Chumphon Overview

For most travelers, Chumphon is simply a stop en route to the tropical trinity of Ko Tao, Ko Phangan, and Ko Samui, serving as a gateway to the south. With a tourist industry built to cater to those waiting for the next leg of a journey to or from the islands, Chumphon is a highly convenient and comfortable place to book onward tickets, check email, make overseas calls, and swap stories with other travelers. Those without immediate logistical or communication needs, however, might prefer to leave the rather charmless town and relax nearby on the undeveloped, pristine beach at Thung Wua Laen.

Trains: Chumphon Train Station (☎077 511 103), at the west end of Krumluang Chumphon Rd. Luggage storage 10฿ per day. To: Surat Thani (3hr., 11 per day 9pm-6am, 100฿), Bangkok (7-10hr., 10 trains per day 7:30pm-2:30am, 480฿) via Hua Hin (3-4hr., 93฿) and Phetchaburi (4-5hr., 7 per day, 225฿).
Buses: The biggest Chumphon bus station (☎077 502 268) is located 12km to the east of Chumphon on Hwy. 4. A white songthaew with a red stripe goes from the intersection of Poramin Monka Rd. and Phinit Khadi Rd. to the bus station (50฿) and back from 8am-6pm. While buses going to all destinations stop at this main bus station, most destinations can be accessed from smaller bus stations located within the city of Chumphon. 2nd-cl. A/C Buses to Bangkok (8-10hr., 8 per a day 8am-8pm, 360฿) via Phetchaburi (270฿) and Hua Hin (230฿) leave from a small bus station on Poramin Monka Rd. between its intersection with Thawi Sinkha Soi 2 and Rotfai Rd. VIP Buses to Bangkok (7hr.; 10:30am, 2:00, and 9:30pm; 350-550฿. 2nd cl. A/C buses to Phuket (6-8hr.; 5:30, 8:00, 10:00, 11:50am; 370฿), Hat Yai (10hr.; 8:30, 9:30, 11:30am, 9:00pm; 350-450฿); all leave from near the market just off Pracha Uthit Rd. Unless you want to head to the bus station 12km. away from Chumphon and catch a bus at 2am, buy a ticket from one of the local travel agencies or hotels for a bus that will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Krabi (4hr.; 6:00am, 1:00pm; 470฿).
Minibuses: White minibuses to Ranong (2-3hr., every hr. 8am-6pm, 120฿) leave from Tha Thapoa Rd. across from New Infinty Travel, and will probably drop you off wherever you want in Ranong if you tell them in advance. Minibuses for Surat Thani (2-3hr., every hr. 8am-6pm, 170฿) leave from within a parking lot next to the night market; on the right side of Krumluang Chumphon Rd. when heading away from the train station.
Boats: Express boat tickets for Ko Tao (Lomprayah Catamaran, 1½-2hr., 7am and 1pm, 550฿; Songserm Express Boat 3hr., 7am, 450฿), Ko Phangan (Lomprayah Catamaran, 3-3½hr.; 7am, 1pm; 750฿; Songserm Express 5hr.; 7am, 1pm; 600฿), and for Ko Samui (Lomprayah Catamaran 4½-5hr.; 7am, 1pm; 850฿; Songserm Express 6½hr.; 7am, 1pm; 750฿) can be purchased at their respective piers or at travel agencies for the same price. The Lomprayah Catamaran leaves from the Thong Makham Pier (☎077 558 212), 20km. south of Chumphon; the Songserm Express leaves from Thayang Pier (☎077 553 052), 10km. south of town. Both have taxi services that pick you up from your hotel and bring you to the pier for free. Slow midnight boats leave from the Pak Nam Pier, 6km from town (6hr., daily midnight, 200฿). The night boat does not provide transportation to the pier. Tourist agencies and guesthouses sell tickets and provide transportation (50฿), and can arrange a wake-up call for any of the times. Night boats are entirely exposed to the elements—check weather reports. In general, faster boats are also more likely to induce seasickness. To visit Ko Maphraw (Coconut Island) and some of the similar smaller and less developed islands contact Chumphon National Park (☎077 558 144), which sells package tours that vary by price and destination according to the number and interest of the participants.
Local Transportation: Motorcycle taxis (20-30฿) are all over town, especially near the train station, the markets, and the numerous bus stations. Almost every guesthouse and travel agency rents motorbikes (200฿ per day). Santawee New Guesthouse rents bicycles (100฿ per day with passport deposit). Fame Travel Agency rents cars (1200฿ per day). The Chumphon Cabana Resort (☎077 504 442) in Hat Thung Wua Laen rents diving equipment. Open daily 9am-8pm.

