The coaches will load passengers at the left-most side of the bus waiting area — you have to cross the road upon exiting the airport and head to where the buses are waiting. Read the stickers on the bus’ windshield. You might unknowingly take the bus to Hua Hin (the staff will check your ticket anyhow).
Unless the bus on the specific time isn’t full, you can get in the bus early. The staff tried to seat us in the earlier departure, but unfortunately, the bus was full. I appreciate the kindness though.
As per the website, the travel time from Bangkok to Pattaya will take more or less two hours. Our travel time was less than an hour as there were no traffic. There will be two stops before you reach the last stop, which is the bus station in Thappraya.
You might want to alight before the bus station, which I recommend since it can be far depending where you stay. Although you should be alert and aware of the landmarks of these stops because even though there will be an announcement of the area or the stop, the bus driver only speaks in Thai. Good luck trying to understand that.
If you ever choose to get off at Thappraya, brace yourself: taxi drivers will welcome you, asking you where you’ll be going. And they can get kind of pushy. If you want to take the taxi, just make sure to ask them to turn on the meter.
If you don’t want to take the taxi, and don’t know how to use the songtaew, you might want to use Grab. But before you book yourself a ride, head to the supermarket which is stonethrow away from the bus station. It’s safer because you’re not on the side of the road looking lost, and it will take you away from the eyes of the taxi drivers.
I can still remember that ride. Upon confirmation of our booking, our driver sent us a message saying “don’t come out. taxi mafia”. It took us few minutes to understand that; what he meant was we should not come out of the supermarket because of the taxi drivers.
Haha. Little did he know we have already encountered them.
We stayed put and waited for our ride. Our driver was kind; he really wanted to drop us off at the front of our hotel but he and his map got confused so we opted to just walk to our accommodation. It gave us the chance to familiarize ourself to the area as well. It was less than five minutes away from where he dropped us off so it wasn’t such a bother.
We booked a Junior Suite in D Xpress Apartment through Agoda. The room was huge as I think it was supposed to be an apartment, repurposed as a hotel? Although some of their rooms are for rent as apartments, though.
It was huge. We even had a balcony (although not much of a view). There’s a kitchenette and a sink opposite to it. There were two beds: one queen-sized bed and another single bed off in the corner.
The set up of the room is thoughtful; the single bed off in the corner (it had a dresser!) has a wall fan as the airconditioning may not reach that area. It wasn’t hot when I slept though, so that was okay.
How to get around
There are taxis as well as songtaew. But since we didn’t know how to use the songtaew, and it seems like there’s a silent agreement that we won’t use taxis, we turned to Grab. There were three of us in the group so we always split the fare, and it was much more convenient too.
The Sanctuary of Truth
We booked our tickets through Klook the day before we left for Thailand. The entrance fee is 500 baht, but since we booked through Klook, we only paid 440 baht. It might be small but it is still a discount!
The sanctuary was quite a distance from our hotel, so taking a Grab was a good choice. There will be two offices upon entering the compound: on your left is the ticketing office if you’re just about the buy the ticket, and on the right is the office for those who will be entering using the voucher.
It was a compound. There were even ponies there if I remember correctly, and the sanctuary was a walk from the entrance. But oh girl. The view that will welcome you upon nearing the sanctuary was so majestic.
Taken from the balcony overlooking the structure
My architecture loving friend can’t hold of her squeal when she saw the view. Who can blame her, really. The contrast of the color in the roof is real. The other side is brownish and the left side is grayish. Probably because it’s been under construction for so long that the first part that was built was weathered down already.
From the balcony, you have to take the stairs going down. There will be a river separating you with the structure. A little more walk and you’ll reach the sanctuary.
[Some of the photos may look like overexposed. The light source was behind the structure so taking a picture was a challenge.]
Off the right side, there will be a station wherein you can borrow a hard hat for free. You are required to wear one when you’re inside the structure as construction is still ongoing. There were also a couple doing their prenup and it was such a happy sight.
