Southeastern Thailand

Introducing Southeastern Thailand

Welcome to the past, present and future of tourism in Thailand. Pulsating and brazen, Pattaya is where the Thai tourism miracle began a few short decades ago, and legions of visitors continue to be lured by its addictive grab-bag of sun-drenched hedonism and tacky twilight. The island getaways of Ko Samet and Ko Chang showcase the present, as their humble backpacker origins are overlaid with a glossy patina of flashier resorts: on busy weekends and public holidays, local travellers join Bangkok expats to commandeer the sunlight and the limelight. Just a zippy speedboat ride from rugged Ko Chang, tiny islands like Ko Wai and Ko Mak flag the future, as pioneering travellers join Thai tourists who’ve known about these pristine getaways for years.

And the change is ongoing. Sultry Pattaya is trying to reinvent itself with a family-friendly face. Development proceeds on Ko Chang, but amid the new luxury spas and poolside bars, it remains a breeze to escape to the island’s rugged jungle interior and reassert your sense of adventure.

Beyond the coastal and island extremes of Southeastern Thailand, other less-visited treasures often struggle to be heard above Pattaya’s nocturnal preening and the buzzing banana boats of Ko Samet. The spirit of old Siam lingers in the quiet backstreets of Trat and on Sri Racha’s ramshackle piers, and Chanthaburi’s intriguing history is as precious as the sapphires and rubies traded at its weekly gem market.

And while the region’s national parks (including Khao Chamao/Khao Wong and Khao Khitchakut) are among Thailand’s smallest, there’s more than enough hush and diversity on offer to counter the part paradise/part pandemonium contrast of elsewhere in the region.

Last updated: Jun 18, 2009