4.6 East Coast Islands

Beyond Pattaya there are some lesser-known but beautiful islands which offer a low-key escape from the city.

• Koh Samet is popular with Bangkok residents for its beautiful quiet beaches and low-key nightlife. There is also the Khao Laem Ya-Mu National Park and Rayong Aquarium.
• The white sands – notably Ao Phai - and snorkelling draw day-trippers from Pattaya to nearby Koh Larn reachable in just 15 minutes by speedboat.
• The jungle-clad island of Koh Chang offers adventure activities galore and a few big-name resorts. There are hiking trails and waterfalls like the tiered Plong Klu. Hat Tha Nam (Lonely Beach) has a waterfront party scene. Bang Bao Village on Koh Chang has houses on stilts.
• Divers will want to head to the site of sunken US navy vessel HMS Khram and the German steamship Phetchaburi.
• Next to Koh Chang are Koh Kood and Koh Mak, both undiscovered gems of untouched jungle and deserted white sand beaches lapped by blue waters.
• Trat borders Cambodia along the Cardamon Mountains. With a coast on the Gulf of Thailand there are numerous islands with white-sand beaches and coral reefs many in the Mu Ko Chang National Park.

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