How the Tubtim Resort has changed in two decades! In some case for the better
Tubtim Beach on Koh Samet has been pulling in the tourists for nearly 30 years, beginning with a mere 10 bamboo huts at the Tubtim Resort, and between them one shared shower that didn't always have water and a dodgy electricity supply.
The Tubtim Resort today has 60 bungalows with all modern comforts, and the rent ranges from Bt600 to Bt3,000 a night. Guests from all walks of life laze in the sun on the white beach all day and crowd the restaurant and bar at night.
Its 11 new beachside bungalows on concrete stilts down at one corner of the beach look nothing like the original construction but, for Bt3,000, you certainly get spoiled.
The view of the bay is broad and beautiful from the balconies. The electricity is constant. Breakfast, served from 7 to 10, is magnanimous.
Downscale a bit, but only a bit, are the lovely Bt1,500-to-Bt2,500-a-night wooden beach bungalows in Zones B and T. You still get the uninterrupted electricity, air-conditioning, large balcony bungalow with attached toilet and shower room and that scrumptious breakfast.
Back in the trees are the Bt600toBt1,000 accommodations, and the rates don't include breakfast, plus they expect you to pay a Bt100 deposit for every towel.
Electricity, yes, but there are no outlets. The fans are inbuilt fixtures. You want to plug in your laptop or charge your mobile phone, head to the reception area, which also keeps the safety deposit boxes for the cheap guests.
If you're renting air-conditioned digs, though, it's available round the clock, unlike in the olden days, when the resort cooled guests only between 5pm and noon the next day.
A policy that has never changed is friendliness: The resort is family-friendly, gay-friendly (especially over the long holiday weekends) and downright cheerful about longer-term stays.
Alas, the food at the Tubtim Resort's restaurant, which now includes a barbecue counter and bar, no longer warrants the raves it used to get.
The restaurant is quite well organised, with efficient staff, but I have to say the Thai dishes will appeal only to people who don't know much about Thai food. The foreign dishes don't fare much better.
But, if you're not fussy about dining and can easily stay focused on the lively scene at one of Samet's best beaches, the resort remains a terrific place to be.
AT A GLANCE
High point: The resort seems to have everything for everyone, at every price.
Low point: It's no fun having no electrical outlets or paying a Bt200 key deposit and Bt100 towel deposit.
Find it: 13/15 Moo 4, Koh Samet, Tambon Pae, Rayong
Pay for it: Bt600 a night for two, up to Bt3,000.
Book it: (038) 6440257
Browse it: www.TubtimResort.com
