providing clean drinking water to families around the world.
The Best Beaches In Thailand
See Also:
- The Best Beaches on Koh Samui (photos)
- The Best Beaches on Phuket (photos)
- The Best Beaches around Krabi and Railay (photos)
Ko Phi Phi Don in Krabi
Update:
I didn’t intend this post to be about hotels and resorts – just the beaches! But I get so many questions about accommodations I suppose I have to offer some suggestions.
The single best site for finding hotel deals in Thailand is HotelsCombined.
It searches hundreds of websites and finds the best deal for pretty much every hotel.
The only way to beat it – and I highly recommend this too – is to not book in advance. Show up at your destination. Leave one parent with the bags at a cafe, let the kids play in the ocean by themselves (joke!), and go search for hotels appearing as if you are not desperate to find a place.
This has the added benefit of allowing you to see the hotel room, the location, the vibe of a place before you book it.
If this seems too risky or leaves too much to chance (or if you’re traveling during the mid-December to mid-January peak season) then a good compromise is to book for the first night or two at a new stop. Then take a few hours one morning to look for longer term accommodations.
It really works! (Disclaimer: except when it doesn’t.)
Here are some pages you might find helpful:
- Hotels In Thailand – A Guide
- Hotels In Bangkok – Where To Stay (with a list of hotels with swimming pools)
- Chiang Mai Hotels (on hotelscombined)
- Phuket Hotels
- Koh Samui Hotels
The Best Beaches (And Where To Go) In Thailand
Thailand has the deserved reputation as having the best beaches in southeast Asia. Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui and Koh Tao are among the top destinations for beach lovers but the country has so many deserted stretches of sand and areas of gentle calm water that making a list of the best beaches would be a fool’s errand. Different monsoons hit the two coasts at different times of year so the weather can often be quite different between the east and west islands and beaches. Buses and ferries are the primary means of getting around though there is a train route that runs from Bangkok through the south of the country.
Kata beach on Phuket
Bophut Beach on Koh Samui (my personal favorite)
Phra Nang beach near Railay, Krabi
Chaweng beach on Koh Samui
Railay West beach in Krabi province.
Koh Tao – too popular but still beautiful
Patong beach on Phuket
The beach on Phi Phi where Dicaprio's "The Beach" was filmed.
Surin beach on Phuket
Koh Pha Ngan has nicer beaches but Haad Rin is where the action is.
Jomtien beach near Pattaya. Quieter than Pattaya and a short bus ride from Bangkok.
The beach at the Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket
Cha Am beach near Hua Hin.
A quiet beach in Phuket: Kamala Beach.
Best months to visit Thailand for beach weather: January, February, March, and April.
[Photos by: René Ehrhardt, almost marvelous, g-hat, tboothhk, victoriapeckham, tata_aka_T, MarkLeo]
Further Reading:
- Cheap (But Good) Hotels In Bangkok
- The Best Family-friendly Hotels In Bangkok
- What Is The Best Island In Thailand? – A great overview of the best islands in Thailand
- The Best Beaches On Ko Phi Phi
- Railay – The Best Vacation Spot in Thailand
- The 25 Best Beaches of Phuket
- The Best Beaches on Koh Lanta
- Visiting Koh Samet – The Closest Island To Bangkok
- Thailand’s Best Beaches
- Thailand With Kids – Where To Go
- Koh Samui Beaches
- How To Find Hotel Deals In Thailand
My Favorite Websites
HotelsCombined.com – The absolute best for finding hotel deals and discounts.
Booking.com – A great resource for hotels in North America and Europe. Features authentic reviews from verified guests.
World Nomads – Travel insurance from a trusted and well-respected resource.
Is that Phra Nang beach, the third from the top? I’d say it’s top 10 beaches in the world not just Thailand. Fairly quiet too, despite all the hype. The climbing around there is great as well.
It is and I agree. About as nice as beaches get. And the setting too. The walk along the path through the woods is the perfect setup. The cliffs and caves over to the side are a lot of fun too.
How do we travel to phra nang from patong, please guide and approx money charged for this travel.
You can take a bus or mini van from Phuket town to Krabi. This is about a 3 or 4 hour trip. Or you can take a boat from Phuket to Phi Phi island and then a boat from Phi Phi to Krabi. Each leg is about 90 minutes but plan for spending a little on the island waiting for the boat to Krabi. Good luck.
On my first trip to Thailand I stopped at Hua Hin on way south to Samui. I inteded to get back on the train in 2 days but met some people and never did. I’ve been back to Thailand twice and never made it any where else. (though I did go north to Chiang Mai) Going back this August and determined to get down to Samui and Krabi. Got a whole month this time so we’ll see
Phra Nang and the beaches of Phuket are the best beaches I’ve been to. Singapore doesn’t have any beaches to compare so I try to visit Thailand every year. There’s so much to do there but I just sit on the beach and have drinks brought to me. The other stuff is for my husband.
The beaches in Thailand are absoulutely beautiful, it’s the kind of holiday i like and will put it at the top of my holiday list. I think it’s just the thing i’ve been looking for.
My husband and I are getting ready to travel to Thailand and want to see the beaches, but are interested in finding quieter ones. We also love to scuba dive. Does anyone have any recommendations?
I would suggest some of the quiet beaches along Ko Pha Ngan’s north coast. Then do a tour or day trips up to Koh Tao.
thanks for the tip, we’re thinking of going scuba diving too somewhere in Thailand next month!
Hi there,
I am heading to Thailand with my 3 boys (41, 7 and 2)in late January 11. Would you suggest Koh Phi Phi? 4 nights we are considering.
Cheers
Hi Livia. Anywhere in Thailand is going to be great and offer something special and unique, so I wouldn’t fret about your decision too much. That said, I think Ko Phi Phi might be too much of a party/singles scenes for you. It’s really focused on diving too, so if you’re not going for the great snorkeling and diving then there might be better options.
Railay is my favorite place on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Lots to do, no cars, a dozen or so hotels and similar number of restaurants. Stunning beaches, rock climbing, sea kayaking. It’s a very relaxing place but not boring my any means.
It’s reachable only by boat from Ao Nang (about an hour from the Krabi airport) which adds to its appeal and seclusion.
Yes, that seems to be where my search is heading. We will definately be spending some time there. With only 9 nights, wanting to see as much a possible, and a partner who wants the most luxury possible, it’s going to be a coin toss mostly. Do you think 3 nights in 3 locations is enough; or is it best to choose 2 only?
That’s a tough call. But I think I would err on the side of doing more not less. I think you get almost the same amount of memories from a 3 night stay as a 4 or 5 night stay, so hitting another place just gives you one more experience that you wouldn’t have had.
Hey David,
We have extended our trip to 2 weeks, so perhaps a more telling question is, what is the max you would stay in these places – Railay, Phi Phi Don ( the quieter side) and Phuket. I can’t just laze by the pool or on the beach the entire time – undiagnosed ADD for sure, so I intend on doing many activities. Could I easily fill 5 days on Railay, and maybe only 3 phi phi – that kind of thing.
If I am going to be bored out of my brain, I’d rather see it and move on. We dive and trek for hobbies.
There are too many beautiful beaches in Thailand but my favorites are hua Hin, Phuket, and Koh Samet. Love the white sand and calm waters. The beaches are also great for metal detecting.
Hi, We are planning our honemoon in Thailand, however it will be in May and seems like it is not a good idea to go to the beaches. What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Hi Martha. May is probably not the best time to visit Thailand, but it’s not terrible either. (There really isn’t a terrible time.) I’ve been to Thailand during just about every single month and it never seems that much different to me. You can get long stretches of cloudy days in the dry season and perfect sunny skies during the rainy season.
That said, if nice weather is an absolute must for you, I’d probably visit the east coast (Samui, Ko Pha Ngan) which tends to have a little nicer weather at that time of year. But, once again I’ve had great weather in late April while in Krabi.
I hope that helps.
Hi,
I am going to thailand with my partner in October for 12 nights and want to stay as close to the beach as possible but also want to be able to go shopping/markets/bars etc.. where should we stay? We want to stay on an awesome beach but not have to travel a long time to do some touristy stuff..
can anyone suggest somewhere to stay?
Thanks
HI Helena. There are so many places it’s hard to suggest one. Chaweng has a good mix of shopping and great beach. It has many great restaurants too. If you wanted a little quieter place — then Bophut is a 10 or 15 minute drive away and has a fabulous beach. Not much to do there but lie on the beach. There is a string of nice hotels right on the beach. Hope that helps.
hi,
Where is the 6th photo down , that looks like my kind of beach??
Hi Lorraine. That’s Koh Tao just north of Koh Pha Ngan. A very popular island for scuba divers.
I love the beaches of Thailand, One of the most relaxing and calming places in the world. The people are so friendly and you will not have a care in the world when you wake up on your beach hut for a few dollars a day.
Check out this video from my travels to the beaches of Thailand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v2ofj9XfMQ
hi all (more so David) you seem to know what’s up.
I’ll be in China/HK for June and i’m thinking to stay behind for a week and travel to Thailand for the 4th of July holiday. I guess it’s not the best time to visit but oh well. It will be an adventure either way.
Would you say it’s safe for women to travel in Thailand alone? If you have 1 week during this time where would you go? Any great hotels you would recommend? Any place in particular where it’s best to travel for people flying solo.
thanks!!
Sounds like a great trip. I’m sure you’ll be safe. Use common sense, don’t walk alone at night, look like you know where you’re going.
With 1 week I’d take a look at AirAsia (or some of the other budget airlines) and see what’s available. There are so many great places that cheap flights (with flight times that work with your schedule) can be a deciding factor. Especially when you only have a week.
That said, I would say that Koh Pha Ngan is probably the most singles friendly destination in Thailand.
For great hotel deals on KPN search here.
Good luck and have fun.
I have only been to Thailand once so I’m no expert but the beaches in Phuket were as nice as any I’ve ever seen. Thailand’s beaches are much nicer vs Malaysia’s or Bali’s though not as nice as Fiji.
where would you advise us to stay on Koi Samui with 2 kids age 19 and 21 (not huge party goers but like sports such as waterskiing and music in the evenings) and parents who would like a quiet beach ( not too many people ) and beach huts rather than high rise concrete hotels?
Hi Chris. I would probably recommend Chaweng beach. It’s not my absolute favorite place on Samui, like say Bophut, but there is lots to do. Bophut and nearby Mae Nam can be a bit slow for some people — and almost certainly for teenagers. Chaweng is quite developed but compared to some resort places in many other countries (e.g. Mexico or Spain) it’s pretty low-key. There are lots of fun shops to look through, great restaurants, and every beach activity you could name. (Also a Starbucks if you’re looking for a nice big cup of coffee.)
Good luck.
Hi! I’m going in Thailand in a month with my boyfriend. We will be in Phuket and around for 10 days. We want to relax, have a little room by the sea and do snorkling. I know that the are a lot of beaches in Phuket, which one would you recommand us?
We also planned to go on a island for 3 nights, maybe Ko Phi Phi but maybe others are better for what I want. We don’t want to go far away.
Thank you so much!
Here’s a good overview on the beaches of Phuket: beaches and this one if you’re looking for hotels.
Ko Phi Phi will likely be very busy and not the the place to go if you’re looking for a relaxed spot. Krabi and the Khao Lak area could be good options for a quieter destination.
