This journey began at the time when we were about to graduate. I thought that we should have a trip that we would remember, and it might be one of the few times that we would be able to travel together in such a large group. So, my friends and I quickly planned this trip while we were doing our internships. We managed to gather a total of 8 members and decided to plan a trip to a nearby province, Phetchaburi.


This time, we traveled to two main locations: Cha-am and Kaeng Krachan. Therefore, we named the trip "Beach and Mountain" because the trip offers two atmospheres: the sea and the mountains. These are some of the pictures we brought to share as examples. There are actually more than this. If you want to see them, you can travel with us.

Watch the video

This section is a video compilation of all our travel experiences.


This is a post I wrote before. It can be used as a reference, but not much.

"Well, well... Who said there's nothing to do here?" Trip on January 6-8, 2016 https://pantip.com/topic/34656885

#CNXbeforeMdie: Travel Before Research Presentation

This phrase translates to "#CNXbeforeMdie: Travel Before Research Presentation" and refers to a post on the Thai forum Pantip.com. The post discusses the idea of taking a trip before presenting research, with the hashtag "#CNXbeforeMdie" likely referencing the city of Chiang Mai, a popular tourist destination in Thailand.

The link provided in the original text leads to a specific comment within the Pantip thread, suggesting that the phrase is part of a larger conversation about travel and research.

Sukhothai: A Destination Worth Visiting, Not Just a Stopover https://pantip.com/topic/36178294

Phu Soi Dao. I've been there. You know. https://pantip.com/topic/35926892

Our journey began at the Bangkok Railway Station, also known as Hua Lamphong.

We traveled on the free train, number 261, from Bangkok to Hua Hin (getting off at Cha-am station).

We departed from Bangkok at 9:20 AM. The train was quite crowded, so we had to hurry to find seats.

The atmosphere on the train is great. Luckily, we all got seats, although not next to each other.

The roadside scenery.

The train vendors offer a variety of snacks and drinks, including stir-fried basil with rice noodles, small dried noodles, chilled sweet drinks, sour mangoes, and snacks. Feeling hungry before reaching my destination, I opted for boiled peanuts as a light snack.

We soon arrived at Ban Cha-am Station around 1:30 PM, right on time. Upon arrival, we headed to our accommodation, which we had booked in advance. We hired a songthaew driven by Uncle Samran, a kind-hearted man who would be our guide throughout this trip. We will provide a detailed breakdown of expenses at the end of our review.

We booked a room at The Beach Cha Am guest house. We booked one family room that can accommodate four people and two rooms that can accommodate two people each. Upon arrival, we checked in.

This is the family room, which is adjacent to a large glass window. The room is spacious and airy, with two beds that can accommodate four people.

[center] This is a room for two people. We split the cost of accommodation equally, which comes out to about 320 baht per person per night. This is very affordable. [/center]

After that, everyone went their separate ways to take a quick shower due to the intense stickiness.

Before we went out to eat with great hunger, the first meal we had in Cha-am was a simple food stall near our accommodation. This is the restaurant.

The food tastes good, but the wait was a bit long, or maybe I was just hungry. The prices are reasonable, and it's open 24 hours a day. Here's a picture of the food.

Stir-fried shrimp with curry paste

Crab meat stir-fried with curry powder

"Is this enough to fill us up?" we asked ourselves. The answer was a resounding "no!" After all, what's a savory meal without a sweet ending? So, we headed over to the "Iced Gold" ice cream stand, where we each indulged in a scoop of their delicious ice cream. The combination of the warm air, the cool sea breeze, and the refreshing ice cream created a truly blissful experience.

Afterwards, we relaxed on beach chairs, which were available for rent at 30 baht for 5 hours. We spent the afternoon chilling, playing, and taking photos. Some of our friends enjoyed swimming in the sea.

After soaking up the atmosphere, we went back to our accommodation to freshen up and then headed out to find something to eat. We ended up at Krua Rua Makham, which was just a short walk from our accommodation. The seafood was incredibly fresh, and I would rate it 10/10. The flavors were well-balanced, although not overly spicy. Some dishes might even be considered a bit bland, which could be due to the restaurant catering to a wider audience, including those who might not enjoy spicy food. Overall, I found the food to be delicious.

This is a steamed squid with lime menu. It's delicious, the broth is sour, slightly spicy, salty, and has a complete sour, salty, and sweet taste.

This is a delicious seafood tom yum soup. It is rich, creamy, and full of tom yum flavors. It includes mushrooms, shrimp, squid, and fish. The tom yum broth is delicious and well-made. After enjoying our delicious meal, we walked back to our accommodation. On the way, we stumbled upon a bingsu shop located right by the sea. It was unbelievable that we were sitting by the sea eating bingsu. The price was also affordable, only 85 baht per cup, and they offered a wide variety of toppings. We ordered three cups and finished them quickly. One of our friends even said it was a "three-minute bingsu." They had many flavors to choose from. We tried three flavors: Milo, strawberry, and banana Milo. Everyone agreed that the strawberry was the best. It had a lot of toppings, a sweet and sour taste, and a variety of flavors in one cup. The crunchy cornflakes were also delicious. After that, we all went back to our accommodation to shower and sleep. I like Cha-am because it is a quiet seaside town with fewer people than Hua Hin. It is perfect for relaxing with friends and enjoying fresh seafood. It is also not too far from Bangkok. Goodbye for today, see you tomorrow. The next morning, we woke up in shock to find that it was raining. We wondered what to do next. We had planned to go camping at Kaeng Krachan, but now we weren't sure if we could still camp. Everyone was very calm and thought that it probably wouldn't rain. After showering and getting dressed, we went out to find something to eat.

