Island Vibes: 3 Best Islands within Easy Reach of Bangkok

As great and as limitless as Bangkok is, you don’t have to spend your entire stay confined to the big city. There are numerous day trips that are worthwhile and easy excursions beyond the capital. And in the Gulf of Thailand, there are several great islands you can visit in the span of a day, to see a different side of Thailand and take in some of the beautiful nature which abounds there.

So what are the 3 best islands you can visit within easy reach of Bangkok? They are:

• Koh Si Chang
• Koh Lan
• Koh Samet

Each of these islands is to the southeast of Bangkok, and are either off the shores of Pattaya or not far from them. Even if you don’t plan on staying overnight in Pattaya, you could depart Bangkok on the 3-hour ride to Pattaya in the morning, visit one or a few islands, and be back in Bangkok for dinner.

Koh Si Chang

Getting There

From the mainland, Koh Si Chang is accessed via ferry from Si Racha, which is a waterfront town between Bangkok and Pattaya. Si Racha is about a 2 hour ride from Bangkok. The trip can be done in 3 steps:

1. Bangkok to Si Racha by bus, minibus or taxi – Your best bet is to make your way to either the Mo Chit Bus Terminal or Ekkamai Bus Terminal in Bangkok. Go to the ticket window and say “Sawadee krup. Si Racha, krup,” if you are a man, or “Sawadee ka. Si Racha, ka,” if you are a woman, and that should do the trick! The fare will run you the equivalent of a few dollars. If you prefer a little bit higher-class transport, there are minibuses available for a bit more money. And of course, you could always take a taxi, but you can expect that to cost you upwards of $50.
2. Si Racha bus stop to Koh Loy-Koh Si Chang Ferry Port – This is a cheap and quick trip, best accomplished via tuk-tuk or taxi. Should cost you a few dollars at the most.
3. Ferry to Koh Si Chang – The boats leave every hour, they take about 40 minutes to get to the island, and cost 50 baht (less than $2).

What to Do in Koh Si Chang

Koh Si Chang is great for the laid back atmosphere and beautiful environs, has a beach that can satisfy, good food, and also some interesting temples and historical sites to explore. Let’s take a look at the top choices of things to do on your excursion:

• Tourist Service Center – We’ll start you here because it makes logical sense to check it out first and pick up any information they have that you might find useful.
• Tham Phang Beach – The best sandy beach on the island. Due to its nearness to Bangkok, and being just off-center from the main shipping lanes up into the Chao Phraya River and Bangkok, the eastern shore of Koh Si Chang has a port with significant shipping activity. Tham Phang Beach is on the southwest shore of the island, and has a proper beach set-up with food available and decent swimming. Again, due to the location and activity surrounding the island, trash is known to wash ashore, particularly at high tide. It’s no different than any beach directly outside any megalopolis in this respect.
• Laem Chakrapong – This is a cape just north of Tham Pang Beach. It is a beautiful rocky place to go fishing or get some photos of the amazing Thai sunset.
• Kuan Yin Shrine – Kuan Yin is the Thai name for the Chinese goddess of mercy, and this shrine is at the bottom of a hill just outside the temple which is one of the main tourist attractions on the island, so it is worth stopping by. We can all use a little mercy in our lives.
• Chao Pho Khao Yai Temple – This is the tourist attraction of which we just spoke, a Chinese temple from the Ming Dynasty. It is a major destination for Chinese tourists in Thailand, who by far make up the largest portion of visitors to the Land of Smiles each year. It is up the hill, on a cliff, with great views of the mainland and lots to explore in its halls and on its grounds.
• Buddha’s Footprint – The access to this spot is just as you begin your ascent to Chao Pho Khao Yai. It, too, is a scenic overlook with a golden pagoda and great views. There is a small lake which is known as the Buddha’s Footprint, and a shrine. It is customary to ring the bell at the shrine 3 times to announce your arrival.
• Summer Palace of Rama V – Interestingly, if you happen to visit Vimanmek Mansion at Dusit Palace in Bangkok, you will be visiting the original Summer Palace of Koh Si Chang. Originally constructed on the island in 1892, this magnificent octagonal structure was disassembled, transported to Bangkok, and reconstructed there in 1900. The other buildings within the island compound have been restored, and you can visit them, as well as still see the remnants of the original building. The grounds and gardens and beaches are beautiful.
• The Bell Stone – Have you ever heard of lithophones? If not, at first you may not believe your eyes or ears. Lithophones are rocks which ring like a bell – or to my ear, like a xylophone – when you hit them with another rock or hard object. And that is what the Bell Stone is at Koh Si Chang. If you hit it with a rock, it will ring.
• Wat Tham Yai Prik – This is a pretty cool, hillside temple with a big golden Buddha, lots of other statues and some interesting grounds to explore.
• Khao Noi – This is another location with some really great views of the seascape and the land beyond.

