Ilaria from Bucharest, Amedea from Pattaya: the sisters behind the name LariDea
The name LariDea belongs to 2 sisters.
Ilaria gave the first half. Amedea gave the second. When you say the name out loud, you say both of them at once. Ilaria and Amedea were born more than 3 years apart, in 2 countries, about 7,800 km apart in a straight line. Today their names sit side by side in one word, on a playground in Pattaya where children of different ages come to play. This is a story about the 2 of them, and about the love between brothers and sisters that distance and years don't change.
2 countries, 2 birthdays
Ilaria was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 2020. Amedea was born in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2024.
Between their first days lie more than 3 years and about 7,800 km. Amedea has grown up in Thailand. When Ilaria was born, her sister was still years away. When Amedea arrived, Ilaria was 3, and she had one clear wish for her new sister.
A big sister's first gift
Amedea spent her first days in hospital care. When Ilaria came to meet her for the first time, she insisted on bringing a gift: a pony that would look after her little sister and help her get well quickly, so the 2 of them could be together.
At 3 years old, Ilaria's first request for her sister was a way to look after her.
That pony became Rainbow Pony, the mascot of our ground floor. Our Rainbow Pony story tells the whole of it.
How 2 names became 1
"Lari" comes from Ilaria. "Dea" comes from Amedea. The name keeps the order they arrived in: Ilaria first, Amedea second. The capital D shows where Amedea's part begins.
It's a small detail, and it matters to us. Every time someone says LariDea, books a visit or sends us a message, they use both girls' names, often without knowing it.
A love that distance and years don't change
Brothers and sisters are born at different times, and some are born in different places. An older child can remember the days before the younger one arrived. A younger child grows up with a sibling who was always there.
Ilaria and Amedea began life more than 3 years and 7,800 km apart. Today they share a home and a name. The distance between their birthplaces made no difference to how they love each other.
Their names will stay together in one word for as long as LariDea is open. When the 2 girls are grown, the name will still say what it says today: 2 sisters, side by side.
Where siblings learn about each other
Brothers and sisters learn a lot about each other through play. They take turns on a slide, wait for each other at the bottom, share a colored pencil, and sometimes argue over it.
A place that fits both ages gives them room to do that side by side. At LariDea, the café and the activity corner are on the same floor, so the whole family can come together between rounds of play.
What 2 sisters showed us about play
A small child and a bigger child need different things. A 1-year-old needs soft shapes, low slides and a ball pit. A 6-year-old wants to climb, bounce and ride azipline.
So LariDea has 2 floors, one for each age group:
- Ground floor, Rainbow Pony: ages 1 to 3, with soft play, slides, a ball pit, a pony carousel and building blocks
- Upper floor, Astro Pony: ages 4 to 10, with trampolines, a zipline, foam and ball pits, climbing walls and a spiral slide
Today, Amedea is the age of the ground floor, and Ilaria is the age of the floor upstairs.
Big and small, together
When you arrive with more than one child, here's how a visit with siblings of different ages works:
- Each floor is built for its own ages, so siblings of different ages may play on different floors.
- The ground floor has the café and the activity corner, where the whole family can sit together.
- At the activity corner, a big sibling and a small one can make the same craft. With our popsicle pompoms, for example, bigger children cut the pattern and small children glue the pompoms on.
- Older brothers and sisters aged 8 to 10 are welcome upstairs.
- If you'd like help with one of your children, you can book a nanny. Each nanny looks after 1 child.
A big sibling can also be a small guide. Let the older one show the younger one the ponies at our entrance, or pick the craft they'll make together.
If you have more than one child, you'll recognize parts of this story: the older one who wants to help, and the younger one who wants to follow.
The same care, for every child
The rules at LariDea are the rules used at home with Ilaria and Amedea. Every child who plays here gets the same care:
- 3 matching stickers at check-in, so a child can only leave with the adult holding the matching sticker
- separate floors for ages 1 to 3 and 4 to 10
- high-touch surfaces wiped every hour, and a deep clean every day
- nannies who each look after 1 child, trained in first aid, AED and CPR
- a team that speaks Thai and English on both floors
Our Warm Stories about safety and about the nanny service explain each of these in detail.
Come and play
Bring your children, big and small. We're open every day from 11:00 to 20:00, public holidays included, at the Again Project next to Terminal 21 Pattaya.
You'll find the 2 ponies at our entrance, by the rainbow arch. On your first visit, ask our team to walk you through both floors and the house rules.
Questions before your visit? Message us on LINE or WhatsApp at +66 81 110 1713. Iustin, dad to Ilaria and Amedea
