Ban Phe is a small coastal town that serves primarily as a jumping-off point to Ko Samet. Tarua Phe Pier, across from the 7-Eleven on Beach Rd., acts as the main point of departure for ferries leaving for Ko Samet, although many of the other piers offer similar services for the same price.
Buses run from Bangkok’s Ekamai terminal to Ban Phe (3hr.; 15 per day 5am-8:30pm, return every hr. 4am-7pm; 178-157฿). The Ban Phe Bus Station (☎038 651 528) is across from Nuan Tip Pier. To get elsewhere, take a songthaew from the street-side stop near the bus station to Rayong (45min., every 15-30min. 6:15am-6pm, 25฿) and transfer there, or if heading east toward Chanthaburi or Trat, take a motorcycle taxi to the highway (30฿) and hail a passing bus.
Ferries go to Na Dan Pier (every hr. 8am-5pm, 50฿) and Wong Duan Pier (9:30am, 1:30, 5pm) on Ko Samet’s eastern coast. Nuan Tip Pier, across from the bus station, also offers service to the various beaches on Ko Samet. The ferries at Nuan Tip only leave when the boat is full, though, so Tarua Phe may be a more efficient choice. For pricier but easier transportation, travel agencies in Ban Phe offer direct minibus service to Ko Chang (300฿) and Trat (250฿); Chanthaburi (250฿); Pattaya (250฿), and Bangkok (250฿). Suriya Tour Service (☎038 651 461), across from Tan Tan Internet, is one such agency.
Other services in Ban Phe include: a 24hr. ATM outside the 7-Eleven across from Tarua Phe Pier; Bangkok Bank (☎038 651 967), 1km west of the piers and a 10min. walk or a 15฿ motorcycle taxi ride from Tarua Phe Pier, which exchanges currency and traveler’s checks (open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm); and the police station (☎038 651 111), which is midway between the two piers. A surprisingly good selection of English- and foreign-language books can be found at Blue Sky Books (☎017 611 388), one block down the side street east of 7-Eleven. Books are both sold and bought here; they have a 2-for-1 trade deal on all books under 200฿, and will buy back any book bought there for half the price. Internet access is available at Tan Tan Too, across from Tarua Pier. (☎038 653 671. 1฿ per min., 50฿ per hr. Open daily 7:30am-6:30pm.) Ban Phe also hosts a number of Westerners year-round who take a TEFL course in order to earn an English as a Second Language teaching certification. Inquire at Tristar TEFL (☎038 653 691; www.english4thais.com), between the piers and the Bangkok Bank.
If you miss the last ferry, there are several lodgings clustered around the piers. The best deal in town can be found at a hotel lacking an English sign in the same building as HISO Thai Massages, two blocks west of the 7-Eleven on Sukhumvit Rd. Rooms are clean and spacious. (☎038 651 824. Rooms with A/C 400฿.) Diamond Hotel , 286/12 Moo 2, Tambol Phe, on the main road, just west of Tarua Phe Pier, has clean, well-maintained rooms for a good price, and a friendly staff. (☎038 651 757. Rooms with fan 350฿, with A/C 500฿.) Satisfy your waiting-for-the-ferry munchies at Christies Restaurant and Bar , next to the 7-Eleven. (Hamburger and fries 120฿.)
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