Getting to Chanthaburi
from Bangkok + Around Town

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Good news for anyone planning a Chanthaburi trip: this city is easier to reach than you'd think. There's no airport, true, but Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3) and Motorway 7 mean you can drive or take a bus there quickly. The part that takes more thought is getting around the province, because the beaches, waterfalls, and the temple on the mountain are all in different corners. If you don't have your own vehicle, you'll want to plan ahead a little. We'll walk through it section by section, from reaching the city to getting around once you're there.

How to get to Chanthaburi from Bangkok

The Bangkok–Chanthaburi distance is about 245 km and takes roughly 3.5–4.5 hours depending on how you travel and the traffic. There are three main options: scheduled bus/minivan, self-drive, and hiring a car with a driver. Pick based on whether you'll stick to the city or want to roam around the whole province.

• Coach bus (BKS) — departs from Mo Chit New (Northern) and Ekkamai bus terminals, with many departures from early morning to evening. Tickets start around ฿220–300 and the trip takes about 4–4.5 hours. Good if you mainly want to base yourself in the old town and the riverside community.
• Scheduled minivan — also departs from Mo Chit and Ekkamai, priced close to the bus at ฿220–260, with more frequent departures and slightly faster arrival, though luggage space is limited. Best if you're travelling light.
• Self-drive — the most flexible option for touring the province. Take Motorway 7, then Highway 344 and Sukhumvit, or just run the length of Sukhumvit. Fuel for the round trip is roughly ฿1,200–1,600 for a sedan.
• Car with driver — vans and sedans with a driver can pick you up in Bangkok, which suits families or anyone who'd rather not drive. Price depends on distance and number of days — ask ahead.

What to do once you reach Chanthaburi bus terminal

Chanthaburi bus terminal isn't far from the town centre and the Chanthaboon Riverside Community. If your accommodation is in the city, you can hop on a songthaew (shared pickup truck) or grab a Grab/taxi for the short ride — fares are cheap. But if you plan to head to the beach or a waterfall on day one, it's better to arrange a rental car to meet you at the terminal or your hotel, which saves more time than stringing together several transfers.

Getting around Chanthaburi without your own car

Straight up: Chanthaburi isn't a city where public transport covers the natural attractions. Scheduled songthaews run within the city and some districts, but they don't drop you right at Chao Lao Beach or Phlio Waterfall. If you're coming without a car, these three options work best.

• Rent a motorbike — several rental shops in town, around ฿250–350 per day. Nimble for getting around the city and reaching Phlio Waterfall, but the 30–40 km ride to the beach calls for confident riding and a check on the weather.
• Self-drive car rental — sedans start around ฿800–1,300 per day depending on the model, and many shops deliver the car to your hotel for free. The best choice if you want to cover the beach, waterfall, and Khao Khitchakut in one trip.
• Private car/taxi by the day — hiring a car with a driver for a full day suits people who can't drive or are travelling in a group; split the cost and it's worth it. Agree on the route and price before you set off.
• Grab — available in the city, but there are fewer cars than in big cities. Outside the centre or during rush hour you may wait a while. Fine as a backup, but don't rely on it as your main way to reach far-flung spots.

Getting to Chao Lao Beach & Laem Sadet

Chao Lao Beach and Laem Sadet form one long continuous stretch of coast in Tha Mai district — the prettiest sea in Chanthaburi. It's about 30 km from town, roughly a 40–50 minute drive. The main route runs out of the city to Tha Mai district, then along the coast past Laem Sadet to Chao Lao Beach. On the way, the Noen Nang Phaya viewpoint on Chaloem Burapha Chonlathit Road is a good photo stop.

• Distance — about 30 km from town, a 40–50 minute drive
• Route — town → Tha Mai → the Laem Sadet coastal road → Chao Lao Beach, with clear signage
• Extra stops — the Noen Nang Phaya viewpoint, and the Khung Krabaen Wildlife Non-Hunting Area at the far end of the beach
• Best for — your own car or a rental, since public transport doesn't reach the beachfront directly

Getting to Phlio Waterfall

Phlio Waterfall is in Namtok Phlio National Park, Laem Sing district. It flows year-round, with water clear enough to see the schools of soro brook carp, and it's a short walk in from the car park. From central Chanthaburi, take Sukhumvit heading towards Trat; around the 346 km marker there's a left turn into the waterfall, about another 2 km in.

• Distance — about 14 km from town, a 20–25 minute drive
• Park entry fee — Thai adults ฿40, children ฿20 (foreign adults ฿200, children ฿100)
• Golf cart — a shuttle runs from the car park to the waterfall for ฿10 per person, or you can walk in — it's not far
• Best for — a rented motorbike or a car; it's the closest natural spot to the city

Getting to Khao Khitchakut (seasonal opening only)

Khao Khitchakut is a pilgrimage destination people travel from all over the country to reach, but you have to plan your dates carefully, because it only opens for the annual festival venerating the Buddha's footprint, roughly January to March (in 2026, about 19 Jan–19 Mar). Outside that season it closes so nature can recover. The mountain is in Khao Khitchakut district, about 28 km from town.

• Open season — seasonal only, roughly Jan–Mar; check the official opening dates for each year before you travel
• Ride up the mountain — you take a community songthaew up; the round-trip fare is about ฿200 per person (some years reported as high as ฿300), then you continue on foot
• Park entry fee — Thai adults ฿40, children ฿20; seniors aged 60 and over enter free
• Queue booking — in recent years there's been an app-based queue system for the ride up, split into time slots to ease crowding; check that year's booking system in advance

Getting around the old town

The charm of Chanthaburi town is that the main sights sit close enough to walk between. The Chanthaboon Riverside Community, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and the town markets are all within a few hundred metres on foot. If you stay in the old town, you'll barely need a vehicle all day.

• On foot — the Chanthaboon Riverside Community, the cathedral, and the cafés in the old quarter are close together; you can stroll the whole area easily
• Songthaew in town — runs the main routes within the city; fares are cheap, handy for the gem market or the bus terminal
• Grab / motorbike taxi — available in town, convenient when it rains or you're carrying heavy bags
• Bicycle / motorbike rental — some old-quarter guesthouses lend out bicycles, perfect for a morning ride along the river

A sample 2-day plan by trip style

To give you a sense of how to organise the driving, here's a sample 2-day, 1-night plan with your own car or a rental, mapping out a smooth route with no backtracking.