Cha-am Beach in Phetchaburi

Cha-am Beach is renowned for being the best beach in Phetchaburi. Cha-am’s fame was established when it’s neighbour Hua Hin became a royal resort and members of the royal family commented that Cha-am was just as beautiful. As a result, Cha-am has become a firm favourite with weekend visitors from Bangkok, and is becoming increasingly popular with international visitors keen on experiencing a genuinely Thai resort town. There’s a complete absence of bars along the beach – local bylaws won’t permit them. There are though numerous hotels and restaurants dotted about the 3 kilometre long beach and it’ easy to pick up a place to rest in a deckchair under an umbrella. You can get a donkey ride if you want one and it is possible to rent bicycles to explore the area. There are also herds of food stalls selling excellent snacks. Cha-am is remarkable in that it is unremarkable – this is a pleasant beach with green water – and that’s about it. Cha-am is not ‘in your face’ and that can make a genuine change and probably what is making it more attractive to foreigners.

How to get there: This beach is only about 1 kilometre east of Cha-am and easily accessible by Tuk-Tuk (30 Baht) and Songtaew (10 Baht) from the town’s bus station.