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Chanthaburi
Of all provinces in the eastern coast of Thailand,
Chanthaburi is lesser known to tourists, partly
due to its 250 kilometre distance from Bangkok.
However, that does not mean it lacks the beauty
a good beach destination has.
Perhaps unknown to many tourists, Khung Wiman
Beach, Khung Krabain Bay, Laem Sadet Beach and
Chao Lao Beach are both peaceful and picturesque.
Their scenic beachside roads are featured in several
TV commercials.
Chantaburi province produces high quality fruit,
fishery products and gemstones.
The city of Chantaburi is a fairly average
Thai midsize city with one great exception;
the gems market. Chantaburi town sports the
most important gems market in Thailand. Along
Gems street there are hundreds of buying offices
where gemstones are traded openly for everyone
to see as opposed to the secluded gems business
in Bangkok.
Buyers, mainly dealers and jewlery producers
from Bangkok, sits down in the offices to
purchase stones from e.g. Thailand, Myanmar
(Burma), Kampuchea, Vietnam, Laos and India.
Sales agents - called "runners", visits
office after office, displaying their goods
in hope to find an interested buyer. If a
sale is agreed upon the stones are sent for
a thorough check in the lab upstairs to make
sure they are what they are supposed to be.For
this service both the buyer and the seller pays
a procentage of the purchase amount.
Chantaburi district used to have lots of ruby
and sapphire mines which today are not profitable.
But the cutting factories are still in production,
now working with rough material from Kanchanaburi
and neighboring contries. And the gems market
has never lost it´s world wide reputation.
Beaches
Khung Wiman Beach
 The most scenic beach in Chanthaburi, Khung
Wiman has a beautiful beachside road that goes
along a fine brown sandy beach and winding hillside
roads. The beach is flanked with pine trees while
the water is clear and good for swimming. It is
considered one of Thailand’s most beautiful beachside
roads and often used in TV commercials in Thailand.
Next to Khung wiman Beach is Khung Krabain Bay.
It is the site of Chanthaburi’s verdant mangrove
forests and the Khung Krabain Study and Development
Centre under Royal Patronage. You can explore the
mangrove forest via an 850 metre-long wooden bridge.
Spare at least half an hour.
Laem Sadet Beach
Located opposite Khung Krabain Mangrove Forest,
Laem Sadet beach stretches 3 kilometres long
on a white sandy beach. The bay is shady with
pine trees and fine for swimming. There are
a few resorts on this beach.
Chao Lao Beach
Located east of Khung Krabain Bay is Chao
Lao Beach. The beach is popular among locals
who come here on weekend. It boosts brown
sandy beach and shallow water suitable
for swimming. There are some good resorts
by the beach
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