Hi all,
I’m going on my honeymoon starting August 23, 2011 to Thailand. We are very confused with where we want to go and stay. We know we want a room that is a beachfront pool villa or possibly just a pool villa. We also want to be on a beach that has absolutely calm, pool like water, we absolutely hate waves and if we saw waves it would really ruin our honeymoon. We are not that interested in the nightlife and that is not necessary for us. All we want is a nice pool villa on a gorgeous beach as described previously. We are debating on where to stay Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi. We have been looking at some youtube videos and have noticed that some of the resorts in Phuket have beaches with huge waves where people cannot even take a swim, we are absolutely terrified that something like that can happen to us. We also noticed that the majority of beautiful beaches with calm waters are in Krabi and Phi Phi. Therefore, If we stay in Phuket and want to go to all these beautiful beaches in Krabi (railay beach, Poda island, Tup island etc) it would be about a 2 hour boat ride. We are absolutely confused and do not know where to stay?????? Some of the resorts (beachfront) we have looked at are:
Phuket- Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach Resort & Spa (seems to have a calm beach as per youtube)
Phi Phi Island OR it may be in Krabi- Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort & Spa (has a beautiful turquoise calm water as per youtube)
Krabi- Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi
Please help us!!! all suggestions are greatly valued and appreciated.
Thank you……
Hi. I think the place you’re looking for is the handful of resorts on Rai Leh West on Railay Beach in Krabi. They’re right on the beautiful and calm beach. Very few waves (most of the time) and a quiet scene with very few partyers. My only hesitation is the weather in August which isn’t great on the West Coast of Thailand in August (it’s typically better on the east coast and Samui area). I hope that helps a little.
Thank you so much David. What’s with the weather on the West Coast of Thailand in August? Does it rain everyday??? I know that is the rainy season.
Thanks again,
Michelle
It rains most days. Quite often this will be followed by sunny weather in the afternoon but it’s certainly possible that you could see several days in a row of heavy rain with little sun.
Hi David! My husband and I along with our kids (3 & 5) are planning a trip to Thailand in December. We want to spend 5 days on an island but can’t decide which one. We are not into snorkelling or scuba diving. We just want a quiet, laid back beach where we can relax on a hammock while the kids build sand castles. We both have high stress jobs so we are just going to unwind (and celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary). Is there an island that matches what I want, and is easy to get to from Bangkok? Thanks in advance
Hi Annie. I’d probably recommend Bophut beach on Koh Samui. There are flights to Samui direct from Bangkok and Bophut is about a 15 or 20 minute taxi ride from the airport. It’s got a few great hotels, and if you tire of the restaurants there are a bunch of great ones within a 20 minute ride (most of them in Chaweng and a few in Mae Nam and sprinkled around the island). The beach is awesome, fairly shallow, and very calm. Good luck.
Hi david
im am going to thailand end of november with my boyfriend, we are going to fly into bangkok and then want to travel south, we want a nice relaxing beach and was just wondering could you clarify where would be the best place to go in your opinion, i have also heard it is the ‘cold’ season and was wondering what sort of temperatures it would be?
thanks
hollie
Hi Hollie. Thailand has a rainy season (but no cold season) so no need to worry about temperature, per se. The rainy (monsoon) season should be just drawing to a close so I think you should get decent weather. I’d head for either Ko Samui or Ko Pha Ngan on the east coast or Railay (near Krabi) on the west coast. All 3 are ideal for having some relaxing beach time. Have fun.
Hi David, what a fantastic blog you have about Thai’s beaches.
Could you clarify where you think might be best for my partner and I to go for 5 days in March 2012, the criteria is
We’re both in our mid/late 20′s
we want the typical ‘paradise’ style beach with the turquoise/ clear seas and white sands
easy access from Bangkok
Romantic/ quiet-ish but with bars/ restaurants/ a selection of street vendors for the evening
maybe a few shops and a markets for myself to be kept entertained
maybe boat rides out to islands/ or scuba/ snorkelling from the island
not overly crowded
Easy access to other locations
It’s a big list I know
Please help, there are too many to choose from!
I’d recommend either Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan. Both have a mix of what you’re looking for, though not everything. As long as you’re ok with a plane ride and then a ferry ride then Koh Pha Ngan probably fits your criteria a little more closely. The street vendor scene can be a little hard to find on the islands, but is there if you look hard enough.
Thank you for your help, we’re stuck between the two islands that you have suggested. Looking at the flights to Ko Samui it depresses me, they’re very expensive!
I suppose the best option is train then ferry, it’s just such a pain to have to do it that way when it’s suppose to be a holiday and relaxation.
Thanks again
Hi David, fantastic blog you have here thanks for such a great resource of info! I’ll be traveling to Bangkok the second week of September and have about 5 days to travel. I’ve seen Bangkok, my hope is to see world class beaches and perhaps enjoy a bit of the nightlife elsewhere in Thailand. I understand the two may not go hand in hand and I may also be limited by weather during this time of year. I’m open to flying from Bangkok, but naturally with limited time I’d like to spend as little time as possible traveling. What do you suggest?
The quickest and easiest way to get to great beaches is to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui. The flight is only about an hour and there are great beaches (Bophut being the best) just 10 or 15 minutes from the airport. A train trip to Hua Hin is also a good option if you’d like to avoid flying and dealing with airport security, luggage, etc. Hua Hin is about 4 hours by train from Bangkok. Good luck.
David,
We live in Nepal and drag our two teenagers (14 and 16) off to gaze at Himalaya mountain views or tour UN World Heritage Sites when its vacation time! they have asked that during December school holidays, we take them to a beach vacation. The parents want tranquility and some activities – snorkelling, tennis, spa treatments; the teenagers want a resort – white sand and blue water beaches with a “tame” version of night life. Any suggestions?
Hi Karen. I love Goa and there are lots fo resorts there too. (Though I think staying at a non-resort gives you way more freedom, is far less expensive, and is just as much fun – often more fun.) Look for a resort along the south Goa coast that allows non-guests to use their pool (usually for a small fee). Then stay at one of the cool beach towns nearby. You get the best of both worlds. http://www.timeout.com/travel/features/377/goa
Railay in Thailand is a great place that is awesome for kids. You could fly to Bangkok and then onto Krabi. From there it’s a short drive and long tail boat to its incredible beaches. Most places on Railay have a pool. http://mylittlenomads.com/railay-beach-in-krabi-thailand/
Vietnam is another option, with great beaches along the stretch of coast south from Danang to Hoi An. Here’s one place we loved: http://mylittlenomads.com/hoas-place-china-beach-vietnam/
Oh, and Sri Lanka too: http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/07/sri-lanka-thats-wrap.html
Good luck.
Hi David,
Me and my wife are planning a trip to Asia in December.
Want to spend 3-4 days in Singapore and then head to islands with white beaches and crystal clear water. What places can you recommend? Are there any great and cleanest beaches in Phuket or Krabi? I’m mentioning these places because Air Asia flies there at reasonable prices. Flights to Samui from SIN or KL are way too expensive. Maybe I missed something?
Hi Andrey. I found flights for about $160 from Subang (near Kuala Lumpur) to Koh Samui with http://booking.fireflyz.com.my/. Not sure if this fits your budget. Generally only Bangkok Airways flies to Koh Samui (they own the airport) but it looks like Firefly now has a few flights. The cheaper flights will usually be to Surat Thani which is a 1 hour ferry ride from Koh Samui (2 or 3 hours including transfer from the airport). There is also the island of Tioman off the Southeast coast of Malaysia (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malaysia/peninsular-malaysia-east-coast/pulau-tioman). Good luck.
Hi, We (3 couples) are planning a trip to Thailand between 31March-7April 2012, We were thinking of Koh Samui or Krabi, I understand that the weather would be better in Koh Samui that time of the year. What resorts/beaches would you rec? We would like to relax, snorkel, shop and RELAX…thanks L
I’d recommend either Bophut or Mae Nam beaches. Great feel. Mae Nam has a chill-out vibe with some great restaurants. Bophut has a nicer beach and better quality (more expensive) hotels though. Both are close to Chaweng and it’s 100+ restaurants. (Avoid Lamai at all costs as it doesn’t have a family friendly feel at all)
Have fun!
Hi David!
We are travelling to Thailand in October. We will stay in Bangkok for some nights and after that we would like to spend abou 7-9 days on a beautiful, paradise island with my girlfriend. It would be great such an island that has an entertaining and not to small donwtown with numerous shops, restaurants, bars. We are looking for a romantic island that has great diving options and amazing sandy beaches – amazing nature – a paradise and important not too many tourists. I had been last year to Koh Samui, it was nice but now I would like to go somewhere else, maybe to an even nicer “paradise”. It would be great if its easy to access from Bangkok, but if you suggest an island that is so amazing – than it is fine with us to travel a little more from Bangkok.
I had in mind Phuket, but now I read on the net that its overdevelepoed and too much. That is not what we like…so I am thinking of Ko Tao, but it might be too small for the entertainment etc at the evenings that we are looking for as well. Phi Phi sounds good, but as you wrote for couples it might be too much sex tourism there and might be too much? What about Krabi, would you suggest that?
I would also appreciate if you suggest not only one but more maybe 3-5 destination islands, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.
Also I would like to stay in a really nice resort on that island – can you also recommend me such? (On Koh Samui we stayed at Napasai Resort it was amazing).
Thanks for your personal opinions, suggestions and for your help!!!
Gabe from Budapest, Hungary
Hi Gabe. I would recommend either Railay near Krabi, which has lots of activities to keep you busy and a couple of very nice resorts, or Koh Pha Ngan which is just north of Samui but has a very different feel. Railay’s only drawback is that few locals live and eat right on the peninsula so the food quality suffers as it’s all for tourists. Koh Pha Ngan has some great undeveloped parts – especially along the north coast of the island. Not so many resorts on KPN though this is changing and a look here should find something you like. Good luck.
Hi David!
Thanks for your reply. Would you recommed us in October Hua Hin or Chiang Mai? Are they close to some good islands / resorts that you would suggest?
Thank you, bye
Gabor
October in Chiang Mai can still see floods and heavy rain in the early part of the month, though the wet season is drawing to a close. If you do get nice weather everything will be green and lush, and the sky blue and warm. Hua Hin doesn’t get as much rain as the north so October should be fine there, even if you do see a few afternoon thunderstorms. The closest island to Hua Hin is Koh Samui. It’s a half day train ride from Hua Hin to Surat Thani from where you can get ferry to Samui.
Hi David!
Thanks for the great information you shared about Thailand… My friend and I are planing a trip to Thailand this October, (Im flying from Beijing and she will fly from Seoul! woot woot!) and we will firstly arrive in Bangkok, after that we are planing to go to some island for 4 days just relaxing on the beach and hit some bars… Im thinking about the Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan as you recommended before, and my friend also mentioned about Koh Lipe… Could you please give me some suggestion that where would be a great destination for 2 girls, easy access from BKK, great beach and not-that-quiet nightlife?
Thanks so much
I love Ko Pha Ngan – it’s my favorite. Koh Lipe would be a fine alternative however – but a bit harder to get to from Bangkok. Here’s a great overview of the island: http://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2010/08/koh-lipe-thailand.html. Koh Chang and Koh Samet are great islands closer to Bangkok that generally get nicer weather in October. (Be aware that Koh Chang can get very busy on weekends.) Good luck.
Hi David,
Where is the 3rd photo (rock in the sea, two boats)?
Where is the 5th photo (cliff to the left, sunset)?
Where is the 8th photo (bay, with a narrow entrance)?
Thanks,
Sam
Hi Sam. I just updated all the photos with beach and location. Hope that helps. Cheers.
hi david!
you’ve given such great advice to ppl.. thought maybe you’d be able to also help us out as well
we’re going to phuket for 5 days in December before flying to Koh samui for another 5 days (and visiting koh tao and Koh Pha Ngan.
