Bangsaen is the beach people in Bangkok know before any other on the eastern seaboard, because it is under two hours away by car. The shore road runs for several kilometres with restaurants, ring-hire stalls and deckchairs lined up along the whole of it.
What to expect
Bangsaen is not a quiet beach. Its appeal is the bustle, particularly at weekends and over long holidays when it stays packed all day. For open sand, come on a weekday or before ten in the morning.
The water is not island-clear — this is the inner Gulf, close to river mouths — so most people come to eat seafood by the sea and paddle in the shallows rather than to swim out or snorkel.
How the deckchairs work
The beachfront restaurants set out chairs and umbrellas, and the seat comes with ordering food and drink from that particular stall. Ask the price before you sit, and order from the operator whose chairs you are using rather than the one next door.
Getting there
- 1.5–2 hours from Bangkok via the motorway or Sukhumvit Road
- Vans and buses run from Mo Chit and Ekkamai to Chonburi town; take a songthaew from there
- Beachfront parking fills early at weekends
- Nong Mon Market is about 10 minutes away and makes an easy stop on the way home