Temples in Pattaya: the ones worth visiting and how

Pattaya's most rewarding temples are not in the centre. Three of them stand within 2 km of each other in the hills of Huai Yai, about 20 km south-east of Central Pattaya and 30 minutes by car along Sukhumvit Road: a royal monastery, a Chinese art museum and a Buddha drawn in gold on a cliff. In town, the city's main temple is a few minutes from Walking Street and the Big Buddha sits on Pratumnak Hill.

Which temples in and around Pattaya are worth visiting?

Five places cover the range, from a quiet working monastery to a monumental image. The table gives the practical facts for each.

What is there to see at Wat Yansangwararam?

Wat Yan, as it is known locally, was founded in 1976 under the patronage of King Bhumibol and named after Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, who later became Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. It is a royal monastery spread over about 58 hectares of lawns, lakes and forest, closer to a landscaped park than to a single temple, and you move between its parts by car or on long walks.

• The main chedi, Phra Borommathat Chedi Maha Chakri Phiphat, a white stupa that holds relics of the Buddha. You can climb to its terraces for a view over the grounds.
• The viharn built on the model of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in India, where the Buddha reached enlightenment.
• The hilltop mondop sheltering a replica of the Buddha's footprint, reached by a long naga staircase or by a road to the top.
• The lake with its group of pavilions in northern Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Swiss styles, the most photographed part of the complex.

Monks live and study here and meditation retreats run through the year, so the atmosphere is calm and the dress code is enforced at the main buildings. Come between 09:00 and 11:00, when it is cool enough to walk and climb.

What is Viharn Sien, and why does it charge a fee?

Viharn Sien, officially Anek Kusala Sala, is a museum built in the form of a Chinese temple, a two-minute walk from the Wat Yan lake. It opened in 1987 to mark the 60th birthday of King Bhumibol and to celebrate the friendship between Thailand and China, and it holds a collection of Chinese art and antiquities, many given by the Chinese government. The 50 THB ticket pays for its upkeep.

The three-storey main hall and its side pavilions display bronze and brass figures of Chinese deities, a jade Guanyin, ceramics from several dynasties, terracotta warriors and horses from the tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and a courtyard of life-size Shaolin monks frozen in kung fu postures. A Thai section shows paintings of King Chulalongkorn and King Taksin. Two large stone lions guard the entrance. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, and dress as you would for a temple.

What is Khao Chi Chan, the Buddha Mountain?

Khao Chi Chan is a limestone hill whose sheer quarried face carries a seated Buddha 109 metres tall and 70 metres wide. The outline was cut into the rock with laser guidance in 1996, to mark the 50th year of King Bhumibol's reign, and then filled with gold. The image is named Phra Phuttha Maha Wachira Uttamopat Satsada.

It is not a temple with halls to enter. You view the cliff from a park of lotus ponds, lawns and pavilions at its foot, where people light incense at a small shrine. The gold reads best in the front-on morning light between 08:00 and 10:00, from the far side of the pond about 200 metres from the cliff. Macaques live around the hill: keep food in your bag and do not feed them.

The cliff is five minutes by car from Wat Yan and close to two other big sights of this area, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and the fishing village of Bang Saray, described in the Bang Saray and Sattahip guide.

Which temples can you visit in the city itself?

Wat Chaimongkol, South Pattaya

Wat Chaimongkol is the main temple of the city centre, founded in 1937 on donated land and now a royal temple. It stands at the junction of South Pattaya Road and Second Road, ten minutes on foot from Walking Street. This is where Pattaya residents come to make merit, and it hosts many of the city's religious ceremonies and festivals. Walk around the ornate, brightly coloured halls, watch the morning offerings and leave by the market that runs beside the temple. A visit takes 20 to 30 minutes, and early morning is the liveliest time.

Wat Phra Yai, the Big Buddha

The 18-metre golden Buddha on Pratumnak Hill is the easiest temple to reach from any hotel, free and open from 07:00 to 22:00, with a wide naga staircase up to the terrace. The full visit, with the Chinese gardens next door and the bay viewpoint, is in the guide to the Big Buddha and the Pratumnak viewpoint.

The other great religious monument of the city, the carved wooden Sanctuary of Truth in Naklua, is a ticketed museum more than a temple and deserves a half day of its own.

What should you wear, and how should you behave?

The rules are the same at every temple in Thailand, and they are checked at Wat Yansangwararam and Viharn Sien:

• Cover shoulders and knees. T-shirts with sleeves and trousers, long shorts or a long skirt are right for men and women. No vests, crop tops or beachwear.
• Remove shoes and hats before entering any hall. Slip-on shoes save time.
• Step over the raised threshold of a doorway, not on it.
• Sit with your feet tucked behind you, never pointing at a Buddha image or a monk.
• Women do not touch monks. To give something, place it within the monk's reach.
• Photograph buildings freely, but ask before photographing monks, and never pose with your back to a Buddha image or climb on a statue.
• Speak quietly and silence your phone. Displays of affection are out of place.

A light scarf or sarong in your bag covers every stop. Carry water and small notes and coins for donations: none of the southern temples takes cards.

How do you group them in half a day?

The three southern sites make one compact circuit. No songthaew route serves them, so you need a car with a driver who waits, a rental car or a motorbike.

1. 08:00: leave Pattaya and drive south on Sukhumvit Road, turning inland at kilometre 160.
2. 08:30: Khao Chi Chan, while the light is soft and the park is empty.
3. 09:15: Wat Yansangwararam. Start with the lake and pavilions, then the main chedi, and climb to the Buddha's footprint if the heat allows.
4. 11:00: Viharn Sien, indoors and cooler as the sun gets high.
5. 12:00: drive back, or stop for lunch on the way.

With a full day, add Nong Nooch after lunch. For a half day without leaving the city, visit Wat Chaimongkol at about 08:00, then take a songthaew or a short ride to the Big Buddha; routes and fares are in getting around Pattaya.