Thailand’s Strangest City… We Were Shocked

Thailand travel in 2026 takes us somewhere completely unexpected. We explore Rayong, Thailand — from beautiful beaches and cool coffee shops to huge industry, modern malls, local food and traditional Thai life. 👉✅ tomtoc Aviator - T33: https://amzn.to/4pfxryL Rayong was NOT what we expected. We left Bangkok and headed east to explore a part of Thailand that many international travellers simply pass through on their way to the islands. Rayong is perhaps best known by tourists as the gateway to Koh Samet, but we wanted to find out what Rayong itself was actually like. And what we found surprised us. This is a place of extraordinary contrasts. One minute we're sitting beside the sea at one of the coolest coffee concepts we've found in Thailand, with vintage coffee caravans, deckchairs and parasols lining the beachfront. Then you look along the coastline and see an entirely different Rayong. 📍 Aster Canopy Suites & Living This was our base in Rayong. It was very economical and ideal if you only need accommodation rather than a full-service hotel. We booked through Booking.com. 59 Soi 12, Rat Bamrung Road, Noen Phra, Mueang Rayong, Rayong 21000 https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/aste... 📍 Laem Charoen Beach After checking in, we headed to Laem Charoen Beach. Along the seafront were several independent coffee and food vans, including Triple O, HOUSE, iDrip, LAVA and Baby Burger. There was also a huge fresh seafood restaurant overlooking the beach. https://maps.google.com/?q=Laem+Charo... 📍 CRENN Artisan Bakery & Café A stylish little artisan bakery and coffee shop serving freshly baked bread, cakes and coffee. 17 Soi Sophon 4, Map Ta Phut, Mueang Rayong, Rayong 21150 Instagram: crennbakery https://maps.google.com/?q=CRENN+Arti... 📍 Local Thai Restaurant Opposite CRENN Directly opposite CRENN, we stopped at a very local Thai restaurant for an inexpensive and authentic meal. It doesn’t appear to have a clear English-language listing, but you’ll find it immediately across the road from the bakery. 📍 Miracle of Natural – PTT LNG Flora Exhibition Hall Rayong’s extraordinary air-conditioned tropical and temperate flower garden—almost like PTT’s own miniature Eden Project, located in the heart of the industrial area. 8/2 Rong Pui Road, Map Ta Phut, Mueang Rayong, Rayong 21150 https://maps.google.com/?q=Miracle+of... https://www.pttlng.com/ 📍 SANDD with Benefits We stopped here for brunch—a modern café specialising in sourdough, sandwiches and fresh café food. Map Ta Phut, Mueang Rayong, Rayong https://maps.google.com/?q=SANDD+WITH... Instagram: sanddwithbenefits 📍 Couple Coffee Roastery One of Rayong’s coolest independent coffee shops and a small speciality coffee roastery, with a huge selection of beans from Thailand and around the world. Noen Phra, Mueang Rayong, Rayong 21000 https://maps.google.com/?q=Couple+Cof... 📍 Rayong Botanical Garden A huge wetland conservation area where you can explore by boat or kayak and see Rayong’s remarkable ancient paperbark forest. Moo 2, Chak Phong, Klaeng District, Rayong https://maps.google.com/?q=Rayong+Bot... Facebook: rayongbotanic 📍 Laem Mae Phim Beach We finished the day beside the sea, eating dinner at one of the local seafood restaurants with tables set directly on the sand. There are plenty along the beachfront, so simply choose whichever one takes your fancy. https://maps.google.com/?q=Laem+Mae+P... 00:00 Bangkok to Rayong, Thailand – Our Road Trip Begins 02:00 Laem Charoen Beach – Rayong’s Seafront Coffee Vans 09:00 Where to Stay in Rayong – Aster Canopy Suites & Living 10:00 Our tomtoc Travel Bag for Exploring Thailand 11:40 CRENN Bakery – One of Rayong’s Best Coffee Shops 16:28 Authentic Thai Breakfast at a Local Rayong Restaurant 19:44 PTT Miracle of Natural – Rayong’s Indoor Flower Garden 24:57 SANDD with Benefits – Rayong’s Incredible Sourdough Café 28:44 Couple Coffee Roastery – Speciality Coffee in Rayong 31:00 Exploring Rayong Botanical Garden 33:20 Is Rayong Worth Visiting? Our Honest Final Thoughts If you enjoy Thailand travel, Bangkok travel, Thailand vlogs, Thai culture, hidden Thailand, off-the-beaten-path travel, Southeast Asia travel and discovering places beyond the usual tourist trail, we'd love you to join us. #Thailand #ThailandTravel #Rayong #RayongThailand #Thailand2026 #ThailandVlog #TravelThailand #EasternThailand #AmazingThailand #HiddenThailand #UnseenThailand #ThailandTravelVlog #Bangkok #BangkokThailand #KohSamet #KohSametThailand #MapTaPhut #ThaiCulture #ExploreThailand #SoutheastAsiaTravel #TravelVlog