Chaolao Cabana Resort — the Chao Lao Beach resort with an infinity pool that looks straight out to sea
If you want a Chanthaburi stay where you can walk from your room onto the sand and slip into a sea-view pool at sunset, Chaolao Cabana Resort is the name that comes up most often on Chao Lao Beach · This 4-star beachfront resort in Tha Mai is best known for its saltwater infinity pool whose edge melts into the horizon and its newer Pool Access rooms that step straight from the balcony into the water · Standard rooms start from about THB 1,900/night, with villas and pool-side rooms rising with the view and size.
Chao Lao Beach is a long Gulf-of-Thailand strand in Tha Mai District that Bangkok drivers can reach in about three and a half hours · Several places line this beach, but Chaolao Cabana Resort is one of the largest and most complete 4-star properties on the sand · Open since around 2011, it runs parallel to the shore with several room blocks and a cluster of villas — roughly 50 rooms in all, a mid-size resort that still feels looked-after rather than a tour-bus hotel.
The part everyone talks about is the sea-facing saltwater infinity pool · Its outer edge runs into the line of the sea, which is exactly why so many guests' sunset photos look the way they do · At up to about 1.8 metres deep it's a pool you can actually swim in, not just wade · There's also a private beach in front of the resort, mini golf and a kids' area, which makes it work equally for couples and for families who bring the children along.
"Opened the curtains to the sea, a few steps to the sand, and an evening swim in the infinity pool watching the sun go down — proper beach holiday without taking a boat to an island."
Rooms come in several grades, from the standard Deluxe at around 28 sq m up to Deluxe Pool Access rooms that step from the balcony straight into the pool and the 56 sq m Cabana Villas built for families or groups · Every room has a private balcony, air-con, a flat-screen TV, fridge and safe · Most reviews call the rooms clean and roomier than expected, with cold air-con and comfortable beds — the renovated blocks clearly feel fresher than the older ones.
For food, the main outlet is the Blue Marine Restaurant, sitting over the sea and serving Thai food, fresh seafood and Western dishes · Breakfast earns steady praise for taste and a decent spread for a resort this size · Chao Lao Beach itself has seafood shacks and a small market if you fancy eating out for a change in the evening · The pool bar is a pleasant spot for a cold drink at sunset, and several reviews single out the friendly bar staff.
On scores, Chaolao Cabana Resort reviews well and consistently · The average across real-guest platforms sits around 8.6 out of 10, with Trip.com as high as about 8.9 and couples rating the location and atmosphere especially highly · Repeated praise goes to the beachfront setting, the good-looking pool, clean rooms and attentive staff · The common gripes are small — a few older-block rooms with details that need attention, such as a stiff toilet flush or a villa door that doesn't quite close.
To be straight about it, this is not a five-star luxury resort and doesn't try to be · Its appeal is simple: you sleep on the beach with a sea-view pool at a price you can justify — standard rooms from around THB 1,900 in normal periods, rising to THB 4,000–6,000 for Pool Access rooms on weekends · If you expect full luxury service, a complete spa or designer rooms throughout, look elsewhere · But for an easy drive-yourself beach trip in Chanthaburi where you can walk onto the sand and feel you got your money's worth, Chaolao Cabana does the job well.
A tip from reading plenty of reviews here: if the budget allows, just take a sea-view or Pool Access room, because the view is the whole reason people come · The cheaper back-block rooms look onto the garden or the car park instead · And if you're visiting on a long weekend or in the cool high season (November–February, when the weather is at its best), book ahead — Chao Lao Beach is a favourite escape for Bangkok and the sea-view rooms go fast.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Right on Chao Lao Beach — walk straight onto the sand
- ✓ Good-looking sea-view infinity pool you can actually swim in
- ✓ Clean, spacious rooms with cold air-con
- ✓ Friendly staff; food and drinks taste good
- ! Some older-block rooms have details that need fixing
- ! Resort is a drive from Chanthaburi town
- ! Pool and restaurant get crowded on busy weekends
- ✓ Sea view and beach atmosphere rated highly by couples
- ✓ Pool Access rooms step into the pool from the balcony — much recommended
- ✓ Private beach, mini golf and a kids' area suit families
- ✓ Good value versus other beachfront resorts on the same strand
- ! A few villa doors don't quite close
- ! Stiff toilet flush in some rooms
- ! Cheaper garden-view rooms don't see the sea
- 💡If you're here mainly for the sea view and infinity pool — the cheaper garden/car-park-view rooms won't give you the feeling you came for → pay up for a sea-view or Pool Access room and it's better value.
- 💡If you expect five-star service and facilities — this is a 4-star resort built around location and value, not full luxury → set expectations accordingly and you'll be happy with what you get.
- 💡If you plan to spend most time in Chanthaburi town — the resort is out in Tha Mai, a fair drive from the centre → bring your own car, or consider a town hotel if the beach isn't the point.