Ramayana Water Park

[Orac]

Went up there today armed with my early bird print off to take advantage of the discount and family passes. There were three adults and three children (7,8 and 16) and was told that children had to be under 122cms which the youngest just managed but the other 5 would need to pay adult rates. Also the discount could only be used once which would have to be for 2 adults and the child and the early bird discount could not be given to the other three 'adults' which included an 8 year old girl.

Fortunately they are only 5 mins away from Cartoon Network so we had an excellent day out there - not sure how much cheaper it was there as I can't be bothered to work it out but they do seem to make the effort to give you the best deal there - they actually suggested a different one to what i asked for which worked out cheaper.

[fforest1]

Went up there today armed with my early bird print off to take advantage of the discount and family passes. There were three adults and three children (7,8 and 16) and was told that children had to be under 122cms which the youngest just managed but the other 5 would need to pay adult rates. Also the discount could only be used once which would have to be for 2 adults and the child and the early bird discount could not be given to the other three 'adults' which included an 8 year old girl.

Fortunately they are only 5 mins away from Cartoon Network so we had an excellent day out there - not sure how much cheaper it was there as I can't be bothered to work it out but they do seem to make the effort to give you the best deal there - they actually suggested a different one to what i asked for which worked out cheaper.

Sorry but Cartoon Network is not cheaper...None of

their deals would be cheaper...

I will say I think Ramayana has blown it big time..

They could have made a whole lot more money by

charging a lot less than Cartoon..

Like 700 Adults 500 children..Or even less..

They would have buried Cartoon and gotten

rich at the same time...

With this ridiculous 122cms height rule for

children which turns a lot of kids into Adults

the savings will be minimal at Ramayana with a

lot of family's.....

I guess there are a ton of families out there who dont

mind dropping 5-6-7-8-9,000 Baht for one afternoon

at the water park...There must be loads of Thais

doing quite well for themselves....

Edited May 11, 2016 by fforest1

[Orac]

Went up there today armed with my early bird print off to take advantage of the discount and family passes. There were three adults and three children (7,8 and 16) and was told that children had to be under 122cms which the youngest just managed but the other 5 would need to pay adult rates. Also the discount could only be used once which would have to be for 2 adults and the child and the early bird discount could not be given to the other three 'adults' which included an 8 year old girl.

Fortunately they are only 5 mins away from Cartoon Network so we had an excellent day out there - not sure how much cheaper it was there as I can't be bothered to work it out but they do seem to make the effort to give you the best deal there - they actually suggested a different one to what i asked for which worked out cheaper.

Sorry but Cartoon Network is not cheaper...None of

their deals would be cheaper...

I will say I think Ramayana has blown it big time..

They could have made a whole lot more money by

charging a lot less than Cartoon..

Like 700 Adults 500 children..They would have buried

Cartoon and gotten rich at the same time...

With this ridiculous 122cms height rule for children which turns a lot of kids into Adults the savings will be minimal

at Ramayana with a lot of family's.....

I guess there are a ton of families out there who dont

mind dropping 5-6-7-8-9,000 Baht for one afternoon

at the water park...There must be loads of Thais

doing quite well for themselves....

Totally agree with you. I think Cartoon Network probably did work out cheaper using the discount card i got from my daughters school though the food prices at CN are high even with the 20% discount but the principal of an 8 year old being charged as an adult made me flounce away and then go back to explain to the wife why before repeating my flounce - at the prices involved it is not an issue but principal got the better of me.

Edit to add - CN have a 4 adult for 3200 baht which Ramayana didn't appear to have.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Orac

[gmac]

>>I just had a look at the entry price for a similar water park in the UK, adult price Stg15.50 (about 750 Baht). <<

I doubt that its anything near similar.A movie ticket is 15 sterling now in the UK for Gods sake .

