Ko Pha-ngan

Understand

Climate

The best time to visit the island and also high season is Dec-Mar when the water is clean, and good for swimming. It's also not rainy and temperatures are pleasant. Another high season time is Jul-Aug after the dry season when the water is rising.

Getting there

If travelling to Ko Pha-ngan during or near the time of the Full Moon Party, booking ferry transport to and from the island ahead of time is highly advised as the limited amount of ferries fill up quickly with the massive crowd coming in for the party.

By plane

Via Ko Samui Airport The closest airport is Ko Samui (USM IATA) which has frequent flights from Bangkok and Phuket, daily flights from U-Tapao and Singapore, and several direct flights each week from Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Transportation to the ferry dock is easy to find at the airport. Ferries depart several times a day with the last one around dusk. Via Surat Thani Airport The next nearest airport is Surat Thani (URT IATA) on the mainland. Flights from Bangkok there are significantly cheaper (1,000-1,500 baht in advance, or 2,000-2,500 baht if booked same day, instead of 3,000-5,000 baht if flying to Samui), as there are low-cost carriers (Air Asia) flying there, and even Thai Airways charge 30-50% less than to Samui. However, you'll then need combined bus + boat travel to get to Ko Pha-ngan, which will surely take several hours. Air Asia uses Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, while Thai Airways uses Suvarnabhumi airport. Nok Air sells a combined package ticket including airfare to Surat Thani, Chumphon, or Nakhon Si Thammarat, a bus ride to the pier, and a ticket on the Lomprayah. This should be simpler for travellers than arranging the individual segments separately. Nok Air uses Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. Air Asia has a special “Island Transfer” offering that includes a flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat, surface transport to the port, and a ferry to Ko Pha-ngan. One of the best options for travel to the island is via Chumphon Airport (CJM IATA), 30 km north of Chumphon city in Pathio District (alternative spelling Pathiu). It has direct daily flights connections with Bangkok's two airports, Don Meueng (DMK) and Suvarnabhumi (BKK). There are also onward flights to Ranong Airport (UNN). Flights from Bangkok are around 60 minutes. High-speed Lomprayah catamarans depart from Chumphon to Ko Pha-ngan. Nok Air operates two daily flights between Don Mueang (DMK) and Chumphon Airport (CJM). Nok Air offer a combined flight and ferry ticket on their website. The Chumphon Airport has transit agents for onward connecting travel to the islands of the Chumphon Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand and Ko Tao, Ko Pha-ngan. The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has an information counter at the airport.

By boat

Several types of ferries are available, of varying speed and quality. The Lomprayah catamaran is easily the best option for comfort and speed, although generally 100-150 baht more expensive than the other ferries, most travellers and locals, will happily pay the extra for the service. From Ko Samui: There are at least 3 ferries a day from Ko Samui's "Big Buddha" pier directly to Haad Rin. Ferries also leave from Nathon and Mae Nam piers to Thong Sala several times a day. Raja Ferry sails from Ko Samui to Thong Sala pier 3 times a day (09:00, 14:00, 18:00) for 150 baht. Lomprayah sails from Pralarn Pier 3 times a day as well (08:00, 12:30, 16:30) for 350 baht (May 2022). Tickets can be bought online. Watch out for scammers at Ko Samui airport who try to sell you a bus/boat combo for an exorbitant price. Make sure to walk towards the exit of the airport where there is an Information counter and taxi stands. From Ko Tao: there is fast Lomprayah catamaran operating twice a day to Ko Tao for 600 baht at 09:30 and 15:00. The ride between these islands takes 1¼ hours. A cheaper, but slower ferry operates from Ko Pha-ngan to Ko Tao by Songserm express and costs 300 baht, leaving Ko Pha-ngan at 12:30, and takes 2 hours. This ferry comes from Chumphon with flight, bus and train connections from Bangkok. From Surat Thani: There are ferries throughout the day from Donsak pier, 65 km out of town. Lomprayah are fast ferries and they sell tickets including transport from the city centre for 550 baht. Raja are slow ferries and combined bus and ferry tickets from the city or Surat Thani train station are available for 375 baht. There are six ferries a day, the timetable is available online. The tickets can be bought online as well. A night ferry leaves at 23:00 from Surat Thani city (walking distance from bus stations Talat Kaset 1 and 2), arriving in Thong Sala (Ko Pha-ngan) at 06:00. It costs 400 baht for a space on a mattress on the boat. The night ferry leaves from Thong Sala (Ko Pha-ngan) for Surat Thani at 22:00 (400 baht) arriving around 05:00-06:00.

Getting around

By motorbike

As many beaches and restaurants are located far from each other, a scooter is the way (and almost the only way) to get around the island. Be aware, outside of Thong Sala, most roads do not have any sidewalk, and walking along the road can be dangerous due to the constantly passing cars and scooters. There are many rental locations all over the island. They have formed an association and all have the same prices, saying this should prevent the problems with the scams that many people complained about before. The advertised price is now 250 baht/day, can be bargained to 200 baht/day if renting for more days, but basically impossible to get anything cheaper. Do not rent from the rental shop across from Pha-ngan Cottage (tel 084-8510541) which charges only 200 baht for normal bike but takes passport and will scam for damages. Some rental shops overcharge for every scratch or dent. They don't fix, but rather replace the whole part - so note damages to the bike on the rental contract. Your passport will be held until you pay the extortionate repair cost. You can negotiate the costs down from exorbitant to high, but keep your cool, don't yell and stay polite. This practice is very common all over the region. It's not unheard-of that you are asked to pay for damage you haven't done. In most cases, it's the combination of very bad & dangerous roads and inexperienced or intoxicated driving that causes accidents. Some good advice is to take pictures of your bike as you rent it, but if the guy has your passport, this won't do any good. If you don't know what you're doing, stay on the safe side and stick with songthaews. Avoid riding at sundown, when the bugs are out en masse. Try not to go home with a "Thai tattoo", this can either result from your tender body sliding along a bitumen road at high speed with few clothes on, or from the inside of your leg touching a hot exhaust pipe. Also keep in mind that many, if not most, travel insurance policies will not cover motorcycle accidents, especially if you do not have a Thai drivers license. Care is needed if attempting to go over the notorious Haad Rin hills, the roads on the east side of the island, and north of Haad Yao. Especially the "Hill of Tears" (first steep ascent from Thong Sala towards Haad Rin) needs caution. Use low gear only and have your passenger walk. This is still quite good concrete road where you need only use brakes compared to mud roads on the northeast part of the island to Bottle Beach, which are the worst on the island with many potholes. Drunk driving in the West is illegal (not on Ko Pha-ngan, where police don't check). On Ko Pha-ngan it's suicidal. Better to sit in the back of a taxi than having a smash-up at night and ending up dead or in the hospital. Wear a helmet. Police will fine you 200 baht for non-compliance and set up roadblocks occasionally (before noon in Thong Sala, for example). When driving, stay within your limits. The slower you drive, the less it's gonna hurt. It is also possible to rent small Suzuki 4WDs for the same price as 2 scooters. This allows you to avoid many of the dangers on the roads. These 4WDs are manual only. Petrol is quite overpriced at many places. One of the places selling it for reasonable price is the 1 petrol station in Thong Sala, round the corner from Tesco on the road to Chalok Lam.

By songthaew

Songthaews criss-cross the island asking from 200-300 baht (per person, not per trip), though they may offer a slightly lower price if you share the taxi with other people. You can and should bargain for a lower price, especially if your destination isn't that far. The taxi driver cartel tries to fix prices at 200 baht a ride. Do not accept the price at the pier and walk rather 300 m to the roundabout in Thong Sala where there is a taxi station with normal prices. From Thong Sala to Baan Tai/Khai or Chalok Lam should be priced around 100 baht/person, Haad Rin 150 baht/person, Haad Yao/Salad 150 baht/person, Thong Nai Pan or Had Sadet 250 baht. All taxi service on Ko Pha-ngan is provided by songthaew (pick-up truck), so the normal Grab taxis found in other cities or Ko Samui are not available there. Should you choose to go with a freelancer on a motorbike or in a pickup, make arrangements quickly, quietly and pay surreptitiously. Usually is the best option to save money and be flexible and avoid using songthaews at all is to rent a motorbike after arriving in Thong Sala as you will be probably leaving from this pier. You can later return the motorbike here and it can save you a lot of money. If there are two of you and you pay 150 baht/person for one taxi ride, your total expenses to/from beach will be 600 baht. For that you can have a semi-auto motorbike rental for 6–7 days or a fully automatic for 4–5 days and you are free to ride anywhere between arrival and departure and it's also the best way when looking for accommodation instead of taking taxi and walking around with a lot of baggage.

