Eastern Thailand

Thailand's Gulf coast stretches from the industrial hinterland of Chon Buri through beach-resort country to the island-hopping paradise near Cambodia. Pattaya, love it or not, is the biggest resort city on the eastern seaboard — and it's reinventing itself with family attractions, upscale dining, and the all-wood Sanctuary of Truth. But the real gems are further east: Koh Samet's white-sand beaches are Bangkok's nearest island escape, Chanthaburi's gem market and durian orchards reward the drive, and Koh Chang's mountainous jungle interior rivals anything on the Andaman coast.

The smaller islands off Trat — Koh Mak and Koh Kood — offer the kind of quiet, coconut-palm beachfront that Thailand is famous for, minus the crowds. Rayong's coastline and fruit orchards anchor the middle stretch. The eastern seaboard also has deep cultural pockets: Chanthaburi's French-colonial old town and cathedral, Si Racha's cliffside temple, and Sa Kaeo's Khmer ruins near the Cambodian border. The region's seafood — fresh off the boats at Ban Phe, Mae Klong, and Trat — is some of the best and cheapest in the country.