Ko Pha Ngan
(Redirected from
Koh Phangan)
(เกาะพะง้น, pronounced
KOH pa-nGan with G as in mango) is an island off the
Central Gulf Coast of
Southern Thailand, halfway between the islands of
Ko Samui and
Ko Tao. It is known as a land of coconut trees and, above all, the world (in)famous full moon parties.
Cities
- Thong Sala — the island's "capital" and main ferry port.
- Chalok Lam
— fishing village with picturesque beach in long beautiful sandy bay at
the northern tip of the island, which is not touristy because of few
boats, but western part of the bay has one of the most beautiful waters
on island with nice narrow beach under palm trees.
- Thonglang Bay — Located between Chalok Lam and Haad Mae HaadMae Haed this almost undiscovered bay offers a delightful and peaceful escape from the crowds.
- Haad Khom
— 20mins of walk to east from Chaloklum on steep concrete road or few
minutes of convenient ride from Chaloklum you will find nice quiet beach
with clear water and soft white sand where you can relax and do one of
the best snorkelling on the island. There is only around 5
accommodations with good prices (from 150-300B for bungalow) so beach is
not crowded, only one (closest to Chaloklum - CBB) has 24hrs
electricity, other use diesel generators. Together with Bottle beach and
Chaloklum bay the best beaches of northern coast and whole island.
- Bottle Beach
— one of the most isolated beaches on island, on north coast accessible
by longtail boat from Chaloklum (150B/person) or by 2-3hr long and
tough hike from Haad Khom beach (which named this beach because of using
plastic bottles as signs on trail). There is also going one of the
worst roads on island, but taxi ride is so expensive that is always
better go to Chaloklum and take longtail boat from there. Very relaxed
quiet beach with few accommodations with very resonable prices (from
250-300B/bungalow), nice long and wide soft white sand beach and good
clean water for swimming even during dry season. There is only one
dis/advantage, because of isolation there are no ATMs or 7-elevens or
local restaurants so you have to buy everything for little bit inflated
prices in accommodations (eg. 90B for fried noodles), but you will pay
on meals you will save on accommodation and you can enjoy one of the
most beautiful beaches on island.
- Haad Rin (Hat Rin) — the most touristy/crowded village with all services any traveller need and beach of the famous Full Moon Party. The biggest party scene on island together with Baan Tai. One of the few beaches during dry season where is possible to swim.
- Haad Mae Haad
— wide sandy beach joined to Koh Ma by a sand spit, which is a National
Marine Park with some of the best diving and snorkeling on Pha Ngan;
there is also a small village and a variety of resorts, restaurants and
bars. Nice snorkelling: you'll need to go over the first, dead reef to
see the coral. Make sure you get in and out during high tide as crossing
the dead reef when the tide is receding can be difficult and painful.
Not much else to do but snorkel here.
- Haad Salad — an idyllic cove with several high-end resorts on the north-western part of the island.
- Haad Yao
— long white sandy beach just north of Haad Chao Phao, slightly more
developed with more beach bars, 7-eleven, ATM and restaurants, but clean
nice sea and snorkelling further from beach with accommodations from
150B (Ibiza). Maybe the best beach on the west coast.
- Haad Son — a beautiful bay with beach next to Haad Yao.
- Sri Thanu — A volcanic peninsula to the south of Haad Son and Haad Yao with bays and beaches.
- Haad Chao Phao
— A small private beach on the western part of Koh Phangan. It has some
resorts and bungalows offering budget rooms with full facilities. Here
also has several beach bars and restaurants where you can have dinner
and drink while the Sun is setting. To go there, from the main pier by
taxi around 15 minutes and 20 minutes by motorbike. If you need a real
escape, here it is . . . But here also has MOONSET PARTY at Pirate Bar.
The party regularly is arranged a few day before FULLMOON Party.
- Ban Tai — the longest stretch of uninterrupted beach on the entire island facing Koh Samui.
- Ban Kai
— From Ban Tai through to Haad Rin this beach offers an idylic setting -
just minutes from the full moon party, water also quite dirty and very
mountainious terrain.
- Haad Yuan — A nice sandy beach on the South Eastern Corner. a hop away from Haad Rin if you would like to get away from the party crowd.
- Haad Tien — Home to the Sanctuary Resort - a hipster, upscale resort with a nice vibe.
- Thong Nai Pan — scenic area on the north-eastern part of the island that includes the neighboring beach resorts of Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai and Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi.
Once upon a time chill-out place, nowadays one of the busiest beaches
on island full of accommodations, construction sites with bulldozers,
families with yelling children and quite bad water, altogether not
worthy bumpy long ride to the end of the world which is actually quite
crowded.
Understand
Climate
| Climate
| Jan
| Feb
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| May
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| Jul
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| Sep
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| Nov
| Dec
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| Daily highs (°C)
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30
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| Nightly lows (°C)
| 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25
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| Precipitation (mm)
| 71 | 50 | 69 | 73 | 128 | 136 | 92 | 110 | 123 | 306 | 423 | 166
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The best time to visit island and also high season is during
December-March when the water is high, clean, and good for swimming.
