Provinces

Trat (ตราด) province contains some of the best island and beach hopping in all of Thailand. Islands such as Koh Mak are still fairly void of crowds, so visit soon because these gems are getting the spotlight.

Sa Kaeo (สระแก้ว) is a province due east of Bangkok along the Cambodian border. Sa Kaeo has two national parks, numerous waterfalls, and some important archeological ruins from the Khmer Empire. It sits between the Eastern and Northeastern regions.

Rayong (ระยอง) is a province southeast of Bangkok along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is best known for the island of Koh Samet, famous for its white sand beaches and clear water. The mainland also has long stretches of empty beaches which are quite pleasant, but less beautiful than those on the island.

Prachin Buri (ปราจีนบุรี) is a province in the Southern Issan region. It is near enough to Bangkok and Chonburi to have a number of industrial parks and manufacturing facilities. Prachin Buri also has agriculture, and at the right time of year, whitewater rafting.

Chonburi (ชลบุรี) is a coastal province an hour Southeast of Bangkok. It’s best known for the City of Pattaya and the beaches of Jomtien, and there are also some small islands worth visiting. Pattaya has a reputation as a giant red light district, but there are actually a lot of other activities there, especially around adventure sports.

Chanthaburi (จันทบุรี) lies along the Gulf of Thailand in Eastern Thailand. Most tourists pass through on their way to Koh Chang or Cambodia, but there’s a lot do here, including pristine jungle, mountains, waterfalls, a very chill crossing into Cambodia, a nice city, and some pretty good mainland beaches.

Stretching from Central to Eastern Thailand, Chachoengsao (ฉะเชิงเทรา) is a large province that includes industrial areas on outskirts of Bangkok, rice fields, mountains and forest in the east near Chanthaburi and Sa Kaew Provinces, and even a small strip of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand.