My Pattaya Sanctuary of Truth Visit

Here is the story of my Pattaya Sanctuary of Truth  visit.

• Date of Visit:  Monday March 6, 2023
• Weather: Quite warm and cloudy, almost hazy.
• 9th Day of my second trip to Pattaya
• Clothing:  T-Shirt, hat, shorts, tennis shoes w/socks
• Brought along:  Just my normal pocket gear, including iPhone for pics
• Got There:  By Taxi
• Time Spent:  About 2.5 hours

Monday March 6, 2023 was the Thai Buddhist Holiday of Makha Bucha Day.  This holiday is sacred to the Thais and as part of that, alcohol is not allowed to be sold.  No alcohol, so most of the bars close (unless they are serving food) and the ladies do not work.  

There are 5 sacred Thai Buddhist Holidays to be aware of and this was one of them.

Knowing that the bars would not be open today, I enjoyed a really wild Sunday night, roaming from bar to bar and overdoing the fun.  I slept in a bit on Monday.  After some coffee on my Adelphi Hotel balcony, I sobered up  mid-morning at hotel pool working on my color and chatting with a fellow tourist from Spain.

After a shower, I walked down my Soi to Soi Buakhao, took a left to Primeburger (one of my favorites) for a double Stockholm burger, side and soda.  $530 ThB ($15 USD at that exchange rate).

After lunch I walked down to 2nd Road and caught the baht bus and rode it north (up) to Terminal 21 Mall.  

I strolled around Terminal 21 mall, listened to a Thai girl singing group entertaining the crowd and grabbed a coffee and  delicious cheesecake at Hollys' for $210 ThB ($6 USD).  My goal is to avoid sugary sweets on vacation, saving my $ and calories for drinks and good food, but knowing the bars weren't open that day and I would not be drinking, I splurged.

I caught a taxi out in front of the mall to the Sanctuary of Truth.  There are taxis parked out in front of all the major areas just waiting.  It is usually no problem to find them.  You could use the Bolt of Grab App.  At that time, I had not installed either App. 

My taxi driver took me right up to the ticket counter.  The taxi drivers are helpful and some speak some English.

I arrived at the Sanctuary around 2 pm.

My costs during my Sanctuary of Truth visit:

• $300 ThB Taxi There ($9 USD)
• $500 ThB admission ($15 USD).
• $30 ThB for a Diet Pepsi (90 cents USD).
• $300 ThB Taxi Back ($9 USD)
• $1,130 ThB Total ($33.90 USD)

What is the Sanctuary of Truth

Sanctuary of Truth

It’s a massive, all-wooden seaside temple-like structure and cultural monument set out on a point that juts into the ocean.  It can be seen far up and down the coastline.

The entire building is made of wood (no metal nails or metal fasteners), using traditional Thai wood-joining techniques.

The architecture and carvings built into the building focuses on themes of truth, morality, spiritual development, and the relationship between humans, the universe, and the divine.

The carvings weave 7 Truths or Questions into the building:

1. Who Are We?  Where Are We From?
2. How Do We Survive?
3. The End of Life.
4. Samples of Civilization.
5. What is the Purpose of Life?
6. Society is a Two-Sided Coin.
7. The Beginning of Society.

The interior and exterior are filled with countless, large and small, intricate hand-carved wooden sculptures depicting deities, mythical creatures, and philosophical scenes with the 7 truths woven into the carvings.

Intricate Outdoor Carvings on the Sanctuary of Truth

It is not ancient, with the construction beginning in 1981, but it is fascinating.  The concept is a building that is intentionally ongoing, both as restoration and continual creation.

Some Basics When You Visit

Typical entrance cost

Adult tickets $500–700 ThB ($15 - $20 USD).Prices can change, check the official website

Safety

Since the building is continuously being worked on, they require you wear a hard hat.  I believe they want you to take the tour first before exploring on your own.

Shoes

It is spiritual, but not a Temple, so you do not have to remove your shoes.

Bathroom facilities

There are standard restroom facilities on the grounds, including near the ticket area. 

Opening hours

Opens around 8:00–9:00 a.m. and closes around 5:00–6:00 p.m. Guided tours run throughout the day.  Sometimes they have evening hours.

Food & drink available

There is an on-site restaurant or café area with Thai dishes, snacks, and drinks, plus small stalls selling water, soft drinks, and light snacks. 

Where is It?

See the map below.  Basically a few miles north of the Central Pattaya area, right out on the ocean.

It's a Make You Feel Good About the World Kind of Place

It was a great visit.  I took the tour and then spend another hour or so browsing around, reading the plaques, taking pictures and just marveling at what they have created here.

I just feel good visiting places like this.  Watching the hard-working Thai people, enjoying the intricate details and wondering how they did this.

That is part of the magic of Thailand...they do things differently than here in the USA.

After My Sanctuary of Truth Visit

I caught another taxi out by the street entrance (the entire grounds are walled in with a prominent entry area) to the Sanctuary back to the Soi Buakhao area stopped at my closest 7-11 for some supplies (another $143 ThB = $4 USD) and walked back to the Adelphi to rest.

After a nap, and another shower, I baht bused and walked over for a big (expensive at $1,130 ThB = $35 USD) steak at Patrick's Steakhouse (it's right off 2nd Road), then took a long evening walk. The city was dead with all the bars closed, it was eerie in contrast to a normal night.  I enjoyed a massage, as the shops were open.  I followed that up with a late night Som Yom Tum snack at one of the Treetown restaurants.

Right at midnight, a few of the bars near Treetown opened.  Only a few old Thai ladies were working to get drinks.  I did end up having quite a few beers at 2 or 3 bars, just chatting with male tourists before calling it a night.

Wrap Up to My Sanctuary of Truth Visit

The nightlife in Pattaya is the main draw, but visiting fascinating attractions like this will make your trip even more special.

It was a great choice to go.  I think it's a definite must do attraction in Pattaya to work into your plans.