Nice quiet beach area between Ratchaburi and Surat Thani

[Kenny202]

Looking for prospective holiday destinations, preferably by train away from the normal Island / tourist hotspots. Maybe a nice mainland beach area, I notice there is a lot of coastline between Ratchaburi and Surat Thani on the peninsula down towards Phuket. Can anyone recommend a nice area here for a beach holiday, nice swimming etc and not to busy

[craigt3365]

There are quite a few interesting spots down that way. Ao Manao, Ban Kruit, Bang Saphan, Tung Wua Laen, Khanom, Sichon, etc.

Then Khao Lak is nice, especially a bit north or south of town. Many places. Great if you have a car as you can just cruise around. Easy traveling.

[Seligne2]

Between Ratchaburi and Surat Thani? That's half the eastern coastline of Thailand! There are innumerable nice beaches along there. Can you be more specific?

[Kenny202]

Can't be specific because never been there or know the area. Looking for suggestions

[craigt3365]

How long do you have? Only public transport?

[Kenny202]

Really depends. Retired in isaan but don't like to leave the house alone too long but otherwise no time restrictions. We were thinking train as a long way for us to drive. I'm thinking local seafood on the beach, swimming :-) you may be right though. I find most cities in Thailand hard to get around if you don't have transport obviously. I guess that's the beauty of the tourist areas

[craigt3365]

Understood! When we travel out of Thailand, we try to do a bit of both. Travel by public transport as well as renting a car. The area you mention is not covered very well by public transport. Yes, you can get to a city, like Bang Saphan, but if you've got no wheels, you are quite limited in where you can go. Resorts tend to be spread out quite a bit. Some quite a ways from "downtown".

As you say, not like going to Samui where you really don't need wheels. In Bang Saphan, when we went there by bus, we just rented a scooter for a few days. Worked out great. Great part of the Kingdom to explore.

[Happy Grumpy]

Ban Krut.

Thread closed.

[Kenny202]

I know not the area I specified but maybe Koh Samet a better option for us and driveable from Chaiyaphum where we live. Looks like can avoid Bangkok and drive down through Korat. Anyone ever go this way?

[craigt3365]

I know not the area I specified but maybe Koh Samet a better option for us and driveable from Chaiyaphum where we live. Looks like can avoid Bangkok and drive down through Korat. Anyone ever go this way?

It's a relatively easy drive. A bit of a mess going over the mountains just south of Khorat (due to the crazy drivers passing on blind curves) and 331 can be really jammed with big trucks. But other than that, not a bad drive. And yes, you avoid Bangkok!!

You have to park your car at the ferry terminal and take the boat over. No cars on Samet. If you don't like that, not much farther is Koh Chang. There are some nice day trips you can take around the island if you have your own wheels.

[Kan Win]

You could try Pranburi just next Hua Hin going south

or

to Chumpon after Prachup Khiri Khan and before Surat Thani

Prince of Chumpon Veiw

and many more beaches along from Chumpon to Surat Thain by the way.

My wife and I like that Cha-Am-ing place not too far from Kanchanaburi.

Win

[apetley]

Can second Bang Saphan. Some really quiet beaches and nice resorts.

[pinkpanther99]

Some great recommendations here.

The beaches get much better once you travel out of Hua Hin. As has already been mentioned, Ao Manao, Ban Krut and Ban Saphan are all favourites of mine, very nice and well worth visiting. Also, if you visit during the week, you will pretty much have all of these beaches to you yourself - it will be very quiet.

Some good points made about transport, visiting these places wont be so easy on the bus but not impossible.

Good luck, have a great trip!

[glegolo]

I know not the area I specified but maybe Koh Samet a better option for us and driveable from Chaiyaphum where we live. Looks like can avoid Bangkok and drive down through Korat. Anyone ever go this way?

All the time. I always drive "over the mountains" back and forth Rayong/Koh Samet.

