On this page8 sections
At a glance
- Bang Saen by road
- About 50 km north of Central Pattaya, around 40 minutes without trafficSource 1
- Sai Kaew by road
- About 31 km south, around 35 minutes without trafficSource 2
- Nang Ram by road
- About 49 km south, around 50 minutes without trafficSource 3
- Bang Saray by road
- About 23 km south, around 20 minutes without trafficSource 4
- Sai Kaew entry
- 100 baht for a foreign adult, 50 baht for a Thai adult, with ID exchanged at the gate (reported September 2026)Source 5
- Nang Ram and Nang Rong
- Daily 06:00 to 18:00; 20 baht a car, motorbikes free (April 2026)Source 6
Sources: 1OpenStreetMap route planner: Central Pattaya to Bang Saen Beach, checked 1 Oct 2026 2OpenStreetMap route planner: Central Pattaya to Sai Kaew Beach, Sattahip, checked 1 Oct 2026 3OpenStreetMap route planner: Central Pattaya to Nang Ram Beach, Samae San, checked 1 Oct 2026 4OpenStreetMap: road route from the Central Pattaya mall to Bang Saray, checked 1 Oct 2026 5Airportels: Sai Kaew Beach, Sattahip (in Thai, updated September 2026), checked 1 Oct 2026 6Tourism Authority of Thailand: Nang Ram, Nang Rong and Nam Sai beaches (in Thai, April 2026), checked 1 Oct 2026
The beaches compared
These are the mainland beaches within a day's reach by road, listed from the nearest. They are not ranked. Every distance is from Central Pattaya by OpenStreetMap's route planner, without traffic; weekends, holidays and the Sukhumvit Road junctions add to them.
| Beach | By road | Getting in | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bang Saray, Sattahip district | About 23 km south, around 20 minutes | A public beach in a fishing town | A quiet swim and the working pier |
| Sai Kaew, Sattahip (navy) | About 31 km south, around 35 minutes | Gate with ID; 100 baht for a foreign adult (reported) | A full beach day on clear water, with food on site |
| Toey Ngam, Sattahip (Marine Corps) | About 36 km south, around 37 minutes | Foreign visitors only with an officer who vouches for them | Thai visitors and their guests |
| Nang Ram and Nang Rong, Samae San (navy) | About 49 km south, around 50 minutes | Gate; 20 baht a car; daily 06:00 to 18:00 | Shaded, gently sloping sand for an easy swim |
| Bang Saen, Chon Buri | About 50 km north, around 40 minutes | A public town beach | A busy Thai seaside town, with the aquarium and Khao Sam Muk |
Closer still, Na Jomtien has a long, calm beach of its own on the way south, and the city's own beaches are compared on Pattaya's beaches.
Bang Saen: the town beach to the north
Bang Saen is the beach of Saen Suk, just south of Chon Buri town: a 2 km stretch of fine sand that the Michelin Guide's 2024 city guide traces to the 1940s, when it was developed as a seaside resort. Banana boats and jet skis run off the sand, and Wonnapha Beach, also called Bang Saen Lang, continues the shore to the south.
The low hill of Khao Sam Muk at the northern end has a viewpoint over the bay and a Chinese shrine, and Burapha University's Institute of Marine Science runs an aquarium in town. The same guide puts Bang Saen about an hour's drive from Bangkok, so it fills with day visitors at weekends and on holidays; a weekday is calmer.
It suits a day in a Thai beach town more than a quiet swim. A car or a ride-hailing app is simplest; Pattaya songthaews do not run there. If you also want Si Racha, it lies on the same road: see a day trip to Si Racha, but keep to one main stop.
The Sattahip navy beaches
Much of the coast south of Bang Saray belongs to the Royal Thai Navy, and its best-known beaches are inside military areas. They open to visitors on the navy's terms: a checkpoint, an entry fee, fixed hours and house rules, and some admit Thai visitors only. Rules change without much notice, so treat everything below as dated and check at the gate.