Fun fact: the construction started in 1981 and the target completion date is in 2025. For now, they keep adding structure, wood carvings and doing maintenance as well to avoid further deterioration of the already existing structure.
Some people may ask, is it worth the entrance fee? Is it worth going to?
The answer can be yes and no. It depends on the person, really. If you’re one to appreciate architecture and wood carvings, you will enjoy it. But if what I mentioned is not your thing, I don’t think you’ll appreciate it fully.
But for me, I enjoyed the visit. it was majestic. All the details, the carvings. There were shows too which is included in the ticket. But we got there two hours before the closing time which means we missed all the shows.
It was a perfect time to visit though. The sun was behind the clouds, it wasn’t humid, and there weren’t much people and tourist. Probably because we went there late.
There’s a Filipina staff in the sanctuary! I forgot to ask her name but she was really kind to us. She even took a picture of us three. Salamat, ate!
It would take at least 5 minutes from the sanctuary to the entrance. Half an hour before the entire compound closes, the staff will remind you that it will be closing soon. They will close the gates, and I don’t think any of us wanted to be trapped inside so we went 5 minutes before it closed.
No, they won’t really close it when you’re still inside, haha.
So after exploring the whole sanctuary, we ordered something to eat and a fresh lemonade. It was so good. The lemonade was so refreshing and one large cup was enough for the three of us (yes, we got no shame, we share expenses and saliva as well) and just rested on the tables beside the river.
There are other things to do in the sanctuary as well, and Klook offers packages too:
There’s also a Private Roundtrip Transfer at Pattaya for Php 1,448. Take note that the entrance fee is excluded from the roundtrip transfer.
If you ever avail of the other activities, please do tell me about it.
I don’t know how the other visitors left the sanctuary, but I noticed that there’s a taxi outside, so if you don’t want to walk and had no idea how to get out of there by walking, you might take a taxi. Or hire a Grab.
In our case, since we’re going to Tiffany’s Show, and because we’re wary of taxis, we opted for Grab. Be informed though the the Sanctuary is far from the city center.
Next stop, the Tiffany’s Show.
Ladyboys. Transvetite show.
I don’t have enough pictures of the actual show as picture and video taking is not allowed and we’re too tired to take pictures anyway. But I can say that the costumes are amazing. The set design is amazing. There are so many sparkly crowns. The costume design was intricate.
Shining, shimmering, splendid.
There’s no live-singing though. The acts were themed, depending on the language of the song being sung. There were acts for China, Korea, India. Based on the reactions of the Chinese tourists present, they were impressed with the song choices for the China act.
Also have I told you, there are a lot of Chinese tourist? Like 90% of the attendees were group tours from China.
Some of the ladyboys will go down from the stage, but if you’re sitting at the balcony/mezzanine, you won’t be seeing what they’re doing when they’re off the stage. There will be an audience participation as well; one guy will be selected, and he’ll get a kiss and he’ll never know when it’ll be coming.
The theater is under renovation, although it won’t really affect the experience. I may be a little worried if the whole third floor which served as the waiting room can carry the weight of so many people…but well, it did. But I was scared. A little. I don’t know why! I just kept telling myself that there were shows before this. So worry not!
The show starts on time. So be there on time! It’s amazing how few minutes the performers have in between shows. Even if they have like what, 30 minutes until the next show, they still managed to start on time!
Tip: The performers will be outside of the theater after the show. You can take pictures with them but it will cost you 100 baht.
If you want to eat, there’s an area right next to the theater full with restaurants. Opposite of the theater is an area with bars and some stalls where you can grab some food. We didn’t check it out as we’re really tired and just wanted to sleep.
Day 2:
The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
It was a life-changing experience.
When visiting Chiang Mai wasn’t possible, we searched a place wherein we can interact with the elephants in an environment that was cruel-free and sustainable for them. It means no riding, or any entertainment that requires the elephants to do the work that they have no business doing.
Which led us to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Pattaya.