It's also not rainy and temperatures are pleasant. Another high season
time is during July/August after dry season when water is raising. The
worst time where you should avoid visiting island is during dry season
April-June which makes all of the best beaches on the northwest coast
(Mae Haad, Haad Yao, Chaloklum, Haad Khom) useless for swimming due to
shallow water. Swimming in this season is possible only in north coast
on beautiful Bottle beach and on dirtier less accessible east coast
(Thong Nai Pan, Haad Sadet, Haad Rin), where only beach with good
access/road and swimming possibilities is Haad Rin, which is not in low
season so crowded. South coast should be avoided during all year because
of bad water and sand.
Get in
By plane
The closest airport is Ko Samui (USM) which has frequent flights from Bangkok and Phuket, daily flights from U-Tapao and Singapore, and several direct flights each week from Chiang Mai and Kuala Lumpur.
Transportation to the ferry dock is easy to find at the airport.
Ferries depart several times a day with the last one around dusk.
The next nearest airport is Surat Thani (URT) on the mainland. Flights from Bangkok
there are significantly cheaper (1000-1500 baht in advance, or
2000-2500 if booked same day, instead of 3000-5000 if flying to Samui),
as there are low-cost carriers (AirAsia and One-Two-Go) flying there,
and even Thai Airways charge 30-50% less than to Samui. However, you'll
then need combined bus + boat travel to get to Ko Pha Ngan, which will
surely take several hours.
Nok Airways is now selling a combined package ticket including
airfare to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat, bus ride to the pier, and
a ticket on the Lomprayah Hi-speed Catamaran. This should be simpler
for travelers than arranging the individual segments separately. Note
that Nok uses the old airport in Bangkok, Don Mueang.
By boat
Sunset Baan Tai and seaview to Ko Samui Ko Samui / Thong Sala
From Ko Samui: There are at least 3 ferries a day from Ko Samui's "Big Buddha" pier directly to Haad Rin. Ferries also leave from Nathon and Mae Nam piers to Thong Sala several times a day.
Watch out for scammers at Koh Samui
airport who try to sell you a bus/boat combo for an exorbitant price.
Make sure to walk towards the exit of the airport where there is an
Information counter and taxi stands.
From Surat Thani: night ferry leaving at 11PM from Surat
Thani city (walking distance from bus stations Talat Kaset 1 and 2)
arrives at Thong Sala pier - Ko Phangan at 6AM and cost 400B for nice
sleep at matresses on boat. Night ferry is leaving from Thong Sala - Ko
Phangan for Surat Thani city at 10PM for 400B arriving around 5-6AM.
From Ko Tao: there is fast catamaran Lomprayah operating
twice a day TO Ko Tao for 400THB at 8:30AM and 1:00PM or leaving Ko Tao
for Ko Phangan at 9:30AM, ride between these islands take 1:15 hour.
Cheaper but slower ferry is operated from Ko Phangan to Ko Tao by
Songserm express and cost 300THB, leaving Ko Phangan at 12:30PM, ride
takes 2 hours.
By bus and boat
The best way in by bus is by Governmnent Bus to the Na Dan ferry
piers: these are the most direct, quickest, reliable, safest, and
hassle-free services. Tickets for these services can be bought at Sai
Tai Taling Chan (southern) government bus terminal in Bangkok.
Buses also arrive in Surat Thani, capital of Surat Thani Province,
. From here you can buy a ticket for a Bus+Boat ride for the slow ferry
(320 Baht for the 3 hour ferry and bus ticket to Don Sak) or the fast
ferry (400 Baht for the 2 hours ferry + transportation to Don Sak pier).
both ferries stop at Koh Samui first, and will drop you off at the pier of Thong Sala. Please note that both options will require you to change buses. This should be a quick and easy change over.
If there are no available options listed above (usually only if
you've arrived to the bus terminal quite late in the evening before a
weekend or holiday), you can also try a bus to Chumphon
and board a ferry there, see "By train" section below. You can buy a
combo ticket on the bus station, it will cost same as if purchased
separately (and the bus arrives 2-3 hours before ferry departure, so you
shouldn't be late).
Buses originating from Khao San Road (or others with travel agent
sold tickets) are famous for thefts from passenger luggage. Under no
circumstances should passengers on Khao San Road buses leave valuables
in bags that will go in the luggage storage areas, even if the bags can
be locked; consider it inevitable that every bag will be opened while
the bus is in motion. Bus+boat joint ticket cost at cheapest izraeli
travel agencies at western end of Khao San Road (better said Chakrapong
road) cost only 500-550THB depending on if it's before/after Full Moon
party and your bargaining skills so if you are aware of risks using
these buses and careful you can really save money instead of taking
pricier government bus which is also not leaving from KSR but you have
to go to some bus terminal.
