84280 Koh Phangan
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Ко Панган · Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan beaches

Every beach on the island on one map: where to swim, where to eat by the water and how to get there.

One beach, a whole day. Swim, have lunch, return to the water. These three shores make very different days out.

Map
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Places: 2 Beaches × Clean sand, no rocks × Bays across the hills ×

Thong Nai Pan and Than Sadet. The other coast, across the hills, for a day by the sea.

  1. Thong Nai Pan · Beach

    Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach
    Editorial pick Beach

    Swim at any tide · monsoon waves Nov–mid DecClean rock-free sand · deep near shoreLittle shade at noon · hill shade in afternoonBeachside cafés & resorts · village with ATMs

    Our pick · Great beach across the hills and an alternative to Haad Rin

    A bay on the island's other coast, reached via scenic hills. Pristine sand, superb swimming waters and lush surroundings make it a top alternative to Haad Rin.

    The drive crosses mountain hills; east-facing bay without a sea sunset.

    The northern and most charming of the two Thong Nai Pan bays on the north-east coast. Reaching it involves a scenic drive across mountain roads, fully rewarded by pristine emerald waters, powdery sand and comfortable swimming depth at any tide.

    Directions in Google Maps ↗Place page →

  2. Thong Nai Pan · Beach

    Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach
    Editorial pick Beach

    Gentle slope · 80–100 m walk to depth at low tideFirm rock-free sand · shallow east end for kidsTrees along shore · more shade after lunchSunbeds for café/resort guests · kayak rental

    Our pick · To spend time on the other coast

    An eastern bay beyond the hills is a reason to set aside a whole day. Arrive in the morning and leave time for lunch and a long walk by the water.

    The road crosses the hills. Take a taxi if you're not a confident rider; this isn't a sea-sunset beach.

    The southern and larger of Thong Nai Pan's bays: 800 metres to a kilometre of sand, open to the north-east. Quieter and simpler than Noi next door: bungalows and mid-range resorts, restaurants and bars by the water, massage, kayak rental, a 7-Eleven and shops in the village. A wide beach, often nearly empty.

    Directions in Google Maps ↗Place page →

Which shore for what

Koh Phangan has two different seas, and it is the shore, not the weather, that picks one. The west lies behind a reef: the water is calm and shallow, and at low tide off Hin Kong it goes out 700 metres to a kilometre, so people walk the sea floor. In the east the water is deep a few steps from the sand: at Haad Yuan, Than Sadet and Bottle Beach you can swim at low tide too. The east is open to the wind, though: from November to January the north-east monsoon brings waves, and on some days swimming is banned.

The tide has seasons as well. From about April to September the west's water stays low for long hours in the daytime, and a swim has to be timed to high tide. From October or November to March it is the other way round: the water is high most of the day. Each beach's page says when high tide is today.

Snorkelling without a boat. Mae Haad: the coral starts some thirty metres off the beach, by the islet of Koh Ma. Only at high tide on a calm day — at dead low tide it is too shallow and easy to scrape the coral.

With small children. Nai Wok by Thong Sala: behind a sand spit, a knee-deep lagoon at any tide.

To swim, not to wade. The east, and Bottle Beach. A longtail goes to Bottle Beach from Chaloklum, usually 150 baht a person: it leaves once about four people are aboard, the last at about five in the afternoon. In a storm the boats stay put and you can be stuck there for a day or two. As places to be stuck go, it is not the worst.

Box jellyfish occur in the island's waters. Where a beach has a net, swim inside it, and stay out of the sea at dusk and at night.