Ko Si Chang is nothing like the best Thailand has to offer, but it's a cheap and easy weekend away from Bangkok and has 1 great beach, some good view points and a few things to keep you occupied for one or two days and is well worth a visit.
2 hour bus ride from Ekkamai (90bt adults/70bt kids)
20bt each by samlor to the pier from where the bus stops.
50bt each for the boat which takes an hour or so. The boat ride is interesting because you pass through a very busy shipping lane.
If you leave Bangkok after breakfast you can be on the beach by lunch. Small island, not so much to do, pretty shabby in parts, but has a some cool places too. Not many resorts so pricey (1500-2000bt for a family room) but not many options so can't complain. The island has seemed to have gotten a lot more popular over the last few years.
Lots of boats/tugs anchored up on the stretch between the mainland and the island itself.
We played chicken with this passing tug and 500m long load.
From the pier to the deckchair is under 5 minutes and 20bt each again by samlor. Its not a big beach but it's perfectly good enough and the water is clean, food is good and cheap and the beer is cold.
See what I mean?
We arrived about 3.30 so were well unwound by the time the sun set
And the moon rose.
Tomorrows lunch arrived looking for its own lunch today.
Rent a scooter 300bt a day, some nice viewpoints and a couple of hill top temples with monkeys and stuff.
There are some good viewpoints on the island and King Rama V'ths summer retreat (which has been empty now for a long time) provide good spots for a few hours rambling around.
Same beach but from the other end
In the Kings old palace grounds.
Sitting on the dock of the bay.
Royal gardens.
Big Buddha up on the hill
There's also a small cave there guarded by these Baba's
Get a good view of the shipping lane from up behind the Buddha
Only 1 beach, but several places to wonder around.
Sunrise from a small temple on a hill
This temple sits at the peak of the Royal gardens