The Sanctuary of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth is the frame nobody expects from Pattaya: a hall about a hundred metres tall, carved almost entirely from wood, standing at the edge of the sea on the Naklua shore. Building began in 1981 and it is still unfinished, so carvers' work and scaffolding are part of what you see, and inside, where the work goes on, visitors have been given hard hats.

The wood is at its best in the softer light of late afternoon, when a low sun warms the carving rather than bleaching it, and the most complete frame is from the grounds, with the whole building behind you and the sea beside it. Its carvings are drawn from Hindu and Buddhist belief, so treat it as you would a temple: shoulders and knees covered, no climbing on carvings, and the sacred figures photographed on their own rather than as a backdrop for a pose.

It is a ticketed site, and photo sessions there are arranged with the site directly — the photographer checks the current rules for sessions before the day, along with the opening hours. Afterwards, Wong Amat, the calmer beach a short way south, faces west over the Gulf for the sunset, with no beach road behind the sand; high-rise buildings line its back, so the frames face the water.