Eastern Thailand Destinations & Best Places to Visit

Eastern Thailand is the part of the country that is well known for its beautiful beaches as the seaside and islands in this region are the easiest to reach from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Discover the best tourist destinations in Eastern Thailand, most popular cultural and natural attractions, and the best places to visit in Eastern Thailand.

Eastern Thailand Destinations

Eastern Thailand destinations are mainly visited for their beaches. Pattaya is the largest city in Eastern Thailand, which is famous for its nightlife and seaside resorts, Koh Samet is a nice small island in a national marine park and Koh Chang is a big island with white-sand beaches, waterfalls and jungle.

Pattaya

Pattaya is a resort city, situated on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, only about 150 kilometres south-east of Bangkok.

Pattaya is the closest to Bangkok major beach resort of Thailand making it a popular destination for tourists.

In Pattaya you can find not only beaches but also The Sanctuary of Truth, which is one-of-a-kind 105-metre high teak structure of a temple, featuring intricate wooden carvings that are a good example of Thai craftsmanship. There's also one of the largest Buddha images in the world at Wat Phra Khao Yai, a huge unique temple complex of Wat Yansangwararam that comprises of many buildings built in Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Swiss architectural styles, and a 130-metre high hill called Buddha Mountain or Khao Chee Chan, with the Buddha image engraved on it.

Koh Chang

Koh Chang is a beautiful island in Eastern Thailand, famous for its long white sandy beaches, coral reefs, jungle covered mountains and spectacular waterfalls.

Koh Chang is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket, and by far the largest island in Eastern Thailand. Even if tourism and development has increased significantly over the last few years, Koh Chang is still not heavily populated and nowhere near as touristy as Phuket or Koh Samui.

Koh Chang is a great island for going on Full-Day Reefs or Wreck Sites Snorkeling Trip.

Koh Samet

Koh Samet is a nice small island in a national marine park. Koh Samet has a number of wonderful beaches scattered around the island and is a perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday not far from Bangkok.

Koh Samet has a number of wonderful beaches scattered around the island and is a perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday not far from Bangkok.

Koh Larn

Koh Larn, also known as Coral Island, is an idyllic island with beautiful beaches located just 7 km west of Pattaya.

Koh Larn beaches are the nicest around Pattaya making them a perfect day-trip destination. If you would like to spend your day swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing on Thailand beach, jump on the boat and visit this nice little island.

Escape the busy city for the day with a beach trip from Bangkok or Pattaya to enjoy fun activities, such as snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking, and banana boating.

Chachoengsao

Chachoengsao, which is about 60 kilometers from Bangkok, is another province to visit in Eastern Thailand because there are many unexpected hidden places.

Chachoengsao is distinguished by being the old town of Bang Pakong waterfront which has Luang Por Sothon Temple as the center of faith for Thai people. Natural resources here are also considered to be rich in life.

Explore beautiful Buddhist temples including a cruise along the Bang Pakong River by long-tail boat, visit the traditional Khlong Suan market with a delicious local lunch at a restaurant by going from Bangkok on Chachoengsao Tour and Bang Pakong River Cruise.

Si Racha

Si Racha is located in Chonburi, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, 120 km from Bangkok. Si Racha is not a popular tourist city, as in the area there are industrial estates with many large factories. However, here you will find Koh Sichang, the most famous island in this area.

Escape the hustle and bustle of Pattaya and embark on a tranquil journey to Koh Sichang near Si Racha on this Day Trip Discover Koh Sichang's hidden gems at Si Racha.

Koh Kood

Koh Kood is an island in Trat province. The island is famous for its solitude and tropical scenery and attracts tourists from all over the world. It is a tourist destination not to be missed if you want to get away from hustle of daily life to immerse yourself in the real island life and nature.

Around the island you can find beautiful reefs that can be explored on this Koh Kood Snorkeling Day Trip.

Eastern Thailand Transportation

Ekkamai Bus Terminal is one of the busiest bus stations in Bangkok and is serviced by buses and minivans running to destinations in Eastern Thailand such as Rayong, Chonburi, Trat, Chanthaburi, Chachoengsao and tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Sriracha, Sattahip, Koh Chang or Koh Samet.

Transportation options for a trip in Eastern Thailand can be found and transport tickets can be booked by this search form.

Weather in Eastern Thailand

Eastern Thailand destinations has only two seasons - the wet and the dry. Between November and May the weather is mostly dry with little rain expected throughout a bigger part of the region for much of this time. The dry season in Koh Chang and other islands on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand ends a bit earlier.

The rains start to hit Eastern Thailand earlier than elsewhere. The region experiences similar weather patterns to the beaches along the Andaman Sea coast with wet season occurring between May and October. Pattaya and Koh Samet fits this pattern but Koh Chang and other islands on the eastern side of the gulf usually get much more rainfall as early as May.

For the best time to visit Eastern Thailand destinations check our Eastern Thailand weather ratings chart.

After visiting Eastern Thailand you are planning to continue your trip up north, down south or to the central area? Check when is the best time to visit Thailand's other destinations and choose destination with the best possible weather conditions wisely.