By boat

Cruise the bays with your snorkelling gear until someplace takes your fancy. The round-the-island, all-day boat trip is a great way to see some of the best beaches in the island.

See

Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan National Park The park (100Baht, 20 Baht for Thai) is named after the river Than Sadet (literally, "Royal River"). The river forms the largest waterfall on the island, which was visited by several Thai kings. Don't expect much water during dry season. Meanwhile easy to reach on motorbike, even better than some other roads on island. Down at the sea at Than Sadet Beach, there are a few places to stay (fan only) and two restaurants. Visit the beautiful waterfalls and lookouts in the interior of the island. The best lookouts are Domesila viewpoint, a 15-min hike from Phaeng waterfall in Phaeng National Park (100 THB at the entrance station). There is another waterfall viewpoint a 20-min walk from Phaeng waterfall. From Bottle Beach you can hike to the rocky viewpoint above valley with great views over northeast part of island, hiking to the top should take 30-45 min depending on your condition. You can visit Wat Khao Tam viewpoint on the road between Thong Sala and Haad Rin which you can reach on motorbike and then it's easy walk for few minutes to the temple with viewpoint at Ko Samui and southern coast of Ko Pha-ngan. Another viewpoint is in Chalok Lam on the road to Haad Khom, it's well signposted from the main road. Visit Ko Maa off the northwest coast of Ko Pha-ngan. It offers one of the best snorkelling places on the island. Other places to do snorkelling are Haad Khom beach (very shallow water on the coast during low tide, be careful) and Haad Yao. On the road between Thong Sala and Chalok Lam is a beautiful Chinese Temple (free) overlooking Chalok Lam Bay. There is an elephant camp on the way from Baan Tai to Thong Nai Pan (300 baht for a 30-min ride. Also one close to The Chinese temple on the road from Thong Sala to Chalok Lam (300 baht for 30-min ride. On the price list it's officially 500 baht). Very close is also an archery range.

Do

Archery (First Bow and Arrow Archery) (close to Chalok Lam on the road to Thong Sala). Four archers can have a go at the same time. People are very friendly (German spoken during high-season) and helpful. 15 min for 150 baht. Diving. Ko Pha-ngan has lovely sites around the island which are perfect for both beginners and trained divers. From easy dives off the beach to longer trips by boat you can experience the world of tropical diving. The waters around Ko Pha-ngan are much nicer than most people know: fine hard corals with a good range of reefs and tropical/pelagic fish. Sailrock, undoubtedly the most famous dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. Between Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao, all the wonders of this exciting site can be explored by all levels of divers. This spectacular rock rises out of the water creating the best wall dive with a maximum depth of 40 m. Providing a great range of marine life, spectacular underwater scenery, rock formations. There are several PADI dive-schools on the island, including: Haad Yao Divers a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort on Haad Yao and Haad Chao Phao; Reefers Dive Resort on Haad Yao Beach; Sail Rock Divers; Lotus Dive Resort, both in Chalok Lam. You will, however, find many more dive schools throughout the island. Under Thai law, dive operators must be registered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to improve quality of service, safety and help protect the customer from fraud. Check to make sure you are booking with a TAT registered dive centre. Full Moon Party. If you're after party heaven you can't do better than Haad Rin, an expanded village of beach bars, cheap chicken burgers, and low cut figure-hugging outfits. It is most popular one night a month, the night of the Full Moon Party. Every bar is hopping, the beaches packed with trance, dance, buckets, and various other suspicious substances. However, if the sight of thousands of bottles and other trash repulses you, make sure you leave the beach area before the sun comes up, or grab a garbage bag and help tidy up a little. Haad Rin offers a variety of entertainment venues just steps away from the famous Full Moon Party beach, where travellers and locals come to get away from the repetitiveness of the beach party scene. Now the events are starting again after the COVID-19 situation. (updated Aug 2022) Herbal Sauna (Near the 7-Eleven in Baan Thai, on the southwest side of the island.). Daily, 13:00-19:00. The herbal sauna at Wat Pho with separated men's/women's rooms is a great relief after long party nights. Always wear a sarong (over your bikini, for men it's OK to use shorts). Remember that you are on temple grounds and locals find nudity offensive. This is not a European sauna, sitting naked will get you into trouble. You can stay as long as you want. 50 baht, towel 10 baht. Hiking. Can be done all around the island. There is a trail that leads between Haad Rin and Haad Tien, which many enjoy. The route can become difficult to discern, and bringing enough water is necessary. If you are feeling adventurous, ride a motorbike to the end of the concrete road at Haad Khom from where you can hike through steep terrain and jungle on the coast to isolated Bottle Beach. The overgrown and difficult trail is occasionally marked with bottles and the hike takes 2–3 hours. Ride back to Chalok Lam with a taxi boat (150 baht/person) from where it's a 30-min walk uphill to the Haad Khom main road where you parked your motorbike (or you can hike all the way from Chalok Lam). Another good trail is to the best viewpoint on the island (in good weather), Khao Ra Viewpoint, on the highest hill on the island. Muay Thai. Gyms such as Chinnarach offer training and workout facilities, as well as camps such as "Horizon" located in Haad Tien (east) which is an intensive training camp. There are also frequent bouts in Thong Sala and Haad Rin for spectators. Watersports. Rent or take courses in sailing, windsurfing, kite-surfing or paddle boarding. All are available in only few locations such as, Sl2k Adventure at Baan Manali Resort in Ao Nai Wok or "Cookie Salad" at "Haad Salad". Yoga. Offered at multiple places including Agama Yoga, which is in the northwest of the island and has month-long intensive courses.

