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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Ban Phe
Stay 1 night, catch a ferry to Ko Samet (15‑45 min); explore nearby beaches in the morning, return by evening.
Ban Phe is a small coastal town in Rayong Province, serving as the main ferry gateway to Ko Samet. Its compact size (≈4 km) makes it walkable, and a single night lets you sample the market, seafood, and a quick beach hop before heading to the island.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cooler)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance / Tourist police 1669
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Seafood dish (e.g., grilled fish) | ฿80–200 |
| Fresh fruit shake | ฿30–60 |
| Ferry ticket to Ko Samet (shared) | ฿50 |
| Motorbike taxi (≤5 km (3.1 mi))Motorbike taxi (≤3.1 mi (5 km)) | ฿30–50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- UTP · U‑Tapao Airport
- ≈1 h by taxi; domestic & limited international flights
Typical fares
- Bangkok (Ekamai) → Ban Phe, 1st class bus
- ≈฿250, 2 h 30 min, hourly departures (check schedule)
- Ban Phe → Ko Samet ferry (shared)
- ≈฿50, 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is 4 km (2.5 mi); walk or motorbike taxi. Motorbike taxis common for short hops to Suan Son or Hat Maerampung beaches.Town is 2.5 mi (4 km); walk or motorbike taxi. Motorbike taxis common for short hops to Suan Son or Hat Maerampung beaches.
See and do
Known for
- Ko Samet ferry port
- Seafood market
- Nearby pine forest beaches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ko Samet | Ferry from Ban Phe pier, 15–45 min depending on boat type | ≈1 h total |
| Suan Son beach | Walk or motorbike taxi, 1 km (0.6 mi) eastWalk or motorbike taxi, 0.6 mi (1 km) east | ≈10 min |
| Hat Maerampung beach | Motorbike taxi, 7 km (4.3 mi) westMotorbike taxi, 4.3 mi (7 km) west | ≈20 min |
Sleep
- Ban Phe town centre
- Guesthouses and small hotels within walking distance of the pier
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rai |
| Where is the ferry? | เรือข้ามฝั่งอยู่ที่ไหนrʉ̂a kʰâm‑fâŋ yùː tʰîi‑nǎi |
| I would like a private speed boat | ขอเรือสปีดบู๊ทส่วนตัวkǒː rʉ̂a sǐp‑bùːt sǔan‑tua |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferry schedules vary by season; check times before arrival.
- Peak weekends see crowded ferries – book a private speed boat (≈2,000 baht) if you need certainty.
Generally safe; watch for traffic on motorbike taxis and keep belongings on crowded ferries.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ban Phe yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ko Samet ferry port
- Seafood market
- Nearby pine forest beaches
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Rayong Provincial Tourism Office: www.rayongtourism.com/banphee
- Wikivoyage: Ban Phe, revision 5279783 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5279783
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/ban-phe). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.