Not sure how similar you want it but the people seem to be enjoying themselves and it looks pretty big. I think Thailand businesses are too greedy and alienate their own people by making it impossible for normal wage earners to enjoy. Everything is aimed at tourists and the richer Thais.

http://www.sandcastle-waterpark.co.uk/plan-your-day/map-of-attractions

[anto]

>>I just had a look at the entry price for a similar water park in the UK, adult price Stg15.50 (about 750 Baht). <<

I doubt that its anything near similar.A movie ticket is 15 sterling now in the UK for Gods sake .

Not sure how similar you want it but the people seem to be enjoying themselves and it looks pretty big. I think Thailand businesses are too greedy and alienate their own people by making it impossible for normal wage earners to enjoy. Everything is aimed at tourists and the richer Thais.

http://www.sandcastle-waterpark.co.uk/plan-your-day/map-of-attractions

That is just a swimming pool with a few slides .Does not compare in any way to Black mountain Water park ,Hua hin ,The Cartoon channel Pattaya or this new one .Dont get me wrong though i am more than happy with the Pattaya Park complex at B100 .It is just my children were spoiled by the others ,but it was not them paying ;-)

[OMGImInPattaya]

So I took a group of 3 kids (adults) and myself to the Ramayana Waterpark the other day and here is my report. Its located directly behind the Silver Lake Winery complex, about 25 minutes drive from Pattaya. There was ample free parking. The prices are on their website...pricing is by height...under 90cm ("kids") is free...90-122 ("child") is 790, and anything over is "adults" at 990. There are some rides where kids and children aren't allowed.

There are also some family pricing plans with two "adults" and 1-3 children (again by height...not age).

I went to the Cartoon Amazone park a year ago so will make a few comparisons between them. The Ramayana park is maybe twice the size of Cartoon and therefore a bit more spread out. It is much more of a park-like setting (especially with the areas surrounding hillsides). There are allot of trees and greenery about, which is pleasant and not something I recall much of at Cartoon. There is also allot more free comfortable shaded chairs and sun-beds spread throughout the park...something that was a bit lacking when I was at Cartoon. Also, food and beverage operations receives more emphasis at Ramayana compared to Cartoon. The main lounging area at the wave-pool has each lounge station equipped with a call button to summon a food service worker...how convient.

There is also a large Central restaurant with both Thai and Western food at not outrageous prices (Thai over-rice dishes about 150 and Western 250 or so); as well as a kids cafe and adult swim-up bar. There is also a Western grill and pizzas. (There is even Bangers and Mash to draw in the Bua Khow crowd but the B295 price may scare them away ?) The Thai food we ordered was very good and the portions generous.

Some menu items and prices...

So, now that the import stuff is out of the way (the lounging areas and food for adults), what about the rides? The Central wave pool is larger than Cartoons and also has a smaller side pool for just swimming (no wave action). However, the wave action itself is less vigorous. I recall Cartoons almost like being in a washing machine at the height of the "storm" while Ramayana's while fun is not as strong. Maybe this is a function of the waves being spread out in a bigger area. As mentioned before, there are lifeguards everywhere so a very safe environment. There are also single and double pool-tubes and of course life-vests for non-swimmers.

The rest of the tubes and slides are pretty much the same as Cartoon. However, my recollection is that a couple of the adult rides at Cartoon may have been a bit more thrilling overall than Ramayana's. However, the one complex of slides where one lies on their belly holding a mat underneath I don't recall Cartoon having and there is one slide with an almost vertical drop and another with a complete circle. I didn't see any surfing wave like they had at Cartoon, however. Here are some pics of the slides and tubes...

There is also a pool for organized water games like volleyball. There are day-salas to rent in two sizes for 700 and 1200 baht. There is also a massage studio.

So overall me and my group had a great day out. We arrived a little before 11 and left about 1700 so spent a full day at the park. The rides, food, and relaxation options give something for everyone. The park-like atmosphere is also very nice. My party was "on the list" so only paid half-price admission but even at full price it's okay for a day out once in awhile. As to which is "better, Ramayana or Cartoon, Ramayana definitely wins on atmosphere and F&F, while Cartoon have a a slight edge on rides. Let's just say were lucky to be in an area with two international class Waterpark to choose from.