When we were in Thailand, someone messaged my friend and said that her visit to Thailand wouldn’t be complete if she didn’t ride the elephants. Hearing that after our visit to the sanctuary made me really mad, sad, and at the same time disappointed.
I guess that’s why such sanctuaries exist: to offer an experience with the elephants without hurting them, to educate the people about the elephants, and that activities such as riding are unhealthy for them. The sanctuary hopes that the demand for such activities for elephants will cease and to show the people that you can interact with them without hurting them.
I cannot stress this enough:
DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS
I will let the sanctuary explain:
Elephants spines are not the same as horses or humans. The spine of the elephant does not have rounded discs or plates along it but these bones have a more protruding shape that extends out from the spine. These protrusions cannot bear heavy loads and later in the elephant’s life, these discs begin to degenerate and deform. Please do not ride elephants or support an elephant nature park in Thailand that encourages the riding of elephants.
Riding with an elephant may be cheaper than visiting an actual sanctuary, but that is not enough of an excuse to ride them. Please be kind. Also, the elephants’ skin may be thick, but it’s sensitive: they can feel every single touch on any part of their body.
I can never forget what the guide has said:
To be able to make the elephants work, their spirit has to be broken.
I have learned the following with my visit to the sanctuary:
- Elephant riding shortens their life span. They are being hit so that they’ll learn to work;
- They need to eat for a long time. Working restricts them from doing that. They only digest 50% of the food they eat;
- They sleep 4 hours max; the rest of it spent on eating;
- You’ll know if the elephants are thirsty when their toenails are wet;
- Baby elephants are ideal for elephant rides because they are not too big (or high). One of the elephants in the sanctuary had her baby taken care away from her, never seeing her baby again.
As the sanctuary puts it:
The choice is up to people.
It’s people’s demand for elephant rides that leads to more baby elephant being taken from their mothers, tortured and sold off to entertain people.
Think about it. Baby elephants being taken away, their spirit being broken, and ending up carrying people on their backs under the scorching Thailand sun and heat.
So please, do not ride the elephants!
The sanctuary in Pattaya has two schedules: half-day morning and half-day afternoon. The activities are interacting with the elephants by feeding them, giving them a mud bath which requires you to get into the water with them, feeding them again, and being shown the process of making a paper out of elephant poop.
The Elephants will be given their medicinal food after the first feeding, and while they’re busy munching, the guests are given the crash course about every elephant in the camp. And about asian elephants in general.
We took the half-day morning visit; we didn’t have to worry about lunch as they offer buffet for the guests and it tasted good too! There is a photographer in the sanctuary so you can focus on interacting with the elephants and not to worry about capturing the moment. They take photos for free, and they upload it to their Facebook page.
The half-day visit costs USD70, but with all the activities, and actually interacting with the elephants with care and love, it was so worth it. The ages of the elephants’ in the camp ranges from 20+ years to 70+ years I think.
The fee includes the following: interacting with the elephants, poop paper making, transfer from your hotel (if located in Pattaya center or Jomtien Beach, not possible for Airbnb or rentals), and lunch buffet. Our transfer was at the hotel before 7:00 AM which made us scrambling, as we hate to make others wait on us.
No worries though, our driver, who turns out the guide, is kind and didn’t mind the short wait. The service was a modified hi-lux, which is how some of the public transportation looked it Pattaya. From the city proper, we were transported to the place which I think is perfect location for the sanctuary.
I suggest that you take the transfer that the sanctuary offers. It was quite far and unless you’re staying very near the area or have a private car, it will be kind of hard to get to the sanctuary.
Upon arriving at the sanctuary, you will be given a traditional Karen outfit (what I’m wearing at the pictures) that you could wear when feeding the elephants. We all thought that it was for borrowing only; turns out it will be given as a gift, plus a small bag after the visit. Yay!
I was worried that I might not have enough time to interact with the elephants if there were too many people who took the morning visit. Fortunately, we were a small group and we all had our time to feed and interact with the elephants.
