Rayong

Things to See

Suen Sri Mueng
If you’re in need of some exercise or a place for the kids to run around then Rayong’s centrally located park is the perfect place. It’s probably the most functional public park I have ever come across in Thailand with loads of exercise apparatus including a basketball court and a multitude of kids play areas actually in working order and built on sand for safety. The grounds also house a well known traditional styled Buddhist Shrine called Phra Buddha Angkhirot.

Phra Chedi Klang Nam
A pagoda built at the mouth of the Rayong River, which used to signify to sailors that they had arrived in Rayong, the idea was borrowed from Samut Prakan Province where a similar pagoda was built at the mouth of the mighty Chao Phraya River. The surrounding area is lush with mangrove forests and during Loy Krathong in November there are special celebrations including long tail boat races.

Wat Lum Mahachai Chumphon
Also known as Wat Lum Market by locals because it is next to a local market selling Thai and Chinese food, the surrounding old houses give a sense of times gone by, opposite is the King Taksin Shrine where stands an ancient Parkia tree that is said to be where the king used to stable his elephant.

Wat Pa Pradu
Thought to be built in the Ayutthaya era this temple is famed for its 12 metre long reclining Buddha which reclines on its left side as opposed to the usual right side.

Out of Town

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhon Herbal Garden
An exceptionally beautiful garden covering around 60 Rai and featuring many trees and plants with free NGV powered buses for guided tours of the grounds. Inside the buildings are Thai and English speaking guides to explain the different educational zones that include animations, explanations of traditional herbal remedies, and other aspects of what this establishment is doing. The site also houses a restaurant, souvenir shop and inexpensive massage centre.
Admission: Free Call: 038 915 215 Closed Mondays

Lotus Crystal Factory
The only manufacturer of premium quality lead crystal stemware can be found in Nikhom Phatthana District and from Monday to Saturday guests are invited to tour the factory and witness the craftsmen blowing and shaping the molten glass into precision stemware. The company’s products are rated very highly among Western buyers with the prices comparing very favourably to their European counterparts. The showroom is open 7 days per week and also features ceramic tableware from other local producers at factory prices.
Admission: Free

Rayong Aquarium
Not the largest facility in the world but still a great place to spend an hour or so observing a healthy collection of sharks, turtles, small and large fish, and special section for dangerous sea creatures. On a good day the surrounding area commands some good views of the islands and shoreline of Ban Phe.
Admission: 20 Baht Closed Monday and Tuesday

Suphattra Land
An 800 Rai fruit orchard offering visitors a chance to familiarise themselves with Thailand’s many delicious fruits, a tram car guides you around the farm where you pick and taste the fruit. The best time to visit is in May and June when many of the fruits are in season.
Admission: 150 Baht

Sunthorn Phu Memorial
A Rayong native Sunthorn Phu also known as the ‘Peoples Poet’ is Thailand’s most famous bard and internationally recognised as one the world’s finest. In a time when poets were mostly noblemen or Princes, Sunthorn a temple educated commoner managed to captivate the people’s hearts with tales of romance, humour and hardship.The memorial is located where Sunthorn once lived and features a statue of him and characters from his poems which include the flute playing Phra Aphai Mani from his most famous work.

Rayong Beaches

Laem Charoen and Saeng Chan Beach
Had Saeng Chan is a popular place to stay as it is in easy reach of the city centre and the many luxurious hotels and residences offer very nice views of the beach and commanding horizon. Behind the Beach Road is a street packed with great restaurants and bars, while the adjoining Laem Chareon is a large fishing village with numerous seafood restaurants.

Phala, Phayun and Nam Rin Beaches
These three beaches which are all connected are located to the west of Rayong in Ban Chang District a popular residential area for expats, hence the number of golf clubs, upscale housing estates, country clubs, international schools, and alike. The beach is quite nice and suitable for swimming although the industrial estate to the left does spoil the view somewhat. However, it’s a nice spot for picnicking or fishing and there are restaurants and accommodation for all budgets.

Had Mae Rampueng
A 12 kilometre long beach around 10 kilometres east of the city with a huge variety of accommodation options, the beach itself could do with a bit of a clean up although there’s enough of it to find a suitable spot.

Suan Son
Suan Son is a peaceful beach popular with locals for relaxation because of the shade offered by the thousands of pine trees that line the beach and road. If you’re in Ban Phe and have some spare time then pop in the minimart opposite Ban Phe Pier and purchase some of their great fresh rolls, a slab of cheese and some cold cuts, and jump in a taxi to Suan Son.

Wang Kaew
From Suan Son to Wang Kaew and on to Laem Mae Pim you can find some of Rayong’s finest beaches, much of them totally undeveloped. Near the Novotel Colaria Rimphe Hotel the beach is very attractive with fine sand and nice water; we use this hotel as a reference because according to the hotel this beach has no name. Another popular place to visit is Suan Wang Kaew a pleasant landscaped park (suan) on a hill that stretches down to the water, an idyllic relaxation area and a top spot for watching the sunset

KOH SAMET

Whout doubt Rayong’s biggest tourist attraction Koh Samet, offers an array of stunning bays with truly white sands and crystal clear seas.
Located within the Khao Laem Ya-Mu Samet Island National Park the island enjoys a degree of protection and private cars are not permitted. Taxis, rented motorbikes and quad bikes are the way around, although the roads are terrible so drive with extreme caution.
To reach Koh Samet you must first travel to Ban Phe a fishing village around 20 kilometres from Rayong City, the seaside village itself is quite an interesting place although the competition between travel agents is fierce so some times the touts can be a little over imposing.
Admission to Koh Samet: Thais 40 Baht Foreigners 400

Koh Samet Bays & Beaches

Had Sai Kaeo is the most popular and busy beach but none-the-less still very beautiful, packed in like sardines are bars, restaurants, shops and hotels, with activities on the beach such as jet skis, windsurfing and banana boats. For more peaceful ambience walk south along the beach to Ao Hin Khok just passed the mermaid statue. Then following the coast south you will incur a series of heavenly bays starting with Ao Phai a fairly built up small but sublime bay, followed by Ao Pudsa and Ao Tubtim which is really one stunning bay with just a few resorts.Next is Ao Nuan a secluded rocky beach that offers great viewsback north from the high point above the beach, one small resort is perched on the hill. Then Ao Cho another picture postcard bay with a couple of nice looking resorts before you reach Ao Wong Duen a larger curving bay with something like 7 resorts to park yourself. Ao Thien is a visually striking bay that is broken up into 3 or 4 little beaches by rocky outcrops and as of yet is still fairly undeveloped, behind the beach and across the road is a nice viewpoint and very possibly a good fishing spot as well. Then a little further is Ao Wai another stunner but with just one resort very quiet, as are the rest of the bays continuing south including Ao Pakarung a coral beach with one luxury resort. Other bays and small resorts can be found to the north of the island with only one beach on the west coast called Ao Phrao, a pretty beach with only a few mostly high end resorts.