Chonburi province

Located about an hour's drive from Bangkok Chonburi is one of the provinces that is most economically developed in the country after Bangkok. The main industries for the province's more than one million inhabitants is shipping, manufacturing, logistics and tourism.

Chonburis coast line against the Thai Gulf ishosting both sandy beaches and and one of the country's major ports. The inner parts consists of fertile plains and produce agricultural products.

Cities

Bang Saen

Bangkoks nearest beach resort is situated by the Thai Gulf only an hour by car from central Bangkok. The town is a pleasant experience with a nice promenade, many restaurants and some level of shopping.

Si Racha

Additional 10 km south of Bang Saen is Si Racha. The city is considered to serve Thailand's best seafood and is also known for its spicy fishsauce and one of the world's largest zoological gardens for tigers.

Kho Si Chang island directly off the coast is a pleasant excursion and well worth visiting. It offer you a small town, interesting limestone caves, a Chinese temple and decent bathing facilities.

Pattaya

This well-known resort town is about 130 south of Bangkok. The city has roughly 200,000 registered citizens plus a large number of Thais who work in Pattaya but is registered in their home towns.

Long-term housing foreigners are not included in this figure. During high season the number of residents multiply making the local business circle mainly around tourism.

From fishing village to tourist paradise
From being a sleepy fishing village in the early 60's Pattaya has developed into a crowded beach town with plenty on the menu. Here is a wealth of restaurants from all corners of the globe.

Shopping comes in all forms, from street vendors to large department stores. As it should be in a coastal town a visitor will also find water activities such as jet-ski, diving, deep sea fishing, waterslides.

Notorious night life
Of course, there is also nightlife in the form of a multitude of bars, clubs and discos. The same applies to prostitution that historically has done Pattaya notorious. Authorities have improved the situation last few years and the situation today can be compared with that in Patong in Phuket.

The high concentration of inhabitants and tourists in the region has also a downside with serious traffic problems and a somewhat soulless town.

Jomtien

Vaguely separated from Pattaya only by a headland the two places has grown together. The main attraction here is the five kilometers long beach, well-known for its excellent conditions for windsurfing. Somewhat simplified, you could say that Jomtien is like Pattaya but not as much.

Bang Saray

Just south of Jomtien you will find this gem. For a long time a fishing village now popular with Thai tourists seeking relaxation. Bang Saray is known for its fishing fleet and fabulous seafood restaurants. In recent years the village has been discovered by foreign tourists who want to live in the real Thailand but still have proximity to Jomtien and Pattaya's huge range of shopping, dining and entertainment.

In Bang Saray you will find services such as 24 Hour 7-Eleven, shops, ATMs and both foreign and domestic restaurants.

Sattahip

Continue south from Jomtien and you will soon reach Sattahip. Best known for having Thailand's largest naval base and home port for the country's only aircraft carrier. Despite the military presence in Sattahip the city has retained its charm as a small fishing community. In their presence the beaches in the area are clean and quiet.

International airport
Near the border of Rayong in southeastern Chonburi you will find the commercial airport U Tapau. Served daily by flights to and from Phuket as well as some international destinations such as Moscow.

Golf

Chonburi is considered the best province in the country for golfers. As an example you have 20 well-designed courses within just one hour from Jomtien. Many have 27 holes, all offer excellent service at reasonable prices.

Good facilities are Laem Chabang Country Club, Phoenix Golf & Country Club, Amata Spring
Country Club and Burapha Golf Club.

Check player reviews
Visit our [golf couse page(/en/about-thailand/golf) where you will find more information including ratings of courses in Chonburi and Rayong.