Edited May 12, 2016 by OMGImInPattaya

[OMGImInPattaya]

I forgot to mention there is free and strong WiFi throughout the park so one can do one's own surfing while relaxing on a lounger while the kids are splashing about.

[Rimmer]

that really is a VERY good report OMG many thanks for that

[Orac]

Nice report there. Food prices are significantly cheaper at Ramayana compared to CN by the looks of it.

[Barefoot]

That was a terrific report indeed. Thanks for taking the time.

[wump]

We went yesterday after the rain stopped and I must admit I was pretty overwhelmed. I might even forgive them their 20% discount for members scam.

This park is awesome, the amount of detail that went into every single aspect is just wonderful and I challenge everyone to come down there and say it wasn't worth the 990 Baht. It's really quiet, I had ticket number 198 that day and I doubt there was more than 300 visitors in the park at any point of time. Better go now before the park operators notice they are making a huge loss (including the life guards I guess there must be more than 200 people working there at any one time) and start bringing in the Chinese hordes... and we all know how this would end.

Apart from the awesome slides (they even have slides that take you uphill) I particularly liked the very long lazy river. It's got many different features, like a cave, waterfalls and a fun wave section. We spend a lot of time at the pool bar where we drank draft beer... 3 liters at 560 Baht member price works out at an equivalent of 59.7 Baht per 320ml bottle. Food prices are decent too... Papaya salad is 90 Baht and a 30 cm margherita pizza is 195 Baht.

Of course they just started so here is a few things that could be improved:

- I didn't get my member card at the entrance as promised

- No one at the entrance tells you that you have to top up your account first to take advantage of member prices (you can top up at any cashier in the park though)

- The park is a bit hard to find if you don't take Google Maps with you. The few signposts are easy to miss and there is just none indicating that you are still on the right road.

- A lot of dishes in their menu have a sign "vegetarian option available" but neither the server nor the kitchen staff seem to know what it means despite having a native Thai explain.

I like that it's laid out like a park, not like the concrete jungle CN is. I find it a bit odd that they cut all the native forest first and then plant large 10 metre trees that must have cost millions of Baht but I am no engineer so I don't know.

I really hope this park stays open and they won't get greedy... I would definitely visit once or twice a month (it's quite a bit of a drive from Pattaya on a motorbike).

[OMGImInPattaya]

We went yesterday after the rain stopped and I must admit I was pretty overwhelmed. I might even forgive them their 20% discount for members scam.

This park is awesome, the amount of detail that went into every single aspect is just wonderful and I challenge everyone to come down there and say it wasn't worth the 990 Baht. It's really quiet, I had ticket number 198 that day and I doubt there was more than 300 visitors in the park at any point of time. Better go now before the park operators notice they are making a huge loss (including the life guards I guess there must be more than 200 people working there at any one time) and start bringing in the Chinese hordes... and we all know how this would end.

Apart from the awesome slides (they even have slides that take you uphill) I particularly liked the very long lazy river. It's got many different features, like a cave, waterfalls and a fun wave section. We spend a lot of time at the pool bar where we drank draft beer... 3 liters at 560 Baht member price works out at an equivalent of 59.7 Baht per 320ml bottle. Food prices are decent too... Papaya salad is 90 Baht and a 30 cm margherita pizza is 195 Baht.

Of course they just started so here is a few things that could be improved:

- I didn't get my member card at the entrance as promised

- No one at the entrance tells you that you have to top up your account first to take advantage of member prices (you can top up at any cashier in the park though)

- The park is a bit hard to find if you don't take Google Maps with you. The few signposts are easy to miss and there is just none indicating that you are still on the right road.

- A lot of dishes in their menu have a sign "vegetarian option available" but neither the server nor the kitchen staff seem to know what it means despite having a native Thai explain.

I like that it's laid out like a park, not like the concrete jungle CN is. I find it a bit odd that they cut all the native forest first and then plant large 10 metre trees that must have cost millions of Baht but I am no engineer so I don't know.

I really hope this park stays open and they won't get greedy... I would definitely visit once or twice a month (it's quite a bit of a drive from Pattaya on a motorbike).

