Chonburi province is perfectly situated on Thailand’s Eastern seaboard, between Bangkok to the north west and Chanthaburi province to the south east. Chonburi has a generous stretch of coastline lining the Gulf of Thailand and rose to prominence after the commercial success of the local fishing villages along the coast.
Today, the provincial capital of Chonburi City has been demoted to second place in prominence and popularity after the rise of the tourist trap of Pattaya.
Most people do not know that Pattaya isn’t even the provincial capital of the province it is in. Chonburi offers tourists and residents a selection of places to visit. A real estate project in Chonburi (known as โครงการบ้านจัดสรรชลบุรี in Thai) would provide a great base to explore South-Eastern Thailand.
In and around Chonburi are a multitude of jungles, national parks, tropical paradise islands and cute, quaint fishing villages to explore.
There are some must-see tropical islands within reach of a few hours’ drive from Pattaya.
Tropical islands Around Chonburi Province, Thailand.
- Koh Chang, or Elephant Island in Trat province is a picture-postcard paradise. The island is the second biggest in Thailand, after Phuket, and really is a motorcyclist’s heaven on earth. There are dozens of miles of glorious, winding mountainous jungle roads to explore. The undulating hills will keep even the most experienced rider honest. There are countless photo opportunities whilst exploring Koh Chang.
- The little-known Koh Si Chang is a jewel in the crown of Thailand’s Eastern seaboard. As the closest tropical paradise to Bangkok, it is surprising it is not filled every weekend with revelers from the City of Angels. One reason for Koh Si Chang’s relative ambiguity is that it is tiny. Really tiny. You can hardly see on the map when you look at a Google map of Thailand. You have to zoom in pretty close and it is easy to miss. That being said, Koh Si Chang is well worth a visit. Noted, it is not in any way a tourist party island like Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi.
Koh Si Chang is like Thailand where time stood still. Life is slower here. Everything runs at ‘island pace’, even though a few kilometers away on the mainland, life is as bustling and busy as it gets pretty much anywhere on earth.
Make sure you explore the local area before committing to building or buying a property in Thailand and speak to developer or real estate to ensure you get exactly what you are looking for.