A very good option, a little pricier, is using the morning bus
(6AM) and ferry combination from the Lomprayah company. A reputable
company with an office near Khao San road and the option to book online
through their website. The aircon bus is very new and the connection to
the Ferry gives opportunity for a toilet visit and eating some food.
Leave early in the morning and arrive mid-late afternoon on the islands.
One way is B1300,- They also have a night bus. http://www.lomprayah.com/E/index.htm
By train, boat and bus
Overnight train from Bangkok is an interesting option. Trains arrive in Surat Thani or Chumphon, and from there you can transfer by bus and then boat. Chumphon is the option if you're planning to stop by at Ko Tao
but if you're heading straight to Ko Phan Ngan consider Surat Thani.
Both stations are on the south-bounding Hay Yai line but arrival times
in Chumphon (when using night trains) are annoyingly early in the
morning. For example, the (recommended) express train number #85 arrives
around 4am after which you'll have to wait about 3 hours for the ferry.
On the other hand, if you continue down to Surat Thani you can sleep an
extra 3-4 hours plus you will arrive in daylight. Considering the
waiting time in Chumphon and the longer ferry trip you will eventually
get to Ko Pha Ngan at about the same time.
Combined train-bus-boat tickets can be bought direct from the official Advance Booking Counter at Hualamphong station in Bangkok,
although if your train is late, and your boat is already gone then you
will have to pay extra for the next boat. Thus the joint ticket may not
be the best choice.
If e-booking is not available or not suitable to you for some
reason, train tickets may be reserved up to 60 days in advance and paid
for by email. In reality, the Thai authorities are lax in returning
emails and/or will give the runaround, or flat-out refuse to reserve
seats for non-Thais during peak travel periods (December - January and
Songkran holiday in April). If your heart is set on going by train,
start early, be persistent, and have a backup plan to go by bus or
plane.
Upon arrival
in pier or all around island don't forget to take free brochures Phangan Navigator and Phangan.info
with many useful informations for travellers (ferry timetables, prices
of buses, trains, taxi boats, taxi pick-up trucks, where to eat, what to
do/see, visaruns...), both of them have maps with accommodations and
Phangan Navigator also list of them with prices so you can have clue
what should be price (in low season you can bargain from price) and is
more up-to-date than Phangan.info.
Get around
By motorcycle
There are a great deal of hire locations all over the island.
100-125cc motorbikes can be hired from 100 baht/day for semi-automatic
scooters (no clutch, just change gear up/down, easy to operate after a
couple of hours and saves some fuel compared to an auto) to 150 baht/day
for fully automatic scooters; larger capacity models cost 300-700
baht/day (700B for big enduro motobike). These are official prices
without bargaining and any discount, if you rent motobike for more days
you can get bigger discount, for example for 3 days rental from 150B/day
you can bargain it to 120B/day or from 100B/day to 90B/day, for 2 weeks
price drops even more from 100B/day to 75B/day, there is good rental
shop Sak with low prices just next to Nira's bakery in Thong Sala short
walk from pier with couple others rental shops with similar prices.
Rental is for 24 hours, so if you rent motobike at 4PM you have to
return it before 4PM next day if you don't want to pay surcharge.
Motobikes are rented without fuel so you have to go first to petrol
station (39B/1L N91 gasoline at big petrol stations, 40B anywhere, at
remote places like jungle road to Thong Nai Pan 50B/1L). Foreigners are
asked to leave their passport as a deposit, or a copy of their passport
and a large cash deposit (1,000-10,000 Baht). You are strongly advised
not to leave your passport. Renting throught the place you stay might be
a better option, but does not guarantee that you will avoid the bike
repair scam.
Some rental shops overcharge for every scratch or dent. They
don't fix, but rather replace the whole part - so note damages to the
bike on the rental contract. Be aware that your passport will be held
until you pay the extortionate repair cost. You can negotiate the costs
down from exorbitant to high, but keep your cool, don't yell and stay
polite. This practice is very common all over the region. It's not
unheard of that you are asked to pay for damage you haven't done. In
most cases, it's the combination of very bad & dangerous roads and
inexperienced or intoxicated driving that causes accidents. Some good
advice is to take pictures of your bike as you rent it, but if the guy
has your passport, this won't do any good. If you don't know what you're
doing stay on the safe side and stick with Songthaew.
Avoid riding at sundown, when the bugs are out en masse, and
result in brief periods of riding blind, while you desperately try to
clear your corneas. Try not to go home with a 'KPN tattoo' - this can
either result from your tender-skinned body sliding along a bitumen road
at high speed with few clothes on, or from the inside of your leg
touching too hot exhaust pipe of the moped. Also keep in mind that many,
if not most, travel insurance policies will not cover motorcycle
accidents, especially if you do not have a Thai drivers license.