Orientation And Practical Information

Chumphon is 498km south of Bangkok. The town is small, but somewhat confusing to navigate. Krumluang Chumphon Road, home of the town’s night market, runs east from the train station, forming the northern edge of town. Poramin Monka Road marks the southern limit; look for the hospital, post office, and official tourist offices here. Farang- oriented travel agencies and guest houses line Tha Tapoa Road, which runs north-south through the southwestern part of the city. Parallel to Tha Tapoa Rd. and one block east is hotel- and eatery-studded Sala Daeng Road. “V”-shaped Pracha Uthit Road, turns into Phisit Phayaban Road on the eastern side of Chumphon, and straddles the city center, the day market is on the west side along.

Tourist Office: Municipal Office (☎077 511 024, ext. 120), 100m. west of the post office. Left off Tha Thapoa Rd. onto Poramin Monka Rd., first left after the market onto Phinit Khadi Rd., right into the first parking lot. Questions can be answered more conveniently by better English speakers at one of the tourist agencies on Tha Tapoa Rd. and Sala Daeng Rd.
Tours: Commercial tourist agencies sell boat tickets and arrange tours on Tha Tapoa Rd. New Infinity Travel, 68/2 Tha Tapoa (☎077 570 176), near the Farang Bar. Employee Are speaks great English, and is incredibly helpful when booking tickets and planning out trips in any direction. She has pictures on her computer to help with directions. Open 8am-8pm. Fame Tour & Service, 188/20-21 Sala Daeng Road (☎077 571 077), provides ferry tickets, advance booking for trains and buses, luggage storage, and arranges for scuba diving on Ko Tao. Open daily 7am-midnight.
Currency Exchange: Bangkok Bank, 111/1-2 Sala Daeng Rd. (☎077 511 446). 24hr. ATM. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm. Other 24hr. ATMs can be found on nearly every block of the city, especially in more touristy areas on Sala Daeng Rd. and Tha Thapoa Rd.
Police: (☎077 511 300), on Sala Daeng Rd., about 100m north of the intersection with Krumluang Rd. Little English spoken. Open 24hr.
Medical Services: Virajsilp Hospital (☎077 503 238), at the south end of Tha Tapoa Rd.; a 5min. walk from the bus station. Great service. Cash only. Open 24hr. Has pharmacy. Chumphon Hospital (☎503 672), on Phisit Phayaban Rd., at the corner of the intersection with Krumluang Rd., provides 24hr. emergency care.
Telephones: Most guesthouses and tourist offices have international phone service, though TOT phone cards can be purchased at most 7-Elevens for half the price (4฿ per min. to the US).
Internet Access: Farang Bar offers the cheapest Internet on their one computer, located behind the kitchen (30฿ per hr.). New Infinity Travel and Fame Tour and Service offer 1฿ per min. Internet and Wi-Fi.
Post Office: GPO, 192 Poramin Manka Rd. (☎077 511 041), southeast of town, past the tourist office, on the left. Poste Restante. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm, Sa 9am-noon. Postal Code: 86000.

Accommodations

Inexpensive sleeping options abound in Chumphon. Many of Chumphon’s budget accommodations aim to be one-stop service centers for everything an island-hopping traveler might need or want: food, drinks, Internet, travel bookings, and massages. The positive side of this is convenience, while the downside is that some establishments may engage in high-pressure sells to convince travelers to use more of their services. Most hotels and guesthouses cluster on Tha Tapoa Rd., Sala Daeng Rd., or in the alleyways connecting them.

Suda Guest House, Bangkok Bank Tha Tapoa Rd. Soi 8 (☎077 504 366), just around the corner from New Infinity Travel, on a small alley of of Tha Thapoa Rd. The immaculate rooms are lovingly tended, but Suda herself really sets the place apart, with her warmth, excellent English, and wealth of useful info. Reserve in advance as rooms fill up even in low season. Spotless bathrooms have hot showers (non-guests 20฿). Singles 200-250฿, doubles 350-450฿. Add 80฿ for A/C.
Santawee New Rest House, Bangkok Bank Tha Thapoa Rd. Soi 8 (☎077 502 147), right next to Suda Guest House. The incredibly energetic and friendly father and son duo that owns the place spends most of the day roasting coffee beans behind of the rest house. The rooms are new, airy, and freshly painted. Each comes with fan and shared squat toilet. Beware: the coffee roaster gets loud and smells intensely of roasted coffee by 9am. Singles 150฿, small doubles 200฿, and large doubles 250฿.
Chumphon Guest House (☎077 502 900), on Krumluang Chumphon Soi 1, 600m from the train station. Nearby sounds of roosters and cows give Chumphon Guest House a surprisingly bucolic feel for a place so close to the train station. The owner speaks very good English. All beds come with mosquito nets. Breakfast 40-80฿. Small singles160฿, doubles 180฿, come with fan and shared bath; rooms with private bath 250฿.
Mayazes Resthouse, 188/139 Sala Daeng Rd. (☎077 503 511), 100m north of Fame Tour and Service. Large, clean doubles with fan and shared bath 250฿, small singles without windows 200฿.
Farang Bar (☎077 597 7381), right in the center of Tha Tapoa Rd. where all the VIP buses stop on the way back from the piers for dinner. Exudes backpacker mellowness. Cheap rooms, popular bar and vegetarian-friendly restaurant. Dishes 50-200฿. Beers 50฿. Open 6am-midnight. Shared stone and tile showers, rooms have bare floors and beat-up furniture. Rooms with fan 200฿.