Glegolo

[Toscano]

I too live in Isaan , but have a car . My stepson has worked in Rayong and lived nearby . He tells me there are nice quiet , clean sandy beeches east of Rayong .

From Khon Kaen , and I guess Udon Thani , you can take a bus to Rayong ; from there I have no doubt there are local sevices that would take you to a small resort nearby ,

From Ban Phe there are ferry services to Kho Samet .

[Saan]

It might be an idea to check out the stinger season - box jellyfish - if you are planning on a lot of swimming. I don't know how bad it is down there but they do have them.

[Aforek]

I know not the area I specified but maybe Koh Samet a better option for us and driveable from Chaiyaphum where we live. Looks like can avoid Bangkok and drive down through Korat. Anyone ever go this way?

When I went to Ko Samet , many years ago, it was still good, but very small: now I have read it's dirty, full of tourists

better : as said above , Bang saphan to Chumpon, very good; long , beautiful and quiet beaches : rent a scooter and visit

I leave in Cha am, north of Cha am, quiet beaches, but not the most beautiful, Bang Saphan and surround are better

[sandrabbit]

Instead of going to Koh Samet, when you get to Ban Phe get a taxi to Laem Mae Phim which is about 35kms East of Ban Phe and you have very long beautiful beaches in the area and some nice sea food restaurants there, although the best one got burnt down a few years by a firework during new year celebrations. There is a regular songthaew service to Ban Phe & Rayong and it's extremely cheap plus nearby is a small port where you can get a ferry to the small islands nearby, can't tell you anything about them as I've never been to them. Warning it is extremely quiet and it's getting out of season. If you want it dry stay near Ban Phe & Koh Samet as this is the driest part of Thailand although the wife has told me we've had some rain recently. (I'm away working). If you've got the money the new Marriot between Ban Phe and Laem Mae Phim is stunning and on a lovely stretch of beach and nearby is a Novotel on the same stretch of beach. Again it's even quieter as there's almost nothing else there. If it does start raining Koh Samet's roads are a mudbath as they don't seem to spend any of the national park money on the infrastructure, having spent so much time on the island I don't think it's worth more than a few days stay unless you want to go right to the south of the island for peace and quiet.

[SiSePuede419]

Koh Rong, Cambodia. Like Thailand 30 years ago.

http://news.yahoo.com/serenity-now-beach-seclusion-off-cambodias-southern-coast-161651547.html

Is that far enough east for ya?

[shaurene]

Really depends. Retired in isaan but don't like to leave the house alone too long but otherwise no time restrictions. We were thinking train as a long way for us to drive. I'm thinking local seafood on the beach, swimming :-) you may be right though. I find most cities in Thailand hard to get around if you don't have transport obviously. I guess that's the beauty of the tourist areas

Have you tried Kho Chang, great beaches, easy drive down from KHON KAEN, I live in Khon Kaen. It is great to drive down and get the car ferry over and drive around the island many beautiful beaches to stop at or hire motor scooter.

[ICECOOL]

I like Bang Saphan because it has clean beaches and just a few bars and restaurants. On Saturday night one has live music. If you like a good breakfast try and stay at Larry's (Palm Garden Resort) 0844413633. There is a train station at Bang Sapan and Larry will arrange to collect you and drop you back. The other one I want to try is Ban Kut just north of Bang Saphan. Beaches are well kept with a number of resorts almost on the beaches.

[craigt3365]

One time we arrived by bus and had a scooter taxi take us to a hotel. Worked out great! Eventually rented a scooter for a few days so we could explore.

[mango66]

I know not the area I specified but maybe Koh Samet a better option for us and driveable from Chaiyaphum where we live. Looks like can avoid Bangkok and drive down through Korat. Anyone ever go this way?if you öive in Chayaphum,

go on some place in Rayong, yes Koh Samet - parking you have just close to the pier for some fee o.c. , not far as someone mention,

or you go down to Koh Chang, now is low season, so you will feel fine there; you just go by ferry with your car,

no expenses extra or hassle problems with renting scooter or car;;