Clean beach, nice town

[lookforzeros]

I live in Jomtien and quite like it here. There are some decent places to eat and I am an early riser so don't need nightlife. The thing I don't like about it is the state that the beach is in. From afar it looks like a beautiful beach, and it could be, but when you see it close up it's just full of litter.

I'd like to take a look at other beach towns around Thailand to see if I'd be happier living there. My girlfriend isn't keen on leaving Jomtien as she likes going to the malls in Pattaya and the anonymity of living in a tourist city.

Is there anywhere you could recommend taking a look at? Or are most beaches close to towns equally full of litter? Any advice is appreciated!

[Jingthing]

I was thinking about starting a thread about how FILTHY Jomtien beach is.

So thanks for bringing it up.

I don't understand why it isn't a priority to fix that.

Is it not cheap labor to clean up the beach?

Even if Thais don't want to do it ..

Anyway, good luck in finding a cleaner beach and town.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Jingthing

[stoneyboy]

The problem is in reality if you want nice beaches and the facilities such as malls and shopping then you will be hard pressed to find them in Thailand.

Good clean beaches can be found but mainly off the beaten track.

[CharlieH]

Just take a drive down from where you are, go explore the coastline, but as said above the less used the beach, the farther from the conveniences of the city you will be.

[MichaelJohn]

Stoneyboy hit the nail on the head.

If you want, nice malls, foreign style food and services then you need to be in a big town. Big town = dirty.

I've lived out of town and without the malls and facilities it's not tenable.

Huahin and Pattaya are popular foreigner destinations that have restaurants and a good expat life but they're both dirty.

[lonewolf99]

Almost Identical string to this topic posted back in 2010....things just get worse and worse here and certainly not any better.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/394876-any-clean-beaches-around-pattaya-far-from-sewers/

instead of anyone doing anything about the mess - the answer is always - go somewhere else that "might be a bit cleaner"....

All the seas are polluted to hell and gone. The world is then blinded by Global warming <deleted>.

It is like going into a teenagers bedroom and telling them to stop leaving the light on, put the TV off instead of standby, not to use the Game station so much and say nothing about the fact they have dropped all manner of food wrappers, carry out meals, soda cans and snotty/spunky tissues all over the floor.

Edited April 29, 2016 by lonewolf99

[lookforzeros]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Such a pity that people treat a beautiful country like a dump.

[losworld]

Bang Saray is better and close. Hua Hin is better I believe. Phuket is better. However, it blows the mind that a country with inexpensive labor can have such dirty polluted beaches with litter. Is it that the govt cannot see Thais being perceived as picking up after falang (although most litter is really from Thais) or is it that the budget has been eaten up by a new Mercedes? I can't fathom why this is the way it is. Vietnam is far cleaner in the tourist areas.

[Pdavies99]

Over the past few years, I have ridden my motor bike from Bangkok to the Cambodian border, I can assure you there are no clean decent beaches! I have been to virtually every beach!

Of course there are some deserted beaches with potential, but many Thais being what they are, light fires on the beaches at night, deposit there empty bottles and rubbish everywhere, and the beaches are filthy!

Then of course we have the madness with plastic bags.

In general I will say Hua Hin has some nice beaches and a pretty clean town etc, but even that is ruined with weekend traffic.

I think you may find some beach areas below Prachuip Kiri Kan and south maybe but this it!

Please update me by message should you find a nice beach!

Regards

Edited April 30, 2016 by Pdavies99

[Pdavies99]

Bang Saray is better and close. Hua Hin is better I believe. Phuket is better. However, it blows the mind that a country with inexpensive labor can have such dirty polluted beaches with litter. Is it that the govt cannot see Thais being perceived as picking up after falang (although most litter is really from Thais) or is it that the budget has been eaten up by a new Mercedes? I can't fathom why this is the way it is. Vietnam is far cleaner in the tourist areas.

Bang Saray I very much used to like, but now they have to put beach chairs on the road, as the beach sand has virtually washed away and they are dumping very large rocks and concrete to try and retain the sand.

[craigt3365]

I've been from the Cambodia border to Surat Thani on the Gulf side, including all the major islands. From Koh Lanta all the way around Phuket and up to Ranong. I've spent months driving around and exploring beaches. Looking for the "perfect" beach.