Food

For Chumphon’s finest victuals, head to the markets. The day market, between Pracha Uthit and Poramin Manka Rd., offers gluay lep meu (fingernail bananas) and a variety of other fruits. (Open daily 5am-6pm.) The night market, on Krumluang Chumphon Rd. 300m east of the train station, offers pad thai (25฿) and other Thai staples. (Open nightly 6-11pm.) At another market along Tha Tapoa Rd., south of Farang Bar, excellent noodle and fried rice stalls gather outside a small pavillion (noodle dishes 20-35฿).

Papa Seafood, 2-2/1 Krumluang Chumphon Rd., across from the train station. The crowd of locals, peppered with foreigners waiting for their trains, comes to Papa’s outdoor terrace to watch sports on the flat screen TV and snack on renowned seafood dishes (100-200฿). Beer 90-120฿. Papa 2000, next door, is the largest disco in town. Restaurant and terrace open daily 11am-3am. Disco open 6pm-2am.
Fame Italian Restaurant, 188/20-21 Sala Daeng Rd. (☎077 571 077). Has a menu filled with pizzas (100-190฿), pastas (100-200฿), sandwiches (60-120฿), and Thai curries (60-120฿). Affiliated with Fame Tour & Service (see Tours, ). Full bar gets lively at night. Beer 50-70฿. Open daily 4:30pm-midnight.

Daytrips From Chumphon

For extended excursions to caves and other sights in the vicinity, it’s best to book a tour with a tourist agencies or guesthouses. The Phato Rainforest Ecotourism Club and Runs ‘n Roses (☎086 172 1090; www.runsnroses.com) offer white-water rafting adventures and ecotourism trips into the nearby Phato Rainforest. A 3-day package starts at 1200฿ and includes hands-on educational studies of the rainforest watershed system. Bookings can be made through Suda Guest House or through most other travel agencies. Two popular destinations are the Rab Ro Caves and the Ka Po Waterfalls, 30km from Chumphon. Prices vary, but expect to pay at least 500฿.

Hat Thung Wua Laen

Bright yellow songthaew leave Chumphon’s day market along Pracha Uthit Rd., across the street from the 7-Eleven, for Hat Thung Wua Laen (sometimes called Cabana Beach), 12km away. They leave every 30min. or whenever the car is full, and will stop near the south end of the beach (20min., 30฿) if you ask to go to Hat Thung Wua Laen. Return songthaew to Chumphon sometimes cruise Moo 8, the beachside road, but more often than not they bypass the beach and go straight from the nearby village to Hwy. 4. If you are in a rush to get back to Chumphon and haven’t seen a yellow songthaew in a while, walk to the southern end of the beach and take a right shortly after you pass Tiger Bar on your left. Continue straight on the curving road for 3km back to Hwy. 4 and wait by the side of the road for the next songthaew. No taxis can be found on the beach; instead, you must order one from a hotel or guesthouse. Last return by songthaew 6pm.

Hat Thung Wua Laen (4km long) is the area’s premier beach and a refreshing escape from Chumphon. It remains pristine thanks to rules that forbid further development and thus keep crowds of foreigners away. During the week, the beach is often deserted, save for fishing boats anchored several hundred meters out from the bay; on the weekend, it’s popular with locals, who like to have picnics in the shade.

Along the beach, there are a number of good, affordable restaurants with picturesque thatched huts and bamboo tables. They all feature a similar simple English menu, cooking up spicy papaya salad (50-60฿) as well as various seafood curries (40-90฿). A self-described “seafood resort,” The View Restaurant , 4/2 Moo 8, just and across the street from Seabeach Bungalows, is a fun outdoor beach bar. Enjoy the sounds of waves and funk music underneath the stars as you drink beers or mixed drinks (50-90฿) and play pool. (Open 10am-1am.)

Divers may want to visit two popular islands that are visible in the distance off the shores of Hat Thung Wua Laen. Ko Ngam Yai and Ko Ngam Noi, prized for their swallows’ nests, coral reefs, and soaring cliffs, are seldom visited but well worth the trip. Chartering a boat is expensive (1500฿ or more for a day), and it’s best to book with an organized tour. If you are interested, talk to the staff at Cabana Resort at the south end of Hat Thung Wua Laen.