There are some other activities available on Koh Si Chang as well, such as fishing, kayaking, and snorkeling, for which you are able to rent the requisite equipment. There are lots of small shrines and temples you can visit to get a taste of the quieter, more provincial lifestyle lived by the millions of Thais beyond Bangkok, and maybe pick up a blessing or two. And there are a number of caves available to explore.

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Koh Lan – Coral Island

Getting There

There are ferries which run regularly from Pattaya to Koh Lan, and there are also speed boats which can transport you there faster. If you’re staying in Bangkok, there is a 3-step trip which begins for you there:

1. Bangkok to Pattaya by bus, minibus or taxi – this is pretty easy, since the trip from Bangkok to Pattaya is a highly-trafficked route. Pick up a bus at the Mo Chit Bus Terminal or Ekkamai Bus Terminal in Bangkok. The fare will run you just a couple of dollars. As with the trip to Si Racha to get to Koh Si Chang, you could opt instead for a minibus at the bus terminals. And again, a taxi is an option if you don’t mind spending a lot more money. The ride will take you about 3 hours.
2. Pattaya Bus Stop to Bali Hai Pier – take a tuk-tuk or a cab for a few dollars.
3. Ferry or speed Boat from Bali Hai Pier to Koh Lan – the ferries run regularly, cost 50 baht (less than $2) and take about 50 minutes, whereas the speed boats cost around 300 baht (roughly $10) but can get you to the island in about 25 minutes. Once there, you’ll need to catch a ride to wherever you are going on the island.
4. Alternative – depending on your hotel, you may be able to book a pre-packaged tour that will take care of you and get you to Koh Lan without much thought needed on your part.

What to Do in Koh Lan

There are seven beaches from which to choose on Koh Lan. All combined, there are lots of water activities to take advantage of. Koh Lan’s eastern shore is more built-up with hotels, resorts and restaurants, and not beachy, so you’ll be traversing the island to hit the beach.

• Eat Seafood – Along the eastern coast of the island, around the pier where you will first make landfall, there are lots of options for fresh seafood.
• Nual Beach – The southernmost beach on the island, populated with monkeys. There is a restaurant/bar here as well, called Mokiza.
• Samae Beach – Moving clockwise from Nual Beach, Samae beach is the largest beach on Koh Lan and sits on the west coast. There are numerous restaurants on and around Samae Beach. Did we mention there is a lot of seafood on Koh Lan?
• Samae Koh Lan Viewpoint – On a point just north of Samae Beach is a viewpoint with some excellent views that are worth a few photographs.
• Tien Beach – Continuing clockwise, Tien Beach is just north of the Samae Koh Lan Viewpoint. Again, you will find several restaurants here.
• Sang Wan Beach – On the west side of the island, Sang Wan Beach has a northern exposure to the water. It’s a smaller, quieter beach with the Thaihouse Beach Resort just behind it and one restaurant, Restaurant Italay.
• Tawaen Beach – On the northern coast of the island, just east of Sang Wan Beach, Tawaen Beach is the second-largest beach on Koh Lan. It is loaded with restaurants, hotels and resorts. We really, really hope you like seafood!
• Tong Lang Beach – This beach is fairly small, but beautiful. It is found if you continue north on the island.
• Ta Yai Beach – The northernmost beach on the island. It is also a good deal smaller than Samae Beach and Tawaen Beach, and word on the street is that it is less crowded than the other beaches. On the weekends, however, you are likely to find all the beaches well-populated.
• Kuan Yin Temple – If you’d like to get off the beach for a while, take a trip up into the hills and check out the Kuan Yin Temple. The view from here is the most unobstructed – and possibly the most beautiful – on the whole island.
• Buddha’s Footprint – If you continue on the same road that the Kuan Yin Temple is on, you will arrive at another viewpoint with a small temple.
• Wat Yai Samraan – Very near the pier where you first arrive, Wat Yai Samraan is a small but very beautiful Buddhist Temple.

At the beaches, there are many water sports available, such as jet ski rental, banana boat rides, parasailing, snorkeling and SCUBA diving. The water is particularly beautiful for these last two activities, and there is lots of cool coral to check out just offshore. For off-beach enjoyment, you could rent a scooter and zip around the whole island, or hire a taxi to take you on a tour. If all the peace and tranquility becomes too much, there is also a shooting range on the island, where you can make lots of noise.

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Koh Samet

Koh Samet is becoming a more and more popular tourist destination. The weekdays can be fairly chill, but Koh Samet is heavily-visited on the weekends. It is a very fun destination. The majority of the island is actually a national park, so there are strict rules pertaining to maintaining the cleanliness of the island. There are many accommodations on the island, some of which are 5-star luxury resort, for those who wish to stay the night or longer.