This morning, I had breakfast at a local restaurant. The food was delicious and affordable. Afterwards, I went to a cafe with a beautiful atmosphere and enjoyed a refreshing drink.

After packing our belongings, we checked out of our accommodation and headed to our next destination. We contacted Uncle Samran, who had picked us up earlier, to take us to the Mrigadayavan Palace.

After a short 20-minute drive, we arrived at the Mrigadayavan Palace. The entrance fee is 30 baht per person, and visitors are required to dress modestly, with long pants and shirts that are not sleeveless. If you are wearing shorts, they will provide you with a sarong to wear. If you are bringing a camera, you will need to register it by writing your name. The entrance has a very pleasant atmosphere.

He is currently practicing the role of the king. However, the atmosphere inside is very good and shady. I would like to recommend everyone to come and visit.

After leaving the Mrigadayavan Palace, we took Uncle's car to the Kaeng Krachan National Park headquarters near the Kaeng Krachan Dam. The journey took about an hour and a half. This is Uncle Samran, the kind man who drove us. Here are his contact numbers: 0809308904 or 0870414236. Feel free to use his services; his prices are reasonable. Upon arrival, we inquired about tents for our accommodation that night. Fortunately, it wasn't raining when we arrived, and there were only clouds, so we were able to set up our tents. We then looked for activities to do. Of course, being in Kaeng Krachan, we had to go whitewater rafting. After paying for the rafting, we quickly went to find something to eat. There was a park restaurant nearby that served delicious food. We were quite hungry by then. We left our belongings at the park and waited for a while before a car picked us up to take us to the starting point of the 8 km whitewater rafting course. The morning charter cost 1200 baht. The rafting route was mostly calm water, with no rocks or anything particularly exciting. However, it was fun to go with a large group. The water was cool, and there were sections where we jumped in and floated. On the way back, we took the same car and stopped along the way to buy food for dinner. We bought cup noodles, water, and snacks because the park restaurant closed around five o'clock, and we were back after that time.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow, we took the opportunity to capture some playful photos. After indulging in our photography session, we stored our belongings, showered, and prepared instant noodles using the hot water provided by the park headquarters. We enjoyed snacks and chatted while basking in the cool evening air. With our appetites satisfied, we brushed our teeth and retired for the night, eager to wake up early the next day.

The following morning, we rose before dawn, around 4:30 am, to board the 4x4 vehicle that would transport us to Pha Nen Thung. The distance from the park headquarters to the Pha Nen Thung viewpoint is 50 kilometers, necessitating an early departure.

The initial stretch of the journey was on a paved road, but as we progressed, the cool air turned into a chilly breeze as we rode in the car. It was quite cold!

The final stretch of the road is unpaved and bumpy, requiring some familiarity with the terrain. The shortcut winds its way up a mountain through a forest. Despite the challenging route, the air is fresh and the temperature is pleasantly cool. This is a description of the path.

After a bumpy seven-hour drive, we finally arrived at the Pha Nen Thung viewpoint. Stepping out of the car, our legs felt like jelly. The rough road had taken its toll, leaving us stiff and sore. But the moment we set foot on the viewing platform, all the aches and pains vanished.

We are overjoyed to have been fortunate enough to ascend and not be disappointed. We were able to behold the sea of mist according to our desires, perhaps because it rained heavily yesterday. We are delighted to see a large amount of it. It is a sea of mist that is very gentle and has many fluffy clouds.

After descending from the grassy knoll, we continued to the butterfly sanctuary at Ban Krang Camp. The sight was breathtaking, with an abundance of butterflies fluttering around. However, be cautious of bees, as one of my companions was stung.

Finally, we arrived at Kaeng Krachan, which reminded us of the movie "A Little Thing Called Love" that was filmed here. The suspension bridge, where everyone who visits must take a picture, is a popular spot. After taking pictures, we contacted a van to pick us up at Kaeng Krachan and take us to the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok. To summarize, here are the total expenses.



8-person trip to Cha-am and Kaeng Krachan


Day 1

Accommodation cost @ Cha-am 2390 Baht

The cost of a taxi from the train station to the accommodation is 300 baht.

Beach chair 240 baht



Day 2

Admission fee 240 baht

Rent a car to Kaeng Krachan for 1300 baht.

Entrance fee to Kaeng Krachan National Park (student price): 320 baht

Rental fee for 3 dance studios (255 baht per studio) 675 baht

Bedding 360 baht

Whitewater rafting 1200 baht

Note: Park entrance and tent fees are reduced from the regular price due to a student discount.

Day 3

Rent a car to go up to Tung Hill for 1600 baht.

Minivan from Kaeng Krachan to Bangkok 2000 Baht



**Total cost: 10,625 baht (approximately 1,328 baht per person)** (excluding miscellaneous expenses such as food).



Food cost

Lunch 420 baht

Dinner 1395 baht

Bingsu 255 baht



This trip taught me many things. After graduating from university, it will be difficult to find opportunities to travel like this again. Even now, it's hard. It was fortunate that many things fell into place: the weather was good, it didn't rain while we were at the beach, and it rained just enough to create fog the next day. We had so much fun that one of our friends said he was happy several times a day. I am truly grateful to all my friends who agreed to travel with me. One friend even agreed to go without even knowing where we were going. There are only a few moments in life that we will remember, and this happy moment of traveling with friends is one of them. I hope we can travel together again in the future. Thank you to my friends and readers who have been a part of this experience.

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