Care is needed if attempting to go over the notorious Haad Rin
hills, the roads at the eastern side of the island, and north of Haad
Yao. Especially the "Hill of Tears" (first steep ascend from Thong Sala
towards Haad Rin) needs caution - use low gear only and rather have your
passenger walk, than bruised up. This is still quite good concrete road
where you need only use brakes compared to mud roads on northeast part
of island to Bottle Beach, Had Sadet which are the worst on island with
many potholes. Bad road to Thong Nai Pan is now under construction so
big parts are already made from concrete, althought it's not for
beginners.
Drunk driving in the West is illegal (not really in Ko Phangan
where police doesn't check this) - in Ko Pha Ngan it's suicidal. Better
to sit in the back of a taxi than hitting one head on at night, or end
up in hospital.
Wear a helmet (police can fine you 200B and do it occasionally
(before noon in Thong Sala for example)) and stay within your limits.
The slower you drive, the less it's gonna hurt.
It is also possible to rent small Suzuki jeeps, however you will find that you can circuit the island in a day.
By songthaew
Songthaew
pick-up truck taxis criss-cross the island asking from 100 baht a ride,
if you share taxi car with other people. You can and should bargain for
a lower price, especially if your destination isn't that far. As of
2009, taxi drivers have tried cartelized to fix prices to 200 baht a
ride. Do not accept the price at the pier and walk rather 300m to the
roundabout in Thong Sala where is taxi station with normal prices. From
Thong Sala to Baan Tai/Khai or Chaloklum should be price around
100B/person, Haad Rin 150B/person, Haad Yao/Salad 150B/person, Thong Nai
Pan or Had Sadet 250B.
It is important to note that ALL taxi service on Koh Phangan is
provided by songthaew (pick-up truck). Should you choose to go with a
freelancer on a motorbike or in a pickup, make arrangements quickly,
quietly and pay surrepitiously.
Usually is the best option to save money and be flexible avoid
using songthaew at all and rent motobike after arriving to Thong Sala
because you will be probably leaving from this pier, so you can here
also later return motobike and it can save you a lot of money, if there
is two of you and you would pay 150B/person for one taxi ride with
songthaew your total expenses to/from beach will be 600B for what you
can have semi-auto motobike rented for 6-7 days or fully automatic for
4-5 days and you are free to ride anywhere between arrival and departure
and it's also the best way when looking for accommodation instead of
taking taxi and walk around with a lot of baggage and newcomer
surcharge.
By boat
Boats cruise the bays with your snorkeling gear until somewhere takes
your fancy. The round-the-island, all day boat trip is a great way to
see some of the best beaches in the island.
See
Salad Beach on Ko Pha Ngan
- Than Sadet-Ko Pha-Ngan National Park
The park (free or charge) is named after the river Than Sadet (lit.
Royal River). The river forms the largest waterfall on the island, which
was visited by several Thai kings. Rama V especially liked the place
and visited 14 times. Very difficult to reach on motobike, one of the
worst roads on island.
- Visit the beautiful waterfalls and lookouts in the interior of
the island. The best lookouts are Domesila viewpoint 15mins of hike from
Phaeng waterfall in Phaeng National park (free of charge), there is
another waterfall viewpoint 20mins of hike from Phaeng waterfall. From
Bottle beach you can hike to the rocky viewpoint above valley with great
views over northeastern part of island, hiking to the top should take
30-45mins depening on your condition. You can visit Wat Khao Tam
viewpoint on the road between Thong Sala and Haad Rin which you can
reach on motobike and then it's easy walk for few minutes to the temple
with viewpoint at Ko Samui and southern coast of Ko Phangan. Another
viewpoint is in Chaloklum on the road to Haad Khom, it's weel signed
from the main road.
- The herbal sauna at Wat Pho with separated men/women rooms is a
great relief after long party nights. It's near the 7/11 branch in Baan
Thai, on the south-western side of the island. Always wear a sarong
(over your bikini, for men it's OK to use shorts) - remember that you
are on temple-territory and locals find nudity offensive. This is not a
European sauna, sitting naked will get you into trouble. The cost for
entering the herbal sauna is 50 baht and you can stay as long as you
want, if you want towel price is 10B. Working hours 1-7PM.
- If you're into fire, you'll find spinners and twirlers on many
of the beaches, teachers abund and (Alas, cotton) poi are easy to find.
- Visit Ko Ma off the north-west coast of Ko Pha Ngan. It offers
one of the best snorkeling places on the island. Other places to do
snorkelling are Haad Khom beach (very shallow water on the coast during
low tide, be careful) and Haad Yao.
- On the road between Thongsala and Chaloklum is beautiful Chinese Temple (free) with overlooking on Chaloklum Bay.
- There is a Elephant Camp on the way from Baan Tai to Thong Nai
Pan (300B/30 mins ride, if you got different price you are being
overcharged) and also next one close to chinese temple on the road from
Thong Sala to Chaloklum (300B for 30mins ride (in the pricelist
officialy 500B), very close is also archery site), take a photo or try
trekking through the jungle.
