Ko Pha Ngan
Ko Pha Ngan (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
These beaches are the best for swimming and the most beautiful beaches on the island. Thong Nai Pan Noi now features several high-end hotels while Thong Nai Pan Yai has bungalows and hotels in all price ranges from 300 baht a day and up. UnderstandClimate
The best time to visit the 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 the water is rising. Avoid visiting the island during dry season, April-June, when all of the best beaches on the northwest coast (Mae Haad, Haad Yao, Chaloklum, Haad Khom)are useless for swimming due to shallow water. Swimming in this season is possible only on the north coast on beautiful Bottle Beach and on the dirtier, less accessible east coast (Thong Nai Pan, Haad Sadet, Haad Rin), where the only beach with good access and swimming is Haad Rin, which is not as crowded at this time. The south coast should be avoided all year due to bad water and sand. Get in By planeThe 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 (1,000-1,500 baht in advance, or 2,000-2,500 if booked same day, instead of 3,000-5,000 if flying to Samui), as there are low-cost carriers (AirAsia) 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. AirAsia uses the old airport in Bangkok, Don Mueang, while Thai Airways uses the international airport, Suvarnabhumi. 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 high-speed catamaran. This should be simpler for travellers than arranging the individual segments separately. Nok uses Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. By boat 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 boatThe 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 busOvernight 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 at the pier or all around island don't forget to pick up a free guide book Phangan.info with a lot of useful information for travellers (ferry timetables, prices of taxi boats, taxi trucks, where to eat, what to do/see, party dates, maps, accommodation and more). Get aroundBy motorcycleThere 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 songthaewSongthaew 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 boatBoats 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
Do
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.
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.
BuyUnder Thai law, travel agents that offer ticket, tours, tourism services, hotel reservations in Thailand must be registered with the Tourism Authority Thailand (TAT) 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. In both Thong Sala and Haad Rin vendors 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, 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 artist's 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 Ko Pha Ngan. Most of the places will offer variety works and services including custom orders and art reproductions. These galleries have reputations for affordable prices and fine quality artist skills. Tesco-Lotus is the biggest supermarket in island (but not necessarily more options than in 7-11), open 10.00 - 22.00, in Thongsala. Sells cheap microwaveable dishes. The bakery makes a change from Thai food. Eat For the most part, this is not the place to come to experience Thai food or culture. For a slightly more authentic experience (and cheaper than the well-decorated cafe/restaurants by Haad Rin beach), patronise the more modest street carts where you might see some Thais eating. The best area for cheap eats is definitely the food carts in Thong Sala, the main town on the island. In the evening you can eat at the night market (from 40 baht/meal (usually curried meat with rice or fried rice or pad Thai), soups from 30 baht, pancakes from 20-30 baht, meat on sticks 10-30 baht/stick.) Free WiFi in a roofed hall. Across the road from 7-11 in Chalok Lam are also some Thai street stalls where you will find locals eating. In front of Tesco you can buy sticks with fried meatballs for 5 baht/stick and at the junction next to entrance to Tesco parking lot you can buy in the morning (7-9AM) sticky rice with pork/chicken/livers packed in banana leaves for 10 baht for a small portion. There are also a few street stalls. There is also a small market next to 7-11 in Thong Sala in the direction of Haad Rin (after Walking St traffic lights) with Thai meals for 30-50 baht.
Drink
Sleep
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. If you come in relatively low season in July and August it is a good idea to book a room in advance just for the first night and rent a motorbike to look around. Beaches differ a lot (some of them are good for diving/snorkeling, some are good for swimming), so do villages (some are really quite, some are packed with bars). Motorbike trip by the seaside to Chalok Lam and all the places on the way, and to Haad Rin on the other end of the island should not be a problem even to less experienced motorbikers and will help you to choose the perfect place which suits your preferences. More remote places are harder to get by motorbike, so if you are thinking about staying in Thong Nai Pan or Bottle Beach, you have to relay on reviews available in the Internet. 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.
Stay safeEmergency contacts
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. Roadblocks 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. The best idea is to take your own drinks and stay with your friends. On closer inspection of the buckets sold, most liquor bottles are unsealed, so there is uncertainty 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). Hangovers come from dehydration. Most kids drink buckets all night, then party in the morning sun on alcohol. Best advice is to drink water regularly, even at night as its hot and sweaty. 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 drink a lot, 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 in 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 hits nearby tourists. "Fire Skipping Rope / Jump through Fire Hoop" are dangerous games provided by a few of the beach bars. Take care when 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. The same applies to taxi-boats before and after the FMP. Thais frequently overload their longtail boats and lost luggage is at your own expense. Better to 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 over 30 coves and beaches on the island, each with it's own distinct qualities. Check out local information to find which beach suits you. Walk away from every potential conflict with locals. You will stand no chance and it's a surefire way to get hospitalized. Do not get inappropriately rowdy or swear at the beach bar staff. In April 2007 an Israeli tourist got stabbed to death right on the dance floor in one of the bars on Haad Rin beach. Violence is frequent. 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. If you find yourself targeted, LEAVE THE PLACE IMMEDIATELY and don't come back the same night. Compared to most of Thailand (and especially the north), citizens of Ko Pha Ngan are generally agressive, rude, and unfriendly after decades of particularly rowdy tourism. Don't expect to be treated as much more than a human ATM. However, it is worth bearing in mind how you would feel if you had to tolerate some of the appalling and disrespectful behaviour from foreigners that you will see here in your home community. Beware also of other travellers who can also be pretty agressive when drunk, male or female. If you walk on some of the smaller backroads of the island, dogs can be a real danger. Many of the dogs you encounter will be highly territorial and unfriendly (barking, baring their teeth, getting very close), especially if it is a group of dogs. Getting bitten means an urgent flight to Bangkok to get rabies treatment, so this is important to avoid. Do not stare directly at the dogs (but do look at them every once in a while as it seems to deter them somewhat), and do not run. Try talking to them continuously in a calm and friendly voice ("what a good dog", etc) and move slowly but surely, either away from the dog, or, if it's critical for you to pass, then as far away as possible from the dog's "home territory" (e.g., if it ran out of a house on the left side of the road, move along the right side). In an emergency, remember that they're probably as scared of you as you are of them, so any violent motion (like throwing something) will likely send them running back, but only temporarily. Do this only as a last resort. ContactInternet 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/hr (1 baht/min) for Internet in 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 (50 m to west of 7-11 next to the pier) the friendly owner Tomas is famous for not taking charging customers very seriously, so if you stay only a short time you can usually use the Internet for free, or for a longer time you will usually end up paying only 20 baht instead of 40-60 baht. Next door to the 7-11 in Thong Sala at the pier there is free (open) WiFi for everyone in Sweet Cafe, so if you don't mind sitting in the sun you can use it for free. Also in the food court in the Thong Sala night market (actually open 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/hr. 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 a SIM card where you can activate a 30MB data package for 1 month for 107 baht (D-Tac or AIS) or a 100MB data package for 1 month for 214 baht (AIS), which is enough for basic mobile Internet without images/videos in your mobile phone. Mobile phone/SIM cards can be bought and topped-up all around island in many 7-11s. Mobile signal strength for D-Tac (Happy) or AIS (1-2-Call) is good all around the island. Avoid using the 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 free if you don't have to call to a telephone. Ko 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 only a quarter the size of Thong Sala's. Get out
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