While in phuket we’ve planned to go to one of the islands near by for a 1 night 2 day trip (not ideal… but that’s all we could fit this time in our trip unfortunately). our relatives are all going to phi phi don.. and im just not too sure about it as every blog i read says how touristy, how dirty and noisy it has become. both my husband and i have never been to phuket or the near by islands. . would you recommend phi phi or another island near by? I’ve heard Railay is amazing but we fly into phuket.. is that a bit far to get to Railay? Are there other little islands around phuket that would also be nice.
we mainly want to just enjoy the beach, do some snorkelling and eat good food.
thanks so much David!
I’d either get down to Krabi and Railay (and then fly from Krabi to Samui) or do a day trip to the Ao Phang Nga region for some snorkeling and kayaking.
Hi David … Hoping you can help me out, Im going to Thailand for a short trip and unfortunatly this time I dont have time to go to any of the islands, can you recommend a decent beach near Bangkok, I will be staying in the city centre so looking for somewhere accessible by taxi, not too far, that is nice and relaxing, pretty beach, not too crowded. Any ideas ? Cheers
Pattaya and Hua Hin are the best beaches near Bangkok. But both are hard to make work for a day trip. If you had a little more time – maybe 1 or 2 nights – then Koh Samet is probably your best bet. Good luck.
Hi David,
This is a great bog you have here. I have already learned a lot by reading other posts. My husband and I (early 30s) would like to spend time in Thailand for 2-3 weeks this month, last 1/2 of September (very last minute and flying from Seattle). It happens to be opportune time for us but it has been discouraging to read about traveling here in Sept d/t Monsoon season. Also from reading I have gathered that SE Thailand in the Gulf might be the area with the nicest weather. Is this so? We are mainly looking to relax on a quiet island with beautiful beaches. I love Thai food and look forward to also experiencing Thai life. Not really looking for crazy nightlife or anything like that though. We will want to snorkel, perhaps take a cooking class, visit markets, and get massages. Beautiful beaches that are nice to swim in are the primary attraction.
We want to spend a short while in Bangkok (1-2 nights), to get a feel for it but then would prob want to take a cheap flight to our destination. Then the question is how much time do we want (2 or 3 weeks)? And what areas would be the nicest in September? And the best way to get there from Bangkok. Any info you have will be very helpful as we are pretty overwhelmed with planning a last min vacay to Thailand.
Hi Jessica. You’re right – the weather can be a little uncertain this time of year and yes, you’ll probably find the nicest weather on the east coast. Most days see some sun and though you might encounter a few straight days of rain it’s quite common to get fantastic weather in Thailand in any month of the year. I wouldn’t let weather predictions discourage you from taking this trip. Bangkok, Samui, and Chiang Mai are probably the best places to take a cooking class. Ko Pha Ngan is my favorite island in Thailand and has some great beaches and good food. If you get away from Haad Rin it’s like Koh Samui 20 (or 30) years ago. Have fun.
Traveling to Thailand for a month in Dec-Jan. Can you recommend the best beaches with affordable ($20-40 night) lodgings close to the beach, along with nightlife and restaurants – I prefer to be able to walk as much as possible. Not looking for quiet, but rather avoid the most touristy places. Thanks!
Hi Mike. I think Ko Pha Ngan probably has the best value accommodation of any of the islands in Thailand. Just be sure to arrive well before the hordes arrive for the full moon party that falls nearest to New Years. (They’re all busy but the year end one is super crazy.) Prices do rise during the Christmas break but if you’re staying for longer than a week (and, once again, arrive before most people do) you can usually secure a pretty good deal. The farther north you go – and way from Haad Rin – the cheaper the hotels and the nicer the beaches.
Hi David–
I am thinking about Thai islands for 10 days at the end of December into January. I will be meeting a friend for the first 10 days, we are two straight single females in our mid 30s so we would love an island with a good social life for New Years and then maybe move to an island for a chill out or if we could combine the 2 for the 10 days excellent!
I will then have 2 more weeks to do whatever wherever until I need to be in Bangkok to meet up with a group to go to Laos with…I love yoga, might want to learn to dive…I am completely open so any recommendations would be so welcome.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I’d say Ko Pha Ngan as it’s my favorite island. Spend a few days at a beach near-to (but not in) Haad Rin. Party it up. Hit the Full Moon Party if that occurs while you’re there. Then, after you’ve tired of the party scene, move north from there for some great beaches and chill out scene. Even the places just a mile or 2 north of Thong Sala are pretty cool, but there are nicer ones to be found the farther you go away from the port. If you stay for a week or 2 you’ll often meet all the guests and then have a big Christmas or New Years feast together, depending on the crowd. Good fun.
Hi!
My fiancee & I are thinking of a beach honeymoon in Thailand, in January/February next year after our wedding in December.
Which beach would be the most romantic & perfect for newly-weds? Which beach is the best & has clear water?
Would appreciate it very much if you can give us tips.
Thanks in advance!
I would say Bophut on Samui or a number of different beaches along Koh Pha Ngan’s northern shore if you’re looking for quiet and laid back. The beaches of Railay would be perfect if you wanted a bit more activity on your holiday (e.g. kayaking, mountain climbing, park tours, etc.). Phuket has some great beaches as well but are much busier and have a more touristy and resort feel. Good luck.
Hi David,
Great blog! And even more informative are your replies
I am going to Chiang Mai this november for a conference and Will have about 3-4 days after that in Thailand. So instead of visiting all places ( bangkok, pattaya,phuket, railey), I wanted to visit just 1 and have fun.
Between phuket/railey and bangkok/pattaya, which would be better? Considering I like to party and enjoy scenic beaches.
Hi Ankur. If you’re primarily interested in the beach then Phuket or Railay would be best as the beaches there are far better than Pattaya. (Koh Samui could be a good option too as Bangkok Airways has direct flights from Chiang Mai to Samui.) But if you’re looking for more of a party scene and cultural attractions then a few days in Bangkok (with a day trip to Pattaya) would be perfect. Bangkok is an awesome city with lots to do. You could easily fill 3 or 4 days in the city doing some really fun stuff. Good luck.
This page is the best thing that has happened in my Thailand trip planning so far!! My boyfriend and I (both in our early 30′s) are planning a trip to Thailand in late March 2012. We are planning to do a 5-day dive trip on a liveaboard and then spend about another five days relaxing on the beach. From your comments so far I’m leaning heavily towards Koh Pha Ngan as a potential island spot to lay around for a while. We’d ideally like a beachfront bungalow/villa/room where we could step right onto the beach. If it has a hammock or two, or a nice porch facing the beach, even better. I think our budget is about 300-400 USD per night. We are not so into the party scene, mostly just a gorgeous beach with calm waters that is not too far from decent restaurants. Is this the right spot, and do you have any specific recommendations for particular beaches and/or places to stay?
Thanks so much for the energy you put into this blog. You obviously are committed to sharing your love for Thailand, and it’s working!
Hi Beth. Koh Pha Ngan is great and I think you’ll love it there. The best beaches are along the islands north coast. Bottle Beach is probably the nicest on Koh Pha Ngan. You’ll likely have trouble spending $300 or $400 a night though. Most places are far cheaper than that and have great locations and lots of character. If you’re really looking for luxury then Santhiya Resort and Spa on Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai beach is probably the best hotel on the island. They’ve got some good online discounts (stay 3 nights, get one night free). Also check out http://hotelscombined.com/KohPhangan for reading reviews and finding deals. I hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi David
I am travelling solo to Phuket in Nov… Can you recommend a good place to stay at Karon Beach and also is that a nice beach ? .. I have been told it is much nicer than Patong.
Hi Chrissie – it so depends on what you’re looking for. Here are some good sites for helping you decide: http://www.phuket.com/island/beaches.htm and http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/
Good luck.
Sorry I should have added I’m on a budget but don’t want to stay anywhere horrible or backpackery .. it would be great to have a place on the beach.
Hi
Found your site and desided to give it a try getting some tips from you:-) We are traveling to Thailand for the first time in February, with children aged 3 and 6.
For 12 nigts, after a stay in Bangkok, We want to stay at a beach destination. We have a budget around 30,000 – 53,000 baht for these 12 nights. And it’s a hard choice.
Want to get it all:-) Want to live right on the beach. Want to see a real paradise beach. Want as good value as possible for money spent on the room.
I think Hua Hin an Cha am don´t look very exotic, is this right?
We don´t want to go to Ko Chang and Ko samet because of the malaria risk.
Have looked a lot on Samui.
Where should we go? Is there any of the places with great beaches that gives more hotel for the money than the other?
Best regards from Norway
Yes, Hua Hin and Cha Am are not considered exotic. It’s where middle and upper class Thais go for their holidays as it’s close to Bangkok. Ko Pha Ngan probably has the best combination of good value and great beaches. Krabi and Phuket are the most expensive. Samui is in the middle. The only downside to KPN is that it takes a full day (or more) of travel to get there. Good luck.
Hi and thank you for great help. One more followup:
Are Ko pha Nga very affected by the full moon partys? Will we as a family feel that this place is more party/ noicy and stuff than samui?
on the web its described as where people go to “go all the way”, wild partylife?
The full moon party occurs once a month at Haad Rin in the south of the island. But head north and away from Haad Rin and it’s very quiet and secluded.
We are a family with a 4 & 6yr old and we just spent 26 days on KPN. we found it to be a very family friendly place and met many great families with young children holidaying there as well. We spent time on Sri Thanu on the west coast, which was very quiet and deserted and with a great wide stretch of beach. We also stayed at Haad Yao and Haad Salad on the west/northwest, which was busier with more of a mixed crowd. Haad Salad particularly got a bit busier the 3 days around full moon, but otherwise, was ok, although some of the restaurants did have their music going a bit too late into the night (so watch out if you are staying near it).
But funny thing–on the night of the full moon party, the beach at Haad Salad was actually deserted from about 9pm onwards as everyone was across the other side of the island at Haad Rin!! it was the quietest night for us! check out our post at http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-full-moon-on-koh-phangan.html
hi dave hope you can help me out. I’m trying to get to Saraburi, Thailand. I’m wondering if i fly from the USA all flights go into bankok first if so i fly there then how to get to Saraburi .Or there any other citys that you can fly from the usa to them im on the east coast connecticut. What will be my best way to get to thailand from the USA? Can you rent a car drive around thailand or saraburi or they have scooters. ok dave hope you can help thanks.
Yes, you’ll definitely go through Bangkok when arriving from the US. From there it’s either car, taxi, bus, or train to get to Saraburi. Scooters are good for getting around within a town but not between cities. More info here: http://thailand.sawadee.com/saraburi/ and here: http://jonnytheforeigner.blogspot.com/2009/06/get-to-know-saraburi-thailand.html
Good luck.
HI David
I really appreciate your blogs and help they provide to tourists.
David, we two guys(age 27), planning to tour thailand for 6 days, and are really confused.We are flying in from delhi and have to attend conference in bangkok for last 2 days of our trip.So we have 4 days with us. we are planning to fly in to phuket and stay dere along with it visit phi phi island 1 day and thn take bus back to bangkok and visit patayaa 1 night .We basically want to enjoy beautiful beach and mad parties.Help will be appreciated , pls suggest and close by options for amazing bwach and parties with good crowd
It sounds like you’ll be very busy and have little time to do anything (including partying). I’d choose either Phuket or Pattaya and not waste so much of your limited time with traveling. Pattaya is just a short bus ride from Bangkok so that’s probably your best choice.
Hi David,
Thank you for taking the time to do this. I am hoping you can suggest a few locations for my upcoming trip. I’m looking for a post-card perfect beach (white sand and crystal clear water) that is quiet, relaxed, and not overly commercialized. I will be going this December and will only have 5 days, so I am looking for something that is relatively close to an airport. I can spend no more than $100/night, but, like most people, would prefer to pay less. Railay seems nice, but it looks a little isolated, especially from local Thai food, and might be a lot of travel time from the airport (all together about 3 hours?).