Do
Famous Biggest World's Full Moon Party, Thailand
- Explore the beauty of Phangan Island, through exciting day, evening and adventure tours. Experience, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, speed boat excursions to Ang Thong National Marine Park, Muay Thai, fishing trips, cultural tours, elephant riding,
enjoy the beauty of nature that the Koh Maa area has to offer and have a
relaxing boat trip. With so many things to see and do your time in Koh
Phangan will be truly memorable.
- Scuba Diving Koh Pha-Ngan has lovely sites around the
island which are perfect for both beginners and trained divers. From
easy dives off the beach to longer trips by boat you can experience the
world of tropical diving. The waters around Koh Pha-Ngan are much nicer
than most people know: fine hard corals with a good range of reefs and
tropical/pelagic fish. Sailrock, undoubtedly the most famous dive
site in the Gulf of Thailand. Located between Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao
all the wonders of this exciting site can be explored by all levels of
divers. This spectacular rock rises out of the water creating the best
wall dive with a maximum depth of 40 metres. Providing a great range of
marine life, spectacular underwater scenery, rock formations. There are
several PADI dive-schools on the island, amongst others, Scuba Fun Thailand by Cyana Beach Resortlocated in Woktum bay, Haad Yao Divers a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort located on Haad Yao and Haad Chao Phao, Reefers Dive Resort located in Haad Yao beach, Sail Rock Divers, Lotus Dive Resort, both located in Chalok Lam, and Phangang Divers, located in Haad Rin. You will, however, find many more dive schools through out the island.
Under Thai law, dive operators must be registered with the Tourism
Authority Thailand to improve quality of service, safety and help
protect the customer from fraud. Please check to make sure you are
booking through a TAT registered dive center.
- Full Moon Party - if you're after party heaven you can't do better than Haad Rin,
an expanded village of beach bars, cheap chicken burgers, and low cut
figure-hugging outfits. It is most popular one night a month - the night
of the Full Moon Party. Every bar is hopping, the beaches packed with
trance, dance, buckets, and various other suspicious substances.
However, if the sight of thousands of bottles and other trash repulses
you, make sure you leave the beach area before the sun comes up, or grab
a garbage bag and help tidy up a little. If you're not on Ko Pha Ngan
during the full moon, don't worry: there are other parties to be had,
including Half Moon (2 times a month), Black Moon, Jungle Parties, as
well as the Shiva Moon party. There is always something to do in Ko Pha
Ngan.
Haad Rin offers a variety of entertainment venues just steps away
from the famous 'Full Moon Party beach', where travellers and locals
come to get away from the repetitiveness of the beach party scene.
- Rhythm & Sands the newest extension to New Zealand’s
biggest internationally recognized and award winning New Years festival
– Rhythm and Vines. Rhythm & Sands is hosted at Holiday Beach
Resort on Koh Phangan 2 days before the Full Moon Party every month!
Rhythm & Sands offers the travelling world a taste of ‘kiwi’ party
culture, whilst maintaining the wonderful sunny backpacking culture
Thailand is known for.
Rhythm and Sands will be a work in progress over 2012, but a major
focus will be to bring increasingly bigger international acts that are
not normally seen outside of Bangkok nightclub events.
Another Major focus will be to provide the island with the safety,
security, and peace of mind of a western festival, but without
detracting from the exotic, inherent beauty that the Thai experience has
to offer. However, making sure people do not have to worry about the
less attractive elements that some of the local parties have become
known for in Thailand is of great importance. This will extend to
accommodation and on-island travel and taxi options in an effort to make
sure the experience is of the highest calibre from the moment it starts
until the moment our party goer returns home.
- Archery can be attempted at the "First Bow and Arrow
Archery" close to Chaloklum on the road to Thongsala. Four archers can
have a go at the same time, people are very friendly (German spoken
during high season) and helpful, price 15mins for 150B.
- Hiking can be done all around the island. There is a
trail that leads between Haad Rin and Haad Tien, which many enjoy
however the route can become difficult to discern, and bringing enough
water is necessary. If you are felling adventurous ride motobike to the
end of concrete road at Haad Khom from where you can hike through steep
terrain and jungle on the coast to isolated bottle beach, overgrown and
difficult trail is occasionally signed with bottles and hike takes 2-3
hours after what you will appreciate beauty of Bottle beach and for sure
ride back to Chaloklum with taxi boat (150B/person) from where it's
30mins walk uphill to Haad Khom main road where you parked motobike (or
you can hike all the way from Chaloklum). Another good trail is to the
best viewpoint of island (when good weather) to Khao Ra viewpoint,
highest hill on island.
- Muay Thai gyms such as "Jungle Gym" in Haad Rin and Thong Sala Muay Thai
offering training and work out facilities, as well as camps such as
"Horizon" located in Haad Tien (east) which is an intensive training
camp. There are also frequent matches in Thong Sala and Haad Rin for
spectators who don't want to learn the sport.