There are some great beaches. But they are in the middle of nowhere. Nothing to do, no shopping, few restaurants. Or, a relatively long drive to get to these types of facilities. The exception is Phuket, which has some great beaches. Especially those north of Patong. Khao Lak has great beaches, especially those north of town. But both are very touristy and a bit pricey.

It's not just the trash you see on the beach. It's the stuff they are dumping into the sea here. Not unusual to end up with a rash or infection after swimming in the sea. I don't understand why they don't care more for their environment.

Bang Saray might be a good option for you. Still not too far from shopping in Pattaya. Super crowded on weekends, with associated traffic....and getting worse. I've only seen one pretty good beach between here and the Cambodia border. Chao Lao. But mainly the northern section. South is just mud flats. And the beach is packed with hotels...and tourists...

[does]

I hear they are looking for volunteers. Interested?

I was thinking about starting a thread about how FILTHY Jomtien beach is.

So thanks for bringing it up.

I don't understand why it isn't a priority to fix that.

Is it not cheap labor to clean up the beach?

Even if Thais don't want to do it ..

Anyway, good luck in finding a cleaner beach and town.

[wabothai]

Looks like you have to choose between a clean beach or your girlfriend.

[little mary sunshine]

I never, ever go into the water in Jomtien, so filthy

And polluted and the beach stinks. Take the boat

To Koh Larn, clear clean water, beach is clean(for

Thailand). I enjoy the beach and go twice a week,

Entire day for B150. ( avoid Ta Waa Beach, over run

With Chinese these days, Samae Beach seems better)

[1FinickyOne]

This is all sad but true... reminds of the many threads where people want a secluded beach with lots of restaurants... and such - they just simply don't build shopping malls where there are few people...

So, it is sort of a slide rule situation, the further you get away from people and things to do, the cleaner will be the environment. Too bad we can't go back in time, even if just for the day.

[ToddinChonburi]

Bang Saray is better and close. Hua Hin is better I believe. Phuket is better. However, it blows the mind that a country with inexpensive labor can have such dirty polluted beaches with litter. Is it that the govt cannot see Thais being perceived as picking up after falang (although most litter is really from Thais) or is it that the budget has been eaten up by a new Mercedes? I can't fathom why this is the way it is. Vietnam is far cleaner in the tourist areas.

Bang Saray I very much used to like, but now they have to put beach chairs on the road, as the beach sand has virtually washed away and they are dumping very large rocks and concrete to try and retain the sand.

OH yes and the parking Mafia is hard at work charging you to park your car. Bang Saen has been totally over run with the same crap.

[ruddick]

I agree that it will be very difficult to find a clean beach anywhere near any large towns.

I think the problem with the beaches and the pollution in general can be put down to the fact that Thailand is not a developed country.

When I left the UK over thirty years ago the beaches and the sea were pretty bad. Over time they improved and I expect over time they will also improve here in Thailand.

Like everything else here the beaches and the environment will only be fixed by the Thai people and at a pace that they decide.

[laolover88]

A Mall on the Beach is a tall order! I agree Jomtiem is a dump; so where's better? Probably ChaAm/Hua Hin and in spite of its obvious disadvantages Patong because of the choice of beaches. I like Krabi and Trang but hardly allow a stroll to the beach at 06.00! Satun also, but the mosques would wake you up earlier there! Lamai on Samui? Bit short on Malls. I, too, like the early morning on a beach and I like to swim in warm sea; however we gave up on Thai seaside towns because of dirty beaches, dirty water, jellyfish and mass tourism. Also I need an airport though not a Mall! Now we walk by the river at dawn and dusk and have a swimming pool. Reasonable compromise-except of course for what I have written about us leaving.

[Kan Win]

Prachup Khiri Khan Town Bay

Win

[Colabamumbai]

Bang Saen Chonburi works for me, although gets many Thai tourists on the weekends. Ko Si Chang just off Sri Racha is beautiful and clean but I do not know if you would live there full time.

[ICECOOL]

I live in Hua Hin and prefer the beaches south. Ban Sapan has some decent beaches and small beach bars and Ban Groot has nice resorts opposite clean beaches also also. There is a nice coast road heading north of Chumpon and some interesting beaches. Some are rubbished but some ok.

