The starting point of this trip came from... My sister suddenly wanted to go to an island for a day trip, so she asked me if I had ever been to Koh Kham. Koh Kham is not on the list of island tourists like us (where have I been? How could I have missed it)... But at that time, Koh Kham was a very interesting option for a salaried person who was very tired like us... We both found a day off that matched, which was December 27, 2015, the last Sunday before the New Year.

From our research on 'Koh Kham', we found that there are two places in Thailand: Trat, near Koh Mak, and Chonburi, near Koh Saemsan. For a ONE DAY TRIP, we have to choose the one closer to Bangkok. The other Koh Kham, we'll wait for you. Hehe. Don't wait any longer, let's start the real thing. Let's go to... 'Koh Kham, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province'.

We started our journey at 5 am to catch the first boat at 9 am. Our first destination was the Victory Monument. While we were looking for an ATM at the Victory Monument, we met two foreigners who asked for help. The foreigners were going to Kanchanaburi, but they couldn't find a van. Fortunately, I had been to Sangkhla Buri before, so I knew where the Happy Van was. We took the foreigners to the ticket booth for the bus to Kanchanaburi. Before we parted ways with the foreigners, we didn't forget to say 'Have a nice trip'. At least it brought a smile to the faces of the foreigners who were visiting our home. Just the word 'thank you' from the foreigners made us feel touched. We don't need a lot of money, just a kind heart. It was a good story during our trip ^^

This time, we chose to travel by van (Victory Monument-Sattahip) Win Muang Tha..Mahanakorn. It is located in the building opposite the Kway Chap shop on the Koh Phayathai side, near the Saxophone shop. The phone number is 085-937-7450, 086-374-5696. The ticket price is 140 baht and the travel time is 2 hours. Our destination is the last stop at Km.1. On the opposite side of the road, there are 2 van stops: Win Muang Tha..Mahanakorn (084-108-6695) and Win van, jointly operated by the Transport Co., Ltd. In the evening, we will come back to get on the bus here.

Our van left Victory Monument at 6:15 AM and arrived at Km.1 at 8:15 AM. Then we had to take a blue songthaew to Sattahip-Chonburi. We stood waiting at the motorbike taxi stand in front of 7-Eleven. The taxi driver asked if we wanted to take a motorbike. We immediately refused. We thought that it would be more cost-effective for two women to take a songthaew, and we still had time. If we didn't make the 9 AM boat, we could take the 10 AM boat. We were just chilling.

It took us half an hour on a songthaew to reach our destination, which cost 30 baht. We got off in front of the Natural History Museum of Thailand's Islands and Seas. If you walk into the museum, there is a ticket booth for Koh Saemsar, a food court, restrooms, and the Khao Ma Cho pier.

The ticket booth for Koh Kham is located on the way to Haad Namsai Beach. Walk straight in and you will see the sign for the Guard Post on your right. The ticket booth for Koh Kham is located in this area.

More about travel

1. Take a train to Saensuk Railway Station, then transfer to a blue songthaew (shared taxi) on the Sattahip-Saensuk route.

2. Take an air-conditioned bus on the old route (Bangkok-Rayong) and get off at Sattahip Market. Then take a blue songthaew on the Sattahip-Chon Saen Saeb route.

3. Traveling by private car, there are 2 routes: Burapha Withi Road, go straight to Sattahip, follow the signs to U-Tapao Airport, enter Saensuk. As for the other route, the motorway, drive along the Pattaya-Rayong route, you will see a sign to Saensuk U-TURN, go straight to U-Tapao Airport, enter Saensuk.

As soon as we got off the songthaew in front of the park, the driver told us that if the boat tickets to Koh Kham were full, we could visit Koh Saemsar instead, which is just as beautiful. We smiled and thanked the uncle. We rushed straight to the security post to buy tickets, but we wouldn't make the 9 am round anymore. It was already 15 minutes past the time, so we would have to wait for the next round at 10 am. But then a shocking thing happened: we got the 11 am round!! Oh my god, another two hours! We'll have to find a place to sit, take pictures, eat, and wait. We've come this far, so we have to go. At least we made it in time for the last round. I thought we came early, but there were people who came even earlier. I'm tired. ~

The ticket price to Koh Kham is 200 baht per person. If you want to rent diving equipment, it is recommended to rent it from the ticket purchase point. The price is 50 baht per set (if you do not dive, you do not have to pay). You can inform your intention at the ticket counter. If you rent on the island, the price will be 100 baht. This price includes a concrete mat to sit on the beach (you must exchange it for your ID card), a glass-bottom boat activity to see the coral (there will be rounds announced by the staff), toilets, and showers. If you want to sleep on a canvas bed, the price is 20 baht per bed. You must contact the staff yourself.