I noticed that you are suggesting Samui in December, but it seems like a lot of websites I am reading suggest to stay away from the Gulf in December and go to the Andaman Coast. Would you mind speaking to this a bit?
I look forward to hearing from you and would appreciate any advice you can provide.
Ilya
Hi Ilya. December is a good time on both coasts and a great time to visit Thailand so you should have lots of good choices. I’d recommend Bophut which is a very short taxi ride from the Koh Samui airport. This is a great hotel that should have rooms below $100: http://hotelscombined.com/Samui/WorldResort. Railay is great but yes, it is a little short on local culture and good food.
Hi David:
Your blog is so helpful, what a great job.
My husband and I are planning on taking a week vacation this december and want to spend X-mas in Thailand. We will be taking both our kids with us (4yo kid and 18 month baby).
We already went to Koh Samui for our honeymoon, so we thought Phuket was a good option, as many friends have recommended it. However, after researching in some sites, it seems Phuket is extremely touristy and that Koh Phi Phi is way nicer (better beaches and scenery).
What do you recommend? We want a relaxing holiday (forget about the bars and clubs, we’ll spend most of the day playing on the sand or swimming in the sea), with beautiful beaches, calm sea (small waves are ok), options to go out for restaurants and visit the local town/sights if possible. We don’t want a crowded touristy spot, but neither a secluded/empty beach.
Are we being too demanding?
Thanks for your advice and help.
HI Ana. Ko Phi Phi is very touristy too. And has a bit of a party scene. I’d go for Railay – one of my favorite spots in Thailand. There are no cars in the little town so you just walk between the beaches on paths designed for small carts and tractors. (But it’s not a resort.) It doesn’t have a lot of cultural sites nearby but lots of active things to do (though not so much for an 18 month and 4 year old, I suppose). The beaches are very kid friendly.
Hello David, thank you for such an insightful site. My husband & I will be going to Thailand. This will be our official honeymoon being that he deployed shortly after we got married. We’ll be going from Bangkok to Koh Samui, and then to the ‘Golden Triangle’. My question is on Koh Samui. I’d like your opinion as to whether we’ve chosen the right region for us. We’re a couple, we want romance, relaxation, and unparalleled natural beauty. Hotel quality is important for us in this trip being that, again, we’re on our honeymoon.
I read some of your comments, and also from your pictures it seems that Railay and Ko Phi Phi in Krabi are definitely beautiful. Our tentative itinerary puts us in Bophut Koh Samui. We’re months away from this, and all that is set in stone as of now is that I’ll be arriving in Bangkok and departing from Bangkok. So there’s definite room for changes. If you could give us your opinion, we’d be very grateful!
May Lo
Hi May Lo. I think Samui is great. Yes, some parts are very touristy but overall it’s a wonderful islands with lots to do. If you like good food there are some real high end restaurants there that are great. Italian food is well represented (as in Bangkok). There are some very nice hotels there as well. Railay is nice too, of course. Ko Phi Phi is very popular and probably not the ideal choice for tranquil, romantic, and relaxing. Good luck.
Thanks so much for your reply David. From your expertise on the subject and experience in Thailand – would you recommend us to try and do both (Railay and Koh Samui) on a 15 day trip? – I ask because the only option on the table after Koh Samui is Golden Triangle, and I’m not finding much on it. If you have any recommendations on where to stay/go before or after Koh Samui – we’d really appeciate it! ps – I’m sorry for all these questions. My husband usually helps me plan our trips but he’s deployed and Thailand is where we’re meeting for 2 weeks before he comes home!!
I see you added Jomtien beach, okay it’s a nice beach but most people don’t even know about some of the smaller beaches around Pattaya, there are some little treasures such as Cosy Beach, away from the hustle and bustle, you can relax, eat and drink, there’s even room to kick a ball around. The unfortunate thing is that many people believe these little beaches are private, but they are not.
http://www.pattayaunlimited.com/2011/09/cosy-beach-south-pattaya.html
Hi David – moved to Hong Kong recently from NY and have 2 friends coming to visit end of Dec into Jan. We wanted to head to Thailand…everyone I ask has their own opinion which is making this trip very hard to plan…so let me ask you please…some background: We will be 3 guys….upper 20′s…love beautiful beaches, want great weather, snorkeling, sports, great bars, party scenes, and of course want tons of beautiful girls…where should we go?…Phuket or Koh Samui? Timeframe we have to work with is: leave HK on Dec 30th and get back to HK on Jan 6th. And should we fly into Bangkok first and spend new year’s there or just fly directly to one of the islands from HK and skip Bangkok all together? And how long do you recommend we stay there? And any specific areas we should be staying in? Thanks for your help
Both Koh Samui and Phuket will have a big party scene over New Years. Phuket probably a bit bigger and a larger variety of beaches (and parties) to visit. Phuket also is a much bigger “resort” scene. Koh Samui is slightly more of a backpacker scene (although it’s very touristy now too). Koh Pha Ngan has the funnest parties and is just a short ferry ride from Samui. Koh Pha Ngan has an absolutely HUGE beach party on New Year’s eve. It also has great beaches and a much more relaxed scene (when not partying). Koh Tao is not too far from either Samui or Pha Ngan and has great scuba diving and snorkeling. Bangkok can be really fun over New Years. Khao San Road will be crazy, chaotic, and a ton of fun. Good luck.
Great, much appreciated. Sounds like we should do Samui. Any good spot you recommend to stay in Samui? Also if we have 6 days, should we just stay in Samui and surrounding areas or you think trying to fit in Vietnam would be too much traveling?
Chaweng (and Lamai to a lesser degree) is where all the action is. Bophut is great if you’re looking for some place quiet away from the hub. (It’s just a short drive to Chaweng.) Samui (and Koh Pha Ngan if you wanted) should keep you busy for 6 days. I can’t see how you’d be able to fit in Vietnam too.
Great, really appreciate your help.
Hi David,
After reading all your comments, I cannot decide wether to go to Railay and around or to Ko Pha Ngan/ Ko Samui and around?
Looking for beauty, low-key, little-crowded, sports beach?
Could I ask for your experienced help??
Thank you so much,
For outdoor activities, rock climbing, sea kayaking, then choose Railay. For quiet beaches and a low key relaxed scene go with north Koh Pha Ngan (Haad Rin has the famous full moon parties but if you go north you’ll totally avoid those – if you want). Samui is somewhere in the middle with more of a typical island party scene, great beaches, and the best international (especially Italian) food. KPN will have the best Thai food of the 3.
Hi David,
Looks like you did your homework! After 17 years in Phuket I listed 25 beaches on the island (actually I counted 28, but haven’t finished writing about them yet) , you can see them here: http://phuket101.blogspot.com/2011/07/21-beaches-of-phuket.html
Cheers
Willy Thuan
Phuket101
Hi Willy. Thanks for the link. I added it to the main content of the blog. Great post.
hey david…
thanks for your blog…great info. we have been to Ko Pha Ngan twice in the past…10 years and 5 years ago. think it has changed quite a bit since. we stayed at Haad Tien beach and really loved it. but now we have added a little man to our life…he is 20 months old…and we are heading over to Thailand for about 6 weeks when we leave India. Not sure that Haad Tien is our place as I think the hustle and bustle and party scene has slowly crept over from Had Rin to Had Yuan, Had Tien and Way Nam. We’d love to avoid the loud music and party action altogether. would love to keep it super simple. budget beach shack, sweet clear shallow water beach for the baby, nice sand and good quality food. love the bamboo hut on the headland over Had Yuan way but is a bit of a walk with the little guy if we stay Way Nam way. Anyways, haven’t ever been to the beaches up north. for some reason I feel like I heard that they weren’t as nice but you make them sound beautiful…which is great. any thoughts on the northern beaches for great beach, quiet, simple, cheap-ish shack as we’ll stay about 6 weeks and good quality yummy food? would love your input. thanks….
Hi Pam. The northern beaches are harder to get to – there’s no denying that. A good compromise might be the beaches on the west coast just north of Thong Sala. There are some very simple and cheap huts along those beaches up to Haad Yao. As long as you’re not there during the full moon party or Christmas and New Years you should be able to show up and grab a place. Most of the ferries come and go from Thong Sala so it’s quite handy and you can walk into town (as long as you don’t mind walking on the side of the road for a long stretch). The restaurants at the hotels tend to be pretty tasty. Here are some listings: Koh Phangan hotels.
These bloggers were just on Koh Pha Ngan. Here’s their report: http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/12/stuck-on-koh-phangan.html
Good luck.
As David stated, we just spent 26 days on KPN and stayed at 3 different beaches and found them all different and unique. Sri Thanu is by far the quietest of the 3, with bungalows right on the beachfront and a great wide stretch of beach. Unfortunately we didn’t find the water here as nice as Haad Yao or Haad Salad up northwest. but although the water was more clear on those latter beaches, the vibe was different and a bit more social (ie busier with restaurants).
Sri Thanu Kitchen served the best Thai food at the best prices in the area–super nice people there too–be sure to check it out!
Check out our posts http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/12/stuck-on-koh-phangan.html and http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-full-moon-on-koh-phangan.html We found KPN to be very family friendly , at least on the west and northwest beaches.
Unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of good pics as our camera was broken so we had to rely on borrowing that of fellow tourists
We also found the beach scene at Khao Lak to be quiet nice, at least at the time of year (shoulder season, late October/early Nov) that we were there. http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-face-of-khao-lak.html
thanks david as well as with 2 kids in tow…appreciate your help and insight. shall look into those beaches for sure. just wondering if either of you all had been to or heard about the current state of had tien or way nam. we assume there has been alot of changes but haven’t actually been since 2006 so was wondering if by chance you had? and just as a comparison , how do you rate the beaches ( as in water/sand) on the west and north of KPN compared to say had tein and way nam? thanks heaps to all of you….
Sorry Pam, haven’t been to either of those places.
Hi David,
Between the following two strategies, which one is better?
1) Stay in Ao Nang Beach, take boat to Railay Bay daily, and return in the evening.
Pros: In Ao Nang, street food is better, more local culture, hotels are cheaper.
Cons: Take time to commute every day; have to return early and cannot enjoy the sunset from Railay Bay.
2) Stay in Railay Bay.
Pros: Walk from hotel to the best beach in the country.
Cons: No street food, no local culture, hotels are more expensive.
Which one do you recommend?
Hi Sam. It seems like you’ve pretty much covered it there
Great summary of the pros and cons. I like being on Railay (especially if you’re with kids) but Ao Nang is not without its appeal. I always recommend showing up to a hotel without bags (and without the necessity of finding a place) in order to get the best deal. So, if time permits, get a place in Ao Nang, then head over on the boat and look around for a hotel for the following days. You’ll be able to play hardball as you’re not committed to staying in Railay. If no one takes your low-ball offers then stick with Ao Nang. Just an idea. One note: I think after 2 days of going back and forth you’ll probably being growing a little tired of the boat ride.
Hi David.
If I stick with Ao Nang, which hotel/resort do you recommend?
If I want to try my luck in Railay, which hotel/resort do you recommend?
Are choices extremely limited in Railay? Are there only 4 hotels/resorts on the west and south?
$1,000/night at Rayavadee is definitely out of my range.
Railay Bay Resort & Spa is a great spot. Beautiful rooms and a nice pool. It’s on Railay East (so not directly on the west beach) but it’s just a short 3 minute walk down a well kept path to the beach. Being on the east beach – and away from the crowds – also keep things quieter. It’s a great deal and one of the nicest places we stayed in Thailand. There are at least 12 places to stay on Railay (maybe more). A full list here: Ao Nang and Railay Area. Hope that helps.
Hi David,
In Railay, can you find cheap, tasty, non-hotel food on the streets?
Does the “go to Ao Nang with reservation first, then try Railay without reservation” strategy work in high season, too?
To reserve a place in Ao Nang for the first few days, which hotel/resort do you recommend?
Thanks.
Railay does not have any street food to speak of. That’s the big downside with Railay. Food is average and in touristy sit down restaurants. (Though many are right on the beach and pleasant and relaxing enough.) It would be harder – and less likely to work – in high season but it’s still doable. Can’t recommend any specific hotel in Ao Nang so I’d look here as it’s a fairly dependable service: Ao Nang and Railay Area. Good luck.
Hello David,
I am trying to turn a negative into a positive here and was wondering if you could help! I accidentally mis-booked mine and my husband’s hotel stays. We’re going to be staying in two different hotels in Koh Samui, but I forgot to overlap our stays (where we check out of one, and check in at the other on the same day). As a result – we’re left with one day (Feb. 28, 2012) where we are homeless. Due to some great savings we got on our rooms – we’re unable to change our dates around.
We thought we could venture out around Koh Samui and stay somewhere tranquil/low-key/ with some good chance for adventure for that one day. Any ideas where we can do this? Somewhere were we could pay a minimal fee for a one night stay would be great!
Thanks!
This is my favorite hotel in Koh Samui on the island’s best beach (Bophut): World Resort.
It’s very relaxed, low key, friendly, and serves a phenomenal breakfast. The best part is they’re a very reasonably priced hotel.
I hope that helps.
Hi
I see that you like Bophut on Samui. I have read that you can hear the planes coming over to the Islands airport. Is this right?
What do you think of Lipa noi and maenam vs Bophut?
Lipa Noi is nice as long as you’re not looking for much activity. But the beach is great. Mae Nam has more of a backpacker/long-term traveler feel. The beach isn’t quite as nice as Bophut but there are some very good restaurants sprinkled throughout the town. I never had any problems with hearing airplanes in Bophut but I imagine this could change depending on which way the wind is blowing (and which direction they land and take-off). It’s definitely close to the airport but not directly by it. I hope that helps.
Hi David,
Hope you can give me an advice as well. Me and my boyfriend are travelling to Thailand in the beginning of February. We have plane tickets to Bangkok and haven’t decided where to go next. I thought of Krabi (Ao Nang or Railay) and then Phi Phi for some days as well. However so many people are recommending Koh Samui so if we listen to them we can go there and then Koh Phangnan for some days maybe.
We are in our 20ies so we would like to have romantic atmosphere, with activities and maybe not discos but at least bars, restaurants. From your other answers both options can offer that. However I am a little bit worried about Koh Samui/Phangnan option because it is Full Moon Party period when we are going. Will there be somewhere to live (don’t want to book in advance) at Koh Phangnan? And I worry if we live in the north of Koh Phangnan as you advice how do we go to Haad Rin at night for example, because it is where all the restaurants/bars are? It is also so expensive to fly to Koh Samui. Is it maybe cheaper to buy first/last ticket directly at the airport when we arrive?
Best regards,
Natalie
Samui is more expensive to fly to. The way around this is to fly to Surat Thani on the mainland and then take the ferry across (http://mylittlenomads.com/travel-bangkok-to-samui) to Samui. Ko Pha Ngan has low-key bars and many restaurants all over the island so you don’t have to go to Haad Rin to find either. But that’s obviously where the big parties are. There are pickups that take you to and from Haad Rin from all over the island – though it can take an hour or more depending where you’re staying. Samui and KPN definitely have more going on as far as night life than Railay. The biggest Full Moon Party of the year is the one closest to New Years so the one in February won’t be nearly as busy – you should be able to find accommodations as long as you arrive 2 or 3 nights before the party. Good luck.
Hi David
The beaches in Thailand and the friendly people are what draw us away from the beach and surf breaks on the Gold Coast, Australia.
We enjoy visiting Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi so much we started our own website
http://www.phuket-travel-secrets.com to share our journeys with our fellow readers.
Enjoy
Jeff & Paula
Hi David,
Thank you so much for your very informarive suggestions and ideas. My husband and I (late 20′s) are planning to travel to Thailand with my parents 7 days in February. We are planning to visit Bangkok, but after that we are a bit stumped on where else to go visit. My husband and I would like to visit the islands and the beautiful beaches. We were going to visit Phuket but it sounds like Phuket is way too touristy now. From your suggestions we were thinking of either Koh Samui, Ko Pha Ngan or Railay. However as we are also travelling with my parents, I am mindful of only visiting the islands which are relatively easy to get to as well. In your opinion, which islands should we visit? Could we pack visiting 2 different islands in 5 days?
Also, what do you think of Chiangmai? Is it worth a visit too? Thanks.
Alicia
Chiang Mai is definitely worth a visit but it would be too much to do that and an island in 5 days. And same with 2 islands in 5 days – stick with just one. I’d suggest Koh Samui as it’s easy to get to (direct flights from Bangkok) and doesn’t require a boat or ferry trip which can be subtly trying at times and a bit rough. Samui has lots to keep you busy for 5 days. Good luck.
Hi David,
I need help trying to sort out my itinerary, as I fear I made a mistake. My boyfriend and I fly into Bangkok February 17th (and thinking I would be saving us travel time and money) we are flying out of Phuket February 27th. We wanted to spend 2 days in bangkok, then either head to Chaing Mai for 2-3 days, then to the beaches. From reviews, I know that we are more of the Ko Pha Ngan style. I feel I kind of blew it by having us fly out of Phuket. Is there anyway I can swing us heading to the Koh Sumai side, but still flying out of Phuket to head home? Should I just cut my losses and head south towards Phuket? If its the latter, can you recommend islands/areas that are laid-back, cheap bungalowy, not too crazy party scenes?
HI Michelle. Getting between Phuket and Koh Samui isn’t easy as there is no train route and with the bus and ferry you’re essentially losing the whole day. You can fly with Bangkok Airways from Samui to Phuket but they have a monopoly on the route so it’s usually not cheap. But check the fair and if you’re able to swing it then I’d go to Samui for most of your time then fly to Phuket for the final 1 or 2 nights. If you’re looking for beach advice for Phuket I know that while it’s quite touristy there you should be able to find something that appeals to you. Check out http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/2007/02/beaches-of-phuket.html for some of Jamie’s advice.
Good luck.
hi david….
we’re gonna spend a bit of time either side of our kpg time in ko samui…a place we have previously just passed through….and we have never stayed at a resort style place before but now with a toddler in tow who loves pools and beach we want to and we want it to be a nice EASY place, easy beach, easy pool etc. bophut or mae nam seems to be the most chilled by your words and you mentioned world resort and that you really liked it. can I ask why? and maybe any other bophut or mae namplaces to stay you might recommend that may be a bit cheaper than world? thanks for your help and input.
Hi Pamela. Why did I love it? Very easy going feel. Nice staff. Wonderful breakfast (usually included with your room but worth getting regardless). Great beach. Nice pool. You can walk along the beach to find other places to eat at.
There are cheaper places (especially in Mae Nam) but I doubt if you’ll find anywhere cheaper with a swimming pool.
Have you tried hotelscombined.com yet? It’s my new favorite hotel site. It just about always finds the cheapest deal for any given hotel. Give it a try.
Good luck.
Hi David,
Great blog.
My partner and I are planning to go to Thailand at the end of April this year.
The plan is to go to Bangkok, then we havent decided where to travel next. We would like to go somewhere for about 4 nights with lovely beaches, kayaking/snorkeling and restaurants. We dont really want the party scene.
Where would you recommend?
What is the best way to travel there from Bangkok?
And what is the weather like at that time of year?
Thanks
The weather will be getting hot by the end of April – you’ll really feel it in Bangkok. I’d probably say Koh Samui for what you’re looking for. It has direct flights from Bangkok which make it easy to get to. And great food too. Have fun.
Hi David,
We are looking to travel to Bangkok for a couple of days and then would like to spend about 4 nights somewhere in Thailand that has lovely beaches, restaurants, kayaking/snorkeling but not really into the party scene.
Where would you suggest and what is the easiest way to get there?
What is the weather like at the end of April?
Thanks
Both Railay and the quieter beaches of Phuket meet your criteria. For Phuket there are many direct flights. For Railay you need to go through Krabi, and then taxi or bus to Ao Nang, and then a short boat ride. The weather is getting hot by the end of April (especially in Bangkok) but should be fine once you’re on the beach.
Hi David, I’m trying to do a last minute booking starting in 10 days, for 2 weeks and need some advice or I will drive myself mad! Looking for a great child friendly hotel or resort, NOT in Phuket but anywhere else warm is ok! We went to Phuket last year and found it too touristy in parts, although of course the kids had a blast, just want to try something else, bit more authentic. Requirements: On a very nice beach ( eg somewhere safe and shallow and calm enough for kids, beautiful and not littered or too crowded, and a decent stretch of it, no road in front) a great kids pool, ideally kids club. Beach view rooms or even better bungalows. Somewhere idyllic and not too over run would be ideal. Bit of yoga for me would be nice bonus. Under $200/night. Where to look? We are flying from Beijing to Bangkok and can fly on from there. Thanks!
Hi Noemi. Bophut on Koh Samui is one of my favorites. A great beach. Easy to get to. Very relaxed. Good value. Close to Chaweng if you want more choice in restaurants. Both of these places are awesome: Zazen (a boutique resort) and the Samui Palm Beach Resort (which has more of a typical resort feel). Good luck.
David,
What an amazing blog you have. I couldn’t piece together what I wanted from the previous questions so here it goes.
-I’ll be traveling with 3 other guys, all mid 20′s in mid-late november for 2 weeks.
-We’re looking for adventure activities, ie. snorkling, caves, elephant rides, muay thia fights, as well as awesome night life.
-Not much quiet relaxation necessary.
-The only for sure thing I must attend is the Loy Kratong.
My main concern is weather as November seems to be a transitional period between seasons. Ko Samui and Koh Pha Ngan seem to be perfect for us. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Walid
I wouldn’t worry about the weather. You might go a few days with some rain, and then have a few days of sun, and then a few more that are cloudy, but it will be warm and you’ll still be able to do most of those things you’re interested in. The weather is usually more consistent on the east coast than the west coast. KPN and Samui sound perfect for what you’re looking for. Samui is a lot more touristy so things like elephant rides are easier to arrange there. Also, Samui’s night life is more club style. KPN has more of a beach party feel – a very very big beach party, mind you. Have fun.
We were in Koh Phangan for Loy Krathong this year–they had a lovely festival on the south end of the island and the krathongs were set adrift in the ocean. We’ve also experienced in Kanchanaburi, which was better i think as the river setting made it more intimate. Chiang Mai is where i’ve heard the biggest celebrations are as it is combined with the lantern festival too.
we’ve caught Loy Krathong 2x, most recently in Koh Phangan this past November. They had a big festival on the southern end of the island and the kathrong’s were set adrift in the sea. They also set lanterns alight too, as per the northern thai tradition. But i think the experience we had in Kanchanaburi was better as there were more ‘locals’ involved and the whole thing was more intimate as the kathrongs were set off on the river. I’ve heard though that the biggest and best celebrations are held in Chiang Mai, where the lantern lighting tradition prevails, along with the kathrongs. More touristy too though i assume.