Getting There

It is a bit of a hike to get to, but Koh Samet’s white sand beaches – which are plentiful in number – begin to approximate the natural beauty that is found at Thailand’s most famous beaches and islands much farther to the south of the capital. This trip can be done in 2 or 3 steps, depending on your mode of transport:

1. Bangkok to Sri Ban Phe Pier in Rayong, by bus, minibus or taxi – This trip has a similar start to the other two islands. Go to Mo Chit Bus Terminal or Ekkamai Bus Terminal in Bangkok, and it is about a 4 hour ride. Both are still pretty cheap despite the distance. If you leave from Ekkamai Bus Terminal, there is a bus that will take you directly to Sri Ban Phe Pier. If you leave from Mo Chit Bus Terminal, you will be able to get a bus to Rayong and then take a taxi or songthaew (sort of a pick-up truck taxi) to the pier. You could instead opt to take a minibus from Mo Chit, and it is not much more expensive. And again, if you want to splurge, you could take a taxi. This option, however, may prove difficult to negotiate if you don’t speak Thai. The driver will probably want to turn off the meter for a journey of this length and charge you a flat rate, and you don’t want to get ripped off. A price of 2500 baht (about $83) would be reasonable.
2. Ferry or speed boat from Sri Ban Phe Pier to Koh Samet – Again, if you take a bus from Mo Chit, you will have an intermediate step, which is to get a ride to the pier from Rayong. Once at the pier, you have a number of choices for where you get dropped off on the island. If you haven’t done a ton of research or made specific accommodation arrangements that require you to arrive elsewhere, the drop-off that makes most sense is Nadan Pier. The ferries cost 70 baht (approximately $2), whereas speed boats run around 300 baht (approximately $10). Also, please note that since the island is within a national park, you will be required to pay an entrance fee. As with all sites of national interest, the price is higher for foreigners than for Thai citizens. The fee is 200 baht for adults, and half-price for children.

What to Do in Koh Samet

Koh Samet has bars, restaurants, accommodation and beaches galore. You can pay for a ride if you want to, but you can literally walk south from Nadan Pier into the most developed part of the island, and if you keep walking for 10 minutes, you will arrive at the most popular beach on the island.

• Koh Samet Tourist Information Center – On your short trip south from the pier, you will pass the Koh Samet Tourist Information Center on the right. It would be worth a stop to see what information you can pick up, to help you decide how to spend your stay.
• Sai Kaew Beach – This is the largest, most popular beach on Koh Samet. There are lots and lots of restaurants up and down the beach, and all manner of water sports and cruising to entertain you.
• Ao Phai Beach – A smaller beach, but not tiny. Also loaded with eateries and nightlife options, while at the same time quieter than Sai Kaew Beach.
• Ao Thapthim/Phutsa Beach – A small, serene beach with good snorkeling and kayaking.
• Ao Nuan Beach – One of the more isolated coves on the island, this is an idyllic piece of paradise, with some interesting bungalows to stay in if you are looking for accommodation, peace & quiet.
• Ao Cho Beach – Little going on here as far as eateries and nightlife. However, there are fantastic conditions for swimming in this beautiful beach’s crystal waters.
• Ao Wong Duean Beach – Second in size only to Sai Kaew Beach, this beach has a mix of restaurants and bars, yet maintains a more relaxed atmosphere than its bigger brother to the north. Speed boats and jet skis are available here, and you can also rent scooters to get around.
• Ao Lung Dam Beach – There is a pier, Apache Pier, running from a restaurant by the same name out through the middle of this small beach. The water is peaceful and clear, and great for swimming.
• Ao Wai Beach – Perhaps the quietest beach on the island, there is one resort here: Samet Ville Resort. The snorkeling is good here, as is the swimming and, of course, relaxation.
• Ao Kio Beach – Home of the only 5-star resort on Koh Samet, Paradee, this is another quiet spot toward the southern end of the island.
• Ao Phrao Beach – This is the only beach on the western side of the island, and it is super-luxury. Kayaks, catamarans, sailing and windsurfing are aplenty.
• Ao Noi Na Beach – This beach is back up on the northern shore of the island, just north of Nadan Pier, where you arrived. It has the advantage of being very peaceful, yet also really close to Sai Kaew Beach, so you can hit up the partying and nightlife but then retreat to quieter quarters when you’d like.
• Sun Set Point – Koh Samet is renowned for its sunset views, and if a place that’s famous for sunsets has a specific spot called Sun Set Point, it’s a good idea to check it out. At sunset. this spot is directly west of Ao Wai Beach.

On the bigger, more populated beaches, there are all the toys you could want to enjoy the water. Motorbikes are available for rent if you want the independence of getting around on your own, or you can always use taxis to zip around.

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