If you are confused after reading, we will summarize it briefly here. Let's separate it to emphasize it clearly. If you have any questions, please send us a private message. ^^

✿ Ticket Booking and Sales ✿

- Weekends and public holidays: Khao Kham Undersea Park will be open for tourists to book in advance no more than 200 people per day on boat trips at 9 am and 10 am. Must arrive at the destination at least half an hour in advance. Must be a group of more than 10 people to book in advance. In the case of tourists who are not in a group or less than 10 people, the park will not accept advance bookings. Tickets will be sold on a day-to-day basis. Full is full. Contact for advance booking at 038-437927 or 038-439444

- Monday-Friday: For individual tourists or groups of less than 10 people, the park does not accept advance bookings. For groups of 30 or more people, please submit your request and fill out the details form. Fax it to 038-437927 and confirm by phone 5 days before your visit.

✿ Passenger Boat Schedule ✿

✿ Admission fee ✿

- Regular ticket (adult) 200 baht per person, foreigners 300 baht

- Special card (children under 14 years old) 150 baht per person

✿ Activities we can do on Koh Kham ✿

• Scuba diving
  

• Take a glass-bottom boat to see the coral reefs.

• Hike to a scenic viewpoint and admire the flora and fauna.

- Kayaking (100 baht per hour)

✿ Ask for more information ✿

- http://www.nac1.navy.mi.th/kham

- 038-437929 or 038-439444 (official days) 0969236903 (holidays) When the time comes, we will return to the ticket booth for Koh Kham again to prepare to take a shared taxi to Khao Ma Jor Pier. The car will wait to pick up all tourists. Don't worry about not being able to go. Because no matter how late you arrive at the pier, everyone has to wait to board the same boat anyway. .. If you are not sure if you will get seasick, it is recommended to take motion sickness medication in advance or eat fruits to feel refreshed. Try to look far away, don't think about it ^^ .. When everyone is ready, the boat docks, let's get on the boat. Look carefully, get on the right boat. Because the boat to Koh Samet and the boat to Koh Kham will use the same pier. ..

Look at all the fish! There's fish food for sale on the boat too, 20 baht a bag, 3 bags for 50 baht.

The boat that took us to Koh Kham was a fishing boat. It took us 15 minutes to get to Koh Kham. The captain of the boat gave us a commentary throughout the journey. If you listen carefully, you will learn a lot. But I chose to rest my eyes. Haha... Let me give you a tip on choosing a seat on the boat. When you get on the boat, find a seat that is in the sun. It might be a bit hot, but once the boat starts sailing, you will be in the shade. I can confirm that! It was time for us to change boats to get to the shore of Koh Kham. They will not take the big boat to the pier of Koh Kham because the big boat might damage the beautiful coral reefs under the sea. So they used a small glass-bottomed boat to take us to the pontoon to get to the shore of Koh Kham instead. ^^

Koh Kham is an underwater park with a suitable ecosystem that is conducive to the growth of coral reefs and is not far from the shore. Koh Kham is an H-shaped island with an area of approximately 61 rai, located west of Koh Samae San. Koh Kham is a closed island and is not open to visitors all year round. It has an open and closed season like Similan Island to conserve and restore marine life. Therefore, it is an ecotourism destination that emphasizes true appreciation of nature. Let's all strictly follow the rules and regulations.

Upon arrival, the soldiers will ask for your cooperation to listen to a short briefing. The briefing will cover what Kham Island has to offer, including activities, landmarks, and important information about the island's rules and regulations. It's important to pay attention to avoid breaking any rules. We've summarized the key points below, with some information sourced from http://www.nac1.navy.mi.th/kham. Thank you for the information.

✿ Visiting Tips ✿

• Koh Kham Undersea Park reserves the right to cancel trips to the island without prior notice in the event of sudden unfavorable weather conditions.

- To prevent overcrowding and environmental degradation on the island, the total number of tourists is limited to 400 people per day.

• Pets that are ferocious or venomous are not allowed on the island.

- Limit coral viewing in cases where the sea level has dropped to a level that is dangerous to the coral.

- Do not touch, handle, or step on the coral. Do not collect shells, rocks, or plants from the island.

- Help preserve the natural environment by refraining from bringing environmentally hazardous materials to the island and taking your garbage and used items back to the mainland for disposal.

✿ Do's and Don'ts ✿

- Do not touch the coral and sea cucumbers because when we touch the coral, our hands may have sand attached to them, which can cause the coral to become clogged and unable to find food.

- No chemicals are allowed on the island, such as shampoo and soap.

• Do not take rocks, shells, or coral home with you.

- The island has one hut. The drama crew built a set as a scene. Only 2 people can go up at a time.

• Sea anemones, do not put your hands near them. Because sea anemones may release substances that can irritate the skin.