I just spent I don’t know how many hours reading/researching all your great recommendations and thought I had come up with the perfect itinerary, several times over. But now I am more confused because of our short time frame and best places to get to in a short amount of time. Had Phi Phi all picked out based on prior recommendation but now that I research further I don’t think it is what we want which is how I came to your great site. Living in Shanghai but staying with family friend north of Phuket for a couple of nights then have 2 nights to go to beautiful quiet non tourist beach to do mostly nothing. On the 1st night, a family member will be joining us late so it has to be somewhat accessible. Need to stay somewhat close to Phuket airport as we fly to Chiang Mai after this. Your recommendation of Railey seems to fit us but I think too far for our time frame. Also concerns of the ferry or boats to get to Phi Phi and trying to get back in time to make a flight. The experience is more important right now than the price per night, as just want to have the best 2 nights we could anywhere. Any help you can suggest would be great. Know lots of people going to samoi but that is on the other side and we are already committed to Phuket area.
It does sound like trying to get to Phi Phi or Railay is a bit much. I’d hang out in Phuket and not hurry away to another island or beach. The northwest coast of Phuket has some quiet spots that might be just what you’re looking for.
We wholeheartedly agree with your ‘Update’ message regarding the strategy to find a room. During our entire 1yr trip with 2 young kids, we almost always just show up where ever we are as like you said, it’s good to be able to see the room. We leave one parent with the kids at a cafe/restaurant/side of the road while the other hunts. The exceptions we make are if we are arriving in very late in the day or during a holiday (but sometimes we aren’t aware of the local holiday if we’re newly arriving in a country!). We have also had our share of misery with this, but all in all, it works well for us.
Hi David, this blog is great! My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon to Thailand for mid/late April. We plan to go Chiang Mai first for five nights and then spend five nights at a beach somewhere South. We’d like something a little more laid back that has some good sites for diving/snorkeling. We’ve looked into Kho Samui quite a bit but something about the beaches on the Andaman Sea look prettier to me with the limestone cliffs, calm waters and big stretches of white sand so we’ve looked at Krabi, Phuket and Khao Lak as well. So my questions for you are…
Is the weather better on the East/West in April?
If we decided to stay on the Andaman Sea would you advise Krabi, Phuket or Khao Lak (or somewhere else)?
If we decide to go West and stay on Kho Samui, which part of the island would you recommend for beaches? The hotel we’ve looked into isdown south on Natien Beach but i’ve been told the water isn’t clear and the beach is rocks rather than white sand.
Hi Katie. The weather in April is hot but pretty nice on both coasts. On Koh Samui I’d recommend Bophut as it has a fantastic beach. On the west coast I’d say Railay beach near Krabi is your best bet. Both are beautiful. If I had to pick one, it would probably be Railay. I hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi
We are geting close to our Thailand trip, leaving Norway 3th february for a 3 week stay. After Bangkok we have planned staying in koh Samui and Surat Thani, Khanom. We are starting to get nervous regarding this. Every forecast I see from the area contains rain. Is it more rain in this area than other places in Thailand this time of year? If so, where are we most sertain of good weather?
Again thanks for your great blog
Honestly, I would stop worrying about it and just enjoy your trip. It will all work out. There are never any guarantees with the weather but this should be the driest time of the year. Have fun.
Hey David – great blog!
My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Koh Phangan july/august and I see that from your perspective we’ve made the right choice! We plan to stay at Cookies Salad at the Haad Salad Beach on the West coast – How does that sound to you – do you know the hotel? I’ve heard that the water in that area at that time of year can be really shallow,, but dont know if it’s a problem though? We love to snorkel and want to stay somewhere quiet yet not isolated. We really like to stroll around and look for good restaurents in the evening and wouldnt want to be limited to just one or two options.
Do you think we made the right descission with haad Salad being our choice of destination (we will be there for about 14 days).
I’ve stayed at Cookies, and Bounty (which is just to the north) and another one right in there (can’t remember the name) as well. All are simple but good places to stay. There isn’t a lot around there so when you say look for other restaurants it will usually mean walking to the next hotel – but it’s fun all the same. I’ve only ever been there during the November thru January time period and the water has always been fine. But I do remember hearing that the water does go to mud flats during the spring so I guess be prepared. There won’t be many people around at that time of year so you definitely don’t need to book in advance, so try to stay open and flexible and move on if it’s not to your liking. Good luck.
Hi,
I just got to know this blog and its simply outstanding. I’d like to get some advice on Phuket in the search of where to stay.
Liked the new Renaissance hotel but get the feeling that Mai Khao beach is not that nice (in terms of delivering “the Phuket” experience).
We are looking for a good compromise of great hotel and a truly beautiful beach. Le Meridien sounds interesting but comments put it as quite old.
Appreciate any thoughts.
Tks!
Fabio
Hi Fabio. Not sure what you mean by the Phuket experience. Mai Khao is still quite quiet and has a great beach (http://phuket101.blogspot.com/2011/04/mai-khao-beach.html).
If you’re looking for absolute luxury on Phuket then check out Trisara Resort.
Naithon Beach Mansion is another good option in the area (and much much cheaper).
My partner and I are looking at heading to Thailand at the end of May/Start of June for 8 nights.
We were looking at staying in patong but from what we have heard its a bit full on.
We are thinking of maybe spending the first 2/3 nights there and then staying elsewhere for the rest of our holiday.
What would you suggest for somewhere not to far to travel to that is a nice and relaxing place for a couple. Nice beaches and quiet.
thanks!
Just north of Patong, Hat Surin is quieter and Hat Kamala more quiet still. Keep going north from there and you get to Hat Mai Khao and Hat Nai Thon which should be very quiet at that time of year. But there are many quiet places. You might want to wait until you arrive to plan those few days so you can stay flexible and take the advice of fellow travelers you meet. Good luck.
Hi, I am planning to visit Bangkok next month with my parents, wife and a year old kid….so would not like to travel much after landing at Bangkok. Can you suggest good options near by. Which is better between koh samet and hua hin.
I’d go for Hua Hin over Koh Samet. Koh Chiang is great as well.
Hi,
I’m going to be landing in Singapore with my 9 year old son for my 40th Birthday at the end of March and stay there for just a couple of days with friends. After that I’m looking to fly into Thailand for near enough a month. I haven’t been to Thailand since solo travel at 19 n really want to share the best of it with my son! I’m pondering whether to fly into Bangkok from Singapore and head for Koh Chang, or fly into the south and aim for a beach round Krabi….and as it’s now the days of the internet, thought I’d give asking you a shot! Not got a massive budget, my son’s after some beautiful easy swimming (I’d love for him to get a real taste of tropical beach life) and animal spotting adventures…. We’re going to head off towards Kanchanaburi later. I’ll be after a bit of a social myself as well as enjoying my time together with my boy. Where would you recommend?
Koh Chang, Kanchanaburi, and Bangkok are fairly easy to get from one to another. Krabi is a bit out of the way. Also Koh Chang is much cheaper than Krabi, so if budget is important then I’d go with K.C. Great beaches too and a bit more of a traveler’s culture in some of the beach towns. Good luck.
Kath
especially with kids, i’d highly recommend stopping in Ayutthaya and checking out the Royal Elephant Karaal–probably the least touristy of the bunch too! here’s our post on our visit there last year http://with2kidsintow.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/royal-elephant-karaal-ayutthaya.html
Thank you so much for the tips- keep em coming! Will definitely give the Karaal a visit – Ayutthaya was already appealing to us, so that’s perfect- and have booked the flight from Singapore to Bangkok so, reckon Koh Chang’s calling. Any tips for cheap but lovely Bangkok hotels gratefully received…the trip’s getting more and more real every day! Can’t wait for the time off and away again at last!
Hi David, We are thinking of going to Thailand for 2 weeks in August (2 adults, 1 child, 5 years old) Could you recommend the safest place to go for a family, ideally we would like to be by a really nice beach, thank you x
If safety were my primary concern I’d want somewhere you could fly to without spending much time in a car on a highway (as that’s far and away the biggest risk you’ll face: traffic and car accidents). And you want a great beach. So I’d say Bophut on Koh Samui. Awesome beach that is very calm and very kid friendly. It’s only about 10 miles away from the Koh Samui airport so no long trips in a car required. You can walk up and down the beach to find different restaurants so you wouldn’t even have to deal with traffic at all if you didn’t want to. I hope that helps. Good luck.
hi david you’ve already given me great advice from previous posts. me and my partner are going on our honeymoon to the maldives and then on to thailand last week in september for two weeks. we were going to stay around krabi but from your advice think were going to go to bophut for a week. and cant decide where to go around krabi we where maybe looking at koh lanta we want chilled out beach but within reach of resturants and few bars. would also like to know if you can recomend any excursions to whilst there we love snorkling, sightseeing ig would love to see some temples etc.
thanks lil
Hi. Koh Lanta is very slow during that time of year (http://amazinglanta.com/koh-lanta-weather-in-september/) so you might have trouble finding dive shops that are open. The weather on the gulf coast is usually nicer from July until November. On the other hand, it will be quiet and you’ll get some phenomenal deals on hotels so if you were just looking to chill out, then Koh Lanta in September would be perfect.
My fiancé and I are planning a trip to Thailand for our honeymoon at the end of May. Unfortunately, we don’t have too much time so we figure Bangkok and one of the islands. We have about 9 days. We’re planning on spending two days in Bangkok and then 6-7 days at one of the beach resorts. We’re trying to decide between the east coast (Koh Samui or Koh Phangan) and the west coast (Phuket or Krabi/Railay or Ko Phi Phi). The photos of the beaches on the west coast look beautiful with the big limestone rocks and gorgeous water, but we found some nice resorts on the east coast (Banyan Tree or Napasai).
Any tips/recommendations would be much appreciated!
It’s a tough call. Both coasts are great. I think the Thai food is better on the east coast. The scenery is better on the west coast. Probably more activities (kayaking, rock climbing, etc) on the west coast. More of a backpacker scene and more social on the east coast. Koh Samui is easer to get to than most of the interesting places on the west coast. Not sure if that helps but there you go. Good luck.
David,
My wife, 3 year old and I are going to be in Thailand for 12-17 days. Want to spend time at one or two beach destinations. What we look for in a beach town: decent resort with a pool (kid friendly), awesome beach with clear waters, an accessible town or restaurants/shacks that provide local flavor. If we end up stuck in a resort eating western food or in a town like Patong then I don’t feel we get a true feel for Thailand and its beautiful beaches.
Any places come to mind?
The first places that come to mind are Bophut or Mae Nam on Koh Samui. Or one of the beach towns along the west or north coast of Koh Pha Ngan.
Hi Dave,
My friend and I are planning a trip to Thailand for the first week of October. We are flying into Bangkok, staying there for a few days, and then wanting to head south to a good beach. We are looking for:
– activities to do during the day
– easy accessibility for day trips to other islands
– safe areas to swim
– good restaurants and bars as we like to have a good time but aren’t necessarily looking for a crazy party
We have concerns about the weather during this time, as we have read conflicting information about the weather in Phuket versus Koh Samui. For instance if the weather is bad in Phuket, would it even be possible to take a day trip to Phang Nga Bay?
Your blog is fantastic and has been incredibly helpful – thank you!!
The ferries and boats can definitely be canceled due to bad weather and rough seas. This is especially likely from August to October. Samui and Koh Samet are probably your best bets at this time of year – though they don’t meet all of your criteria.
Hi David,
Im Charmane from South Africa. Me and a friend want to go in pid April to an island in Thailand. Which island would have the best weather, atmosphere etc for that time of the year. We fourty something but want a lively vibe where we can do daytrip and some snorkeling aswell.
Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan are probably the best choices for what you’re looking for and when you’re traveling.
Hey All (especially David – great blog, you seem to know what’s going on.)
My girlfriend & I (late 20s) are planning to go Thailand late Apr early May via JetStar.
Thinking of taking 2 days at beach to do Spa, cooking, massage, jet skiing, boating, water skiing, parasailing, kayaking / canoe, watch the sunset / sunrise / fireworks over the water, crab hunting, maybe look for dolphins … (too much?)
Maybe at Jomtien, Pattaya, Hua Hin or Koh Samet … Koh Samet looks good but the hotel prices are more than twice higher than other places.
Any suggestions on (1) hotel stay and which (2) beach is best for most activities above.
Also suggestions on (3) transport to & fro will be great as well!
Our last 3 days will be at Bangkok, for shopping and eating …
Any suggestions on what is good or not worth it to do?
(4) Sight seeing – Grand Palace and Wat Prakaew, Khlong Tour, Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), Chao Phraya riverbanks, Sampharn Elephant and Crocodile Farm
(5) Shopping – Chinatown (Yaowarat) Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market
(6) Other fun things – Foot Massage, Fish Spa, Author’s Lounge high tea, Rooftop Sunset Cocktail, Ice Skating, Water Parks, watch Thai Kickboxing (Muay Thai) Bout
Better yet, do you have even more fun suggestions?
It has been a year since we last travelled and it had been a loooooong 1 year. So we really want to make this count!
Again thanks for your great blog and your suggestions! *winks
Sunny
For hotels in Koh Samet go here. You’ll like it a lot more than Pattaya. It’s worth the effort to get to.
And here’s a great overview of getting to Koh Samet: http://www.travelfish.org/transport/thailand/eastern_thailand/rayong/ko_samet/all
Your ideas for Bangkok sound great. I’d also leave time for a boat ride through the canals and wandering around the city on foot (e.g. the Sukhumvit Road district).
Have fun.
Hi David!
I hope you will be able to help me. Me and my other half we planning the honeymoon in krabi in the end of the june beginning of july. I am aware the the rainy season will be on the cards, but I was wondering if is that bad? I have reed that you are highly recommend koh Sumai, and I was wondering if I could stay 5 days in krabi and other 5 in Sumai? Is that possible, travel wise? Sumai is more commercial then krabi? What you will do.
The weather is usually not bad at all. Still quite enjoyable. You usually get some sun everyday and as long as you’re prepared for some clouds and rain you’ll be fine. 5 days in Krabi and Samui is fine. There are direct flights from Krabi to Samui with http://bangkokair.com or take the bus which will end up being a full day trip with ferry.
I am thinking of hiring a car in koh Samui as we will be staying a bit out of town in bophut. Is driving and parking easy?
The roads in Koh Samui are pretty mellow (as compared to the rest of Thailand) so you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Parking in Chaweng will be a pain but outside of that it should be easy.
Help!!! I plan on going to Thailand in late August for a friends wedding in koh samui. It’d be myself, my partner and my 3 year old son. It’s obviously rainy season and I’ve been pulling my hair out with where to go. We’ve looked at Chiang Mai, Koh Chang and various other places. We don’t want to spend loads of time travelling as we’re only going for 2 weeks but we want to make the most of our holidays. We had our heart set of koh Chang but it seems it’ll be quiet and restricted to what we can do. We would like my son to see some animals and want to have an authentic Thai holiday. Any advice or help u can offer would be much appreciated. What to do where to go!!! Ahhh driving me insane
Hi. Yeah, Chiang Mai can be great that time of year or very wet and floods. I’d go with Koh Samui. Direct flights from Bangkok. The weather (probably) won’t be perfect but it shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying the island. Most days in the rainy season see some rain and some sun. Your son might like the overnight train ride back to Bangkok so I’d consider doing that too. You can also do elephant rides on Koh Samui and the beaches are great and very kid friendly.
Hi David, our family is traveling in April, we are landing at Bangkok then the plan was to either train or pay a driver to take us to Prachuap where we are visiting a friend. I suggested a place to stay on the way out of Bangkok to break up the trip, any suggestions please?
we end up back in Bangkok at the end of the hols, kids are 11 and 13
Cheers
There are some nice hotels right around the airport (here’s a good link: Hotels near the Bangkok Airport). Prachuap is not that far away so if you wanted to make it all the way then I’m sure you could forego the hotel and save some money. Good luck.
well the thought of staying near the airport doesn’t thrill me, we may as well continue on. either way we have a nights accommodation no matter where it is. I thought you may have nominated a spot along the way you could recommend
so is the train journey painful? We did a similar thing in Vietnam on a train a couple of years back and travelled first class [tee hee] we flew everywhere domestic after that trip
We were told to hire a driver from the airport to Prachuap was about $120AU, about a 3.5/4 hr trip?
OK, I get you. Sorry about that. You could stop in Cha Am or Hua Hin along the way. (Hotel listings here: Cha-Am and Hua Hin.)
The train would be a short and relaxing ride though timing it with your arrival will not be easy. It’s also sort of tricky to arrange train tickets from outside the country. So if easy is your main concern then taking a taxi the whole way would be the thing to do.
Thanks for the great blog! I am a first time traveler to SE Asia and feeling overwhelmed with the 7 billion opinions of people online.
I did have one quick question. My only available travel time is a month from mid-august until mid-september. Planning to do some city traveling in Bangkok, Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, and then spending the other half down on the beaches on the east side (Koh Samui and Ko Tao, etc). The weather charts online seem to conflict on September weather. Ideally I’d like to END on the beaches to relax (so mid-late September) but if weather has a better chance at being a lot better at the start (mid-late August) I could adjust. What do you think? Does that one month make a big difference for rainfall?
THANKS!!
The weather is obviously hard to predict so I’d wouldn’t base too much of my decision on the difference between one month and the next. Do what feels best for your itinerary.
Hi David,
Thanks so much for all of this great info! My husband and I are looking for a nice beach not too far from Bangkok, as our budget probably won’t allow for flights down south after we arrive in BKK. We’ve heard good things about Hua Hin and Koh Samet, and that there are transfer services available. It’s just the two of us looking to “babymoon”, but I am a sucker for those white sands and blue/green waters. Any thoughts for babymooners on a budget?
Both places are great with Koh Samet probably the better choice. A bit more going on, nicer beaches. To get to Hua Hin it’s a simple train ride. For Koh Samet it’s bus and ferry. But both take about the same amount of time to get to (about a half-day of travel).
For hotels try these links: Hua Hin hotels and Koh Samed hotels.
Good luck.
HI David,
I am looking to go to thailand in May with two great friends and possibly their little girl who is one. Could you suggest where to go? I hear the weather will be better on the east side.. But I am very keen to see Krabi etc….. We want somewhere that is not overly touristy but at the same time with nice bars and restaurants and places to go and see. Can you help? I am also keen to visit Chang mai to see the elephants and do some cookery but may do that alone followed by a night or two in Bangkok before flying home.
Many Thanks.
To get restaurants and bars and fun touristy things to do you have to be in a touristy spot. Samui has a nice mix of these things and some quieter spots so it’s a good choice for people looking for something in the middle between quiet and touristy. It also has great food unlike some places. The weather will be about the same on both coasts at that time of year (give or take). Krabi has a more touristy feel and I think the food isn’t quite as good but it does have lots of active/adventure things to do.
hi david we want to go to thailand in may somewhere not to busy on the beach but also good food etc at night, can you recomend ,i have looked at krabi but not sure seems lots of young folk ,nothing wrong but a couple of oldies like us like it quiet ,can you help out
Hi Toy. I’d say Bophut or Mae Nam on Koh Samui.
In June my boyfriend and I will be in Thailand for 2 weeks. We are coming from Malaysia and plan to spend a few days in Bangkok as well. What beach/es would you recommend for this time of year. I would like to do some rock climbing & scuba diving, he is fairly low key (sunbathing and snorkling will keep him happy).
For rock climbing I’d say Railay. For weather at that time of year I’d recommend Samui or Koh Pha Ngan. So you’ve got a tough choice to make
David,
first of all, what a great blog you have! Such great info and opinions. Secondly. you are so great at responding to peoples questions – much appreciated
My boyfriend and I are traveling for 3 weeks in May- visiting thailand, laos and cambodia. The first 8 days or so will be in thailand. Because its May i thought the east coast islands would be better weather wise. Koh Phagnan, Ko Samui and Koh Tao were the 3 we were planning on going to. Is that too much? Are they all pretty similar in that we would be seeing and doing the same kind of things on all three? Id love to go to the West coast and see Phi Phi but I’m not sure if I am cramming too much into too little time.
Wondering if we should stay on one main island and do mini day trips to the others. What do you think?
Ko Samui and Koh Pha Ngan are both pretty similar in feel. Samui is more touristy for sure, but all in all a similar vibe, beaches, restaurants, etc. Koh Tao is great for diving and snorkeling. So go there if you’re into that but not much more to it if you’re not going to be diving. And yes, I’d stick to just one island (probably Koh Pha Ngan) as opposed to spreading your time too thin.
Hi David,
We are a family with 4 teenagers at the ages of 10 12 16 and 18.
It’s our first time in Thailand and we still have some decisions to do.
We are going to koh samui on April 6 and staying for 8 nights.
I already booked the first 4 nights in a south chaweng hotel . At first I thought I would leave the next 4 nights open and decide what to do once we are there.
Now, because I see that more and more hotels are getting fully booked I am afraid to leave it open.
We thought we will be 4 days in chaweng and then go to koh phangan for 4 days but I am not sure what should I do? I am afraid that if I book now for koh phangan I might regret it but I won’t be able to change it.
What do you think?
With 4 kids ( 3 girls and 1 boy)
Can you help me decide?
Thank you so much.
Personally, I would leave it open and not book in advance. There shouldn’t be any trouble finding places to stay in April and it’s likely you’re just seeing specific “sets” of bookings filling up.
Take a look here: Koh Samui hotels and Koh Phangan hotels to see the best listings (and prices) for hotels and I’m sure you’ll see lots of availability.
If you get there and see that things are indeed filling up you can still pre-book those last 4 days when you’re there. This isn’t that far in advance of course, but you’d still beat out the travelers that simply arrive and look for accommodations.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
hi david! i dont know if you’re still answering comments, but i plan on visiting a thai beach in mid-april. i wanted to find somewhere with clean water (though anywhere in thailand must be cleaner than the san francisco bay area), easy-ish ground transportation from bangkok and with some architecturally interesting buildings. nice weather and less-crowdedness would be a plus. any suggestions? thanks so much in advance!!
Koh Samui is the most culturally interesting island but can be busy and isn’t terrible easy to get to (unless you buy a direct flight). Ko Samet is the easiest to get to and has great year-round weather but can be busy. Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Lanta are quiet (as are many other islands) but are the hardest to get to. So there’s a trade-off with all of them. All the island have great beaches.
I have read some of the forums but i am still confused
XX
We were going to stay 3 days Railay 2 days Phi Phi then we have 6 days booked in Ko Lanta , now I am not so sure about Krabi or Phi Phi ?
We want nice beaches, good Thai Food ( Not Western food )
like chilled music and beach bars Not loud music and buckets of beer !!
But dont want to be totally cut off as long as we can walk to a few chilled places in the evening ,where do you think
I am now looking at Ko Jum and Ko Kood and KO Kut and getting more confused Please Help
If you don’t want the buckets of beer scene then avoid Phi Phi. Other than that the choices sound good.
Hi David,
my girlfriend and I are off to Ko Samui in July 2012. I couldn’t work out when this blog was written, I couldn’t find a date. I’ve read a lot of negative stuff that says recently Ko Samui has got awfully seedy and westernised. Is this true, or are there still ways to have a good time there? Thanks!
Chaweng and Lamai definitely have. But there are still quiet and less-developed spots around the island. You just need to look. And Koh Pha Ngan is only a short ferry ride away from Samui. Good luck.
Hi David,
My wife and I are flying to Bangkok in may.
Three years ago we went the same period and had an amazing time on Koh Pha Ngan. We are looking for charming, affordable huts, right on the beach.
We mainly want to relax during the day, and walk to nice restaurants with authentic Thai food and fresh seafood on the beach in the evening.
In Koh Pha Ngan we loved Sandy Bay huts on Had Yao beach west.
Would we find similar atmosphere on Koh Samui, or would you recommend another island?
On Koh Samui I’d think about Bophut, Mae Nam, Big Buddha Beach, and Lipa Noi. They’ll have a similar feel (sort of) and great beaches. For a different island with a similar vibe check out Koh Lanta. Good luck.
Hi David,
I and my husband are planning a 7-8 day trip to Thailand in May 2012(1st or 3rd week of May). Firstly will we be able to escape the rains? Secondly, we are confused between Koh Samui and Koh Phan gan. I read a lot of reviews saying that Koh Samui does not hold the same charm as before due to the crowd. We want to relax as well as party and indulge in the activities around the beach too(scuba diving, snorkelling etc).
Can you please help me with which destination would be a better place for a vacation and also which hotels do you recommend for a good stay.
Thanks a ton!
Hi Eshita. I think Koh Samui still has some great towns and beaches. Just avoid Chaweng if you don’t want the very tourist atmosphere. Koh Pha Ngan is quieter and has some beaches in the north of the island that can feel almost isolated. Snorkeling is decent on both islands though for scuba diving you’ll want a day trip to Koh Tao.
This is the best website for finding hotels on Koh Samui.
Good luck.
David, your forum is great; thank you.
I am travelling solo, first time in Thailand and Ko Pha Ngan sounds great (I need quiet beach, relaxing holiday, not interested in tourists or drinking).
Since the month of June hasn’t been mentioned, I would like to know what the weather is in Ko Pha Ngan in June. I live in Ireland and see enough rain during the year: nice weather is my priority!
Thank you.
The weather should be fine (some rain, some cloud but still hot with lots of sun). I’d go for the beaches along the north coast. The ones along the west coast of Koh Phangan can turn to mud flats during May and June, with the water receding from the beach during this time.
Hi, We are travelling to Thailand for the first time in July 2012 and plan on spending 2-3 days in bangkok initially then out to an island or decent beach somewhere for a week, but there seem to be so many that people are commenting on, its difficult to decide. We have two teenagers at the younger end of teenage but they would like some action, ie kayaking, snorkelling etc but we all would like some gorgeous beaches, natural Thai setting, great local food, a little shopping, but please without mega touristee. Can you suggest anywhere, and how to get there please. Thanks so much.
I’d recommend either a quieter spot on Koh Samui (Bophut or Mae Nam or Big Buddha Beach) or Koh Pha Ngan. You can fly directly to Koh Samui. For Koh Pha Ngan you’d have to take a short boat ride from Samui. Both are great islands though Samui has some very touristy spots.
Hi David – great forum, I almost don’t need to look anywhere else for information on Thailand!
My fiancee and I, both in our late 20s, are getting married in December and are planning a two week trip to Thailand and Laos or Cambodia. In Thailand, we’re thinking of spending 2 days in Bangkok and about 5 days on the beach.
We’re looking for picture perfect beach holiday – white sands, turquoise waters, and not too many people. We’d like to be on a beach where we can find authentic Thai food, many options for restaurants, nice bars, and can walk around and buy trinkets at local shops, etc. We’re definitely not into clubbing and partying, so would like to avoid that scene as much as possible.
Based on all your responses, it seems as if Bophut in Koh Samui or Koh Pah Ngan might fit our needs. If I had to rate our needs in order of priority as: great beach to lounge around, excellent local food with vegetarian options, and not too crowded, which one of the above two beaches would you recommend?
Bophut is a real town that has a bunch of places to eat. Some parts of Koh Pha Ngan (away from Haad Rin and Thong Sala) are not much like a town at all so if you’re looking for a spot that has more to do then probably stick to Samui. The beaches on both are great. Koh Pha Ngan requires a bit more time to get to which might be a concern as you don’t have too much time.
Hi, I am planning to travel to thailand alone in May for 10 days. I am female and early 30s where would you recomend I can travel safely and meet people.
I think nearly any spot would be safe and great for a single female traveler. Here’s a helpful post on what it’s like (and tips she’s gleaned) from traveling the world as a solo female: http://www.legalnomads.com/2012/04/tips-world-travel.html – the doorstop advice is particularly a good one.
Hi,
We, the family of 4 (girls 10, 14) plan to visit Phuket/surrounding areas in the last week of Jul. We are enroute to US and plan to break off the journey in Singapore. We are looking at some great beaches with preferably onshore snorkeling. What would you recommend, please.
The best snorkeling on Phuket is in the south around Kata and Karon beaches. But during the monsoon season is not a good time for snorkeling – the sea can be rough and there is a bad undertow. For these months you’d need to take a boat ride to Phi Phi or Racha Yai island or the Similian islands.
Hi David,
What a cool forum. Thank you!
You’ve kind of already addressed this, but I wanted to consider your thoughts. My girlfriend and I will be on honeymoon in June. We are craving culture and gorgeous beaches. Hiking sounds brilliant as well.
Im blown away by the images of Railay beaches, but having read your posts, you suggest that Samui or Koh Pha Nga may be better options for June?
What would you do if you were me? Im thinking about 10-14 days of beach time before heading North.
Cheers!
Yes, if I were to guess the weather will be better on the east coast during the summer months. Railay is great though and will be much quieter than Samui during that time of year – so if you did get decent weather then it would be cheap and ideal.
Thank you good sir. Do you have recommendations for beaches on the east side for good June weather? I love the images from Railay…so something brilliant like that?
Cheers David. What a wonderful resource you are!
The beaches on the east coast aren’t quite as idyllic/tropical paradise looking like the Krabi region. They’re very nice, but they don’t have the cliffs and jungle as a backdrop in quite the same way. That said, Bophut on Samui is beautiful and my favorite on the east coast. There are also a bunch of beaches along Koh Pha Ngan’s north coast that are very nice (more info here: http://kohphangan.sawadee.com/beaches.html. Good luck.
Hi David,
My partner and I are flying to Bangkok from London Feb 2013 for a month, will are travelling light (Backpack) and are hoping to spend all our time just chilling on beaches, and eating nice food, we are not into the party scene, this trip is all about relaxing, apart from the commuting. We have a medium sized budget for accommodation but are happy to sleep in a beach hut on minimum budget.
In your opinion itinerary wise would we have enough time to visit both the East and West Coast Islands allowing for down time to stay and chill, or what would you recommend, should we travel from Bangkok straight down South to the furthest islands Koh Lipe ect and work our way up, or do the opposite and maybe travel down to Hua Hin on to Koh Samui areas then over to Krabi / Puket and surrounding islands, would it be worth flying over to Trang to visit these islands before going home.
Ideally we are looking at visiting the most beautiful of beaches, not too secluded but quiet and laid back.
First time travelling so I am probably being far to optimistic trying to cover this in a month, your opinion and your top must see beaches for us would be great.
Thank you
Lisa
Going to Koh Lipe and then working your way back to Bangkok through, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Railay, Koh Samui, and (maybe) Koh Pha Ngan, sounds like a great itinerary. Start by flying to Hat Yai. If you get there before 10am or so, you’ll be able to catch the last afternoon ferry from Pak Barra to Koh Lipe. From Lipe take a ferry to Koh Phi Phi. It also stops in Koh Lanta and only runs from November to April (the rest of the year you are limited to the ferry between Pak Barra/Hat Yai and Koh Lipe). From Koh Phi Phi you can catch a boat to Krabi. From Krabi you can take the bus (5 or 6 hours) or fly to Samui. From to Samui to Bangkok you can either fly or catch the overnight train from Surat Thani north to Bangkok. Good luck.
Thanks very much David…. since posting this I have made a few decisions as I got my head around it slightly more… so here goes, these are my plans so far, tell me what you think !
Fly into Bangkok 18.30 18th Feb
22.50pm Train to Chumphon – arrives 6.00am – ferry to Koh Tao (have booked accommodation for 2 nights) I know gonna be tired !!!! and 3 class train only at this time
Boat to Koh Phangan stay 2 nights (booked accommodation)
Boat to Koh Samui stay 2 nights (booked accommodation)
Boat to Surat Thani – Bus to Krabi – stay overnight
Boat to Koh Lanta stay 4 nights (booked accommodation)
Day trip from Koh Lanta to Phi Phi ???? Should we stay here or just visit ????
From Koh Lanta, nothing arranged what do you recommend, not going to be pre booking anywhere now…. we have 18 days left before flying home.
Thanks
Lisa
With 18 days left at the end of your trip why are you in such a hurry to fly through Koh Phangan? I’d stay longer there. If you’re not going to Koh Lipe then explore around the Krabi area, maybe one night in Phi Phi, and then ferry to Phuket and fly back north. Smart not to pre-book anymore. Having some flexibility is nice.
These all look amazing. I have a 3-4 days on my own before I begin work in Bangkok. I have never been to Thailand and the beach appeals to me so much more than the city. I will be traveling alone. Love yoga, calm local scene, a massage (or 2?) would be great. I don’t want to go too far from Bangkok as I will have been traveling a lot. Any recommendations?
Koh Samet is a great island and just a half day from Bangkok. That said, if you don’t mind getting on a plane you can be in Koh Samui in an hour and at the beach within an hour of landing.
Hello David,
I am planning to go in Thailand with a friend during mid November. We were thinking to stay in Phuket for no more than 7-8 nights. There is some much to be seen and we cannot decide what to visit. We definitely want to see beautiful beaches with blue water, we want to scuba dive , to feel the proper Thailand atmosphere. If it is possible to see more of the nature and most of the paradise islands But we also want to have night life and to visit some of the bars. We do not know where to stay in Phuket. Is it possible to stay in Phi Phi ? We want to see also Krabi and Railay beach and all close islands. What can you advise us ? Where to go ? Is it possible to come in Thailand without already booked hotel and to travel during the islands and find places where to stay every day or two ? I think it is possible to fly from Phuket to Koh Samui ? Because there is so beautiful. And is it possible to visit Koh Similan from Phuket ? I am sorry for all those questions, but we are really not aware what to do and how. Thank you in advance.
Yes, pretty much everything you asked is possible
In November you should be fine not pre-booking hotels. Just be sure to arrive wherever you’re going as early in the day as possible so as to grab a room.
Something I do more and more nowadays is to book hotels a day or 2 before arriving someplace (but not weeks or months before when I’m still at home). This way you still have all the flexibility with where and when to go somewhere, but you don’t waste valuable time traipsing around looking for a hotel (which gets less appealing as I get older).
For flights, however book these as soon as you can as once the cheapest tickets are gone on those budget airlines they generally are not coming back. Hotels can wait, focus on the flights first.
If you did need links for those destinations here are the best ones:
Hotels in Phuket
Hotels in Phi Phi Islands
Hotels in Koh Samui
Good luck.
Hi David, How easy is it to get to Railay from Krabi airport at 5pm in the evening? It’s my first time (I wrote to you another message on a different post of this wonderful site of yours), and we will be a family of three travelling with some luggage. Please advise.
Many thanks,
-Manav
I doubt you’ll be able to make it. Not sure what time the boats stop running to Railay but I wouldn’t want to do it with the sun going down. They’re not the most stable boats to begin with. Better to spend the night in Ao Nang and get an early boat the next morning. It’s about a 30 to 40 minute taxi ride from the Krabi airport to Ao Nang where you catch the Railay boat.