Many tourists surely want to enjoy the modern life of Bangkok and also the natural beauties of beaches and islands. However, many people are constrained by time schedule. For those who only have a few days in Bangkok, there are some islands near the capital which you can explore within only one day. It just takes a few driving-hours from Bangkok to these beautiful islands.
1. Koh Larn
Koh Larn is an island which is 140 kilometers away from the capital of Thailand. In order to get there, you can catch a bus from Ekkamai or the Victory Monument to Pattaya with 150 baht for ticket price. From Pattaya, you can buy the ticket to Koh Larn from Bali Hai Pier with 50 baht. Another way is to travel by speed boats with 300 baht. The price is higher but the speed will be much faster.
Not only having magnificent natural beaches, this island also has many restaurants, hotels and water sports service. If you prefer the silence, renting a motorbike and go to the west of the island is not a bad idea.
Koh Larn
2. Koh Si Chang
Koh Si Chang is also called briefly Si Chang. The island is about 110 kilometers away from Bangkok. In the weekend, the number of local visitors and foreign tourists are almost equal. The most notable features of Si Chang are fishing villages, small temples, romantic roads and dynamic activities of fishermen on the sea.
To get to the island, you can have a bus from Ekkamai to Sri Racha, with the price ticket is about 100 baht and the time for travelling is around 2 hours. Sri Racha has ferry every one hour and the price for ferry ticket is 50 baht for 40 minutes travelling.
Koh Si Chang
3. Koh Samed
Many tourists consider Koh Samed as the island with the most entertaining activities among all the islands near Bangkok. Located 200 kilometers away from the capital, it would take at least 4 hours to travel from Bangkok to Koh Samed. Similar to the route to the two islands above, tourists can take a bus from Ekkamai to Ban Phe pier in Rayong with 250 baht. From the pier, you can buy ferry or speed boat ticket to go to Koh Samed. The island has hotels, bars and clubs for you to enjoy.
Early morning in Koh Samed
4. Koh Kret
Koh Kret is a tiny island, which might not as you expected, normally. The small patch of land lies on Chao Phraya River, and its length is just about 2 kilometers and 1 kilometer large. Having no beaches, no beautiful temples, but Koh Kret is the best choice for anyone who wants to escape the noisy atmosphere from dynamic places. Just like Pai, Koh Kret has peaceful landscapes which are the ideal choice for relaxing.
You can get a taxi to travel from Bangkok to Koh Kret Pier and then take a boat, otherwise you can use bicycle. Koh Kret is only 10 kilometers away from Bangkok.
Koh Kret is a peaceful place
5. Koh Kram Yai
Koh Kram Yai is 170 kilometers from Bangkok. Surrounded by cliffs, Koh Kram Yai generates a very wild and peaceful feeling for visitors. Even though the island has been approved to be a tourism place, you still need the permission of the government to get there because in certain periods of the year, the island is used to raise turtles.
In order to get to the island, you can take a bus from Ekkamai to Sattahip (Chon Buri). There is no ferry to the island but many tourism services are available in Sattahip, with the price around 1,000 baht.
Koh Kram Yai
