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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Chonburi
Spend a day in Chonburi to see the waterfront market, Ang Sila stone‑carvers and a temple; add a quick 45‑min bus ride to Pattaya if you have extra time.
Chonburi is a small coastal city about 83 km (≈2 h) east of Bangkok. Its main draws are the fishing‑village market at Ang Sila, the hill Khao Sam Muk with sea‑view, and several historic shrines. With limited train service and a single daily bus from Bangkok, a single day is enough for the highlights; longer stays are for industry tours or beach trips further south.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cool)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy, hot)
- 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 · High ฿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 · Fire 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Street food plate (e.g., boat noodles) | 30 baht |
| Bottled water (500 ml) | 10 baht |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | 150 baht |
| Bus ticket Bangkok–Chonburi | 150 baht |
| Train ticket Bangkok–Chonburi | 250 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BKK · Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Main international gateway, about 80 km (50 mi) north of ChonburiMain international gateway, about 50 mi (80 km) north of Chonburi
- UTP · U‑Tapao Airport
- Domestic and some international flights, ~70 km (43 mi) southDomestic and some international flights, ~43 mi (70 km) south
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
One daily train (06:55 → 09:48) and frequent buses from Bangkok (≈1 h 10 min). Taxis and motorbike rentals are common locally.One daily train (6:55 AM → 9:48 AM) and frequent buses from Bangkok (≈1 h 10 min). Taxis and motorbike rentals are common locally.
See and do
Known for
- Ang Sila stone‑carving market
- Khao Sam Muk hill and sea view
- Phra Phutthasihing Buddha shrine
- Wat Thammanimit mosaic Buddha
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pattaya | Bus from Chonburi bus terminal, about 45 min | ≈1 h total |
Sleep
- City‑centre hotels
- Close to railway station and bus terminal; suitable for a night‑stop.
Language
Thai is tonal and written in its own script; English works in hotels, malls and tourist areas, much less in the north-east and small towns. Polite particles (khrap for men, kha for women) go a long way.
- Ask hotels for their address card in Thai script.
- LINE is the messaging app of Thai businesses.
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
- Only one passenger train each way on weekdays; extra weekend service may be cancelled (check schedule).
- Heavy industry and the Laem Chabang port mean the immediate waterfront is not a beach destination.
- Summer heat can be intense; stay hydrated.
Generally safe for tourists; stay aware of traffic near the port and keep valuables secure on beaches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chonburi yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ang Sila stone‑carving market
- Khao Sam Muk hill and sea view
- Phra Phutthasihing Buddha shrine
- Wat Thammanimit mosaic Buddha
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Chonburi, revision 5240497 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240497
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/chonburi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.