The eastern seaboard of the Gulf of Thailand

The main purpose of this trip consists in exploring the coastal seaside between Rayong and Chanthaburi. This was still a missing link on my trips of discovery in Thailand

DAY 1 – 27/03/2016 : Bangkok to Klaeng & Laem Mae Phim Beach. 210Km / 4h30.

BKK to Centara Q Rayong

Despite being on a Sunday morning, leaving Rachada at 5:00am, the driving took much longer than expected. First of all, there was a heavy traffic on the expressway towards Pattaya. They have installed a new toll system in which you first take a card and turns it in at your exit point. The effect is that it slows the traffic at both ends. Then, after Chonburi, the connecting road to Klaeng is currently under renovation, which in turn slows the traffic down. Further on was fine, but I only got to my first beach destination by 9:30am, stopping once to refill the tank and take another coffee.

Centara Q Resort

The Centara Q Resort**** is a fine 4-star hotel, having its own private sandy cove. As it is standing on a small hill above the sea level, its main inconvenience is the number of stairs you have to climb down and up to get to the swimming pool or the beach. My room was not available until 11:00am. But they had provided me with a superb corner room on the top 7^th floor of the property. The sea view from the balcony was truly awesome.

View from 7F-balcony

This hotel is located at the tip of a small cape, having a fishing harbor on the left nearby side. Today's weather was not exactly the best; it was partly cloudy and quite windy, causing the sea to be quite rough. I did got into the sea for a while despite the heavy waves. Fortunately, the infinity pool of the property was a nicer alternative.

Ao Kai Beach, Rayong

This cove is called Ao Khai. There are a couple of local restaurants with seafood just by the beach. When I first came to the beach, I kind of liked the place as being secluded and cozy with very few people on it. But then later, I discovered that the upper edge of the beach was totally littered with garbage ! [Read my other report on Ao Khai]

In the afternoon, I drove to Laem Mae Phim Beach. It is less than ten minutes away. I had read it

Laem Mae Phim

was a much better alternative than say Jomtien Beach, near Pattaya. I was quite disappointed. First, as it was on a Sunday, it was heavily populated with locals favoring picnics by the beach. The whole area looked not well-frequented nor attractive. There is a long stretch of sand but at high tide, it is really narrow. I drove further on to another resort area, which I also found low-scaled.

After being back to the Centara Q Resort, I jogged Ao Khai beach, swam in the pool and used the fitness center.

I had dinner by the beach at the same restaurant I went to for lunch, then enjoyed the rest of the evening with all the amenities provided in my room

Ao Khai Beach, Rayong This is where the Centara Q Resort, a 5-star hotel, is located at the eastern end of Rayong province. It is a most beautiful sandy cove totally invaded by the human garbage of all kinds going from plastics to bottles and condoms ! What a shame ! I came to Thailand because I love this country. It is absolutely revolting to see what humans can do to our Mother Earth ! ...And please, include everybody, farang tourists as well as Thais ! I am sure many of my Thai friends would agree with me...Why not clean this mess ? WHERE are the soldiers, the school children, the students, the volunteers ? Someone needs to be blamed for keeping this mess. Something can be done - must be done - to get rid of this disgraceful sight. I am hoping that this will stir a reaction and that this beach can be entirely cleaned, knowing that tourists from all over the world visit this place. To the Thais, it is not simply your country. It is our Mother Earth. It belongs to all humans. Pic.1- first sight Pic.2 - later view

DAY 2 – 28/03: Ao Khai, Rayong to Chaolao Beach, Chanthaburi. 60km / 1h10.

Rayong to Chaolao

There was a storm during the night and the morning was humid and very hazy. So I did not really feel like going back to the beach or the swimming pool.

Fortunately, the breakfast buffet was a real great serving real juices and coffee, for once with an array of other delights satisfying most Asian and Western tastes.

I spent the whole morning to relax at the hotel and left around midday to my second beach destination. I used country roads to drive towards Chanthaburi. This area has many waterways and swamps. All the roads were good with very little traffic, which is always good for driving.

I reached Chaolao Beach after 1:00pm and went straight to the Saint-Tropez Beach Resort Hotel***. Very little English is understood here at the reception: a clear sign that not many foreigners patronize this place. The resort is modern,

Saint-Tropez Resort, Chaolao Beach

clean and quite comfortable although is is only a 3-star hotel. But is is right on the beach with a wonderful pool having a jacuzzi. I managed to get a lower room overlooking the pool and having a partial view of the Gulf of Thailand.

The beach is small and the waves don't allow much swimming. Moreover, there is a very strong current that makes it difficult to get back to the beach. At least, this beach looks cleaner than Ao Khai's.

I drove around to explore Chaolao. It looks more upscale than Laem Mae Phim Beach, but on a

Beach café

weekday – even during the picking season – it looks a bit deserted and totally deprived of any foreigners. There is a cape on the eastern side with a nature trail. However, most of the attractions are on the western side near St.Tropez resort. There's a nice public beach that provides shade under the

Hat Laem Sadet beach

tall trees. It is called Hat Laem Sadet. There is also a very interesting aquarium (free entrance) with many tropical fishes, including reef sharks and eels. There are also a beach café where I sat for a while to enjoy the view.