Agree the plethora of vegetation and the abundance of seating makes for a relaxing environment. Between the slides/pools, food and drink, and WiFi, it definitely makes for a nice day out.

As for the numbers, it's barely been open two weeks so of course the numbers are light. But good to go now to almost have the place to ones self. However,it does beg the question of if the Pattaya locals and tourist market is large enough to support both parks. Maybe Cartoon may have to go down market a bit and reduce their prices.

[OMGImInPattaya]

A couple addendum to my report...

Lockers are available for B150; and pool towels are B100 (+200 deposit).

There is also a large store to purchase things you may have forgotten like sun lotion, water-proof phone cases, etc.

Also, you are allowed to bring in ONE outside bottle of water (or other drink) per person. We had the standard half-litre bottles...don't know if they would allow bigger sizes. No outside food allowed.

[wump]

Cartoon Network already reduced the prices. If you watch the Boomerang Channel (owned by CN) you will see that there is a 30% discount available now (still dearer than Ramayana for farangs though).

I find the location quite odd. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but still only a 10 minute drive from CN so they have direct competition from there. IMO it would have been much better to built the park in the Sri Racha area so it would have been the same distance from Pattaya but attract more of the Bangkok crowd and due to the location would be less of a direct competitor.

But I guess the location was researched carefully and there must be some reasons for it which are not quite clear to me.

[wump]

They didn't check our bags and we had to bottles of drink (not water) clearly visible so I guess if you wanted to push it you could sneak some more drinks in. But with 19 Baht per bottle of water and 38 Baht for a coke at the bar (member prices) it's not really worth it, is it?

Edit: I have just checked and the entrance fee is 854 Baht on Hotels2Thailand including all fees. I might actually use them next time, got a 50% discount on Nong Nooch with them last year and they offered perfect service (booked for the wrong date and after a call to customer service at the gate they still let me in for the reduced price).

Edited May 13, 2016 by wump

[Orac]

Cartoon Network already reduced the prices. If you watch the Boomerang Channel (owned by CN) you will see that there is a 30% discount available now (still dearer than Ramayana for farangs though).

I find the location quite odd. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but still only a 10 minute drive from CN so they have direct competition from there. IMO it would have been much better to built the park in the Sri Racha area so it would have been the same distance from Pattaya but attract more of the Bangkok crowd and due to the location would be less of a direct competitor.

But I guess the location was researched carefully and there must be some reasons for it which are not quite clear to me.

After my failed visit to Ramayana in the week I can say that using the freely available discounts for both the CN worked out Bt.437 cheaper on entry fees for our group of four adults and two kids. Having said that the overall day would probably have worked out cheaper at Ramayana when taking into account locker price and food.

Given the glowing reviews I will probably give it a try in the future though I still say the policy of classing a child as being under 122cms at Ramayana as being a bit over the top with the CN policy of 12 years being a fairer way of doing things.

[wump]

I have just had a looked at the CN website. I already thought charging 700 Baht for the cabanas at Ramayana was cheeky but at CN they charge you 2,000 Baht for one. What kind of people are paying this? Even if I was a millionaire I wouldn't pay it... out of principle

[OMGImInPattaya]

Cartoon Network already reduced the prices. If you watch the Boomerang Channel (owned by CN) you will see that there is a 30% discount available now (still dearer than Ramayana for farangs though).

I find the location quite odd. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but still only a 10 minute drive from CN so they have direct competition from there. IMO it would have been much better to built the park in the Sri Racha area so it would have been the same distance from Pattaya but attract more of the Bangkok crowd and due to the location would be less of a direct competitor.

But I guess the location was researched carefully and there must be some reasons for it which are not quite clear to me.

I'm not sure what you mean calling it in an odd location? First off, it's easy to find, just take Suk down or up until you reach the Silver Lake soi (signs for either Ramayana, Silver Lake Winery, or Khow Chee Chan, and the new BMW dealership are all at that intersection). Take that road straight about 7-8 kilos and Ramayana is right there on the right...can't be any easier than that.

