Rayong Province

Introducing Rayong Province

Almost every visitor to Rayong Province, 200km southeast of Bangkok, comes for a beach getaway on sunny Ko Samet. Travellers will rarely have to stop in the region's capital, as there is a regular bus service from Bangkok to Ban Phe, the ferry port to Ko Samet. We don't want to discourage you from contributing to Rayong town's tourism industry, but besides the bus station and a few barking dogs, your precious vacation time is better spent elsewhere.

The quaint fishing village of Ban Phe has managed to remain small despite its ferry monopoly. Should you decide to blaze your own tourist trail, this seaside shantytown is also the jumping-off point to several lesser-known beach destinations in the area. The province actually has over 100km of coastline, but the lack of tourist development and transport infrastructure means that most of these beaches have slipped under the tourism radar. From Ban Phe, sŏrng·tăa·ou can take you along the coast to the 'resort towns' (and we use that term lightly) of Laem Charoen, Laem Mae Phim, Hat Sai Thong and Hat Mae Rampeung. Ferries from near Ban Phe go to private resorts on the secluded islands of Ko Man Klang and Ko Man Nok; advance bookings are highly recommended.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009