From Pattaya to Paradise: Living in a tourist town on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard offers a multifarious choice of positive aspects. One can enjoy a vast array of facilities, events and features that no normal residential town can offer. The negative is that we have to share our haven with copious numbers of foreign tourists hell-bent on gaining the maximum amount of sun and enjoyment during their short sojourn.
Enjoying life in the Pratumnak area we are relatively shielded from the marauding hordes but one has to accept the good and the not so good! The highest season is from December through to the end of March with a peak over Christmas and New Year, when our sanctuary and condo buildings are virtually full. The traffic especially is tiresome, particularly the throngs of pale-skinned, shirtless motorcyclists who believe that they are invulnerable and make the most of Thailand’s relaxed driving regulations.
At this time of year, we either retreat into our burrows or escape! Just a one-hour leisurely drive along the Sukhumvit road one can find tranquillity and new discoveries in the Southern part of the Eastern Seaboard and the Rayong district.
Our brief sojourn took us first to Chong Samaesan Village where we could immerse ourselves in another world, sans tourists. The authentic and narrow streets of Chong Samaesan Village offer a rare(for the Eastern Seaboard) escape into the serene beauty of traditional Thai life. The fishing village is largely untouched preserving its charm and cultural roots.
The water, even in the harbour, is crystal clear and the nearby coral reefs attract many snorkelling and diving enthusiasts, however during our brief, mid-week visit in January, it appeared that most of the dive boats were idle. Set your GPS for the Shark Café. There is limited parking on the pier, but the nearby Wat Chong Temple offers plentiful space.
Shark Café is a cosmopolitan, relaxed coffee shop surrounded by dive and fishing boats. Excellent expresso with a choice of 3 roasts, set the scene for relaxation and we could feel our stress levels dissipate as we relished our coffees whilst letting the calm and scenic views wash over us.
Duly refreshed and at ease with the world, we drove up the hill to the viewpoint at the Wihan Luang Pho Dam Temple. Again, adequate parking on the quiet Monday morning. The temple is not overly impressive but the views to Ko Raet and over Chong Samaesan Village were quite charming. No high-rise buildings, just a hopscotch of irregular and colourful homes.
Following the coast road can be challenging in this region and one often has to head inland before returning to the relatively un-discovered beaches. Kinnaree Beach is totally uncommercialised with no facilities. However, our destination was Hat Napa Tharaphiron Beach located at the end of the U-Tapao airport.
U-Tapao was completed in 1966 to accommodate the B-52 Stratofortresses of the American Airforce for their devastating high-level blanket bombing raids on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It continues to be a military airport and maintenance facility. The first passenger terminal was completed in 2018 and there are now a growing number of regular and charter flights with further expansion planned.
To achieve our goal one has to drive to then then beyond the airport where the road ends in a loop at Hat Napa Tharaphiron Beach. As you arrive you are greeted by an old spotter plane and a relic of the past, a Douglas DC-3.
Hat Napa Tharaphiron beach is tree-lined, long and sandy. Very quiet during the week and beloved at the weekends as it allows camping on the beach even providing electrical connections. There are also shower/wc facilities and an excellent Thai beach restaurant that provided a pleasant meal and cold beers at a sensible price.
Now back to that DC-3. As I walked around the plane, I noticed a door and a hotel-type key in the lock. Upon enquiry we discovered that you can stay overnight in the plane as a homestay for just THB.1,200 per night. Naturally, we jumped at the chance. They have built an entrance porch and then there is still the original low entry into the plane itself. There is a lounge area, double bed, shower and wc. The highlight of this unique accommodation is the cockpit. Whilst all the original dials have been removed there is a photo replica which gives a very authentic feel. It is an extraordinary place to sit and watch the sunset. A few Changs did produce some rather ribald videos along the lines “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Chang speaking. I am delighted to welcome you all on the Chang Airlines flight to nowhere. We are flying at …. About 2 meters above the earth….”
It was a wonderful night, the bed was comfortable, the AC worked well and it was so quiet(apart from the take-off of a delayed 767 flight to somewhere obscure in Russia!). Whilst rather tired and cramped, the aircraft has been cleverly modified, retaining its original features yet creating a comfortable and highly memorable overnight accommodation.
The morning dawned beautifully and a long walk along the deserted beach created an additional cherished memory!
As U-Tapao and its military base extend along the beach and once again we had to head inland before returning to the sea at Phala Beach. The coast road here has become quite commercialised with buildings of different sizes obscuring the otherwise majestic sea views. After a rather disappointing coffee, a search revealed what looked like a lovely beach restaurant at Phala Pier.
Once again, a quiet fishing village, a narrow road to the harbour and hidden behind sheds, the rather lovely Phala Pier Beach restaurant. Superb fresh seafood, very reasonable price and just so comfortable to sit and watch the sea. Probably quite lively in the evening, especially at weekends, we were at the time, the only clients.
The character of the coast now starts to change as commercialism and developments become more apparent as one heads through Ban Chang towards Rayong. Here the landscape undergoes a dramatic change as one enters the Map To Phut industrial estates. Dominated by a massive refinery, petrochemical plants and a plethora of other industrial plants. While industrial and not really a pretty sight, what one can appreciate that this area is clean and the air clear.
Proceeding inland to rejoin Sukhumvit for a few kms, you can then plunge back towards the beaches at Suchada Beach and on to the rather unique beach concept of Moonlight Beach.
Rather than a long beach, the local council has created 47 crescent-shaped mini beaches. It is a most creative concept and I believe will be extremely popular in the future, once more beachside properties and facilities have been established. Despite its unique design, the majority of the ‘crescents’ have not been very well maintained and leave a sadly, desolate impression.
The Western end of the beach is more modern with several new developments while the Eastern end is more traditional with smaller homes backing on the Rayong River outlet. The end of this beach is a wide stretch of sand called Laem Charoen Beach. The Rayong River deserves additional research as there are many Mangrove swamps to be explored.
Again one has to head inland to Sukhumvit Road due to the extensive Industrial and Oil complex adjoining Rayong Harbour. We have often visited the Rayong area and heard about the size of these industrial complexes and the list of products manufactured here is vast. However, you are hardly aware that they exist as careful planning ensures that are well shielded from view and there are none of the unpleasant smells associated with industrial and petrol chemical plants!
We returned to the beach on road 1001 and then followed the coast through to Ban Phe. There is limited development on this stretch and will require a return visit to discover what is available/on offer.
We have never stayed in Ban Phe before as this is generally where we park the car and take the ferry to Soh Samet. We did find the charming Mac Garden Resort that offers a range of categories. We chose their traditional teak room and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.
Sadly the visit had to be cut short, due to a scam call and we had to return to Pattaya with haste. With all the bridges and flyovers on the main roads and motorways not completed, it took barely an hour to return to Pattaya
We have passed through this area on numerous times and even now, feel that there is a great deal more to explore to research a detailed article on Retiring in Rayong.
Naturally many Instagrammable pictures of my lovely travel companion!
