Sai Kaew beach (The Military beach in Pattaya) is one of the cleanest beaches in the area of this resort. This is a great alternative for those who are tired of holidays on the island of Koh Lan and the daily trip there by ferry or speed boat. The Sai Kaew beach is very picturesque and it is no coincidence that it is often called the Blue Lagoon beach. Below on the page you will find useful information about Sai Kaew beach: how to get there independently and as part of a group, open time of the beach and the cost of visiting it. I will also talk about what entertainment is available on Sai Kaew beach and at what price, how much any food and drinks cost in beach cafes, and also show the beautiful territory of the Sai Kaew beach in photos and videos.
Sai Kaew beach (Blue Lagoon) – general information
Sai Kaew beach is not accidentally called the Military beach. Once an USA army base was located here, and today the place is taken by the Thai army. In particular, not far from the beach is the Royal Thai Navy School. As a result, there is access control, and the beach is open to visitors only until 18:00 (with some exceptions). It is the military that keeps the beach clean and tidy, so this beach should remain a place for a long time without large hotels and too developed infrastructure, which does not make it worse. In general, there is everything that is required during a vacation on the beach, and the closed territory has its advantages. For example, annoying merchants and food peddlers do not go along the beach.
Blue Lagoon Beach (Sai Kaew beach) in the morning (tide)
A feature of the beach is its location on the peninsula between the green hills that form the lagoon. Such an arrangement makes the beach picturesque and to some extent protects from large waves. Visually, the Sai Kaew beach in Pattaya resembles some of the beaches of Phuket: width, vegetation and landscapes. The length of the beach is small – its length slightly exceeds 400 meters, but due to not too many visitors there is enough space for everyone. Before visiting the Sai Kaew beach, I saw his photos on the Internet, but during my visit (2019) the sand was not as white as I was in the video in the photo. Rather, it is light yellow, but this color of sand goes well with the azure water in the Blue Lagoon.
Even in cloudy weather, the water on the Sai Kaew Beach has a nice color.
There was a high tide during my visit, and the width of the beach was not too big. Also, because of this, already 10 meters from the coast there was a great depth (more than 2 meters). Swimming areas on the Sai Kaew beach are fenced with buoys, located not very far from the coast. The best place for swimming is the central and left parts of the Blue Lagoon beach. There is a more gentle entrance to the water and there are no stones in the water. During my visit, some work was carried out on the right side of the beach using a bulldozer, so I personally could not evaluate the beach in that area. In the central part of the beach there is a beautiful sign with the name Sai Kaew beach and two points with heavy machine guns directed towards the sea.
The central part of Sai Kaew beach – beach machine guns
Separately, it should be told about the transparency and color of water on the Sai Kaew beach in Pattaya. I was a little unlucky with the weather, and most of the day in the sky was cloudy. However, even without a bright sun, the water had a pleasant azure color. Of course, in bright sunny weather, the beach looks brighter and more beautiful, because the color of the water is very dependent on the sun’s rays and the color of the sand (on the Sai Kaew beach it is light sand). The transparency of the water was also very good. Perhaps the water is not as crystal clear as on the island of Koh Lan. But it is much more transparent than on the city beaches of Pattaya. And even for this reason alone, it is worth visiting the Sai Kaew beach at least once.
Sai Kaew beach has many flowers and beautiful trees.
In addition to clear water, the Blue Lagoon or Sai Kaew beach is a place with a very beautiful territory. There are a large number of flowers, paths for pedestrians, benches. Closer to the central part on the right there are special compositions, next to which you can get beautiful photos. For example, a bench and a flower frame in the form of a heart around, etc. I recommend a walk in this area after 3 p.m, before returning from the beach. At this time, the number of visitors to the Sai Kaew beachh is rapidly decreasing and no one bothers to enjoy the walk.
After 14-30 the number of visitors on the Military Beach has significantly decreased
Sai Kaew Beach – Infrastructure
I did not see classic beach umbrellas on the Sai Kaew beach, but this is not a drawback. Deciduous trees grow on almost the entire perimeter of the coastline, the crown of which protects vacationers from sunlight. If you prefer to be in direct sunlight and sunbathe – you will also find several open areas. In addition, there are many small gazebos with tables. Under the roofs of the gazebos you can also find a shadow, relax and eat your food.
Beach bed and the life ring can be rented very cheaply
There are also no plastic loungers on the beach, but in the central part of the Sai Kaew beach there is a rental point for small wooden deck chairs and other beach equipment. You can rent a beach bed for as little as 30 THB (1 USD), while you can choose your own place to relax in any part of the beach. In the same place where sun loungers are issued, you can pay for other equipment and entertainment:
Kayak rental – 100 THB (3.3 USD) per hour (+ deposit THB 100):
Rent a beach mat – 20 THB per day (+ deposit THB 100):
Rent a life ring – 10 THB (0.33 USD) per hour (+ deposit THB 100):
Riding a banana boat – 600 THB (20 USD) in 30 minutes or 1200 THB (40 USD) per hour;
Jet ski – 1000 THB (33 USD) in 15 minutes or 1500 THB in 30 minutes.
