Attractions

Attractions

Floating Market

The Four Regions Floating Market was opened to the public in November 2008 on a 27 acre plot of land. It is located along the Sukhumvit Highway on the outskirts of southern Pattaya, on the way to Bang Saray and Sattahip. The Floating Market is the biggest of its kind in the eastern region and is divided into four separate sections, representing the four regions of Thailand: Northern; Central; North-Eastern and Southern, each showcasing the different traditions and building styles.

The market has been developed to provide an authentic feel for the Thai tradition of using small boats alongside klongs (canals) and rivers for the sale of various goods, much the same as traditional European street markets. There are 111 wooden shops selling numerous traditional Thai products from all over the Kingdom, including wooden hand carvings, silks and cloths, Thai herbs and spices, and also restaurants that serve delicious specialities from each of the four regions.

The whole area is linked by a network of canals and bridges, with water vendors moving from dock to dock presenting their wide varieties of freshly cooked food. The market has more than 80 boats to ferry visitors around the compound. From these vessels visitors can fully appreciate the teak wood buildings and visit the small islands that are covered with exotic plants and trees.

The Four Regions Floating Market features a rice farming section, sunflower fields and The Nueng Siam Woodcarving Museum. The museum houses rare 200 year old crafted teak items and the stunning carved image of the elephant god Ganesha. The market also offers several daily outdoor cultural performances depicting the traditions of each of the four regions. These include classical dance, martial arts and water boxing, where the contestants fight on a horizontal pole suspended over the canal.

Admission to Pattaya Floating Market is free and it is open daily from 10 am to 11 pm.

The Million Years Stone Park & Crocodile Farm

After more than twenty years of development, The Million Years Stone Park & Crocodile Farm was opened in 1992 and new attractions and features are constantly being added. Located on over 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, approximately 9 kilometres from Pattaya City, the park and farm is a terrific day out for all the family.

On entering the Million Years Stone Park, the visitor will find stunning gardens have been designed around the remains of a petrified forest. Amongst the fossilized tree trunks, exotic plants and trees proliferate, including 200 year old Thai-style trained trees from the Ayutthaya and early Bangkok period. They have an almost bonsai-like quality, though larger than the original Japanese variety, an award winning collection of which can also be found within the park. Elaborate rock gardens, made from colourful stratified stone that weigh up to 75 tons and the largest artificial waterfall in Thailand are also featured.

Included in the animal sections, there is very varied selection containing, amongst others, albino bears and horses, tigers, cows, crocodiles, elephants, camels, lions,  bears, several species of deer, Eastern Sarus Cranes, emus, cassowaries and over 20  ostriches. Also a popular attraction with visitors are the Giant Catfish, the biggest freshwater fish in the world, which weigh up to 500 kg. (average 100 kg. on the farm), a shoal of snakehead fish from the Amazon River and the endangered Thepha fish, one of the world's most graceful species.

Of course, the main attraction is the largest collection of crocodiles in Thailand. There are thousands of the creatures, freshwater and saltwater, living in shady natural surroundings. The Crocodile Farm also has an extensive crocodile breeding programme.

Visitors can get close to some of the animals, by playing or having their photographs taken with them. If you get tired, comfortable coaches and trams are available to carry you around the site. The crocodile shows, animal shows and magic performances run six times a day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Tiger Zoo

Sriracha Tiger Zoo is only 30 minutes drive from Pattaya and is located on over 100 acres of beautiful parkland. It is a very family-friendly attraction with a wide variety of features that are designed to suit all age groups. The Tiger Zoo is home to a huge collection of tigers, crocodiles, chimpanzees, camels, deer, wallabies, elephants, Peruvian guinea pigs, pigs, kangaroos, ostriches and an aviary of exotic birds.

The zoo contains the largest number of Bengal tigers in captivity and maintains an extremely successful breeding programme. In addition to the tigers, there are over 100,000 crocodiles living and breeding here and both creatures are kept in what would be their natural surroundings.

Sriracha Tiger Zoo offers the visitor many activities and amazing shows that hark back to the bygone days of carnival and circus. Visitors can have their photograph taken with a tiger; a baby crocodile and many of the other animals. They can get close to and even feed the camels, deer, wallabies and ostriches. They can witness the friendship between a tiger, a pig and a dog, and watch a sow suckling a litter of tiger cubs along with her own piglets. From May to August, visitors can view the unique "Crocodile Hatching Festival" as hundreds of tiny, baby crocodiles emerge from their eggs. Pig racing is held at the specially built race track and to see "The Scorpion Queen", a young lady with over 100 scorpions crawling on her body, is a must. Elephant rides are available and are a great way to tour the landscaped park. There is a large very reasonably priced restaurant with something for all tastes.

A visit to the Amazing Circus is also essential. Here visitors can enjoy watching the elephants dancing, playing basketball and strutting their stuff down the "elephantwalk" in a fashion show. In the crocodile show trainers perform death defying stunts with the animals and Sriracha Tiger Zoo is the only one to present female fighters wrestling crocodiles barehanded. There are also entertaining shows featuring tigers, bears and chimpanzees. The Amazing Circus can hold in excess of 1,500 audience members per show.

Sriracha Tiger Zoo is open daily from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm.