Sattahip Beach Picnic

Last weekend, a few of my fiancee's coworkers invited us on a short one-day road trip along Thailand's eastern gulf coast.

We left the city early in the morning, and, like any good Thai-style road trip, took plenty of stops along the way. We visited a temple, the Khao Keao Open Zoo, and the Pattaya Floating Market. 

Our destination, though, was a Royal Navy base in Sattahip District, where people are welcome to picnic on the beach and play in the sea. It's open to the public, and a very popular spot for locals and Bangkokian day-trippers alike.

My fiancee's friends are from Issan, the northeastern region of Thailand. They had prepared and packed delicious food from their cuisine, like traditional Issan-style fried chicken and papaya salad. It was quite spicy (as Issan food tends to be!) but I loved it! And, once we were at the beach, we ordered a pla pao, or grilled salt fish, from a local vendor to round out the meal.

We were technically still in Chonburi Province, but were quite close to the border with Rayong Province, home to a very popular Thai tale about a prince, a mermaid, and an ogre.

As we watched the sun set over the waves (it was beautiful - not quite as spectacular as the sunset that we saw in Railay, but still lovely), we took a walk along the beach. 

There were statues of the characters from the tale, including a large statue of the ogre standing out at sea and looking longingly at her prince.

It was a beautiful day, and a relaxing trip out of the big city. 

It's nice to get away every month or so, and the nice thing about Bangkok is that we are near the coast. The beach is never more than just a few hours away.