Shopping

Under Thai law, travel agents that offer ticket, tours, tourism services, hotel reservations in Thailand must be registered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to improve quality of service and help protect customers from fraud. Please check to make sure you are booking through a TAT registered travel agent. In Thong Sala and Haad Rin vendors sell pretty much anything you can think of, and probably some things you don't need at all. You can try to bargain, but realistically, the prices are set. You may get a deal every now and again, but it's the exception to the rule. Remember that you're in a tourist area and that prices usually are above the level of Bangkok. The further you go from the ferry piers, the better your chance of haggling gets. Main purchases you will find on Ko Pha-ngan include hammocks (check out "Hammock Home Gallery" in Thong Sala) and some of the local artists' works. Most of the clothing is of the variety that you will find in Bangkok, but generally it is a bit more expensive, as it has been imported to the island for sale. Art galleries are considered to be a rising business on Ko Pha-ngan. Most of the places will offer variety works and services including custom orders and art reproductions. These galleries have reputations for affordable prices and fine quality artistic skills.

Tesco-Lotus (Thong Sala). 10:00-22:00. The biggest supermarket on the island. Sells cheap microwaveable dishes. The bakery makes a change from Thai food.

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Ko Pha-ngan's places articles For the most part, this is not the place to come to experience Thai food or culture. For a slightly more authentic experience (and cheaper than the well-decorated cafe/restaurants by Haad Rin beach), patronise the more modest street carts where you might see some Thais eating. The best area for cheap eats is definitely the food carts in Thong Sala, the main town on the island. In the evening you can eat at the night market (from 40 baht/meal (usually curried meat with rice or fried rice or pad Thai), soups from 30 baht, pancakes from 20-30 baht, meat on sticks 10-30 baht/stick.) Free Wi-Fi in a roofed hall. Across the road from 7-Eleven in Chalok Lam are also some Thai street stalls where you will find locals eating. In front of Tesco you can buy sticks with fried meatballs for 5 baht/stick and at the junction next to entrance to Tesco parking lot you can buy in the morning (07:00-09:00) sticky rice with pork/chicken/livers packed in banana leaves for 10 baht for a small portion. There are also a few street stalls. There is also a small market next to 7-Eleven in Thong Sala in the direction of Haad Rin (after Walking St traffic lights) with Thai meals for 30-50 baht.

