Discovering Mae Pim

Mae Pim is a delightful and unspoilt beachside area in Rayong. Sometimes overlooked by visitors to this neighbouring province to Pattaya because of the popularity of the island of Koh Samet for their weekend getaway. However, Mae Pim is just another half an hour ‘s drive away from Ban Phe Pier and of course when you visit this part of Rayong there’s no speedboat or ferry journey to take. Also by having your own car with you there’s plenty of opportunity to explore.

What struck us first about this captivating coastal location were the miles and miles of pristine beaches and beautiful blue sea. There’s a serene ambiance as you walk along the sand with a lovely, gentle sea breeze day and night and wonderful sunrises and sunsets that can be enjoyed whilst you’re there.

Any lover of fish and fresh seafood, will be in seaside heaven. There are numerous seaside restaurants serving dishes crafted from locally caught fish. Crab, Rock Lobster and many varieties of shellfish are available to choose from whilst swimming in the brightly lit tanks at the front. There are also many charming coffee shops and themed restaurants. These often have a Scandinavian flavour as this area is extremely popular with tourists from Sweden. In fact King Gustaf of Sweden actually has a beachfront house here.

On the Saturday evening Discover Pattaya chose to visit the popular thatched roofed Tequila Sunrise restaurant where our dear friend Barry Upton was entertaining the diners with his Kings of Swing set. Barry has been a constant visitor to this region and often plays gigs at both this restaurant and The Dubliner next door. Following a fun filled night the next day, fortified by a very good Full English at The Poem we decided to head inland.

Why name a cafe ‘The Poem” you may ask? Well another claim to fame of this area is that it is the birthplace of one of Thailand’s most celebrated figures. Sunthorn Phu. Born in 1786 during the Ayutthaya period he is often referred to as the “Shakespeare of Thailand” for his profound impact on Thai literature and culture. So just as we would never dream of visiting Stratford Upon Avon without visiting The Bard’s home, a visit to the Sunthorn Phu monument was a must.

The monument sits atop of a grassy mound and features a bronze statue of Sunthorn Phu seated with his writing tools, symbolising his enduring influence on Thai literature and culture. Then scattered around are statues featuring characters from his many poems and ballads. There were many Thai visitors happy to take photographs amongst these.

So with a little culture thrown into the mix of a wonderfully relaxing weekend we were indeed extremely happy to visit Mae Pim and would urge you to also visit.