OMG! - PATTAYA

10th - 12th Dec 2019

Work that out!

It is a 2½ hour bus journey south from Bangkok Ekkamai station to the seaside 'resort' of Pattaya. A reasonabably comfortable trip which cost all of 118 Baht (£3). Pattaya is a 5km long and narrow town with a sandy beach all the way down the west side. It is almost joined to the south with the town of Jomtien, another long slim town with a beach down the west side, with a harbour and cruise ship terminal between them. 

The northern end of Pattaya (where the main bus station is located) is quite upmarket with some expensive hotels and shops. As you go south it becomes progressively more depraved culminating at the southern end with 'Walking Street' (left).

...but before I go on to describe this area in detail, and I doubt if my powers of description will be up to it, I started off at an extraordinary 'museum' towards the northern end....

....this is called 'Art in Paradise', a 3D virtual reality experience. It is a large 'museum' on three floors with a $15 entry fee. It is indeed a most fascinating hi-tech adventure. You can load an App on your phone which enables you to film what look like wall-sized static scenes and they then spring into dramatic life, with you in the picture if you have someone with you to hold the phone (which I didn't but managed to conscript the odd passer-by). The results are supposed to be recorded on some 'gallery' or other. I tried this and it worked, but I can't find the recordings for some reason. Must have failed to push the correct button.

Left: This is one such scene. On the 'App' the sea  splashes and the swordfish leaps about dramatically, all in vivid 3D. Impressive, and I wish I could show you the animated results.

Right: Another scene where the elephant approaches out of the wall with a monkey running up to feed it a banana. Again, 3D and very realistic.

Left: Another example with flames raging behind the throne, a leopard comes out from behind to sit at your feet.

There were many more of these dramatic interactive displays, but you get the gist. There is a website (Art in Paradise) which I think will give you a better idea. I have never seen anything like it before! (but then I am usually the last to see such things).

As well as these there are many static scenes which you can become part of (if you can find someone to take the photos).

A few examples below:

These poor photos don't do them justice. I should have come better prepared with someone a bit more tech savvy.

















There are also examples of optical illusions such as the pic at the top and include:












Left: When close up it just looks like trees. Stand back and you see a tiger's head (or is it a lion).

Right: Stand close and it looks like just a flock of birds. Stand back and it is a woman's face.

Again, not so apparent in a photo....you have to be able to move to and fro. Other opical illusions were impossible to photo because they involved your movement.

I spent about 2 hours in this place and was constantly fascinated.

I'm going to leave it there while I have a drink and compose myself to try to describe the rest of the town and Jomtien........