Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Quick & Easy Access from Bangkok
Nowadays the closest beaches to Bangkok aren't necessarily the quickest and easiest to get
to. There are international flights direct to Phuket and Ko Samui that allow you to skip the
big city altogether, and flights from Bangkok (and some Southeast Asian countries) can
shuttle you to several southern towns with ease.
If you don't want or can't afford to fly, but are still short on time, the closest beach island
to Bangkok is Ko Samet (count on around four hours total travel time) while the closest
beach resort is Pattaya (1½ hours). The next-closest stops by land are the beach towns of
Cha-am (2½ hours) and Hua Hin (three hours). It takes around six hours to get to Ko
Chang which beats the minimum of 10 hours to reach the lower gulf islands. If you're in a
hurry and want to take the bus, anywhere on the Andaman Coast is not your best choice.