At the aquarium

I left the other attractions for the next day as I'll be there the whole day tomorrow. In the evening, I drove to Chaolao village to get a place to eat and there are many.

Saint-Tropez beach resort at sunset

DAY 3 – 29/03: Chaolao Beach, Chanthaburi.

Easy-going day starting at 7:00am with a breakfast that has nothing to do with the Centara Q Resort. The morning is partly sunny, so I go to the beach for a while. To my surprise, they were cleaning the garbage on the sand. The waves were still too strong to be able to stay in the water long. So, I go to the swimming-pool for a while and dry up in the sun.

Sea turtle

I left the hotel after 9:00am and drove to the other side of the peninsula on the Kung Krabaen Bayside. I visited the Sea Farming Demonstration Unit. There is much information but they are all in Thai. One tank was filled with sea turtles. It is interesting to see that this region is doing a lot to preserve its natural heritage. After that, I went back to my favorite coffee shop at Hat Laem Sadet beach and went all the way down this side of the cape to an unusual and uninteresting temple. The Bayview was good from this vantage point.

I had planned to spend the rest of the morning at the Kung Krabaen Bay Mangrove conservation trail. It was a fascinating hike on a boardwalk across the entire mangrove. Again, there were many explanations but they were only in Thai. The walk includes rest spots and a tall view tower that overlooks Kung Krabaen Bay, where apparently a colony of dugongs lives. This trail reminded me of the Everglades, in Florida. It's quite long but really worth seeing it all as most of the time you are in the shade of the mangrove forest. 

Kung Krabaen Bay seen from the mangrove viewpoint

Boardwalk

I had a light lunch by the sea at the Jungle Bay Resort. I visited their lovely jungle garden with a slight Balinese touch. The reception has three cages : one with an enormous yellow python, another one with two parrots and one keeping a small monkey.

Later in the afternoon, I drove on to explore the coast towards Trat and the far away, visible Koh Chang.

I went back to the Jungle Bay Resort for a nice seafood Thai dinner. 
--> Mangrove Forest at Kung Krabaen Bay

Beach dining at Jungle Bay Resort

Yellow python

--> Exploring the Chanthaburi Coast
DAY 4 – 30/03: Chaolao Beach to Jomtien Beach. Dep.7:00am/arr.2:30pm. About 210km.

Chaolao to Rayong

Another gloomy day starting with breakfast at 7:00am. I left the resort at about 7:30am not knowing exactly where I would go next ! My main intention was to keep exploring the eastern seaboard while driving on the way back towards Bangkok. I first drove on the same lovely country road I came on before as far as Highway 3, which I did not really like since it was busy with traffic. I had planned to go to Rayong first. So, I left Highway 3, to take another country road towards the coast past the Novotel, Rayong. I continued as far as Rayong pier, in front of Koh Samed, where I had been before. I had coffee there. Then I wanted to explore the peninsula and drive along the coast as much as I could. After Rayong pier, there is a long, shaded sand beach that looked nice and quiet on this weekday. Apart from that, the whole area proved to be a disappointment. First, it is quite an urban area including many factories and

Jomtien Beach

also a prime military and marine zone with restricted entries to the coast. So finally, I ended up in Jomtien Beach, which by the way, has quite a nice long sandy beach fringed with palm trees and pines. The only drawback is that this place is too commercial for my taste.

My best time was this beach restaurant called BB-House, where I went for dinner to chill out. The Thai owner was quite friendly and we started chatting off. I ordered one of my favorite Thai dish Tom Kai Gai (coconut milk chicken soup) with steamed rice and a wonderful glass of South-African red wine recommended by the owner. On top of that, they had a live band of western music. Dinner at a reasonable price for 400THB.

BB-House, Jomtien Beach

DAY 5 – 31/03: Jomtien Beach back to Bangkok Rachada. Dep.11.00am/arr.1.00pm, door to door:135km.

A quiet morning in Jomtien with another hazy day in perspective. I went back to BB-House for an American breakfast, served with good complimentary coffee, toast and yogurt (for 170THB).

Lots of trucks and automobiles on the turnpike to Bangkok, mostly on the first half of the trip. I chose to get to Bangkok after midday, knowing that the traffic would be lighter.

***

This trip was not exactly what I expected on the beach side. But at least now, I have a good vision of the eastern seaboard, including the islands of Koh Chang (and Koh Kud), Koh Samet and Koh Larn, where I had been before. The highlights of this trip were first the Centara Q Resort, the various sights of Hat Laem Sadet Beach and, in particular, the mangrove conservation trail there.

Christian Sorand

Beach at Saint-Tropez Resort at Chaolao Beach, Chanthaburi

Colorful resort on Kung Kraeben Bay, Chanthaburi

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