2.5 hours by land and ferry from Bangkok❣️ Koh Samet, a paradise for Japanese expatriates

I visited Koh Samet in Thailand after being recommended by colleagues and friends who had previously worked in Bangkok.

🔷Recommended Points
1️⃣Above all, it's close to Bangkok!❣️
When traveling from Japan to remote islands like Phuket, you often need to transfer from the city to the island. Without a convenient connecting flight, you'll often need to stay an overnight stay in the city before or after, making short trips difficult.

Ko Samet is located two hours by land from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport to Ao Prao Pier, then a 10-minute speedboat ride away. After arriving at the airport, you can arrive on the island the same day.

2️⃣The ocean and nature are beautiful and tranquil!❣️
Ao Prao Pier is about an hour by land from Pattaya, but its beauty and natural environment are incomparable to Pattaya's beaches.
There are several beaches on the island, and depending on where you stay, it depends. While we stayed at Ao Prao Beach, there are fewer hotels, and it's primarily a family-friendly destination, making it a very quiet and peaceful environment.

3️⃣Enjoy a beachfront restaurant while watching the sunset❣️
Ao Prao Beach offers beautiful sunsets every day.
In the evening, tables are lined up on the beach, where you can enjoy Thai cuisine while sipping happy hour cocktails.
Pad Thai is a bit pricey compared to the mainland, costing around 100-120 baht, but I think it's within reason for this location.
Dinner while listening to the sound of the waves is the best❣️

🏨Ao Prao Resort
Koh Samet 60 Moo 4 Tumbol Phe,, Amphur Muang, Rayong 21160, Thailand
We stayed in a family cottage.
The cottage was new, spacious, and surrounded by nature, and we had a relaxing time, which was hard to believe considering it was only two and a half hours from Bangkok.
Some of the cottages are built on a slope, so you'll need to climb steep stairs to get to your room.
You can see the ocean from the pool. The gapao I ordered from the poolside menu was even more authentic and delicious than I expected.