Day Trips to the Chonburi Shore

[Bangsan Beach]   [Rong Payaban Kao Road]    [Fisherman Markets]

Thai youngsters playing in the waters by Bang Saen Beach watch the last glimpse of the sun as it melts into the ocean

Sometimes Tiger and Bird enjoy a simple day trip to get their monthly beach fix. After all, why commit an entire weekend to a sleepy beach town when you can get to the beach and back to the big city all in the same day? Or perhaps a busy schedule will only accommodate a day away from the City of Angels. Apparently, many Thai tourists from Bangkok and Rayong adopt a similar view and choose to visit the 4.3km-long (2.7mi) Bang Saen Beach near the small beach town of Chonburi, a convenient one-hour drive from the eastern edge of the capitol city. But be aware! One result of its rising popularity is that the beach becomes very crowded on weekend afternoons.

Jomtien Beach

Jomtien Beach stretching out towards the city of Pattaya

Jomtien Beach is a 6.5km long sandy beach located about 150km to the southeast of Bangkok, reachable by a two-hour drive from the capital. What’s that? Yes, you are very perceptive! This is roughly the same description Tiger and Bird gave for Pattaya Beach! And for good reason- the beaches are located within several kilometers of each other but might as well be worlds apart.

The local Thai people find Jomtien to be far more attractive than the more-famous (infamous?) Pattaya beach. The beach is sandy and stretches of the adjacent road have large trees that throw some shade across the parking areas. In many areas, the much-loved and very-affordable umbrella and lounge chair cities spring up. Food vendors proffer coffee, drinks, snacks, and food by the main road, but without the aggressiveness of the touts one would typically find lining Pattaya beach.

South of Hua Hin: Beaches and National Parks

Playing in the surf on Khao Kalok beach

Bangkok is situated around 20 miles (32km) from the tip of the Gulf of Thailand, if one were to follow the Chao Phraya river to the point where it meets the sea. However, the most famous beaches near the capitol are often cited as being found in either Pattaya to the southeast or in the sleepy town of Hua Hin to the southwest. The experiences are like night and day. Pattaya is a fully developed miniature city, replete with a strong expat community and numerous first-world amenities like luxury hotels, shopping complexes, and touristy excursions. Hua Hin is more of a quiet place; oh, it also has luxury hotels and plenty of white-sand beaches, but it feels more untouched and more authentic than its sister city across the gulf.

Anyone who visits Bangkok will hear of both Hua Hin and Pattaya. Today, however, Tiger and Bird would like to talk neither of these places and look to another region, more local, and less known, immediately to the south of Hua Hin. Where, you ask? Why, we are talking about the region of Pranburi.