Travelling to the South is fairly straightforward and there are a number of different transport options for anyone who is wishing to visit the popular beachside resorts.
The main transport options for travelling to the South are car, minibus, train, bus and plane.
cha-am.thaivisa.com
To the South by Car
If you are flying in to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport than one of the easiest ways to get to the South is by car.
However, if you are visiting Thailand for the first time, driving is not something that is recommended, especially after a long flight. If you have some experience of driving in Thailand then the journey down from Bangkok can be fairly straightforward.
To leave Bangkok for the direction of Cha-am you need to drive to the Rama IX Bridge and then join the Rama II Road and follow signs for Samut Sakhon. You now need to stay on this road for approximately 85km until you start to see signs for Phetchaburi. Right at the end of the Rama II Road the highway splits into two. The left hand lane is signposted ‘Phetchabri’ and the right hand lane is signposted ‘Ratchaburi’. You need to make sure that you exit left for Phetchaburi.
You will now be on the Phet Kasem Road or Thanon Phetkasem as it is known to Thais. This is the main highway that heads south, to Hua Hin. Once you are on this road, it is just a matter of simply following the signs for Cha-am.
When you are about 30 minutes away from Cha-am you will pass Phetchaburi town. As you drive past the town you should see a Big C supermarket on your left hand side, keep on going and you will start to see signs for Cha-am beach. Once you get to a set of traffic lights that have a green sign above them that is labelled ‘Cha-am Beach’ turn left. You will now be on Narathip Road, carry on straight until you can see the beach.
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To the South by Taxi
Thankfully there are many metered taxis at the airport that can often provide reasonable rates on journeys to the South. All you need to do is to go to the authorised taxi stand, which is located outside the arrivals hall and ask for a taxi to the South. The journey itself can take between 2 and 13 hours, depending on the traffic and should cost somewhere in the region of 3000 to 13000 Baht. Although this is the most expensive way of travelling to the South it is probably the easiest, especially if you are coming directly from the airport or you are travelling as part of a group.
cha-am.thaivisa.com
To the South by Minibus
There are many minibuses that travel regularly to the South which depart from the minibus depot at Victory Monument, not far from the BTS Skytrain station. The minibuses can accommodate 14 people and cost about 160 Baht, taking just over 2 and half hours to get to the South. The minibuses run frequently throughout the day, between the hours of 5 am and 8 pm.
However, there is often little or no space for luggage and sometimes drivers can drive very fast as the travel down the highway at what seems like breakneck speeds. On occasion they can also stop for gas at a filling station and depending on what time of day it is, you could be waiting rather a long time.
With all things considered, for 160 Baht, taking a minibus can be a cheap and easy way to travel to and from the South.
cha-am.thaivisa.com
To the South by Train
There are ten south bound trains that leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong station everyday between the hours of 8.05 am and 10.50 pm. However, the vast majority of these trains only stop in Hua Hin, and there are in fact, only two trains that stop at the South, the 9.20 am and 3.35 pm, which arrive at the South station at 1.30 pm and 7.42 pm, respectively.
If you end up getting a train to Hua Hin you will need to take a taxi or minibus back to the South.
You can also get one of three trains from that leave Bangkok’s Thonburi station at 7.25 am, 1.05 pm and 7.15 pm, which arrive in the South at 11.16 pm, 17.20 pm and 10.09 pm respectively.
The train station in the South is not at the beach so you will probably need to get a taxi or motorcycle taxi to take you to the beachfront or directly to your hotel or guesthouse.
cha-am.thaivisa.com
To the South by Bus
You can get a bus to the South from the south terminal station (Sai Ta) Talling Chan, which is just outside Bangkok. The bus station, which opened in 2007, has a wide range of different shops, restaurants and other facilities available.
Although the buses hardly ever leave on time they are actually quite comfortable and have air conditioning. Some even have televisions, free drinks and snacks available to passengers. Some of the really new buses even have massage chairs in VIP class but these are normally only available when travelling long distances such as Bangkok to Phuket.
Buses depart Sai Tai bus station for the South approximately every hour between 5 am and 10 pm. The journey normally takes between 3 and 12 hours, depending on traffic leaving Bangkok.
Buses from Bangkok’s Sai Tai bus station to the South cost 140 to 960 Baht.
Buses stop in the South at the bus terminal which is often located far away from the city at Phetchkasem Road. From here you might want to get a motorcycle taxi to the beachfront or to your hotel. This will normally cost you between 20 and 140 Baht.
cha-am.thaivisa.com
To the South by Solar Air
The nearest airport to Cha-am is at Hua Hin, approximately 25 km away and as of 15th April 2011 the Thai domestic airline, Solar Air is operating flights from the Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to Hua Hin and to Chumphon.
Flights are available on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 4 pm.The journey time takes a little over 30 minutes and there is a return flight operated on the same days that departs Hua Hin at 5 pm. Flights cost around 2700 Baht.
The journey is serviced by a 19 seat twin propeller engine aircraft, which has capacity for 12 passengers.
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