A very cool temple in Pattaya

I've lived in Bangkok for a few years now, and had always been avoiding a trip to to Pattaya. Some places just have a reputation that precede them -and well Pattaya is that place. It has a big reputation for nightlife, more than sun and sand, by nightlife I mean red-light, not the place to send a family.

Living in Bangkok - considered often as the "Vegas of Asia" - my style of "escape" from the city is turquoise water and white sand that Thailand is famous for. Living in a giant city and having a beach a couple of hours away is a great thing, however knowing that there are extraordinary beaches, sand and water a 55 minute flight away has always got me to jump on a plane when I've been craving the beach.  Southern Thailand in Krabi or Phuket have heavenly beaches.

However - at last - Photography brought me to Pattaya. I heard of this really cool temple, carved entirely out of wood - nothing else -  and decided that I needed to see if for myself. I headed out of the city one weekend to check this place out and i wasn't disappointed.

The Sanctuary of Truth is on the edge of the city and strangely built beside the Gulf of Thailand.  It is still under construction decades later, and the completion date is nowhere in sight really.  For a city known for it's nightlife, a big beautiful temple is such a juxtaposition to everything else happening here.

I do have to say, that this is the best temple I've seen in Thailand - hands down. This is a big statement as there are apparently close to 40,000 temples in the region.  Not only is it stunning outside - once you head inside the detail just blows you away. If you are a photographer  - or if you just like cool places, the Sanctuary of Truth is a must see.

If you want more info on the temple you can check out the official website here: http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com it is a truly stunning building.