The Botanical Delight in Pattaya

Some attractions are difficult to categorize, and Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is one of them. Sprawling across a vast expanse of landscaped grounds in Chonburi Province, the destination defies expectations at every turn. One moment you’re wandering through meticulously designed gardens filled with rare tropical plants, the next you’re face-to-face with towering dinosaurs, monumental sculptures, or whimsical artistic creations that seem drawn from a dream. Equal parts horticultural showcase and creative spectacle, Nong Nooch has spent decades evolving into one of Thailand’s most distinctive attractions—a place where nature, culture, art, and imagination coexist on a grand scale.

A dinosaur with the proportions of a corndog is dressed in Labubu furs. Hundreds more scattered throughout Nong Nooch Tropical Garden (Daily: 08:00-18:00) are dressed in no less wacky outfits – from a black-and-white Mickey Mouse to the clown from the horror movie It. These dinosaur mascots feature the words “Dek Baan Nawk” at the bottom of the base they stand on, which translates to ‘country kid’ in Thai. This moniker alludes to the park’s owner, who studied in the backwaters of Hong Kong, then went to college in Arkansas in America, before returning to Pattaya rather than the bright lights of the Thai capital, Bangkok.

But for a “country boy” with no formal education in landscaping design or horticulture, who went on to build what is Thailand’s largest botanical garden – and was even knighted for Order of Agricultural Merit by the French government in 2023 – Kampon Tansacha is living proof of the power of vision and grit. Sprawling over 2.72 square kilometers in the seaside province of Chonburi, Thailand, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden first opened to public in 1980, but continues to stun crowds with its thousands of life-sized dinosaur statues and mega-scale ornamental plants. It is a regular fixture on top ten lists of most beautiful gardens around the world – and deservedly so. I am not the impressionable five-year-old this park was intended for, and was never a Jurassic Park fan. But despite visiting Nong Nooch three decades too late, I can report from personal experience that this place unlocks a state of awe in all visitors, no matter their age.

The dinosaurs, each made from cement but boasting a richly textured hide and fiercely glaring marble eyes, began being added to the park a decade ago. “Typically, botanical gardens are made for people who love nature and trees, but I created my garden to also draw in people who couldn’t care less about trees and gardens,” explains Kampon, who is a fit and sharp 80-year-old. “People are bored with gardens because nothing changes. Children love animals so we first started creating animal statues because we didn’t have the ability to run a live zoo. When the crowds still didn’t come, my staff said: ‘why not try creating dinosaurs?”

From movie man to constant gardener

The beauty of Nong Nooch is that you have no idea what’s coming next. Looking down from skywalks across the site, the breathtaking view of an immaculate French garden, golden chedis, hundreds of dinosaurs, Asian deities, and rolling the hills stupefies you with their visual might. I am stone cold sober, but imagine this is what high people must be seeing all the time. Kampon set out to give the grounds a distinctly Thai flair, so that people looking at his garden would never mistake it for a European destination.

A look into his background explains this approach. Before his mother, Nongnooch Tansacha, transferred her park to his management in the late 1980s, he had been working in the film industry – producing, sourcing, and screening movies in his family’s line of standalone cinemas in Bangkok. This part of the family business, Apex Group, owned the theaters Siam, Lido, and Scala. The latter, which shared the same name with a grand, performance theater in Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, was a beloved art-deco treasure torn down to make way for further commercial development in 2021, much to the dismay of Bangkok cinephiles.

After seeing his share of botanical gardens all around the world, Kampon went out of his way to not replicate what others do – which explains the wacky and weird feel of the park. “My garden doesn’t follow conventional or traditional ideas. Like everything else, gardens are a fashion and must evolve too,” he says. “My advantage is I am approaching it from a perspective of someone who has worked in movies. As the film director Stanley Kubrick once said, ‘every frame is a painting’. I conceived my garden so that it looks like a beautiful still from every angle.”

A genre for everyone

I recommend visitors get tickets for the open-air bus service, because it would be impossible to see the whole park on foot. Taking in the various themed gardens from the bus is almost like watching a movie. The towering palm trees from around the world and Stonehenge replica mark the start of the epic sights, before descending into the dramatics of Dinosaur Avenue, where a rainbow of beautifully painted creatures line both sides of the road. There are 1,800 dinosaur figures at the park, and more in the making. Here you can see replicas of the 13 dinosaur species that have been discovered in Thailand – including my favorite, the Isanosaurus, a type of sauropod.

