The Eastern Seaboard runs from Bangkok's outer edge to the Cambodian border, a mix of Thailand's busiest industrial ports and some of its most accessible island getaways. It's a region of contrasts — refineries and container terminals give way, within an hour's drive, to jungle-covered islands and quiet fruit-growing provinces.
Pattaya is the region's best-known destination, Thailand's original purpose-built beach resort and still its brashest. Just south, Jomtien Beach offers a calmer version of the same coastline. Koh Samet, the closest proper island beach to Bangkok, gets busy on weekends but is easy to reach for a quick escape.
Further east, Chanthaburi is a gem-trading town with a well-preserved riverside quarter, and Trat is the gateway to Koh Chang, Thailand's third-largest island and increasingly the region's main draw — jungled, mountainous, and still rougher around the edges than Phuket or Samui. The smaller, quieter islands of Koh Kood and Koh Mak sit further offshore for those willing to make the extra crossing.
