Say ‘bah bah’ to Bangkok for a day out in Pattaya
Most children like visiting places where there are animals. Most parents are happy enough to accommodate this, as long as they can find a way to get something to drink and eat.
Coming down Highway 36 into Pattaya from Bangkok, you’ll see signs for the Pattaya Sheep Farm. This somewhat incongruous attraction is, thankfully, perfect for any family, fulfilling the animal numbers for children and the food and beverage requirements of parents.
Follow the signs for the Sheep Farm and you’ll find yourself taking a laneway off the main road and going through what is really quite a rustic setting. There is plenty of parking at the Sheep Farm, and the first surprise is that entry is the same price for foreigners as well as Thais. A welcome change from most tourist attractions in the country. Adults and children are 50 baht each, although children below a certain height are free (basically, three and four year olds get in for nothing).
Once inside there is background music being piped across the attraction; the music, not surprisingly, is of the country variety: John Denver, Kenny Rogers…you get the idea.
The most obvious feature once through the entrance is a large windmill towards the rear of the farm. There’s a viewing platform at the Windmill which gives a quite good feel for the overall layout of the attraction.
Of course it wouldn’t be called the Sheep Farm if it didn’t have sheep (although, given this is Thailand, nothing would really surprise!). In the centre of the farm is a flock of sheep of varying ages, gender, and coat colour. Visitors are able to get up close and personal with the animals and feed them should they so desire.
Apart from this central attraction, the Sheep Farm also has goats, three little piglets, a couple of donkeys (available to be ridden), some deer, and a horse.
There are plenty of food and drink outlets on the site and, thankfully, these too are reasonably priced. There’s also a row of souvenir, handicraft, and packaged food shops for those who just have to buy something.
The Sheep Farm covers a reasonably large area (as you would expect given the numbers of animals) and its biggest drawback is that there isn’t a lot of shade. Plenty of standing palms, but they’re not much good for shade, so it means it’s best to get there before about 10:30am or come after about 4:00pm. Mind you, the place is still a work in progress, so over time it will no doubt improve its facilities even further.
The Pattaya Sheep Farm opens from 9:00am until 7:00pm every day.
