Bangkok to the Beach: A Day Trip to Chuk Samet

9 April 2024 Richard Barrow 0 Comments

DAY TWO: Chachoengsao Junction > Chuk Samet > Bangkok = 320km (Total: 770km)

On the second day of my All The Lines Thailand Challenge, I completed the branch line of the Eastern Line to Chuk Samet Station in Sattahip district of Chonburi Province. I took two different trains there and back, but I will combine my review into one post as both are good for heading to the beach.

My first train was Special No. 997 that travels between Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) and Chuk Samet with stops in Si Racha, Chonburi, Pattaya, and U-Tapao. This is a tourist train and it only runs on weekends. It departs from Bangkok at 6:45am and Chachoengsao Junction at 8:02am, arriving in Chuk Samet at 10:10am.

The ticket price is 170 baht from Bangkok and 90 baht from Chachoengsao Junction where I boarded. It is wise to book in advance, though I did hear an announcement at the station that there were two empty seats.

The train is a classic diesel railcar that was built by British Rail for Thailand. I know people who come to Thailand just to ride this train. It only runs on this one route these days. There are two sets and they take turns.

The carriages are air-conditioned and the seats recline. They always face the direction of travel as they can be turned around. I found that there was plenty of leg room for me. There are also curtains in case you find the sun too bright. Unfortunately, some of the windows are not in the best of condition and so don’t expect to be able to take photos. However, if you pay a visit to the toilet you can use the open window there. The toilets are reasonably clean.

I thought most people would get off at Pattaya, but it seems that more people now know about how easy it is to reach the beach from Chuk Samet. Upon arrival, there is a desk to buy a ticket for the songtaews. This costs 40 baht there and back.

One songtaew goes to the aircraft carrier. Ignore that one as foreigners are not allowed onboard. The other one goes to the beach. Make sure you tell the driver which train you will return on. He will then tell you what time to meet him to come back.

You will be dropped off at Nang Ram Beach. There are plenty of places to eat here. You can also rent deck chairs to sit on the beach. Swimming and other water sport activities are popular. You can also walk down the beach to another beach around the corner. There are places to stay the night but they are not really that cheap.

To return, you have two choices. If you want to go back on the same train, Special No. 998, then you will need to meet the songtaew driver at around 3:00pm for the 3:30pm train. In my case, I didn’t want to spend so long on the beach, so I met the driver at 12:40pm for Ordinary No. 284 train that left at 1:05pm.

A little twist on this, you could take the slow train to Pattaya Station and then take a motorcycle taxi or Grab to Pattaya beach for a quick bite to eat and a beer. You then have about two hours before Special No. 998 arrives. Then catch that one back to Bangkok. So you get two beaches in one day.

I returned on Ordinary No. 284 today. This is a regular 3rd Class train pulled by a diesel locomotive. Tickets are 40 baht to Bangkok and you can sit where you like. There is no ticket office at Chuk Samet and so you need to buy on the train. The ticket collector on the train recognised me and said he was following my travels on social media. Later he asked for a selfie with me which was nice of him.

The platform at Chuk Samet is not very long and so half the train, four carriages, are left at Ban Plu Ta Luang Station. So, if you take this train from Bangkok, sit in the front half otherwise you will need to move later.

It is advisable to buy a packed lunch while you are on the beach. There aren’t many vendors on this train. In fact, there was just one and she didn’t have too much. A few more got on at Chachoengsao but again not too much of interest. Ordinary No. 283/284 runs daily from Bangkok. But the Special No.997/998 only runs at the weekends. There is a call for this to become a daily train too.

My train arrived at Bangkok Station (Hua Lamphong) at 6:15 p.m. As I had an early morning train from here tomorrow, I decided to spend the night at a hotel near the station. I stayed in The Quarter by UHG which is across the road from the station. I had a nice view from my bedroom.