I've scoured the forums and must admit I'm still a bit lost looking at the beach options for Thailand. My family of 2 adults and 2 ten year olds will be arriving in Bangkok in late June. I think we'll do a few days in Bangkok to acclimatize a bit and see the city. Then I'd like to go to a beach which is good for swimming, sand castles, snorkeling, reading, doing as little as possible. Cheap is important. Off the beaten path is fine. Walking distance to beach is okay, doesn't have to be *on* the beach.
I'm assuming we want Gulf of Thailand for June/July dates? But do we want an island or mainland beach? Are there any cheap quiet places still out there? Quiet as in not-party and get drunk, also quiet as in not-a-lot-of-people.
The $20/day- for room and -meals beach "resort" seems like the stuff of urban legends -- can we get something close to that??
TIA !
cheap, quiet beach in SE Asia, easy to reach from Bangkok?
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Meant to add - we're fine with flying, or taking the train to get to where we need to be.
IMO you will want an island (Thai = "Koh") if you are interested in snorkelling.
Koh Tao does offer cheap accommodation (backpack type), snorkelling but can get crowded. You will need to take a train and then a ferry.
http://www.sawadee.com/hotel/kohtao/
Koh Chang is another option, about 5 hours by bus and then a ferry to the island.
http://www.sawadee.com/hotel/kohchang/
Koh Samed maybe?
Nothing on Samed for the $20 rate the OP is looking for.
I've never been there, hanuman, but DS enjoyed his recent stay there. He said it was very quiet, and great for relaxing and doing nothing. Good food. Good lodging selection. Great wifi. Easy to reach by car from BKK. I guess it isn't the backpacker type of place?? I think we'll go there in April for a few days.
Anyone familiar with Koh Tao?
http://kohtao.com/koh-tao-beaches.htm
Just saw it in another thread. Has a nice (hopefully accurate) description of the various beaches there. A couple of them might do for us.
We can be flexible with the cost, maybe up to $50USD/nt, though the $20-shack-on-the-beach is preferred.
Hanuman (above) recommended Koh Tao as a place with inexpensive accommodations.
Whoops! I guess I fail the "reading comprehension" portion of this thread. (doh). Thanks, Hanuman, for the suggestion.
Also just read about Koh Pu, reached by ferry from Krabi
http://wheresidewalksend.com/thailand-deserted-island-koh-pu/
I'd be happy to ditch the snorkeling for a chance at seeing those sunsets in such a peaceful environment.
Koh Pu or Krabi that will not be within your requirement of "easy to reach from Bangkok".
Huh. I figure a train trip plus a bus connection is easy -- doesn't have to be close, just a series of understandable steps which are relatively easy to navigate.
Airport to train station onto overnight train then onto bus to Krabi, then a ferry to Koh Pu. I guess it's not that easy now that I've typed it out, but it's within my parameters. I suppose I should have said "inexpensive and somewhat straightforward to get to"
Does that make sense?
From the airport to the train station, overnight train to Krabi and catch a ferry all after you have just arrived is not advisable. You children will go nuts IMO.
If sunset is important to you then there are other islands like Koh Samed, Koh Marn Nok and with your increase budget it is possible. They will be closer to Bangkok and much easier to travel to by coach.
http://www.munnorkislandresort.com/index-eng.html
If you can further increase your budget or decide to splurge then try Koh Nangyuan. This is one of my favourite island in the gulf and you'll love it there. A bit further away, same distant as Koh Tao but well worth it IMO.
http://www.nangyuan.com/en/home.html
Good luck!