The cost of dishes in one of the cafes on Sai Kaew beach in Pattaya
No one will remain hungry on the Sai Kaew beach, because the local cafes offer a wide selection of dishes and drinks. The main part of the cafe is located to the right of the main entrance to the beach. There you will find a number of cafes with Thai dishes, seafood, freshly squeezed juices, ice cream, fruit necks, snacks and cocktails. Nearby there are outdoor tables overlooking the beach. Further to the right there is a large cafe with tables under the roof. To the left of the entrance there is also an indoor cafe where coffee lovers can enjoy a latte, cappuccino or other type of coffee.
Freshly squeezed juices and cocktails on Sai Kaew beach – from 40 THB
To the left in the far part of the Military Beach there is also a cafe with a very large selection of dishes from 60 THB (2 USD) for a portion of a hot dish. In some establishments, the names of dishes are indicated only in Thai, but there are also those where English and Chinese names are added. Even if you don’t know some indicated languages, large photographs of all dishes will always help you choose what you want. To the right of the entrance there is a small souvenir shop where you can buy T-shirts, caps and other accessories with the Sai Kaew beach logo.
Outdoor shower and toilets at Sai Kaew beach (Military Beach)
On the right and left sides of the beach there are free showers (open) and toilets. Toilets are made in Thai style, so there is no toilet paper in them, only a hygienic shower. On the beach you can find a massage parlor (Thai massage), as well as a special smoking area (smoking is strictly prohibited on the beach!). Walking along the beach, you can see small wooden bungalows. These houses are for rent (from 1000 THB (33 USD) per day) and only persons living in the bungalow can stay on the beach after 18:00 and enjoy the sunset on the Sai Kaew beach.
Sai Kaew beach – warning about allowed time on the beach
Sai Kaew beach in Pattaya – how to get
The easiest way to visit the Sai Kaew beach (Blue Laggoon) as part of an organized excursion from Pattaya. You can easily find offers on the Internet for 300-350 THB per person. Such an excursion includes a transfer from the hotel or condo to the beach, an entrance ticket to the beach and a return transfer to the hotel or condo. Given that the cost of admission is 100 THB for adults (and 50 THB for children), round-trip fares cost 100 + 100 = 200 THB. This is a good deal, because the cost of a taxi ride even in one direction is much higher (the distance from the center of Pattaya to the Sai Kaew beach is about 30 km).
The driver shows the time of departure from the beach and the minibus number
The advantage of an organized tour is that you do not need to worry about the availability of documents proving your identity (passport, ID or driver’s license). You just ride in an air-conditioned minibus and don’t worry about a few roadblocks, about buying tickets and making passes. In my case, the bus driver simply asked the passengers to line up when we arrived at the parking lot near the beach. After that, he photographed everyone and asked not to linger and be ready to leave the beach at 16:00. This is almost the standard tour time – from 08:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Considering the travel time, I arrived at the beach at 09:20, and I returned to the condo in Pattaya after 17:00.
The route from Pattaya to the Military beach (Sai Kaew beach) on the map
A trip to Sai Kaew beach on your own is a little more complicated, but everything is feasible. As you can see on the map, the main part of the route passes along Sukhumvit Road – the main street of Thailand. The route runs along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and the cheapest way to do it is on a white passenger pickup truck that travel along Sukhumvit. Be sure to check with the driver if he is ride near turning onto Sai Kaew beach (some began to drive only to the Ambassador City Jomtien hotel and this is sad). Right before the right turn (to the beach) there is an elevated pedestrian crossing through Sukhumvit.
Turn right onto Sai Kaew beach from Sukhumvit Road
From turning to the beach directly to the Blue Lagoon, more than 7.5 kilometers and several checkpoints. If you are going to use a motorbike taxi from turning to the beach, or if you were traveling to Sai Kaew beach on a rented motorbike, you must present a passport or other identity document in a special booth based on which you will be issued a pass to the beach. A small booth is located near the turn to the beach, and after another 60 meters there is a barrier where you must present the pass. Next, you should go several mimutes straight ahead and turn left at the fork in the road (there is a road sign). Continue on the narrow road and after a few minutes you will find yourself in a parking lot, next to which there is a building with a ticket office.
To visit the Sai Kaew beach in Pattaya you need to buy a ticket at the box office
After purchasing tickets, you must leave your car or motobike in the parking lot and take a free passenger pick-up to the beach. The winding road to the beach passes through the green hills and sometimes you can see wild monkeys on the road. The return trip should be done in the same order. When you leave the territory of the military base, do not forget to pick up your passport or other document that you left at the entrance. Thus, an independent trip to the Sai Kaew beach is also possible, but without a rented transport it is easier and cheaper to use a ready-made day excursion.
Sai Kaew beach – my video review
In the end I will add that during my visit to the Sai Kaew beach there were most of the Russian-speaking visitors. At the same time, in my opinion, about 70% of visitors are people of retirement age and children. Because of this, the Blue Lagoon beach was somewhat noisy. In general, the Sai Kaew beach made a good impression and someday I want to visit it again (during sunny weather). Also keep in mind that this place is popular with locals. On weekends and holidays, they massively visit Sai Kaew beach (Military Beach) in Pattaya and arrange noisy picnics there, so it is better to visit the Blue Lagoon on weekdays. Have a nice rest!
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