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Beaches & Areas Guide |
PLEASE SELECT YOUR DESTINATION
Koh Phangan are some of the best in the Gulf of Thailand, and remain more popular for people to discover. Please find details about the most popular areas and beautiful beaches here. Simply click on either the links or the map.
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Ao Chaloklum
Ao Chaloklum is a large, attractive bay with several nice beaches. On the east end, enveloped in its own cove, is Haad Khom Beach. Further west along the content beach are several more facilities. At the fishing village of Ban Chaloklum you can shop for basic provisions and catch taxis back to Thong Sala. |
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Haad Khom
Haad Khom is a pretty little beach on the west side of Ao Chaloklum. Haad Khom is the best diving spot on the north coast, it’s a tiny cove dramatically tucked in under the headland to the east, with a secluded strip of white sand and some very interesting coral reefs. The dirt road from Ao Chaloklum is badly rutted in places and is hard to tackle on a moped unless you are an experienced rider, better on a dirt bike or a 4WD vehicle, or you can take a boat taxi from Ao Chaloklum. |
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Haad Khuat
Haad Khuat is better known as Bottle Beach, one of the island most well-known beaches in Koh Phangan. The beach's inaccessibility has meant that you tend to get visitors staying on for more than a week or so as it is usually only reached by taxi boat from Ao Chaloklum, and if the weather comes in, you can get stranded here for a day or two as the boats can only navigate the seas here when they are calm. This beach is perfect for people who want to get away from it all. |
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WEST |
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Ao Chao Phao
From the main port town of Thong Sala, about a 10 minute drive along the west coast of Koh Phangan you will arrive at the wonderful beach of Ao Chao Phao.
Ao Chao Phao Beach, with its small coves and bays, is great for exploring and swimming.
There are extensive coral reefs offshore for snorkeling, and an inland lake behind the cape called Lam Son for swimming and relaxing. There are many bungalow facilities along the beach. |
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Ao Hin Kong
Ao Hin Kong has a 2 km beach that is mostly undeveloped, the southern section is only five or so metres from the road. The coral reef lies about 300 metres off the beach and the bay is only good for swimming in high tide season.
Mangrove trees line the beaches and give the place a real untouched feel, great for catching a sunset in solitude. A sign warns not to take seashells and corals from the bay, respect this as it is haven for nature and it is illegal to take them home.
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Ao Sri Thanu
Ao Sri Thanu offers a chance to see Koh Phangan as it once was. Being the hub for tin mining before the island turned to tourism there is interesting spots to visit including Laem Son Lake. There is a also a number of small fishing vessels catching squid from the beach and the are lots of small eateries, food stalls and excellent restaurants in the area.
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Mae Haad
Mae Haad is one of the best coastal snorkeling sites on Koh Phangan. It is located about 3 km from Chaloklum on the west coast. There are several bungalows on the beach and a small village called Baan Mae Haad where you can shop some food and basic provision. A good snorkeling place is along the coastal coral reefs and around the off shore islet of Koh Maa. |
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Haad Salad
Haad Salad are hidden behind mountain trek on the east of the island. This beaches have their own attraction of snorkeling and beautiful sunset. There are many bungalow lodging to choose but all are simple hut with less facilities. |
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Haad Son
From the main port town of Thong Sala, about a 10 minute drive along the west coast of Koh Phangan just past Laem Son Lake you will arrive at the wonderful beach of Haad Son.
Haad Son is a smaller more contained area that is ideal for snorkeling. The coral reef that stretches along the beach sustains an abundance of corals and marine life. The low-key atmosphere is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the clear blue-green water.
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Haad Tian
Haad Tian, next to Had Yuan, it does offer its visitors something you can't get in any other beach: the advanced alternative health services, courses and activities. This small idyllic beach features only few bungalows, but it has a unique new age ambience, thanks to the alternative community that had put down its roots in Haad Thian, and to the famous Sanctuary - the widely known wellness center in Koh Phangan. |
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Haad Yao
This isolated beaches, Haad Yao is hidden behind mountain trek on the east of the island. The beaches have their own attraction of snorkeling and beautiful sunset. There are many bungalow lodging to choose but all are simple hut with less facilities. |
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EAST |
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Ao Thong Nai Pan
Thong Nai Pan lies on the northeast coast of Koh Phangan. It is about 13km from Ban Tai Village at the end of the rough dirt trail through the jungle. The two bays Thong Nai Pan Yai and Thong Nai Pan Noi are both wide and beautiful unspoiled beaches and there are many bungalow lodgings to choose. |
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Ao Thong Reng
Ao Thong Reng, located a few minute walk from Than Sadet, is probably the quietest beach on the whole island, that makes you feel a little isolated, if you don't count the residents of the 19 bungalows on the beach.