- Yoga is offered at multiple locations including Agama
Yoga, which is located in the northwest of the island, and has month
long intensive courses.
Buy
Under Thai law,
travel agents that offer ticket, tours, tourism services, hotel reservations
in Thailand must be registered with the Tourism Authority Thailand
to improve quality of service and help protect the customer from fraud.
Please check to make sure you are booking through a TAT registered
travel agent.
Both Thong Sala and Haad Rin sell pretty much anything you can
think of, and probably some things you don't need at all. You can try to
bargain, but realistically, the prices are set. You may get a deal
every now and again, but it's the exception to the rule. Remember that
you're in a tourist area and that prices usually are above the level of
for say Bangkok. The further you go from the ferry piers, the better
your chance of haggling gets.
Main purchases you will find on Ko Pha Ngan include hammocks
(check out "Hammock Home Gallery" in Thong Sala) as well as some of the
local artists works. Most of the clothing is of the variety that you
will find in Bangkok, but generally it is a bit more expensive, as it
has been imported to the island for sale.
Art Galleries are also considered to be rising business in
Koh Phangan, most of the places will offer variety works and services
including custom orders and art reproductions. These galleries have
reputations in affordable prices and fine quality artist skills.
Tesco-Lotus biggest supermarket in island (but not
necessarily more options than in 7-eleven), open 10.00 - 22.00, in
Thongsala. Sells cheap microwaveable dishes. The bakery makes a change
from Thai food.
Eat
For an authentic experience (and cheaper than the well-decorated
cafe/restaurants by Haad Rin beach), look at the more modest cafes where
you might see some Thais eating.
The best area for authentic cheap eats is definitely the food carts in Thong Sala,
the main town on the island, in the evening you can eat in night market
(from 40B/meal (usually curry meat with rice or fried rice or pad
thai), soups from 30B, pancakes from 20-30B, meat on sticks
10-30B/stick, free wifi in roofed hall!), during daytime is another good
option Walking street with few thai restaurant with meals for 40-45B
where you can find every saturday walking street market with souvenirs
and snacks. Across the road from 7-eleven in Chaloklum are also some
thai street stalls where you will find locals eating and they know
better where to eat (that's why and also prices is why you won't meet
them in farang restaurants). In front of Tesco you can buy sticks with
fried balls for 5B/stick and on the junction next to entrance to Tesco
parking place you can buy in the morning (7-9AM) sticky rice with
pork/chicken/liver packed in banana leave for 10B for small portion,
there are also few street stalls. During daytime and in the evening
there is also small market next to 7-eleven in Thong Sala in direction
to Haad Rin after Walking street/traffic lights with authentic thai
meals for 30-50B.
- '''Umi ~ Vegetarian''', 73/10 Moo 1, Thongsala, ☎ 077377815, . 10am - 6pm. Vege
Good Food ! Simple and delicious curries, salads and soups from around
the world. Daily specials menu including Indian, Korean, African,
Mediterranean and other World Food.
- Me'n'u The signature restaurant of the five star resort
Rasananda at Tong Nai Pan Noi has become firmly established as the
island's premier eatery, sourcing only the finest freshest ingredients
to create their Modern European cuisine, this has to be the finest
location of all the restaurants on Phangan island, that includes a 500
bottle wine cellar and champagne lounge. Sadly the restaurant is now
closed.
- Fellini, Srithanu. 2 Italian restaurants, in Haad Rin and Srithanu.
make delicious stone-cooked pizzas, a wide choice of pastas, steaks,
seafood, salads. Fellini is famous for its home-made pestos and for the
home-grown hydroponic lettuce and rocket. A tiramisu and chocolat mousse
to die for. In Srithanu a good choices of wine, probably the best of
the island.
- Ando Loco - Thongsala's Mexican restaurant of the year
for two years running, authentic cuisine only using imported spices,
best tequilla and Margarita's on the Island.
- Little House, Central St Haadrin. Seems
to be always busy, popular with the locals. Fairly large cafe-style
diner with an open kitchen and resident puppy. Friendly staff but don't
expect a chat unless you speak islander Thai! Four gorgeous and filling
curries can be had for 200 baht - 5 euro. A coffee shake at D's across
the street will cost the same just for one.
- Nira's home bakery, Thongsala (100m to the east from 7-eleven at junction next to pier). If you are feeling homesick you can find here many european bakery food like delicious baguettes for 22B/1 piece.
Drink
- Club 9 is the largest indoor club on Koh Phangan just
steps away from the famous 'full moon party beach' It's a newly
established nightclub in Haad Rin that attracts people for its mixture
of full moon entertainment, live music, reputable DJ's, themed parties
and private V.I.P service. This club offers a fresh entertainment
atmosphere that differs from the repetitiveness of the beach party
scene.
- Sheesha (Chaloklam). A classy take on the Thai bar, definitely worth a look.
