Cha Am is a little known gem and the ideal location to get away from it all, in a beautiful and unspoilt part of Thailand.

Cha Am has everything the mature or discerning holiday maker needs. From the mountain backdrop and coconut palms to the golden sandy beach lined with redwood evergreens, from the easily affordable restaurants to the friendly charming bars, Cha Am has a special relaxing feel and innocence that no other town in this magical Kingdom possesses.


Cha Am is situated in Phetchaburi province, 108 miles (175km) south of Bangkok (see map) with a population of about 25,000. It only takes 2 hours from Bangkok International Airport before you find yourself in this little paradise. Cha Am has very accessible transport links with its own train station and regular air-conditioned busses en-route from Bangkok to the South.

In Cha Am, you will enjoy summer and sun 12 months a year, an exciting rich culture and the possibility to obtain a comfortable living standard at a very reasonable price.

Traditionally, Spain and other Southern European countries have been popular holiday and real estate investment targets for sun seeking Northern Europeans. As a result of the spiralling costs and overcrowded tourist areas in these countries, more and more people are now turning their eyes towards Thailand. After-all, a holiday should be about relaxation, adventure and fun, not about competing for a spot on the beach every morning or paying a small fortune for dinner!

To most people who have been to Thailand, the country is synonymous with the over-crowded tourist traps of Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin. Cha Am is on the opposite side of the Thai Gulf to Pattaya and in contrast, Cha Am isn’t crowded by tourists. Here, Thais and foreigners live side by side, with Thai culture being the dominant factor in the community. Cha Am is not a typical destination for a ‘boys night out’. It’s a place for those who want to enjoy the sun, sea and the rich Thai culture in calm, safe and tranquil surroundings. All prices in Cha Am are well below Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin.

It’s really up to you how you spend your time in Cha Am!

Cha Am sits on the side of the Thai Gulf that is often referred to as the ‘Sunrise Side’ or the 'Thai Riviera'. Wealthy families from Bangkok come to spend their weekends and holidays here, while Europeans stay for large parts of the year or make Cha Am their permanent home.

Life in Cha Am is by no means dull. The beautiful 3 mile (5km) golden sandy beach invites you to a wide variety of fun water activities. Cha Am has numerous international golf courses close by & Cha Am has a vibrant night-life too! Whether it’s restaurants, bars or nightclubs and discotheques you are looking for, you will find them all in Cha Am. There are numerous sights within a short distance of Cha Am: Elephant safari, the Lion Park, Boat trip to the Coral islands with diving, Go karting and Site seeing activities to name just a few. The Kings Summer Palace and Hua Hin, with all its city life and tourist trappings, are just 15 minutes by taxi or 30 minutes by air-conditioned bus from Cha Am.

Food, glorious food!

Along Cha Am beach road, you'll find restaurants serving local, European and International foods. You can enjoy a delicious meal (food and drink, 2 persons) for about 400 baht . Alternatively, you can have your favourite food delivered to your door in about 30 minutes. For those of us who like to cook, Cha Am fresh market is an abundant source of quality produce .The prices are great too! 2Lb (1 kg) of fillet of pork is just 130 baht, fresh vegetables cost very little and the wide variety of exotic fruits are a must! (just click on an image below and feast your eyes!)

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays are night-market days in Cha Am. The Wednesday market is among the biggest & most well-known across country. If you are staying at the big tourist destinations, you'll pay tourist prices. In Cha Am, the prices are at the ‘local’ rate. Cha Am market offers a wide variety of everything you can expect to buy in Thailand; clothes, shoes, CD’s, DVD’s, watches, electronics, tools & much more!

No tsunami or tornados here!

The rainy season in this part of Thailand is long, but Cha Am has its own micro-climate with little resemblance to the rainy season in its region. During the rainy season in Cha Am, you will enjoy warm and sunny days, with only a few showers during the evening and/or night. Temperatures may drop to 20° C during the night, but rarely below 28°C during daytime. The rainy season lasts from May/June to September/October, but again, that certainly doesn’t mean rain all the time! Often an entire week may pass without a single drop of rain! (We would like to point out that this description is valid for this particular part of Thailand. 430 miles (700km) further South in Phuket, the beaches are generally closed from June to September due to storms and bad weather).