I never had a burning desire to visit Chanthaburi, but rather a fleeting curiosity. A casual remark from a professional acquaintance a few years ago finally sparked this interest enough to make it a reality.

“Have you ever been to C’buri?” he asked somewhat casually after I liked one of his posts, which he had written after his stay in the province (and the neighboring Trat). I said no, whereupon he rattled off a whole list of reasons why I should change that. Obviously, I wasn’t entirely convinced—if I had been there before, I would have gone much sooner.

And yet, my answer to the question "Is Chanthaburi worth a visit?" is a rather enthusiastic yes. Read on to find out why I feel that way.

Why I finally went to Chanthaburi

Chanthaburi is definitely worth a visit – I believed my former colleague back then. The only problem was that Chanthaburi, located in the far southeast of Thailand, isn't exactly cheap to get to. On my last visit to the area, I was exploring the islands of Trat; I simply didn't have time to spend even one night in Chanthaburi. So I postponed the visit and planned it for January 2026.

But suddenly, the opportunity arose to go there earlier. My husband was unexpectedly able to take time off work; since he's from Thailand, we were going to Sriracha to visit his family. We always take a day trip there. "Why not Chanthaburi this time?" I asked him one afternoon as we were relaxing at his parents' house. He didn't have a good answer, so we went to Chanthaburi.

How Chanthaburi won me over

The cold of Chanthaboon

My husband and I arrived in Chanthaburi around midday, after a relatively relaxed three-hour drive from Sriracha. The sky was grey (which isn't entirely unusual at the end of September); the mood was a bit sluggish. After checking into our lovely hotel right on the Chanthaburi waterfront, we briefly explored the historic building it was housed in and then quickly remembered: neither of us had breakfast.

The taste of Chan noodles

Food was another reason why I thought a visit to Chanthaburi would be worthwhile, so we immediately set out in search of it. Specifically, we were looking for เส้นจันท์ (literally "Chanthaburi noodles"), which happen to be the same ones used for Pad Thai. We sat down at a charming restaurant (where, as luck would have it, some local wannabe celebrities were also eating, apparently between filming) and ordered the noodles stir-fried with whole soft-shell crabs.

An unexpectedly blue temple

After finishing our meal with a small snack of fried chia seeds (which, I was pleased to discover, had a much milder flavor), the waitress recommended a trip to Wat Pak Nam Khaem Nu, a unique temple near a stunning river delta. She assured us it would be well worth the drive—and it was. “It almost reminds me of azulejos,” I said to my husband, referring to the blue tiles that so famously adorn buildings in Porto and other Portuguese cities.

A thundering waterfall

If the hotel, the noodles, and the river hadn't already made Chanthaburi worthwhile, then the visit to Phlio Falls National Park the next morning certainly did (and, incidentally, a place known in English as the "Grand Canyon"). I'm very skeptical of waterfalls—most of the ones I've visited have been rather weak and unspectacular—but this one was absolutely worth the minimal effort required (a 20-minute drive and a hike of about the same length).

And yes, the cathedral

Chanthaburi is famous (insofar as one can say that about such a place) for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. And although this place would have been completely insignificant in Europe, I must admit that it is quite impressive compared to other places in the far east of Thailand. Another noteworthy attraction of Chanthaburi is its gemstones. Although most are no longer mined here, the International Gemstone Market, which takes place every Friday and Saturday directly across the river from the church, is a worthwhile experience.

How to plan your own Chanthaburi trip

The first step when visiting Chanthaburi is deciding how it fits into your Thailand trip. Chanthaburi doesn't have its own airport, so you'll need to travel at least part of the way overland. One option, as I mentioned in the introduction, is to travel from Trat – either on your way back to Bangkok by car or bus, or as a round trip before flying from Trat Airport back to Suvarnabhumi.

The next step, once you've decided on Chanthaburi as your destination and want to know how it fits into your travel plans? Decide how long you want to stay. When I was planning my solo trip for early 2026, I only scheduled one night in Chanthaburi; at the time, I thought that would be enough. However, my husband and I ended up staying two nights in September 2026 – and in retrospect, I think that was a better length of stay.

More frequently asked questions about visiting Chanthaburi

Why travel to Chanthaburi?

Chanthaburi is famous for its Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, but that's not the only reason to visit. Here you can try Chanthaburi noodles (เส้นจันท์), which were invented here and are the main ingredient in Pad Thai, Thailand's most famous dish worldwide. You can also visit the Blue Temple (Wat Pak Nam Khaem Nu) and the thundering Phlio Waterfall.

Is Chanthaburi worth a visit?

Chanthaburi is absolutely worth a visit! Compared to many other places in Thailand, it doesn't have many tourist attractions or a particularly well-developed tourist infrastructure. However, it's quiet and authentic, and has a significantly higher ratio of locals to tourists than almost anywhere else in the kingdom.

When is the best time to travel to Chanthaburi?

As in most parts of Thailand, the dry and relatively cool months between November and February are the most popular time to visit Chanthaburi. However, the city can be enjoyed at any time of year – I was there for two days at the end of September, and one of those days was completely dry with mostly blue skies.

Conclusion

Is Chanthaburi worth a visit? If you have plenty of time in Thailand or simply want to venture off the beaten track, a trip there could definitely be worthwhile. On the other hand, Chanthaburi isn't exactly easy to reach unless you plan to take a bus to Trat and make a stop there on your way to or from Bangkok. So, if you're only taking a short trip or don't want to stray too far from Thailand's usual tourist routes, you might want to save Chanthaburi for another time. However, if you would like some assistance planning your trip to Thailand, I would be happy to help you organize it.