- The Livin' Room. Sip cocktails while you enjoy air-con & movies on a 5m screen, with your own private phone to order drinks & food.
Sleep
- See the individual town articles for hotel and resort listings.
As a general guide: As further you walk along the beach to the last resort, the better and quieter deal you get!
You can usually find accommodation at the pier when you arrive,
many of resorts offers taxi service from pier for free! However, during
Full moon period it is worth booking ahead unless you want to sleep on
the beach or spend the night in one of the more expensive lodgings. If
you are thinking of booking accommodation online before you arrive, make
sure you book with the actual resort or a trustworthy booking site as
there are numerous fake sites for several well known Ko Phangan resorts
appearing on the Internet.
There is more to Ko Pha Ngan than the full moon party and Haad Rin, so don't be afraid to venture out to other beaches. You can still get to the party from just about everywhere.
The decent rooms tend to run out a few days before the full moon
party, and throughout the peak season (December-February). If you have a
short vacation or like to have a soft landing, you might want to book a
room in advance. This can be quite hard on the less accessible beaches,
such as Haad Tien or Haad Yuan.
If you decide to test your luck, try to arrive as early in the
day as possible (9 a.m seems to be a good time) to have the most time
and options for accommodations.
For a cheap bungalow, literally moments from white beaches (but no surf whatsoever), turn left from Thong Sala
and you will pass strings of quiet bays, each with one or more
'resorts', featuring a bar, a restaurant, rooms and bungalows, and a few
dozen laid back tourists and travelers for company. Try Haad Yao, Haad Son, Haad Salad or any of the others along the same strip.
For the North of the island, Chalok Lam, Ko Ma/Haad Mae Haad, Haad Khom & Bottle Beach are popular.
For longterm stay you can rent whole house (1 bedroom+small
kitchen+bathroom+wifi+electricity/water included) for 5-6000B/month not
on the beach, bigger houses with 2 (bed)rooms from 10-12000B/month. For 2
weeks booking of house don't expect half of monthly price, two weeks in
2 bedroom house cost minimum 7-9000B, 1 bedroom 3-4000B.
PhanganIsland.com offers a list of rental houses on the island.
Stay safe
Emergency contacts
- Police: dial 191 (077 377 114)
- Tourist Police: dial 1155 (this supersedes the old "1699" number)
- Phangan Rescue Centre: dial 077 377 118
Yes, the Full Moon Party (as well as others) is full of drugs, but
these days it's also full of plain clothed policemen out to bust you. Be
very careful if you intend to consume illicit drugs. Road blocks are
common, particularly in the week before the FMP between Thong Sala and Haad Rin.
Thai police have also been known to force urine tests. Remember that
the Thais have harsh penalties for drug offences and the police are
working to meet their "quota". Be aware that you may NOT be able to bail
yourself out of trouble - especially if you get transferred to Surat Thani
- and that bribing Thai police will at least cut a deep hole into your
travel budget, if it is possible at all. Do not keep drugs on you, in
your room, or in your vehicle.
If you plan to drink at a party, make sure you have reliable
transportation set up beforehand. The roads here are nothing to mess
with, and too many people try to drive home because they don't have a
taxi waiting. If nothing else, find a safe corner and sleep it off
before you head home.
It's not a good idea to accept drinks or food from strangers,
there are reported incidents of spiked drinks (from both locals and
"fellow" travellers). There have been reports of LSD buckets foisted
upon unsuspecting partyers in Haad Rin.
Drugged drinks are often and unfortunately followed up by robbery,
sexual harassment, or even (gang) rapes. Best idea is to afford your own
drinks and stay with your friends.
On closer inspection of the buckets sold, most liquor bottles are
unsealed; thus there is uncerainty about the true contents of every
bottle. This may be why so many people get sick.
However a local club owner states "we use the small bottles for
the buckets and it is cheaper and easier for us to re-use the small
bottles. The local stockists always run out of small bottles so we often
replace the contents with that from a larger bottle of the same liquor
(some clubs use cheaper liquor - ask POLITELY at the bar for original
liquor and be prepared to pay more for original liquor).
The hangovers come from dehydration - most kids drink buckets all night
then party in the morning sun on alcohol - best advise is drink water
regularly - even at night as its hot and sweaty!"
So before buying a bucket, check the seal of the bottle and
politely ask what's in it if you are worried. Apart from that, remember
the fact that buckets can be VERY strong and unpredictable. If you
intend to get drunk, try to have solid food beforehand, or you might
"lose it" very fast.
It's advisable to leave all valuables in a safety deposit box or
at your guest house owner's hands instead of taking them to the party.
Wear shoes or sandals to avoid injury from broken bottles or burning cigarettes.
If you're averse to getting knocked on the head with flaming
batons, then don't venture too close to the Fire Poi swingers on the
beach, as skillful as they may be, the fire sometimes gets out of hand
and hit nearby tourists. "Fire Skipping Rope / Jump through Fire Hoop"
are dangerous games provided a few of the beach bars, take care of
participating in these games, especially if you are drunk!