Haad Thong Reng is the smaller of Thaansadet's two beaches that form a picturesque double bay, the swimming is not as good as its neighbour, but it is just as beautiful and a bit quieter.
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Haad Sadet
This beach is located next to the famous Than Sadet Waterfall in Koh Phangan, visited many times by Thai royalty, and the National Park featuring it. Except from the sea access, one can reach Haad Sadet using the main road from Thong Nai Pan. It looks beautiful, serene and unbelievably untouched, despite of a couple of bars and restaurants located on the beach.
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SOUTH WEST |
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Ao Nai Wok
Ao Nai Wok is the long bay that extends north from the main port town of Thong Sala after the main pier. At the top end, walking distance from town yet far enough away to never to notice it, a number of resorts populate the beach and rocks start to break up the coastline. The bay is fairly shallow, thus swimming is best in high tidal season.
There is a reef about 80 metres out where the sea shelf drops allowing for some reasonable snorkeling conditions. |
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Ao Plaay Laem
Ao Plaay Laem is at the base of Khao Hin Nok.
The bay is fairly shallow preceding the reef that lies about 80 metres away, and swimming conditions are best in high tidal season (November to April). Over the reef there are corals and marine life for snorkeling enthusiasts and a few resorts hire kayaks so you can paddle around the huge boulders in the sea.
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Ao Wok Tum
Ao Wok Tum is one of the quieter and least-developed areas of Koh Phangan feeling largely untouched by tourism compared to most of the island. The coral reef 300 metres offshore is really too far out to make it a popular snorkelling destination, and the beach, though long and sandy is good for little more than sunbathing and long, secluded strolls. |
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Thong Sala
Thong Sala is the principal town and administrative centre of Koh Phangan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. While Haad Rin hosts the Full Moon Party and attracts many of the island's more hedonistic visitors, Thong Sala is mostly used by tourists as a ferry terminal and jumping off point rather than a destination in itself.
The beach here is good to swim in monsoon season because the wind and storm will come in opposite direction. It also has a nice sunset and it is not far from town. |
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SOUTH EAST |
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Ao Ban Kai
Ao Ban Kai is a small village located halfway between Thongsala and Haad Rin. Ban Kai beach is also a great spot of you are seeking solitude and great views over to Koh Samui. The beach is wide and flanked by coconut palms as well as offering a number of bungalow resorts. |
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Ao Ban Tai
Ao Ban Tai is a long stretch of white sand with a lovely sunset view and you are like to have the beach to yourself at many spots. Ban Tai is a small village where boats can be rented and fishing trips arranged located halfway between Thongsala and Haad Rin. The beache here are quite nice, with over two dozen bungalows to choose. |
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Ao Hin Lor
Ao Hin Lor is a small stretch of beach located just between Haad Rin and Ao Ban Kai. It is also home to a few of the island's oldest and most chilled out resorts. The surrounding areas have a unique feel where little pockets of private beach that extends for about 2 km. The thing that really stands out at Ao Hin Lor, are the huge rocks and the magnificent canopy of trees and flowers that go right to the waters edge making it excellent for sunbathing and looking at Koh Samui across the water.
There are several little coves that are really fun places to walk around and explore. |
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Haad Leela (Sarikantang)
A relaxed atmosphere and a great social scene await you. Haad Leela or Sarikantang Beach, is located on the Western tip of the island, just only a 10 minute walk from Haad Rin. It's a long white sand beach with mangrove trees dotted along the coastline. This spot hosts some old and some new resorts settled back in the palms. Its secluded location enables you to get away from crowded Haad Rin, whilst only about 15 minutes walk from the town centre. The beach is rocky and the coral reef that stretches along the Southern coast starts here. |
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Haad Rin
Haad Rin is the most popular beach of Koh Phangan where the famous Full Moon Party takes place every month. It is about 12 km from the content town of Thong Sala. Actually, it consists of two beaches, one on each side of Cape Rin at the southeast corner of the island. The east side has better beach which is good for swimming as well as snorkeling along the coral reefs at both ends of the beach while the west side has more selection of bungalows. |
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Haad Wai Nam
Haad Wai Nam is a small rock fringed beach with idyllic white sand and beautiful clear green waters, great for swimming. There is one resort at present, who generate their own power and the beach can only be reached on foot or by boat. |
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Haad Yuan
There's no doubt that Haad Yuan is an extraordinary beach. It provides a unique ambience of remote beach and reminded the "old good Koh Phangan". Haad Yuan lies on the peaceful southeastern coast of Koh Phangan. You will see the crystal blue sea at the front and the rush tropical forest climbing up along the mountain at the back. That makes it ideal for watching the sunrise and the moon on full moon night. It is also a great place for sunbathing and swimming. |
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