At Bleu Marine Sattahip I haven't slept well which seems to be connected to the air conditioning so is it third time unlucky here? In catching up with sleep it's 8 pm leaving me no time to finish my blog but let's just concentrate on breakfast and we know the drill. There is no cooked breakfast but the coffee, toast and juice is complemented by variety of cakes and pastries.
Bleu Marine Sattahip is a three-storey building but accommodation is only on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The ground floor is reserved for parking with tables and chairs out in the open to use as optional. This gives a comfortable experience in grounds that are quite pleasing with tall trees and no sign of any high rise buildings. Chonburi province as a whole is known for its industrial commercial and tourist activity all along its coastline except the South which has a huge area of government owned land controlled by the military. Bleu Marine Sattahip is located in a small village a far cry from activity further up the coast. Geography lesson over, it's time to plan the day.
To get the day rolling what better place is there to head for than a railway station. I first came across Chuk Samet on a railway departure board not knowing exactly where it was. Perhaps that's no surprise as it only opened in late 2023. Before that the terminal station was at Ban Plu Ta Luang quite close to Bleu Marine Sattahip. The reason why the line was extended is simply to access the Chuk Samet Port. Chuk Samet is the more precise name for the main naval base for the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Corps.
As we approach the railway station, dead ahead is the naval port and on occasions the public have been allowed access and that includes me but not today. We are told that the top brass is arriving today, so restrictions are in place. That's confirmed as we head back towards the train station when a convoy VIP vehicles arrives with a police escort. Now let's see what this station is all about! Not surprisingly the building is modern but for the station master an staff it must be quite a boring routine as only a couple of trains arrive and depart per day. One of those trains will depart just after 1:00 pm, but it's much too early for that. We must be content to talk with the station master wander along the platform and raise an eyebrow when the booming of canon can be heard from the naval yard proving that to be VIPs have arrived. At this point there is an outside chance that I can catching the 13.05 departure but let's see what else we can do.
Yesterday we visited Sai Gaew Beach on property controlled by the Navy and now we can do so again. Just around the headland from Chuk Sumet Port are two more beaches. Here the entry fee is 50 baht for foreigners and 20 baht for Thais and once again we find ourselves in a glorious setting with beaches undisturbed by commercial enterprise except for a few retail businesses authorised by the military. While the two beaches Nang Ram and Nang Rong are certainly popular with foreign tourists, Pattaya is just far enough and too away to require visitors to arrive here on their own transport which usually meets motorbikes. In my opinion these two beaches are the best I've come across in Chonburi province. For a while which is far too short we bring our folding chairs from the car and allow ourselves this rare luxury. However with no plan to spend all day here and it's all over far too soon and I find myself back at Chuk Samet railway station. By now the 286 service is at the station prior to departure but it's just a photo opportunity. It won't have me on board.
We now make our way around the coast and enter Sattahip town itself where we need some lunch. Oddly, on all our previous visits to this district we have yet to enter the town itself. We first arrive at the fishing port which is eerily quiet this time of day with just one person setting crab, squid and fish at the pier entrance. Here is another upmarket seafood restaurant, but we're looking for something basic and continue into the town parking up at Wat Sattahip to find what we need. Returning to the temple my partner makes her customary offering. The temple itself is unremarkable, decorated but not unusually so. The temple was likely established at the beginning of the 20th century.
I now ponder whether there is anywhere else I can make contact with the railway but decline in favour of another attraction open one we've been to before. I mentioned the high density of industrial, commercial and tourist activity in Chonburi province. From satellite images at night the intense pattern of Points of Light show how busy this province is. Its development of the last few decades has been immense. At the best of times the road system was usually clogged causing the building of the M7 motorway. For our return now we buckle down and use a section of it before turning off and heading to the coast once more.
We know arrive at Ang Sila near Chonburi. Ang Sila pier affectionately known as the fish bridge large arcade of shops and restaurants with all manner of dried and fresh seafood available. At the end of the pier is an attractive lighthouse and viewpoint. We park up along the sea front without fuss or charge and find ourselves opposite the market. Instead of walking along the pier on this occasion, we decide to explore the market instead. It seems appropriate that we return to the car with a bag load of steamed crab and some dried fish. That means we won't have to shell out much on food for a day or two.
It's time to head for Bangkok and we opt for returning the way we came via Chachoengsao avoiding most of the tollway charges. We arrive in good time and pick up extra provisions. There's no need to guess what if for dinner!
This two-day trip has been a useful gap-filler while nothing more substantial can be arranged. There have been a few attractions new to this site and, of course, more material captures for my YouTube channel.

Source: Visit