If you plan to leave the island the day after the Full Moon
Party, be aware that the boats are usually packed with other tourists
who have the same idea. Make sure you're not getting on an overloaded
boat. Same applies to taxi-boats before and after the FMP. The Thai
frequently overload their longtail boats and lost luggage is at your own
expense. Rather get off, reclaim your money and wait for the next one.
There are many good places to stay in
Ko Pha Ngan, if you want to stay close to the action, but not TOO close you may choose the resorts on the "sunset side" of Haad Rin. You can stay just about anywhere on the island and still get to the Full Moon Party, so don't be afraid to venture away from Haad Rin,
which is the most developed and least Thai beach of them all. There are
aver 30 coves and beaches on the island, each with it's own distinct
qualities. Check out local information to find which beach suits you.
Try to WALK AWAY from every potential conflict with locals. You
will stand no chance and it's a surefire way to get hospitalized. Also
try not to get inappropriately rowdy or swear at the beach bar staff. In
April 2007 an Israeli tourist got stabbed to death right on the
dancefloor in one of the bars on Haad Rin
beach - violence is frequent. The locals will not help you in a fight
and will in fact gang up on you whether you are right or wrong, and
"fellow" travellers will do their best to stay out of it, too. If you
find yourself seriously aimed for, LEAVE THE PLACE IMMEDIATELY and don't
come back the same night. Thais who lose their temper usually are back
to normal the next day. Be friendly and smile - you're on a holiday!
Everything is best done with a smile here as this is Thai culture.
Contact
Internet cafes are plentiful and typically also offer
international calls, fax services and flight confirmation. The
connection and speed is generally good. Expect to pay 60 baht/h (1
baht/m) for internet in the central locations. One baht per minute is
typical for predominantly tourist-oriented shops, many of which also
offer lower rates for pre-paid blocks of time. In travel agency Tan tour
(50m to west from 7-eleven next to pier) the friendly owner Tomas is
famous for not taking charging customers very seriously, so if you stay
short time you can use usually internet for free or if longer time you
will usually end up paying only 20B instead of 40-60B by pricelist. Just
next door from 7-eleven in Thong Sala at pier there is free (open) wifi
for everyone in Sweet cafe, so if you don't mind sitting on the sun you
can use it for free. Also in food court in Thong Sala night market
(actually open during all day :-)) there is free wifi for everyone. It's
not difficult to find well-equipped, quiet, air-con Internet cafés that
charge 60 baht/hour; likewise shops that can accommodate users who want
to hook up their own laptops can easily be found. Printing
(black/white) is usually 10 baht/page (30 baht/page for colour). when
you venture away from the more developed beaches, expect to pay up to 3
Baht a minute. It can be cheaper just for staying in touch (e-mail/IM)
to buy SIM card where you can activate 30MB data package for 1 month for
107B (D-Tac/AIS) or 100MB data package for 1 month for 214B (AIS),
which is enough for basic mobile internet without images/videos in your
mobile phone.
Mobile phone/SIM cards can be bought and top-up all around
island in many 7-eleven branches. Mobile signal of D-Tac (Happy) or AIS
(1 2 Call) is all around island, avoid using TrueMove network which has
very bad coverage.
Overseas calls can be made from many agencies and Internet
shops, as well as guesthouses/hotels and the like - most advertise a
rate of 15 baht/minute (or 25 baht/minute to mobile 'phones). Pretty
much every internet place will have headsets for Skype use, which will
be MUCH cheaper if you don't have to call to telephone.
Koh Pha-Ngan's
post office is located southeast of Thong
Sala. As well as the usual postal services, it handles Western Union
transactions and hosts a large number of post/security boxes. On
weekdays (except public holidays) it's open 08:30-16:30, and on Saturday
and Sunday and public holidays it's open 09:00-12:00; tel. 077 377 118.
There is also a smaller but still official Post Office in Haad Rin,
very close to the ferry pier on the West side. Open similar hours to the
main post office but possibly slightly more restricted, as it is really
about 1/4 the size of the Thong Sala one.
Get out
- Ang Thong National Marine Park
— 2 hours away by boat and a great place for a day-trip only
(snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, viewpoint over 42 islands) through
travel agencies, not on your own. There are huts and tents available.
The main highlight when staying on Ko Phangan.
- Sail Rock — popular diving destination, mid-way between Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao
- Bangkok
— capital of Thailand, main transportation hub easily reachable by
boat+bus (from 750B) or boat+train (1000-1250B altogether from island to
BKK by AC sleeper train) joint tickets from Ko Pha Ngan.
- Surat Thani — closest city to at the mainland
- Ko Tao — "the biggest dive school on the planet" (Songserm express ferry leaving Thong Sala at 12:30PM for 250B).
- Ko Samui — the biggest and most touristy island (on the east coast) of Thailand, many boats departing there from 250B.
