Day 1 – Day Out in Ban Phe and Ko Samet from Rayong
Even if you do not have sufficient time to explore the secluded southern islands of Thailand, still you can visit the eastern beaches of Thailand not very far from the capital. I am certainly not reffering to Pattaya beach, which is not at all secluded, but Rayong province offers few beaches that are secluded and are within 200 km of Bangkok.
Hightlights of the Day
- Ban Phe
- Koh Samet – Diamond Beach
- Rayong night market
- Seaside dinner at Rayong seaside
Travel to Rayong
Minibuses leave every 45 minutes from Victory Monument, Bangkok to Rayong. I went straight to Victory Monument and below the BTS, there are minibuses lined up to leave for Rayong, Hua Hin, etc. I got the minibus that left around 7 AM and reached Rayong at around 11 AM.
Rayong President Hotel
The hotel is situated just 100 m away from the main Sukhumvit Road very close to bus station. I got a decent room with a small balcony with view, clean bathroom, TV, minibar, and aircon.
Rayong to Ban Phe to Koh Samet
A dark blue songthaew from the Rayong bus station to Ban Phe cost only 25 ฿, and reaches there in half an hour.
Food is inexpensive in Ban Phe, and definitely costlier in Koh Samet as the later is an island, and not connected by mainland. So I finished my lunch before taking the ferry to Koh Samet.
The beaches of Ban Phe are not very nice due to the pier that has ferries going to Koh Samet, but there are few beaches 3-4 km away from the pier, which are as nice as those of Koh Samet.I headed to the pier to get 100 ฿ round-trip ferry ticket for Koh Samet.
Koh Samet
The ferry took around 25 min to reach Koh Samet. At the port, there is a beautiful statue made of stone that welcomes tourists to Koh Samet.
Being a part of Khao Laem Ya-Mu Koh Samet National Park, you have to pay an entry fee of 200 ฿, but it is totally worth!
You should walk ahead to Hat Sai Kaew, commonly called Diamond Beach, and check out the beautiful crystal clear water – totally worth the entrance fee.
You can also enjoy water activities on the beach, for example, parasailing, banana boat, etc., though I opted for none and just relaxed by the beach.
After enjoying the sunset at the beach, I took the ferry back to Ban Phe from the Koh Samet port. Make sure the last boat is at 6 PM. Then the same dark blue songthaew took me back to Rayong bus station.
Rayong Night Market
There is a beautiful night market in Rayong not very far from bus station, where I enjoyed buying loads of fruits and veggies.
I took a motorbike taxi and asked him to take me to a seaside restaurant near the local beach of Rayong. The beach in Rayong was usually rocky, and it was a great experience to enjoy dinner in Thai-style sitting on ground with raised table-tops just by the sea.
I had to wave another motorbike taxi from the local seaside restaurant to go to hotel. After such a busy day, there was no doubt that I slept so well.
Day 2 – Rayong to Bangkok
After checking out from the hotel, and enjoying Thai delicacy for brunch there, I walked to the bus station and took the minibus to Bangkok. You can choose where you want to go – Ekamai bus station or Mochit bus station or Victory Monument. Remember, there are different minibuses for different destinations in Bangkok.
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN THB)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 1-2 in Thailand – Rayong.
- Bangkok to Rayong minibus (round): 400
- Hotel in Rayong (1 Night): 500
- Rayong to Ban Phe Songthaew (round): 50
- Ban Phe to Koh Samet Ferryboat (round): 100
- Entrance fee to Koh Samet: 200
- Food: 280
- Motorbike Taxi to Seaside Restaurant: 40
- Motorbike Taxi to Hotel from Seaside Restaurant: 40
- Miscellaneous: 100
Total expense (roughly): 1710 THB
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I like how you describe how to get to this beach from start to finish. It seems very easy to get to from Bangkok. I love the idea of the night markets and the beaches look beautiful!
Yes, Rayong is not so popular, but really nice.
Do they have quite Nonsmoking and pros.free hotel there?
Of course, they have.
This looks like a great destination in Thailand! I think I would love exploring the night market (though I’ll pass on the fried insects). 🙂 Glad you had a great time and a good night’s rest!
Yes, night markets are totally cool!
Wow, I love how often you travel and all the places you go to, Shreya. You seem to have seen a lot of SE Asia and Thailand, especially.
Yes Priya, I have been living in Thailand since 4 years now.
Thailand is still the place that is high on my wish list to go to, and now it got a couple of more stars to add to that, the water, the sand, the night-market, all seem just too good to pass up on
Yes, Matija, Thailand has it all.
I really miss Thailand after reading this post. I didn’t make it to Rayong, and what a shame! I love night markets in Thailand, they’re so vibrant!
Yes, it’s really so beautiful!
That statue at Koh Samet is huge – but also a little scary!! I haven’t been to this part of the world before, but I really want to go! It looks beautiful x
Have you ever been to any place in South East Asia? You would love it here.
I love that you showed the not so good parts of the Ban Phe beach! It’s refreshing to hear about some of the negative parts of the journey while travelling.
The night market also looks so fun! I love markets, but have never been to one at night, so that would really interest me:)
It’s always a mix, isnt so?
Good to know that there are beaches so close to Bangkok. I love the islands and the beaches in Thailand but these ones are new to me. Thanks for the details and will keep them in mind for my next visit.
Sure, you would love it there.
You sure gone into great detail about how to get to the beaches and what to expect. I never heard of Rayong beaches before (but I never been to Thailand) and would love to go there and see these for real.
Yes Danik, they are really beautiful.
Wow, the water is so clear at Diamond Beach. I can see why it’s worth the trip. I can just imagine the sounds and smells from the night market, but I am more of a mango sticky rice fan over fried insects but one definitely has more protein.
Protein need is just a complete myth, fruits give amino acids that are readily absorbed by our body to make new protein structures. So mango sticky rice wins any day!
Rayong sounds like a great alternative to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. It sounds easy enough to get to and it’s good to see how much it cost you. How relaxing to have a meal sitting on the floor with the raised table!
Exactly, the experience is just so cool.
This is great, we’ve ended up spending quite a bit of time in Bangkok over the last few years as we’ve used it as a base for visas and other things. We love the city but its nice to know there are some amazing beaches so close that are not Pattaya!!
Exactly, Thailand is way more than just Pattaya.
I am not much of a beach person unless there is snorkeling or diving involved, but the area sounds amazing, especially the Rayong night market. Though I am not sure I would be all too eager to try any of the fried insects. Hmmmm … well, maybe one.
The night market is lit.
I can’t believe how crystal clear the water is at Diamond Beach, wow! I’ve only been to Phuket but I enjoyed Thailand so much I would love to go back. If I did, I would totally take your suggestion to parasail. Having parasailed (and paraglided) before, I can only imagine the views I would have there in Rayong and the surrounding beaches!
Sure, you must visit this place.
I love how there are these pristine beaches all over Thailand all of them are unique in their own way. I had the opportunity to go to Rayong this year but couldn’t and now I see what I’ve missed. Lovely post.
There is always a next time, Ketki.
I have always seen Rayong on the map and wondered what it was like. I think there is a lot of industry and manufacturing there, but now I know they also have some beautiful beaches and islands. As much as I love Bangkok, it must’ve been really nice to get out of the city center and see a part of Thailand that isn’t defined by overtourism. Thanks for sharing, Shreya!
You are welcome, Kevin.