This is a little piece of paradise hidden away from the tourist spotlight. Only one and a half hours from Bangkok at that! Bang Saen, or Ban Bang Saen, has a population of less than 10,000 and is part of Saensuk Municipality, which in turn belongs to Chon Buri Province. Pattaya is less than an hour away and while it seems to attract vast numbers of international visitors, Bang Saen is a local haunt.

One of the best things about Bang Saen was the large number of local restaurants and bars and the relaxed atmosphere everywhere one goes. The nightlife in Bang Saen is completely different to that of beach towns in Thailand I've visited. Virtually all of our fellow diners and drinkers were locals and the live bands that played from time to time were singing Thai pop or Thai versions of western classics. Pretty good too! One musician we came across was able to play ten instruments.Enjoyed checking out all the different bars. You can hop in a taxi bus and move from bar to bar. There are plenty of places to see and it's easy to get around. The only 'adult' night life in town was far away from the beach area. It's present, that's for sure - just not not as obvious as in Pattaya or Phuket.