🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Say "Pattaya" and most people picture the beach and the nightlife first. But out on the tip of the Naklua headland in North Pattaya, there's a wooden temple over 100 metres tall tucked away by the sea. This is the Sanctuary of Truth, the work of Lek Viriyaphant (the same man behind the Ancient City and the Erawan Museum), who started building it back in 1981 and is still carving away at it today.
What sets this place apart from any other temple or palace is that it's built entirely from wood — teak, padauk, ironwood and shorea — fitted together with traditional wooden joinery, with no steel nails at all. Every square inch is covered in carvings telling stories from Thai, Khmer, Chinese and Indian philosophy and belief, all blended together. Walk up close and you'll start to understand why it's never quite finished.
Opening Hours & Show Times
- Daytime — open 08:00–17:00 (first entry around 08:10, ticket sales close around 17:00).
- Evening — some periods add an 18:20–20:30 slot with the temple lit up, which is a different kind of pretty.
- Thai cultural show — Thai dance and martial-arts performances, usually around 11:30 and 15:30 (times shift with the season).
- Open every day, no closing days.
When to go
Late afternoon, around 15:00–16:30, is when the sun softens and you can shoot the temple against the sea without harsh glare — and you'll still catch the afternoon show. Midday is hot and you'll be shooting straight into the light.
Want more out of Chonburi? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Tickets & Entry
- Adults — 500 THB (same price for Thais and foreigners).
- Children 110–140 cm tall — 250 THB.
- Children under 110 cm — free.
- Entry includes a guided tour and the cultural show. Boat, elephant and horse activities are charged separately.
To be straight with you, 500 THB isn't cheap, and you'll find a few reviews grumbling about the price. But if you book ahead through a platform like Klook or a reseller, you usually get around 10–20% off versus buying at the counter — and you skip the ticket queue.
Things to Do on Site
Guided tour inside the temple
Staff walk you through and explain the meaning of the carvings in each zone. Included in the entry price.
Traditional wooden boat ride
Glide along the water on an old wooden boat for the angle that takes in the whole temple. Costs extra.
Elephant, horse & carriage rides
Elephant rides, horse rides and a horse-drawn carriage circle the grounds — good for kids. Charged per ride.
Wood-carving workshop
Watch the craftsmen actually carving, and at some times you can try it yourself. You see the work-in-progress up close.
Dress Code & Good to Know
- Dress modestly — no shorts or skirts above the knee, no spaghetti straps or bare shoulders. If your outfit doesn't pass, there are sarongs and shawls to borrow at the entrance.
- You have to wear a hard hat when you go inside the temple, because construction and carving are still ongoing.
- No food or drink allowed inside the temple itself.
- Plan on about 1–3 hours to walk through, including the show and the grounds.
- There's parking, restrooms and a wheelchair ramp out front.
Heads up
Because the place still isn't finished and the carving never stops, some zones may be temporarily closed or have scaffolding up. Don't expect every corner to be picture-perfect — but honestly, that's part of the charm.
Getting to the Sanctuary of Truth
The temple sits at Soi Naklua 12 (No. 206/2), Naklua subdistrict, Bang Lamung, Chonburi, on the North Pattaya side at the tip of the Rajavej headland. It's about 15 minutes by car from Central Pattaya beach.
- From Central/North Pattaya — take a songthaew (the red truck-buses) toward Naklua and switch to a motorbike taxi into the soi, or just call a Grab/taxi straight to the entrance, which is easier.
- Driving yourself — drop a pin for Sanctuary of Truth on the map; there's free parking inside.
- From Bangkok — about 2 hours by car via the motorway, or take a minivan/coach to Pattaya and grab a local ride from there.
Plan a full day in Chonburi and Pattaya, including where to stay and eat
See the Chonburi travel guide →