Stand on the road that runs along the seashore between Ang Sila and Bang Saen Beach and you will see Khao Sam Muk rise ahead of you, a low hillock with the Gulf of Thailand on one side and a troop of wild monkeys working the roadside on the other. This is the stretch of Chonburi that most visitors come for, and it strings together easily in a single day.
Chonburi suits travellers who are already in the Pattaya–Chon Buri area and want a half-day or full-day change of pace: fishing villages, temple architecture, a Chinese shrine, and a calendar of local festivals rather than a resort strip. It also rewards anyone willing to time a visit around Songkran in April, when several of the province's long-standing celebrations take place.
This guide covers the sights along the coast and in town, then suggests how to link them if you have only one day.
Top things to do in Chon Buri
1. Khao Sam Muk
A low hillock between Ang Sila and Bang Saen Beach, set along the road facing the seashore. It is a habitat for scores of wild monkeys, and the hilltop gives you a panoramic view over Bang Saen Beach.
Combine it with the seafront road itself, since the hill sits directly on the route between Ang Sila and the beach. Keep an eye on your belongings around the monkeys.
2. Ang Sila
A seaside fishing village where most residents are skilled in making implements from granite, mainly mortars and pestles that are still widely used in Thai households, along with figurines of animals.
It sits at one end of the same coastal road that leads to Khao Sam Muk, so the two work well as one outing.
3. Laem Thaen
A cape reaching out to the sea in the area of Bang Saen Beach near Khao Sam Muk, with pavilions for relaxing and restaurants. People come here to fish.
It is a natural stop to break up the walk or drive along the Bang Saen seafront, and a place to sit rather than rush through.
4. Wat Yai Inthraram
An ancient and significant temple of Chonburi, influenced by the late Ayutthayan architectural style. The ubosot was built with a curved gunwale base and displays murals inside.
Go for the architecture and the murals rather than for a quick photo stop; the ubosot is the part to look at closely.
5. Wihan Thep Sathit Phra Kitti Chaloem or Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine
A Chinese shrine housed in a four-storey building decorated in an extraordinary Chinese architectural style, with various Chinese deity images inside.
Because it is a multi-storey building, allow more time than you would for a single hall shrine.
6. Phra Phutthasihing Shrine
The shrine houses a replica of the Phra Phutthasihing cast in silver. Phra Phutthasihing is Chonburi's principal Buddha image.
If you are in town in mid-April, this is the image carried in procession around the city during the Chonburi Annual Festival.
7. Wat Thammanimit
Constructed in 1941, this temple is where the Phra Phutthamongkhon Nimit Buddha image resides. It is a concrete Buddha image decorated with mosaic tiles in the Boarding a Boat posture.
The posture and the mosaic tiling are the details worth seeking out when you visit.
8. Chonburi Annual Festival
Held about mid-April during the Songkran Festival, this fair sees Phra Phutthasihing, Chonburi's principal Buddha image, put in a procession around the city.
Plan your trip around mid-April if you want to see the procession, and expect the town to be busy with Songkran activity.
9. Chonburi Buffalo Races
A long-established celebration of the buffalo, held not only in Chonburi itself but also in Ban Bueng and Nong Yai Districts. The animals are dressed by their owners with as much creativity as they can manage, and are assembled in the courtyard in front of the town hall to take part in racing, physical fitness and "fashion" contests.
Check locally which district is holding its event during your stay, since the celebration is not confined to the city.
10. Wan Lai Festival
A merit-making day for seamen on the Thai New Year during the Songkran Festival, organised from 13 to 20 April every year. It includes alms-offering to the monks, the ceremony of pouring water onto the Buddha's image, sand pagoda making, water splashing, and local games and sports.
It runs across the same April window as several other Chonburi festivals, so you may be able to catch more than one.
11. Ko Phra Sai Wan Lai Festival
A festival long celebrated by the Saen Suk people at Bang Saen, taking place on 16–17 April every year. Originally called "Ngan Thambun Wan Lai", it began as a gathering of people from various villages to make merit during the Songkran Festival. Monks from every temple in Saen Suk sub-district are invited to perform the religious ceremony, with merit-making, food offering and a bahting ceremony, followed by sand pagoda making, water splashing, local games and sports.
Since it is held at Bang Saen, it pairs naturally with time on the beach and at Laem Thaen.
12. Ngan Bun Klang Ban and Phanat Nikhom Basketwork Festival
A tradition passed down over a long period by the Phanat Nikhom people, organised on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the first week of May, or the Thai 6th lunar month. Locals bring food, offer it to the monks and dedicate the merit to guardian spirits, enemies from a former life and deceased relatives, as well as to drive out bad things, ask for rain and wish for abundant food and crops. After the religious ceremony there is lunch, games and a demonstration of Phanat Nikhom basketry making.
The basketry demonstration is the part that sets this festival apart from the others.
13. Pattaya–Na Kluea Wan Lai Festival and Na Kluea Kong Khao Fair
Held from 18 to 20 April every year at Lan Pho Public Park, Na Kluea, and Wat Chai Mongkhon in south Pattaya.
If you are basing yourself in Pattaya rather than Chonburi town, this is the April festival closest to you.
14. Songkran Si Maha Racha Festival and Kong Khao Tradition
An ancient Chonburi festival that Si Racha District preserves and organises every year from 19 to 21 April, to worship the gods who have protected the community through the year. Activities include a procession led by the elderly and various organisations in traditional Thai costume, a worship ceremony, a spirit offering ceremony, a Kong Khao tradition demonstration, games, demonstrations and sales of traditional foods.
The traditional food stalls and the Kong Khao demonstration are the reasons to stay beyond the procession.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Ang Sila, walking the seaside fishing village while the granite workshops are active, then follow the seafront road to Khao Sam Muk and climb to the hilltop for the view over Bang Saen Beach. Watch for the monkeys along the way.
Afternoon: Continue to Laem Thaen, where you can rest in the pavilions and have lunch at one of the restaurants by the cape. If you have time afterwards, head into town for Wat Yai Inthraram and its murals, then the four-storey Wihan Thep Sathit Phra Kitti Chaloem or Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine.
Evening: Finish at Phra Phutthasihing Shrine, where the silver replica of Chonburi's principal Buddha image is housed.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Chonburi?
Winters are fairly dry and very warm, and temperatures rise until April, which is hot with an average daily maximum of 35.2 °C. The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler daytime temperatures, though nights remain warm.
What is the main road through Chonburi?
Sukhumvit Road, also known as Thailand Route 3. To the northwest it connects to Bangkok, and to the south it connects to Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat.
Which festivals in Chonburi fall in April?
Several. The Chonburi Annual Festival is held about mid-April during Songkran, the Wan Lai Festival runs 13–20 April, the Ko Phra Sai Wan Lai Festival at Bang Saen takes place 16–17 April, the Pattaya–Na Kluea Wan Lai Festival and Na Kluea Kong Khao Fair run 18–20 April, and the Songkran Si Maha Racha Festival and Kong Khao Tradition is held 19–21 April.
What is there to see along the coast between Ang Sila and Bang Saen Beach?
Khao Sam Muk, a low hillock along the road facing the seashore with wild monkeys and a panoramic view of Bang Saen Beach, and Laem Thaen, a cape near Khao Sam Muk with pavilions for relaxation and restaurants.
Decide which April festival fits your dates, or simply pick a dry, warm day and work your way along the seafront road from Ang Sila to Bang Saen Beach.