As to the general location, that stretch of road is clearly being developed as a somewhat high-end local and Bangkok-based holiday destination (hence the aforementioned BMW dealership). There is the original Golden Buddha hill and temple, the Swiss Sheep Farm, the winery and associated Italian restaurant, the waterpark, and also the faux Italian village (resort or moobaan?) being developed. The gently rolling hills in the area lend themselves to further tourist oriented development. Day visitors from Pattaya or Bangkok can visit or Bangkok or other Thais could make a holiday weekend or domestic week long holiday by staying in the area and visiting these attractions and the nearby beaches.

I think when some people complain about the "high" pricing (and I'm not referring to you here) they don't realize for a Thai middle to upper class family on a vacation, staying a few days in an area like Silver Lake and visiting these attractions is a very viable and affordable vacation option. And the Thai middle-class is much larger than many foreigners realize (maybe because they spend much of their time associating with the Thai lower classes (no judgment ?).

Edited May 13, 2016 by OMGImInPattaya

[fforest1]

I have just had a looked at the CN website. I already thought charging 700 Baht for the cabanas at Ramayana was cheeky but at CN they charge you 2,000 Baht for one. What kind of people are paying this? Even if I was a millionaire I wouldn't pay it... out of principle

Well if you really look close at all CN special package deals..They are all designed to get the maxim money

out of you and giving you as little as possible..

The package deal with the Hard Rock hotel is the only

one I saw that offered any value but that one involves

a lot of hoop jumping.....

PS....I have read many many reports of their pizzas

not tasting much better than cardboard so I gave the

pizzas a zero when looking for value in their deals..

Edited May 13, 2016 by fforest1

[Spaniel]

Cartoon Network already reduced the prices. If you watch the Boomerang Channel (owned by CN) you will see that there is a 30% discount available now (still dearer than Ramayana for farangs though).

I find the location quite odd. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but still only a 10 minute drive from CN so they have direct competition from there. IMO it would have been much better to built the park in the Sri Racha area so it would have been the same distance from Pattaya but attract more of the Bangkok crowd and due to the location would be less of a direct competitor.

But I guess the location was researched carefully and there must be some reasons for it which are not quite clear to me.

I'm not sure what you mean calling it in an odd location? First off, it's easy to find, just take Suk down or up until you reach the Silver Lake soi (signs for either Ramayana, Silver Lake Winery, or Khow Chee Chan, and the new BMW dealership are all at that intersection). Take that road straight about 7-8 kilos and Ramayana is right there on the right...can't be any easier than that.

As to the general location, that stretch of road is clearly being developed as a somewhat high-end local and Bangkok-based holiday destination (hence the aforementioned BMW dealership). There is the original Golden Buddha hill and temple, the Swiss Sheep Farm, the winery and associated Italian restaurant, the waterpark, and also the faux Italian village (resort or moobaan?) being developed. The gently rolling hills in the area lend themselves to further tourist oriented development. Day visitors from Pattaya or Bangkok can visit or Bangkok or other Thais could make a holiday weekend or domestic week long holiday by staying in the area and visiting these attractions and the nearby beaches.

I think when some people complain about the "high" pricing (and I'm not referring to you here) they don't realize for a Thai middle to upper class family on a vacation, staying a few days in an area like Silver Lake and visiting these attractions is a very viable and affordable vacation option. And the Thai middle-class is much larger than many foreigners realize (maybe because they spend much of their time associating with the Thai lower classes (no judgment ?).

You forgot to mention the Banglamung Wildlife Breeding Centre which is also in the Silver Lake area and also worth a visit, especially if you like bears.

[LennyW]

Cartoon Network already reduced the prices. If you watch the Boomerang Channel (owned by CN) you will see that there is a 30% discount available now (still dearer than Ramayana for farangs though).

I find the location quite odd. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but still only a 10 minute drive from CN so they have direct competition from there. IMO it would have been much better to built the park in the Sri Racha area so it would have been the same distance from Pattaya but attract more of the Bangkok crowd and due to the location would be less of a direct competitor.

