Cha Am Thailand is a nice stretch of beach outside Bangkok about an hour and a half drive from the center of the city. It is a favorite beach for the Bangkok locals who drive down and stay all day and drive back home. The beach is several miles long and has many spots covered completely by umbrellas where local restaurants bring food to you in the shade. They also have plenty of bathrooms and showers right on the beach.
The resorts in the area are reasonably priced but if you can find accommodations further away you can save some money or do what the Thais do and make a day of it at the beach and drive back to your hotel in Bangkok in the evening. It is a great quiet place to escape the big city and the local restaurants have good prices.
