Chanthaburi: gems, a cathedral and a riverside old town
Thailand's biggest cathedral, a weekend gem market and a wooden old town along the river.
- Area
- Day trips
- Start from
- Pattaya
- Distance
- about 180 km east
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Best season
- All year; fruit season May – June
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Transport
- Car or bus
- Tickets & rules
- None
Why go
Chanthaburi is a provincial town with a strong character. At weekends, the gem market fills the streets with traders examining sapphires and rubies with magnifying glasses.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic church in Thailand, built by a Catholic community with roots going back centuries.
The Chanthaboon waterfront old town has wooden houses, cafés and shophouses along the river.
The town is also a fruit-growing centre, with durian, mangosteen and rambutan farms in the surrounding hills. During the fruit season, there are fruit festivals and roadside stalls everywhere.
The story
The Catholic community in Chanthaburi includes descendants of Vietnamese Catholics who settled here centuries ago.
The French occupied Chanthaburi for some years in the late nineteenth century, leaving traces in local history.
The gem trade developed because of local sapphire and ruby deposits and grew into an international market with traders from many countries.
King Taksin, who restored Thai independence after the fall of Ayutthaya in the eighteenth century, gathered his forces in Chanthaburi; there's a shrine and monument to him in town.
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Getting there
Drive east along the coast or take a bus.
Driving takes about 2.5–3 hours from Pattaya along the coast. Buses run regularly.
A suggested plan
- MorningGem market (weekends).
- AfternoonCathedral and riverside walk.
- EveningDinner in the old town.
- Day 2Visit a fruit farm or the nearby waterfalls in Khao Khitchakut or Namtok Phlio national parks.
Where to stay
Guesthouses in the old town make an overnight trip pleasant.
Good to know
- Fruit season brings durian, mangosteen and rambutan.
- Ask locals about the Vietnamese and Chinese influences in the town's food.
- The gem market is busiest Friday to Sunday.
- Chanthaburi noodles (sen chan) are famous throughout Thailand.
- Buy gems only if you know what you're doing.