[SattahipBri]

Bang Saray is better and close. Hua Hin is better I believe. Phuket is better. However, it blows the mind that a country with inexpensive labor can have such dirty polluted beaches with litter. Is it that the govt cannot see Thais being perceived as picking up after falang (although most litter is really from Thais) or is it that the budget has been eaten up by a new Mercedes? I can't fathom why this is the way it is. Vietnam is far cleaner in the tourist areas.

Bang Saray I very much used to like, but now they have to put beach chairs on the road, as the beach sand has virtually washed away and they are dumping very large rocks and concrete to try and retain the sand.

Yes a lot going on at the pier end of the beach and for now not very nice. Try the other end of the beach where the road bends towards Suk and there is a restaurant there that has chairs on the beach and they keep it clean.

[Khun Robert]

Living in Ao Nammao, small place close to Krabi Town.

There are beaches around, clean and non touristic but small drive out of the main beaches.

Ao Nang beaches are daily cleaned by hotel staff and Government staff.

Weekly extra clean ups by volunteers of Trash Hero (every Sunday), Department of National Park (every Thursday)

and monthly by Government, hotels, schools and volunteers under the name Keep Krabi Clean & Green.

[leggo]

​Contrary to what a lot of the posts imply - a town with shopping malls and hotels equals a dirty beach -UNTRUE - I first lived in Jomtien thirty years ago and there were two small bungalow type hotels on the beach, the Sugar Hut and Copacabana and it seemed like paradise - there was no construction from there all the way to Pattaya town . YET the beach was definitely not clean and the water at low tide was just horrendous -full of plastic bottles and rubbish probably washed down from the town. The Gulf of Siam has been in a serious state of pollution since even before then . The Chau Phrya river disgorging millions of tons of crap into the Gulf every year and unfortunately to find clean beaches in Thailand you have to go over to the Andaman side - the Gulf of Siam is like a big pond full of rubbish . Very sad and about 50 years too late to do anything about it!

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Pack the car, lock the door and take a road trip. When you find a place you think you may like, rent a place for a week or two and see how you like it.

[craigt3365]

The Florida gulf coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world that are used daily by many locals and tourists and are kept clean. As for Thailand, very difficult to find clean beaches. Such an easy job to make a morning cleaning but no interest as it takes a little effort and in the short term it doesn't make money. The sea of Thailand however has so much trash in it that even if a beach is cleaned daily it will still be trashed again after a few hours.

It's not just the trash that causes problems here. It's dumping of raw sewage and industrial waste into the waters that also causes problems. Down where I live, there are no sewage treatment plants. Factories just dump stuff into the storm drains.

[CharlieH]

Off topic posts removed.

the Op is interested in beaches around Thailand. NOT Spain/USA/Carribean/Australia/Vietnam or anywhere else.

Thank you.

[geriatrickid]

Stoneyboy hit the nail on the head.

If you want, nice malls, foreign style food and services then you need to be in a big town. Big town = dirty.

I've lived out of town and without the malls and facilities it's not tenable.

Huahin and Pattaya are popular foreigner destinations that have restaurants and a good expat life but they're both dirty.

Hua Hin has some of the cleanest beaches in Thailand. The water quality isn't the greatest, but none of Thailand's beaches are free of the blight of effluent and agricultural run off. Nahkon Si Thammarat has some of Thailand's most beautiful beaches but they are quite literally garbage dumps. Hua Hin offers many decent quality and affordable options for dining and shopping. The reality of Thailand's malls is that they all sell the same crappy products. Robinsons is Robinsons, Market Village is a small mall compared to those on offer in Pattaya, but it has all the same anchor tenants. There are other shopping areas in Hua Hin too.

Outside of Dec-Feb. Hua Hin's beaches are relatively empty. Best of all, they are relatively jet ski & parasailing free, although the obnoxious kite surfing schools behave as if they own certain parts of the beach.

Check out Hua Hin and see for yourself. I like it because it generally attracts a more emotionally mature and financially stable foreign crowd. Aside from the small redlight zone, trashy people are not evident.

[northernphil]

Try south of Hua-Hin , Pranburi . Lots of quiet beaches.

[Kan Win]

Hi Folks,

Should you wish to see some of Thailand's Beaches look no further than:-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/615420-lifes-a-beach-in-thailand/

in our Photo and Arts forum. Join in and post your photos if you so wish.

Welcome one and all.

Win