Hat Chom Thong

Hat Chom Thong is a freshwater beach on the Lam Mun Bon reservoir in Khon Buri district, roughly 52 km southeast of central Korat via the Nakhon Ratchasima-Chok Chai-Khon Buri road. It sits beside Khao Chom Thong hill in Chorakhe Hin subdistrict — it isn’t inside Khao Yai National Park, despite what some listings imply, and no park entry fee applies here.

The sand strip runs about 800 metres along the reservoir’s edge, roughly 80 metres wide from the waterline back to the tree line, backed by forested hills rather than open horizon. Local operators rent inner tubes, pedal boats, foldable beach chairs, and umbrellas, plus raft or longtail-boat rides out onto the water; food stalls set up along the shore selling som tam and other snacks, busier on weekends than weekdays. Because it’s reservoir water rather than sea, there’s no tide, current, or salt to worry about, and the water stays cool through most of the year.

Further down the reservoir, about 15 minutes by longtail boat, a separate private outpost called BM Camping runs its own camping ground and rents stand-up paddleboards, charging its own entry and activity fees on top of whatever you’ve already paid at Hat Chom Thong. The two are easy to conflate online, but they’re run separately, and the free public beach doesn’t include what BM Camping charges for.

Insider Tip: If you’re only after a swim and a picnic, stop at the public beach and skip the boat ride to BM Camping — the paddleboard and camping fees there are a separate cost most day-trippers don’t need.

Watch out: This is an unsupervised reservoir shoreline, not a patrolled swimming beach — there’s no lifeguard on duty, so keep an eye on children and don’t assume marked-off safe zones exist.

November through February is the most comfortable stretch for a visit, with cooler air; the reservoir itself holds a fairly steady temperature year-round, so swimming works in other months too, just with hotter days on land. Bring your own sun protection, since shade only covers part of the beach. If you’re camping overnight, that’s arranged through BM Camping rather than at the free public section. There’s no public transport out this way — a car or motorbike is the only practical option, and the last stretch of road runs through farmland rather than anything resembling a resort strip.