Eastern · Thailand
Rayong · ระยอง
Koh Samet, durian country, Sunthorn Phu's poetic hometown.
- Region
- Eastern
- Population
- 760,000
- Area
- 3,552 km²
- Stories filed
- 1
About Rayong
History
Rayong was traditionally a fishing and fruit-growing province that supplied the first large-scale fermented fish-sauce operations in Thailand and still produces the bulk of the country's durian, rambutan, and star fruit from its orchard-covered hillsides east of the coast. The fishing village of Ban Phe became the main ferry port for Koh Samet long before the Eastern Seaboard development began. The Map Ta Phut heavy-industrial complex — built from the 1980s under the Eastern Economic Corridor — gave Rayong a second identity as a petrochemical and steel-manufacturing province running parallel to its beach economy.
Landscape & geography
Long Gulf of Thailand coastline with white-sand beaches separated by rocky headlands, backed by fruit orchards and low forested hills. Koh Samet — a long, narrow island covered in white sand and casuarinas — sits inside a marine national park thirteen kilometres offshore from Ban Phe pier. The mainland beaches at Suan Son and Laem Mae Phim are quieter; the northern coast blends into Chon Buri's industrial waterfront. The interior rises into fruit-orchard country, tended hillsides distinctively green through all seasons.
Why visit
Koh Samet is the classic Bangkok weekend island — under four hours door-to-door, with a dozen beaches of varying character from lively Hat Sai Kaew to the quieter Ao Wai in the south. National park status keeps development in check; long-tail boats connect the beaches. Rayong's mainland coast at Suan Son Pradipat is a quieter and cheaper alternative for families. The May–June durian season draws Thai weekend-trippers to roadside stalls piled with Monthong and Chanee varieties; arrive before noon for the freshest fruit. U-Tapao airport simplifies access from beyond Bangkok.
Stories from Rayong
Articles, reviews, and itineraries tagged to this province.