But I guess the location was researched carefully and there must be some reasons for it which are not quite clear to me.

I'm not sure what you mean calling it in an odd location? First off, it's easy to find, just take Suk down or up until you reach the Silver Lake soi (signs for either Ramayana, Silver Lake Winery, or Khow Chee Chan, and the new BMW dealership are all at that intersection). Take that road straight about 7-8 kilos and Ramayana is right there on the right...can't be any easier than that.

As to the general location, that stretch of road is clearly being developed as a somewhat high-end local and Bangkok-based holiday destination (hence the aforementioned BMW dealership). There is the original Golden Buddha hill and temple, the Swiss Sheep Farm, the winery and associated Italian restaurant, the waterpark, and also the faux Italian village (resort or moobaan?) being developed. The gently rolling hills in the area lend themselves to further tourist oriented development. Day visitors from Pattaya or Bangkok can visit or Bangkok or other Thais could make a holiday weekend or domestic week long holiday by staying in the area and visiting these attractions and the nearby beaches.

I think when some people complain about the "high" pricing (and I'm not referring to you here) they don't realize for a Thai middle to upper class family on a vacation, staying a few days in an area like Silver Lake and visiting these attractions is a very viable and affordable vacation option. And the Thai middle-class is much larger than many foreigners realize (maybe because they spend much of their time associating with the Thai lower classes (no judgment ).

The location is aimed at the Bangkok masses, it is 2 mins off the 331

[wump]

I guess you're right on this one. With the 331 opening all 4 lanes soon sailing past Pattaya will be a breeze. Hadn't thought about that earlier.

[HLover]

I forgot to mention there is free and strong WiFi throughout the park so one can do one's own surfing while relaxing on a lounger while the kids are splashing about.

Excellent and accurate report, I agree with you 100%, it's nice park.

[Langsuan Man]

Well not to rain on any ones parade but the family just got back and reported that the power went out at Ramayana today at noon after only two hours of "play" . Only thing you could do was to use the pools but none of the slides

4 children and 4 adults come all the way from Korat to play in a pool

What annoys me the most was that there was absolutely no talk of refunds from the operators

I guess this is just another example of Thainess, pay your money but be damned if you don't get what you paid for

They are lucky that I passed on the trip today, because believe me, there would have been no mai pen rai from this farang

Edited May 22, 2016 by Langsuan Man

[wump]

So the power didn't come back after a while? I've noticed they are usually pretty quick on fixing power outages in Thailand.

[Langsuan Man]

By 15:30 it still had not returned,. So that means the outage lasted for over three hours and you really couldn't expect kids to be patient. Nor was any cooked food available and the kids were hungry so the group left to go eat

[OMGImInPattaya]

I can confirm this report. A neighbor sent a grop of 5 of her kids and kid's friends to Rama today and she reported the power outage to me. Don't know how long it lasted. Did your party actually ask for some type of compensation? Maybe call or Facebook them about free or discounted entry next time.

On another point, this middle-class family (almost by American standards) had no compunction about the 1000 baht entry price for these 5 adult price children. It seems it's mostly farangs who are pissing and moaning about the pricing.

[Seizetheday]

We went yesterday after the rain stopped and I must admit I was pretty overwhelmed. I might even forgive them their 20% discount for members scam.

This park is awesome, the amount of detail that went into every single aspect is just wonderful and I challenge everyone to come down there and say it wasn't worth the 990 Baht. It's really quiet, I had ticket number 198 that day and I doubt there was more than 300 visitors in the park at any point of time. Better go now before the park operators notice they are making a huge loss (including the life guards I guess there must be more than 200 people working there at any one time) and start bringing in the Chinese hordes... and we all know how this would end.

Apart from the awesome slides (they even have slides that take you uphill) I particularly liked the very long lazy river. It's got many different features, like a cave, waterfalls and a fun wave section. We spend a lot of time at the pool bar where we drank draft beer... 3 liters at 560 Baht member price works out at an equivalent of 59.7 Baht per 320ml bottle. Food prices are decent too... Papaya salad is 90 Baht and a 30 cm margherita pizza is 195 Baht.

