At Khlong Wan, Thailand nearly snaps in two. Only around eleven kilometres separate the Gulf of Thailand from the Myanmar border here, the narrowest point of the whole country, and the strip of land between the mountains and the sea holds coconut groves, fishing villages and a quiet beach that few foreign tourists ever reach.
Lipda Resort, also known as Lipda Klongwan, sits directly on that beach, about ten kilometres south of Prachuap Khiri Khan town. It is a small property of sixteen air conditioned rooms with private balconies, minibars and safes, arranged around an outdoor pool with a separate children's pool, a bar, sun loungers and umbrellas on the sand, and free parking. Thai families from Bangkok know it well; many come for weekends, drawn by the calm sea and the slower pace of the province.
Prices stay modest.