- Be careful of stepping on sea urchins. If you get stung, it will hurt a lot (tell the staff immediately). If a sea urchin spine is embedded in your foot, gently tap it with a stone after the pain subsides. The stone will break the spine into small pieces, and your body will naturally break down the spine and it will disappear. Sea urchin spines are made of calcium and protein, which are beneficial to the body. To avoid wasting time, we, the two siblings, set a goal to make the most of the remaining 4 hours and return on the last boat at 3:00 PM. Our first activity will be to climb the mountain to the viewpoint. How difficult, challenging, and tiring it will be, please follow us, the two of us. There are 3 viewpoints in total. Two small, thin women will go on an adventure. Will they be able to conquer all 3 points? Let me tell you, the food is ready! Drinking water is ready! Inhaler is ready! Let's go!

The initial part of the trail was easy to walk, allowing us to admire the natural beauty and diverse plant life along the way as we chatted with each other.

This zone is called 'Giant Chandpa Forest' .. There will be Chandpa trees growing all the way. Looking at the picture, the hardship has begun .. Don't be afraid, even if there are obstacles, we will overcome them!

Viewpoint 1 is 80 meters from the starting point. (I'm starting to sweat, haha)

Viewpoint 2, 72 meters from Viewpoint 1. (I'm starting to get out of breath, haha)

Viewpoint 3 is 80 meters away from Viewpoint 2. (I'm sweating a lot, my conversation is starting to slow down, I'm starting to breathe through my mouth, haha)

And the last section is a long descent, 146 meters long. Don't rush, take your time going down, be careful that your shoes don't stick to the ground, it will make you slide and you won't be able to brake like me. Good thing I held onto the rope, I got hurt, haha... Personally, I've climbed Khao Laem Ya for 1.4 km, but I wasn't as tired as climbing Koh Kham (it might be because of my body, the day I went I felt sore and a bit unwell, so I got tired easily). The total distance we walked was 378 meters, and it took us 25 minutes. Awesome! We made it! .. Okay, now we know what we're going to do next. Our stomachs are growling, telling us that we should put something in them...

We arranged to exchange the coupons for mats by leaving our ID cards as collateral. When we returned the mats, we exchanged our ID cards back. We then went to buy supplies to prepare for a relaxing time on the beach. Our supplies included 2 grilled chicken skewers, 1 refreshing coconut, 1 sweet mango, and ice cream. Our supplies were ready (we forgot to take a picture, we were so hungry, hehe). Once we had our supplies, we walked along the beach to find a location to sit and relax.

This is the front view from where we spread the mat to chill.

This is the view from above when we lie down.

Here, you can also rent a paddle board for 100 baht per hour. You can rent it at the same spot where you got the mat.

As we sat there, time flew by. We had to make sure to leave enough time to walk to the wooden bridge before waiting for the last boat. We returned the mat and walked to the other side of the island, where a wooden bridge stretched along the cliffs. The seawater was crystal clear and incredibly colorful. If you come to Koh Kham and don't walk to this spot, you'll miss out. Of the entire island and our whole day there, this was our favorite spot.

How clear is the water? Look at it .. It's crystal clear.

Do you see anything in the clear water over there? .. It's full of fish, I don't know what kind of fish they are ^^

After that, we walked along the beach to wait for the last boat to pick us up. We came the same way we went back, taking a glass-bottomed boat to the big boat. On the way back, we went to the back of the boat. It was private and not crowded, but it was so hot!! We had to rely on the old-fashioned ice cream from the soldiers for 20 baht each to cool down a bit.

When we arrived at Khao Ma Jor Pier, we didn't take the songthaew that picked us up at the ticket booth. We took the songthaew that was parked waiting to pick up passengers going outside. We got off at the van stop to Bangkok at Km 1. The songthaew fare on the way back was 20 baht. Huh! Why was the uncle so mean on the way here and charged us 30 baht each? Boo hoo... On the way back, we tried the van stop with the Transport Co. The price was 145 baht, 5 baht more expensive. The final destination was Victory Monument before we returned to our homes... We arrived home safely at 9 pm sharp.

Summary of expenses for Koh Kham (for 1 person)

The fare for a van from Win Muang Tha to Mahanakorn is 140 baht.

The cost of a songthaew (one way) is 30 baht.

Ticket to Koh Kham is 200 baht.

Round-trip songthaew fare: 20 baht

The fare for a shared van from the Bus Terminal is 145 baht.

Other expenses + food expenses 150 baht

Total 685 baht

P.S. Thank you SONY A6000 for giving us beautiful pictures throughout this trip.
(All photos are unedited, I want the photos to be as real as possible, according to the quality of the camera)

Thank you to everyone who follows, if there is any mistake, I apologize here. I am happy to accept all comments and suggestions.
Thank you to my sister who joined the trip and offered this good trip for us to travel together.

P.S. The island will be closed on May 16, 2016.
.. See you on the next trip ..

It doesn't matter where we go, who we go with, or what we encounter. What matters is that we embark on a journey and experience joy.
It may only be a few short hours, but it can create countless memories for us. ..