While Thailand’s capital city is a great place to live and work during the week, there’s no sense spending your weekend confined to your Bangkok condo. At only a three hour drive from Bangkok, Koh Samet (also spelled Koh Samed) is a small tropical island located on the eastern side of the gulf and is one of the most convenient yet exotic getaways for people living in the big city.
What is Koh Samet like?
Those who have travelled around Thailand may notice that Koh Samet attracts a slightly different crowd than many of the other islands, with fewer backpacker bohemians and more city people looking for a relaxing weekend getaway.
Although the island is in close proximity of Bangkok this is the only thing that the two locations have in common. The island is covered with pure white sand as soft and fine as flour and surrounded by clear ocean water. Meanwhile the interior is rugged, underdeveloped and laid back, making it seem like a much farther destination than a three hour dive.
Getting around:
Moving about the island can be done by walking barefoot along the beach or renting a four-wheeler to carry you over the bumpy dirt roads, all of which seem to be carved into the island’s abundant plant life. Or, you can always catch a ride from one of the green pick-up-truck tuk-tuks; just make sure you are prepared to duck your head from the trees hanging right above you.
Where to stay:
Koh Samet offers something for every type of traveller. If you’re looking for young people and night-life, Saikaew Beach has many lively bars, and is also one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. To be surrounded by nature, Ao Look Yon is a beach that belongs to the national park. Ao Prao is far away from all of the night-life and is thus the most serene beach and Ao Pakarang is one of the most culturally Thai areas on the island.
What to do:
During the day, Koh Samet offers every water activity you could want, from scuba diving to para sailing, nature walks through the national park, Thai massages and pedicures on the beach, as well as day trips to undeveloped nearby islands. After sunset, you can spend an evening enjoying shisha and a fire-show, enjoying the night-life at one of the bars or nightclubs on the popular beaches, or venture off to a quieter area and spend the night relaxing under a sky full of stars.
How to Get to Koh Samet from Bangkok
One of the best things about Koh Samet is that it’s so easily and cheaply accessible from Bangkok. You must first find over-land transportation to the Ban Pae ferry port, and from there you can take either the ferry or a private boat.
- Bangkok to Rayong, Ban Pae by Bus: The bus is your cheapest option, and conveniently leaves from the Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal and the Mochit Northern Bus Terminal every hour on the hour between 6 am and 5pm, another bus at 6:30pm and on Fridays an additional bus at 7:30pm. While the trip usually takes about three hours, the number of stops that the bus will make is always subject to change, so this may not be the best option if you need to get to Rayong by a deadline.
- Bangkok to Rayong, Ban Pae by Minibus: The perks of a minibus are that they leave from multiple places from the city, so may be more easily accessible depending on where you live in Bangkok (Victory Monument is always a good place to find a Minibus that will take you anywhere within driving distance). If you have a big group, it may also be more comfortable for you to source a private ride like this as well. This will be more expensive than the bus but you won’t have to make any additional stops, can control the air con, request stops, etc.
- Bangkok to Rayong, Ban Pae by Car: A car is usually the preferred option, so long as you have a competent driver (and access to a car). For the least difficult route, take Sukhumvit road/Route 3 eastward and right before you reach Pattaya switch to Route 34 going toward Chon Buri. Follow that until Route 34 turns back into Route 3. From Route 3 you’ll need to take a right at the big (but unmarked in English) intersection, onto Sukhaphiban 2 Rd. Follow that until the end, take a left and you will soon find the Ban Pae pier on your right.
Ferry and Boat From Ban Pae to Koh Samet
To get from Ban Pae to Koh Samet you have two options: You can take the ferry, which leaves regularly throughout the day up until 6pm. The ferry is very inexpensive, convenient and takes about 40 minutes.
If you arrive at Ban Pae after 6pm, you can take a private speedboat. If you take the bus, chances are that there will be a speedboat that can take everyone from the bus at once and will deliver you straight to the beach area you are staying in. This is a fun and novel way to reach the island, as the speed boat does not dock anywhere on the island. You’ll need to hold your shoes and your luggage as you wade off the boat and onto the beach. Please note that this may not be recommended if you are with young children, elderly or disabled people.
No matter how you get to Koh Samet or who you go with, the island is a place that everyone can enjoy. Where is your favourite weekend getaway from Bangkok? Share in the comment section below!