One of the elephants is pregnant (all of them are female) and the guide said that the pregnant elephant might give birth anytime soon. I’m always checking their Facebook account because I want to see the baby!
If you’re not able to have breakfast in the morning, there’s free coffee and water in the sanctuary to tide you over until lunch.There are lockers where you can store your belongings and valuables.
There’s a shower area as well where you can take a shower after bathing the elephants. It only had body wash, but plenty of water (good plumbing!) so bring your own towel and shampoo/conditioner.
We fed the elephants with Saba bananas, with it’s skin. The elephants will take the banana with their trunk and will put it in their mouth. They can put as much banana they can hold in their mouth before chewing it. And they’ll demand for bananas quick.
Oversized puppies.
After feeding them, each elephant’s history will be shared by the guide. One of the elephants is about to go blind: they assume that it’s because of all the camera flashes she was subjected to when she was working at the circus.
Some of the elephants were used in logging activities — chain will be put around their neck, another pair of chains will be hooked in their ears so the people riding them can control them. You can even see that some of the elephant’s ears have holes on them.
That’s why the guide will remind you to not touch the elephants’ ear or sneak behind their back. They might panic which may result on someone getting hurt.
After that, the elephants will be led to where the soft muds are which can get deep and slippery in some parts. You have the chance to soap them with the soft mud. Don’t worry about hurting them as the elephants enjoy it. It also helps in protecting their sensitive skin against the harsh sun.
The guides of the elephants can be playful, though. Some of them will throw mud and even put it on your skin so please don’t be too annoyed. If you ask them to stop, they will stop.
You’ll notice some of the elephants have dirt on their back and in their head. Since their skin is sensitive, and as I’ve mentioned they feel every every touch, they can also feel a mosquito’s bite. So to protect their skin when they sleep at night, they put dirt or soil in the exposed skin.
After bathing the elephants, you will be moving with them into a lake where you will help them wash off the mud on their skin. Some part can be deep, so be careful where you tread. Some of the elephants can be playful. They’ll sprinkle some water with their trunk, which is fun.
You’ll then be given time to shower while the elephants will either continue soaking in the water or take a rest. After shower, lunch buffet will be served. It’s all Thai meal, and mostly vegetables to cater to the vegetarians.
The food was plenty, good, and filling. You can take as many as you want if you feel like it. Although, there are some dogs in the sanctuary; the dogs are friendly, but some of them can get too friendly especially during lunch time. The staff will help you shoo them away though.
After that, you have the last chance to interact with the elephants by feeding them again. It was bittersweet though, as I’ll be saying goodbye to my new friends. But knowing that they’re in a safe, cruel-free, and sustainable environment made me happy. They’re loved and cared for.
Light rainshower actually started after the elephant interaction, although it was a good time to rain. We’re already moving to the last activity which is the making of paper from elephant poop. You’ll make your own poop paper too!
You have the chance to decorate an envelope made of poop paper. There are plenty of poop paper as well which you can take home for free. We took a lot and was so very happy about our loot. I made some of it as pasalubong to friends back home too.
After that, we were brought back to our hotel. I think if you’ll ask, they can drop you off somewhere other than your hotel. We then went to the Pattaya Northern Bus Terminal in North Pattaya road to take the coach heading to Bangkok. Take note that this bus station is different from the one in Thappraya road.
There are different bus stations in Bangkok where you can get off. Plan your Bangkok station according to where your accommodation is closer. For us, we got off at Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai). Travel time took less than two hours again. The bus leaves every 30 minutes, and it costs 108 baht (around USD 3).
Other bus stations in Bangkok are at Morchit 2 (or Mo Chit). Both stops are near the BTS (Ekkamai station) and BTS (Mo Chit station).
And that ends my post for Pattaya!
I will be writing a separate post for the Ayutthaya day trip and the Bangkok stay.
I hope you enjoyed to read this and you didn’t find it too long of a read.
Always remember: DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS!
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