Koh Phangan

About Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is an Island located roughly 15 km from Koh Samui. The Island is famous for its full moon party hosted in Haad Rin beach and as a huge back packers destination. Known as an island of coconut groves it is a tropical paradise not nearly as built up as its sister island Koh Samui. There are numerous hotel options for every one from budget hostels through to luxury resorts located all over the island. Most beaches are fairly quite apart from a few, such as Thong Sala (the islands capital) and Haad Rin.

What to see

Like many of the islands in Thailand, Koh phangan has little means of transportation. Songthaews and long tail boats serve as Koh Phangans taxi, they are not hard to come across however they are not metered and can sometimes be quite expensive if you wish to visit many different places around the island. Renting  a motorbike can  make things very easy, the roads on the island are not too bad as long as you stick to the main road, this road follows the whole way round the island. There are plenty of shops selling gasoline around the island too. I would recommend renting a bike from your hotel or asking them if they know any good shops nearby as not all rental shops are trustworthy. Once you have picked up a bike it is very easy to pick up a map and plan out where you would like to go.

Here are some recommendations on what to see:

• Jungle gym Muay Thai stadium, Haad Rin beach
• Khao Ra, between Ban Tai and Thong Nai Pan Beach
• Phaeng Waterfall, Thon Sadet – Koh Phangan National Park
• The Kuan Yin Chinese temple, between Thong Sala and Chaloklum
• Wat Pho, between Ban Tai and Ao Thong Nai Pan
• Wat Phu Kha Noi, Between Thong Sala and Ban Tai
• Koh Phangan’s tallest tree, Near Wat Pho

Getting to and from Koh Phangan

By boat

The ferry services that run to and from Koh Phangan are Songserm, Seatran, and Lomprayah :

• Ko Tao ( 1 hour)
• Ko Samui ( 1.5 hours)
• Chumphon ( 3.5 hours)
• Surat Thani (1.5 – 2.5 hours)

All ferries arrive at Ban Mae Haad. Ferry durations may change due to weather and sea conditions. Different ferry services may take different amounts of time.

By plane:

There is no airport on Koh Phangan island, however there are connections by bus and ferry from different airports available.

• (URT) Surat Thani Airport
• (USM) Ko Samui Airport
• (CJM) Chumphon Airport

By train:

There are trains services to Chumpon and Surat Thani both with Bus and ferry connections available to Koh Phangan.

Koh Phangan tours