Drink

Individual listings can be found in Ko Pha-ngan's places articles

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Ko Pha-ngan's places articles As a general guide: As further you walk along the beach to the last resort, the better and quieter the accommodation. You can usually find accommodation at the pier when you arrive, many of resorts offers taxi service from pier for free. However, during the full moon period it is worth booking ahead unless you want to sleep on the beach or spend the night in one of the more expensive lodgings. If you are thinking of booking accommodation on-line before you arrive, make sure you book direct with the resort or a trustworthy booking site as there are numerous fake sites for several well-known Ko Pha-ngan resorts appearing on the Internet. There is more to Ko Pha-ngan than the Full Moon Party and Haad Rin, so don't be afraid to venture out to other beaches. You can still get to the party from just about everywhere. The decent rooms tend to run out a few days before the Full Moon Party, and throughout the peak season (Dec-Feb). If you have a short vacation or like to have a soft landing, you might want to book a room in advance. This can be quite hard on the less accessible beaches, such as Haad Tien or Haad Yuan. If you decide to test your luck, try to arrive as early in the day as possible (09:00 seems to be a good time) to have the most time and options for accommodations. If you come in relatively low-season in Jul and Aug, it is a good idea to book a room in advance just for the first night and rent a motorbike to look around. Beaches differ a lot (some of them are good for diving/snorkelling, some are good for swimming), so do villages (some are really quiet, some are packed with bars). Motorbike trip by the seaside to Chalok Lam and all the places on the way, and to Haad Rin on the other end of the island. Should not be a problem even for less experienced riders and will help you to choose the perfect place which suits your preferences. More remote places are harder to get by motorbike, so if you are thinking about staying in Thong Nai Pan or Bottle Beach, you have to rely on reviews. For a cheap bungalow, literally moments from white beaches (but no surf whatsoever), turn left from Thong Sala and you will pass strings of quiet bays, each with one or more resorts, featuring a bar, a restaurant, rooms and bungalows, and a few dozen laid back tourists for company. Try Haad Yao, Haad Son, Haad Salad or any of the others along the same strip. For the north of the island, Chalok Lam, Ko Ma/Haad Mae Haad, Haad Khom & Bottle Beach are popular. For long-term stay, you can rent whole house (1 bedroom, small kitchen, bath, Wi-Fi, electricity/water included) for 5-6,000 baht/month, not on the beach. Bigger houses with 2 bedrooms from 10-12,000 baht/month. For a 2 week booking, don't expect half of the monthly price. Two weeks in a 2 bedroom house costs a minimum of 7-9,000 baht, 1 bedroom 3-4,000 baht.

Stay safe

Emergency contacts

Fire: dial 199 Police: dial 191 (077 377 114) Tourist Police: dial 1155 (this supersedes the old "1699" number) Pha-ngan Rescue Centre: dial 077 377 118 Yes, the Full Moon Party (as well as others) is full of drugs, but these days it's also full of plain clothed policemen out to bust you. Be very careful if you intend to consume illicit drugs. Roadblocks are common, particularly in the week before the FMP between Thong Sala and Haad Rin. Thai police have also been known to force urine tests. Remember that the Thais have harsh penalties for drug offences and the police are working to meet their "quota". Be aware that you may not be able to bail yourself out of trouble, especially if you get transferred to Surat Thani - and that bribing Thai police will at least cut a deep hole into your travel budget, if it is possible at all. Do not keep drugs on you, in your room, or in your vehicle.

If you plan to drink at a party, make sure you have reliable transportation set up beforehand. The roads here are hazardous, and too many people try to drive home because they don't have a taxi waiting. If nothing else, find a safe corner and sleep it off before you head home. It's not a good idea to accept drinks or food from strangers; there are reported incidents of spiked drinks (from both locals and "fellow" travellers). There have been reports of LSD buckets foisted upon unsuspecting partyers in Haad Rin. Drugged drinks are often and unfortunately followed up by robbery, sexual harassment, or even (gang) rapes. The best idea is to take your own drinks and stay with your friends.

Go next

Ang Thong National Marine Park — 2 hours away by boat and a great place for a day-trip only (snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, viewpoint over 42 islands) through travel agencies, not on your own. There are huts and tents available. The main highlight when staying on Ko Pha-ngan. Bangkok — easily reachable by boat + bus (from 750 baht) or boat + train (1,000-1,250 baht from the island to BKK via air conditioned sleeper train). Ko Samui — the biggest and most touristy island (on the east coast) of Thailand, many boats departing for there from 250 baht. Ko Tao — "the biggest dive school on the planet" (Songserm express ferry leaving Thong Sala at 12:30 for 250 baht). Surat Thani — closest city on the mainland.

More pictures of Ko Pha-ngan

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.