Chumphon Beaches

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The three beaches of Haad Pardorn, Haad Sairee and Thung Makham are situated on a small peninsula to the southeast of Chumphon town and are all easily reached by public transport or motorbike. The first you'll come across 14km away is Haad Paradorn, popular with the locals but the beaches further south are prettier and better for swimming and accommodation options here are limited. For eating, Lui Restaurant is probably the best choice with inexpensive food, a nice view and an English menu. None of the accommodation is particularly recommended and Haad Sairee, 5km further on is a better choice if you want to stay in the area.

Haad Sairee is on a small bay that's very pretty with good views of the nearby islands. Just offshore is the very scenic Ko Mahprao, one of the sites where the infamous nests of a local bird called the sea swift are collected. Numerous seafood restaurants offer picnic mats and deckchairs along the seafront promenade--this area can be very busy on weekends. Haad Sairee has the best, most 'beachy' atmosphere of the beaches near Chumphon.

At the southern tip of the bay some 2km further, is a headland containing the Khao Chao Muang Hill Viewpoint.

Past the foot of Khao Chao hill the road carries on to the twin bays of Thung Makham Yai and Thung Makhan Noi, separated by a narrow rocky outcrop and lying some 3-4km further on. Thung Makham Yai contains a small fishing village whilst Thung Makham Noi is deserted and beautiful. These two bays are very calm as they are sheltered all year round. The islands offshore have good coral.

If you continue even further past Thung Makham around the curve of the peninsular, you'll find the Mu Ko Chumphon National Park.

Heading north from Chumphon, you'll reach Haad Thung Wua Laen. This wide bay, 14km to the north of Chumphon also has a string of resorts along the beach. It's possible to have pleasant stay on the beach, but it's definitely a second-rate destination. It's low on atmosphere and there isn't any local, Thai culture going on here. The beach is given over to the tourist industry which has gotten in the increasing habit lately of charging too much for too little. Still, the beach is quiet and clean, though unsheltered and can seem a bit bleak if the weather is not great. Thung Wua Laen means Plain of the Running Bull since, as legend has it, hunters were unable to kill any prey in this area. Animals struck by spears or arrows would merely fall over, then get up and run away again. Maybe the hunters in this area were just bad shots and there were a lot of wild animals running around with arrows stuck in their backsides.

Text and/or map last updated on 11th August, 2009.

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Great for food and views, not so much for swimming

I stayed at Haad Thung Wua Laen, this page is accurate in that the area is given over to tourism and there's no homely feel here. There are also a few farang restaurants that have popped up on the main strip. We farang sure are good at infiltrating all villages of this country! Great food is available though - try the beach side restaurant (in huts) across the road from the French/Italian joints. The menu's are all in Thai, but serve up great seafood and southern Thai fare. You'll need your own bike if you stay here (unless you intend to hang out on the beach for the whole day).
If you're intending to explore all areas around Chumphon, then Haad Thung Wua Laen isn't a good base. It's 12km or so to Chumphon, and then another 15km to Haad Sairee and the other beaches/national parks east of the city.
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By gratorn (dabbler)
Written on 29th October, 2010 after a visit to Chumphon Beaches in October, 2010

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