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The Chanthaburi Coast – a detour on the way to/from Bangkok

Ao Krathing, Chantaburi

The coastline around Chantaburi is popular with Thai visitors but still pretty much undiscovered by foreign tourists.   It’s similar to the beaches further west in Rayong or on the opposite side of the Gulf in Hua Hin  – with long causarina lined beaches with coarser sand than that found on islands.

There are a couple of main beaches  – Laem Sing and Chao Lao as well as some smaller bays either with just a few restaurants  – such as Ao Yang or nothing at all – e.g. Ao Krathing, which is a deserted beach with access by footpath and under the auspices of the National Park authorities.  Although it is free to enter.

If you are driving from Bangkok to Koh Chang and aren’t in a hurry then, a couple of kilometers past klaeng, at KM278 marker you’ll come to some traffic lights.  Turn off the main road here and follow signs for HTMS Prasae, the first stop on your coastline tour. You can then follow the 4036, a road which has been designated as a ‘Scenic route’ and has cycle paths along it’s 100Km length.   It’s a good road that will take you past some nice beaches and historical sights – which relate to the French occupation, over a couple of big bridges that span massive estuaries, past prawn farms and you can even find a spot with a few monkeys too.  You can rejoin the main road in several places – the furthest east being the small town of Khlung.

( You could also do it as a day trip from Koh Chang in a rental car or even by scooter if you were feeling adventurous.  But make sure you OK taking the vehicle off the island with the rental company first. )

I was planning on putting a Googlemap of the route here but it doesn’t have the 4036 marked and all the signs are in English as well as Thai.  You can’t really get lost.  The main thing to remember is Kung Wiman is the northern-most beach and Laem Sing is the southernmost.  So just follow the signs for those two and you can’t go wrong, when you want to get back to the main road, just follow signs for Sukhumvit Road, Klaeng or Chantaburi.

See  for good info about the area and places to stay.   And on Facebook, ‘Love Chantaburi‘ is worth checking out for regularly updated photos from the area.

( Pics aren’t so good as they were taken with my phone )

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Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers