Elephants, Cactus, and Dinosaurs: A Field Trip to Remember

Written by Saksorn Suwattanakulkit

An M.5 student from Benchamaratcharangsarit School, Chachoengsao

I went on a field trip to Nong Nooch Botanical Garden, Pattaya, on Thursday, November 21, 2024. On this trip, I went with 400 people from Grade 11. During the travel, my friends and I played games together to pass the time. When we arrived, I was so excited to explore the variety of trees and take beautiful photos of the garden. I went for free because my school paid for the trip. If I went with family, it would cost around 500 baht. I walked everywhere and immersed myself in the beauty of the garden.

The first thing that I did was watch a performance showing traditional lifestyles from the past. It included a reenactment of warfare between Thailand and Myanmar, featuring real elephants in the battle. The show featured performers dressed in Asian styles, including Chinese, Taiwanese, and Thai costumes. I did not expect that elephants could play football with very impressive kicks, bowling, paint on shirts, and even play basketball. I gave a tip for the elephant show and took a photo with one of the elephants. It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had.

During lunch, my friends and I opened the map and planned what to do next. We started by seeing a beautiful cactus garden, which looked like something you’d only find in a desert. There were also huge dinosaur statues, sized to look realistic. The lovely garden was decorated in traditional Thai style, including many chedis (pagodas). We wanted to see the view from the top, so we decided to go up and take pictures. Since we couldn’t take a photo of all of us together, I found a foreign visitor to help us, and I even took a photo with him too.

After we studied hard at school, this field trip helped us relax and enjoy traveling. It recharged our energy, so we felt ready to study again. I checked my phone and noticed that I had walked around 10 kilometers. I didn’t feel tired because it was so much fun until I realized how far I had explored. The elephant show was fascinating, and the vast scale of the garden was incredible. It reminded me that Thailand is full of beautiful and stunning places to visit. This trip was enjoyable!