A Weekend in Bang Saen: Beach, Viewpoint and Seafood

Bang Saen is the beach Bangkok goes to when it only has a weekend — about an hour and a half down the motorway, no flight involved.

Bang Saen sits in Saen Suk, just north of Chonburi town, and it has never tried to be Phuket. It is a Thai family beach: deckchairs under umbrellas, grilled squid carried along the sand, students from the university campus next door, and a long curve of water that stays calm most of the year. Here is how we would spend two days.

Start on the sand

The beach runs for roughly two kilometres. Deckchair-and-umbrella sets are rented by the day from the vendors along the front — expect somewhere around 100 baht for a set — and food comes to you rather than the other way round: grilled squid, cut fruit, coconut ice cream. The water is shallow and gentle, which is why so many families come. Late afternoon is the best light, and the best time to swim.

Climb Khao Sam Muk

At the northern end of the bay, a forested headland rises straight out of the sea. Khao Sam Muk holds a Chinese temple and a shrine to a local female spirit, and the road up ends at a viewpoint that takes in the whole bay. A colony of macaques lives on the hill — keep bags zipped and food out of sight. Below, on the jetty, you can buy a bag of pellets and feed the fish.

An hour at the aquarium

The Institute of Marine Science at Burapha University sits on the seafront and keeps an aquarium and marine museum open to visitors. It is the obvious plan for a hot afternoon or a rainy one, and it is a short drive from the beach.

Stop at Nong Mon Market

Nong Mon is Chonburi’s best-known snack market and the traditional last stop on the way home. Khao lam — sticky rice steamed in bamboo — is the thing people queue for, alongside dried seafood, haw mok and trays of local sweets. Go with an empty bag.

Getting here

Bang Saen is about 100 km from Bangkok, roughly an hour and a half by car on Motorway 7. Buses and minivans run through the day from Bangkok’s Ekkamai terminal, and taxis from Suvarnabhumi take a little over an hour.

Where to stay

Casa Malibu is on Nadedee Road in Saen Suk, a short walk from the sand. There are 79 rooms and suites from 27 to 90 sqm, a rooftop pool with a sun deck and bean-bag lawn, a sauna and ice bath, and a fitness room. Direct booking gets you our best rate — call 096 7126 669 or email Casamalibubangsaen@gmail.com.