- Sai Kaew lies inside the grounds of the navy's Naval Rating School. Airportels, in a guide updated in September 2026, describes clear water and lists 50 baht for Thai adults and 100 baht for foreign adults, ID exchanged at the gate, cars allowed in from Monday to Friday but parked outside at weekends, no cooking, fires, loud music or dogs, and foreign visitors off the beach by 18:00. Pattaya Unlimited, updated in February 2026, describes a weekend shuttle from the car park and gives opening hours of 06:00 to 20:00. The two disagree on the closing time, so plan to leave by 18:00.
- Toey Ngam, in the Marine Corps area, is open from 08:30 to 18:00, according to a Kapook guide last updated in October 2025, which also says foreign nationals may not enter unless a commissioned officer vouches for them and brings them in.
- Hat Nam Sai, run by the navy's Special Warfare Command, does not admit foreign nationals, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said in April 2026.
- Hat So, run by the Naval Ordnance Department beside Sukhumvit Road, admits Thai nationals only, Wongnai reported in 2021.
Ao Dong Tan, another Sattahip bay, has a weekend evening market by the water: Pattaya Mail reported it open from 16:00 to 22:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in January 2026. It is not Dongtan Beach in Jomtien, so check the pin before you set off.
Samae San: Nang Ram and Nang Rong
Samae San is the subdistrict at the southern tip of Sattahip, and its two navy beaches sit side by side. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, in April 2026, described Nang Ram as about 200 m of sand and Nang Rong as about 500 m, both lined with shady trees, with clear water and a gentle slope suited to swimming, and a short walk between them.
Both open daily from 06:00 to 18:00. Nang Ram charges 20 baht a car, with motorbikes free, and the ticket covers Nang Rong too. There are toilets and showers, food, sunbeds, kayaks and banana boats; pets, fires, barbecues and tents are not allowed.
At about 50 minutes each way, Samae San is the longest drive in this guide. Leave early, keep to one beach, and start back in good time for the 18:00 close.
Bang Saray's shore
Bang Saray, the fishing town beyond Na Jomtien, is the nearest of these and needs no gate or ticket. Its municipality describes a beach of about 1.5 km, with the working pier and the seafood places beside it at the heart of the town.
It is a public beach without lifeguards on every stretch: Thai government guidance says to swim only in designated areas, never alone or at night. Nong Nooch and the Buddha image at Khao Chi Chan are in the same direction if you want a second stop. For staying there, see Bang Saray.
Planning the day
- Transport: a car, a ride-hailing app or a driver for the day. No Pattaya songthaew runs to these beaches, and a driver who agrees to go is running a charter, so settle the price, the waiting time and the return first. More in getting around Pattaya.
- Your passport: carry the original for the navy gates, and some cash for entry fees, parking and toilets.
- Hours: the navy beaches close at 18:00 or soon after, so this is a daytime outing, not a sunset one.
- The sea: a red flag means no swimming. The Tourism Authority of Thailand warns that jellyfish can be more common near the shore in the monsoon months; read the local notices first, and see staying safe in Pattaya.
Pick one beach a day, as with any day trip from Pattaya: a beach, lunch and the drive back make a full day.
Questions
Can foreigners visit the navy beaches in Sattahip?
Some of them. Sai Kaew and Nang Ram admit foreign visitors with ID and a fee; Toey Ngam, Hat Nam Sai and Hat So have been reported as closed to foreign nationals unless an officer brings them in. Rules change, so check at the gate.
Do I need my passport for Sai Kaew Beach?
Yes: visitors exchange ID at the gate for a pass, according to the guides checked on 1 October 2026. Carry the original, and keep it safe on the sand.
What is the nearest quiet beach outside Pattaya?
Bang Saray, about 23 km south by road, with a public beach and a working pier. Na Jomtien, on the way, has a long and calm beach of its own.
How long is the drive to Bang Saen from Pattaya?
About 50 km north by road, around 40 minutes without traffic by OpenStreetMap's route planner. Allow more at weekends and on holidays, when the town fills with visitors from Bangkok.
