Eastern Thailand Travel Guide

Eastern Thailand is the stretch of Gulf coast closest to Bangkok, running from the industrial ports south of the capital down to the Cambodian border, and it is where Bangkok goes to the beach. The nearest resorts are two hours away by road, the furthest islands about five, which makes the east the easiest seaside escape in the country.

Pattaya is the big, brash resort, with high-rises, nightlife and the quieter beaches of Jomtien just south of the centre, plus day trips to the island of Ko Lan. For better sand, Ko Samet off Rayong has the closest good beaches to the capital and fills up at weekends.

Further east, Chanthaburi is a riverside town of gem dealers, French-era shophouses and fruit orchards, famous for its durian and mangosteen season from about May to July. The province of Trat leads to the greenest islands of the coast: big, jungle-covered Ko Chang, and the smaller, quieter Ko Kut, Ko Mak and Ko Wai, all with clear water and a far slower pace than the Andaman resorts.

The east is best from November to April, when the sea is calm. From about May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher seas, and some boats to the smaller Trat islands stop running, so check before you go.