Asian styles
Chinese, Indian and Thai.
Chainwit. — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mastertongapollo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mastertongapollo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mastertongapollo — CC BY-SA 4.0
A sprawling royal temple south of Pattaya, founded in 1976 under the patronage of the late King Bhumibol, spread over broad grounds of gardens, lakes and hills, with buildings in the architectural styles of several Asian countries, so a tour feels like a journey across the region's cultures. It has an elegant white main prayer hall on a lake, a Chinese pavilion ornate in red and gold, an Indian-style building, and on a high hill a shrine to the Buddha's footprint reached by a long stairway of hundreds of steps with a wide view over the area. The gardens are neat and clean, and the site is quiet, with few visitors compared with Pattaya's other sights. Entry is free, and it opens in the daytime. Modest dress is required in the halls, and shoes come off. Distances between buildings are long, so a car is useful for getting around the site. The east coast's heaviest rains fall from August to October. It is usually combined with nearby Khao Chi Chan Buddha mountain on a calm half-day trip away from Pattaya's bustle.
Chinese, Indian and Thai.
Up a long stairway.
Calm away from the bustle.
Huai Yai, about 20 km south of Pattaya
Yes: it is quiet, clean and spacious, and children enjoy the gardens and lakes. Avoid the long stairway at midday.