Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [474]
Coral Hotel (0 3281 7121; www.coral-hotel.com; 171 Mu 9; r 1525B, bungalows 2700-5400B; ) Set amid a coconut grove, this upmarket French-managed hotel is right on the beach. There’s a huge pool, three restaurants and all rooms have TV, fridge and hot water. Fill your days with water-sports or exploring the area on an organised tour. Four-person bungalows are also available for families.
Along the beach north of Coral Hotel are several simple bungalow operations, where you can get a simple hut with a corrugated roof for around 300B.
Getting There & Around
Buses depart at least once daily from Bangkok’s southern bus terminal to Ban Krut (315B, five hours) and Bang Saphan Yai (315B, six hours). Get a direct bus, otherwise you may be left on Hwy 4 (Th Phetkasem) and will need to get a motorbike taxi to the beaches (70B). Frequent buses run from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Ban Krut (50B) and Bang Saphan Yai (60B), and a local bus (20B) trundles from Ban Krut to Bang Saphan Yai.
Ban Krut and Bang Saphan Yai are both on Thailand’s southern railway line and there are at least daily departures to/from Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Hua Hin and Bangkok. Ban Krut’s train station is 4km from the beach and in Bang Saphan Yai you’ll be dropped off in town. In both places you’ll need to hire a motorcycle taxi (around 70B) to get to the beach.
Getting around can be a problem, as there’s not much public transport between the beaches. Once you get to them, most resorts hire out motorcycles for around 300B per day, and the roads are decent for driving.
CHUMPHON PROVINCE
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CHUMPHON
pop 48,571
Chumphon features as a blip on many travellers’ itinerary as they flit in and out of the busy transport hub en route to Ko Tao, or head west for Ranong and Phuket. Around 500km south of Bangkok, Chumphon is where southern Thailand begins and you’ll begin to see mosques and start to hear different dialects.
While there’s not a lot in town to keep you amused, the surrounding beaches are good places to step off the backpacker bandwagon for a few days. Hat Tha Wua Laen (12km north of town) is renowned for windsurfing and kiteboarding, and has a developing travellers’ scene with some good bungalows and beachside bars. Pretty Hat Sairi (21km east of town) is a more traditional Thai beach resort, and the best spot to arrange day trips to offshore islands.
When you’re ready to move on again, Chumphon’s array of enterprising travel agencies (below) can help you book transport to Ko Tao, as well as bus and train connections further south to Krabi and Surat Thani.
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Information
There are banks along Th Sala Daeng with exchange facilities and ATMs.
Bangkok Bank (Th Sala Daeng) Has an ATM.
CAT office (Th Poramin Mankha) About 1km east of the post office; sells good international phone cards.
CS Leisure Travel (0 7750 3001; www.cslchumphon.com; 68/10 Th Tha Taphao; 8am-10pm) Food and drink, travel information and internet. Its website is an excellent resource for information on Chumphon and the surrounding area.
DK Book Store (0 7750 3876; Soi Sala Daeng; 8am-9pm) Carries a few titles in English, including Lonely Planet books.
Main post office (Th Poramin Mankha) In the southeastern part of town.
New Infinity Travel (0 7750 1937; new_infinity@hotmail.com; 68/2 Th Tha Taphao; 8am-10pm) Folks here are knowledgeable and friendly, and they’ll sell you paperbacks, book your travel and rent you one of four rooms. Also has wi-fi and terminal internet access.
Songserm (0 7750 6205; off Th Tha Taphao) Book your Songserm Express tickets directly here.
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THE THAI CANAL
Egypt has the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and a waterway linking the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea has been discussed for more than 350 years.
At its narrowest point just south of Chumphon, the Isthmus