Of course they just started so here is a few things that could be improved:

- I didn't get my member card at the entrance as promised

- No one at the entrance tells you that you have to top up your account first to take advantage of member prices (you can top up at any cashier in the park though)

- The park is a bit hard to find if you don't take Google Maps with you. The few signposts are easy to miss and there is just none indicating that you are still on the right road.

- A lot of dishes in their menu have a sign "vegetarian option available" but neither the server nor the kitchen staff seem to know what it means despite having a native Thai explain.

I like that it's laid out like a park, not like the concrete jungle CN is. I find it a bit odd that they cut all the native forest first and then plant large 10 metre trees that must have cost millions of Baht but I am no engineer so I don't know.

I really hope this park stays open and they won't get greedy... I would definitely visit once or twice a month (it's quite a bit of a drive from Pattaya on a motorbike).

Agree the plethora of vegetation and the abundance of seating makes for a relaxing environment. Between the slides/pools, food and drink, and WiFi, it definitely makes for a nice day out.

As for the numbers, it's barely been open two weeks so of course the numbers are light. But good to go now to almost have the place to ones self. However,it does beg the question of if the Pattaya locals and tourist market is large enough to support both parks. Maybe Cartoon may have to go down market a bit and reduce their prices.

I wonder what was behind the rationale of opening at the start of low season.

[fforest1]

On another point, this middle-class family (almost by American standards) had no compunction about the 1000 baht entry

price for these 5 adult price children. It seems it's mostly farangs who are pissing and moaning about the pricing.

Well there is always Pattaya Park at 100 Baht a person.....

[LennyW]

We went yesterday after the rain stopped and I must admit I was pretty overwhelmed. I might even forgive them their 20% discount for members scam.

This park is awesome, the amount of detail that went into every single aspect is just wonderful and I challenge everyone to come down there and say it wasn't worth the 990 Baht. It's really quiet, I had ticket number 198 that day and I doubt there was more than 300 visitors in the park at any point of time. Better go now before the park operators notice they are making a huge loss (including the life guards I guess there must be more than 200 people working there at any one time) and start bringing in the Chinese hordes... and we all know how this would end.

Apart from the awesome slides (they even have slides that take you uphill) I particularly liked the very long lazy river. It's got many different features, like a cave, waterfalls and a fun wave section. We spend a lot of time at the pool bar where we drank draft beer... 3 liters at 560 Baht member price works out at an equivalent of 59.7 Baht per 320ml bottle. Food prices are decent too... Papaya salad is 90 Baht and a 30 cm margherita pizza is 195 Baht.

Of course they just started so here is a few things that could be improved:

- I didn't get my member card at the entrance as promised

- No one at the entrance tells you that you have to top up your account first to take advantage of member prices (you can top up at any cashier in the park though)

- The park is a bit hard to find if you don't take Google Maps with you. The few signposts are easy to miss and there is just none indicating that you are still on the right road.

- A lot of dishes in their menu have a sign "vegetarian option available" but neither the server nor the kitchen staff seem to know what it means despite having a native Thai explain.

I like that it's laid out like a park, not like the concrete jungle CN is. I find it a bit odd that they cut all the native forest first and then plant large 10 metre trees that must have cost millions of Baht but I am no engineer so I don't know.

I really hope this park stays open and they won't get greedy... I would definitely visit once or twice a month (it's quite a bit of a drive from Pattaya on a motorbike).

Agree the plethora of vegetation and the abundance of seating makes for a relaxing environment. Between the slides/pools, food and drink, and WiFi, it definitely makes for a nice day out.

As for the numbers, it's barely been open two weeks so of course the numbers are light. But good to go now to almost have the place to ones self. However,it does beg the question of if the Pattaya locals and tourist market is large enough to support both parks. Maybe Cartoon may have to go down market a bit and reduce their prices.

I wonder what was behind the rationale of opening at the start of low season.

It is primarily aimed at the Thai out of town population, no season applies. Not everything is about foreigners.