While the climax for many is Dinosaur Valley, romantics can recreate their favorite love scene amid the heart-shaped topiary of the picturesque Italian Garden. The Garden in the Sky, with its willowy plants that hang from the air, adds an Avatar-esque appeal to the semi-sheltered space.

As for Thai culture, resplendent ensembles of lifelike naga (mythical serpent) statues, each ablaze with color, are situated by a real lotus pond. Nearby, at the delightfully air-conditioned, cave-like Phra Phutthakun Museum, you can peruse exceptional and rare statues of monks encrusted with precious gems.

Another scene that makes your jaw drop is the humongous statue of Guan Yin, a Goddess of mercy and compassion, stood next to Buddhist figures from Japan, Korea or South Korea, Myanmar, and Thailand. A magnificent spectacle to behold outdoors, the sheer variety of statues saves it from being an overtly religious display. Currently being constructed are more statues inspired by Buddhist sects from Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos, and Tibet.

The heat is relentless, but comic relief is everywhere. The countless random sights you will see scattered throughout the park range from a tower speckled with hundreds of giant orange ants to a 14m statue of Lord Ganesha, which took only 55 days to produce. These completely unexpected combinations are so nutty that it almost feels like something AI would mash together. But the creations here are solid, rather than digitally generated, and are perpetually ready for their close-up.

Blooming brilliant

Another triumph that astonishes visitors is the garden, every inch of which is packed with continuously blooming flowers and plants. As the bus drives past the nurseries, you’ll see neat rows of thousands of pink leaves, potted yellow cacti, and countless other lush shrubs, many sitting in kooky human-shaped pottery that will bring a smile to your face. Even here, in a part of the park that feels more behind the scenes than cinematic, I am reminded of the phrase ‘nothing succeeds like excess.’

Visiting a botanical garden truly gives a sense of place, as they showcase native plants that cannot be found in other regions. At Nong Nooch, over 18,000 types of plants from Thailand and abroad thrive on their grounds. “The job of any botanical garden is to instill a love for nature, where people see it and want to grow their own at home. This is what we do,” says Kampon, who still helps around the park and is said to be stronger than people half his age by his staff. Their cactus garden, where potted cacti are hilariously positioned to form a Christmas tree, is one of the most enjoyable spots. The Pottery Garden and Orchid Garden are another example of cheerful creativity: amid a jungle of hanging vines and brilliantly colorful orchids are orange terracotta pots that have been arranged to form everything from curving arches to a truck you can sit in.

Most outstandingly, Nong Nooch manages to inject artistry into the simplest objects. Throughout the park, large-scale mosaics made with earth-toned stone pebbles cover building facades. Scenes from Thai legends, Buddhist mythology, and, yes, the age of dinosaurs are gloriously captured using only four shades of pebbles.

A never-ending story

Is it kitschy? Yes, but that is the point. Everything is executed and maintained with so much artistry that the brain cannot simply dismiss it as kitsch. During my visit, a new Egypt zone is just getting its finishing touches – Egyptian gods and goddesses stand tall overlooking a pyramid. Kampon reveals that a pottery museum showcasing never-before-seen pots and the largest collection of bougainvillea in Thailand are coming next year.

What many may not know is that the garden also includes a learning center, resort, and exhibition hall that can accommodate 8,000 people. Frankly, it’s hard to miss the gargantuan building when there’s also a giant golden dinosaur mascot standing in front. “Nong Nooch changes every day and if there are certain parts of the garden people don’t like anymore, I tear it down and do something new,” the owner says adamantly, when asked how he keeps up with the times. “We keep improving and developing. I will spend the rest of my life working to make this garden not just a place you want to come to, but must come to. And not just for Pattaya – but all of Thailand.”

Later that afternoon, I leave the park like someone who’s just exited a movie theater after seeing a blockbuster with the perfect balance of spectacle and sincerity. At Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, it’s not just about the dinosaurs. You must see with your own eyes how every visit here offers fresh discoveries and an enduring magic of its own.

Discover one of Thailand’s most extraordinary attractions, where nature, art, and imagination come together. Fly to Bangkok with Thai Airways.